This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of supplemental chromium on performance and blood serum biochemistry of dairy cows. Thus, 20 multiparous Holstein cows (parity 3) were equally divided into two groups, group one (control), which received no chromium supplementation and group two (treatment) which received 5 g/day chromium methionine from week 5 prior to parturition until 12 weeks ...

The study was carried out on 42 breeder couples (42 males and 42 females) of European brown hare (Lepus europaeus), divided into three groups fed three different experimental diets (14 couples/treatment). Two diets were supplemented with n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs; 2% of linseed oil and soybean oil, respectively) and were compared with a control diet supplemented with a mono...

Abstract Parturition is a critical period for the ewe and lamb, incidence of dystocia has known impacts on lamb welfare productivity. Current methods monitoring are mostly conducted through visual observation. Novel approaches have also been suggested, including application on-animal sensor technologies remote surveillance parturition success. This short communication explores how use sensor-ba...

Pregnant Anglo-Arab and Thoroughbred mares (n = 24) were divided randomly according to age and breed into 4 groups of 6 mares each from approximately 6 weeks before their expected foaling date. Diets received by the 4 groups varied in essential amino-acid and total protein contents. Serum progestagen, FSH and LH concentrations were determined from the day of parturition until foal heat and duri...

Overfeeding during the dry period may predispose cows to increased insulin resistance (IR) with enhanced postpartum lipolysis. We studied gene expression in the liver and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) of 16 Finnish Ayrshire dairy cows fed either a controlled energy diet [Con, 99 MJ/day metabolizable energy (ME)] during the last 6 wk of the dry period or high-energy diet (High, 141 MJ/day ME...

Johne's disease (JD) is characterized by a protracted period of subclinical infection. Infected cows may remain in the subclinical state until stressors such as parturition and lactation invoke more clinical signs of disease. The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in the percentages of CD4(+), CD8(+), and gammadelta T-cells, B-cells, monocytes, as well as the expression of the acti...

The biology of relaxin differs in many respects between ruminants and nonruminants. Immunoreactive blood concentration of circulating relaxin is much less in ruminant (cattle and sheep) than in nonruminant (pigs) farm animals. The ovaries of the pig produce abundant quantities of the hormone in late pregnancy, whereas tissue sources of relaxin are not clearly defined in sheep and cattle. Relaxi...

Parturition is the process of delivery of the fully grown fetus on the completion of the normal pregnancy period. Parturition is an interesting biological process in the sense that the uterus that was quiescent during the entire pregnancy starts contracting and the cervix that was tightly contracted relax sufficiently to allow the passage of the young one to the world outside the mother’s womb,...

Dairy cows suffer from an intense energy deficit at parturition due to the onset of copious milk synthesis and depressed appetite. Despite this deficit, maternal metabolism is almost completely devoted to the support of mammary metabolism. Evidence from rodents suggests that, during periods of nutritional insufficiency, a reduction in plasma leptin serves to co-ordinate energy metabolism. As an...