1,721,001 research outputs found
Hoof cortisol variation in calves during the neonatal period.
No full textThe neonatal period is a critical phase of the animal’s life cycle. The hoof in the neonatal period undergoes significant changes. The claw incorporates endogenous hormones that passively diffuse from capillaries to the hoof matrix during keratinisation over a longer time period. The aim of this study was to characterize hoof cortisol concentrations in 20 calves at 30 and 60 days of age. The samples were obtained from the front right hooves during claw trimming. The clipped sole samples obtained had the thickness of 0.5–0.7 mm and, according to the rate of hoof growth, represent the endocrine milieu for approximately 1 month before trimming. Cortisol concentrations of freeze-dried clipped claw samples were evaluated by RIA after extraction with methanol. Hoof cortisol levels in calves decreased (p < 0.05) from the first to the second month of life. Because hoof cortisol detected at 30 days of age represents the cumulative effect of parturition and neonatal adaptation, the significant decrease trend suggests the progressive ability of calves to cope with the environment through the allostasis, a process promoted by body systems including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. This preliminary study showed that hoof can be used to measure cortisol, a hormone that could have an influence on the bovine claw’s physiology
An insight into the dairy chain of a Protected Designation of Origin cheese: The case study of Asiago cheese
Full text linkThe Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) label of the European Union safeguards and guarantees top-quality traditional agri-food products that must be manufactured in a specific region according to traditional production methods. Production specifications of PDO cheeses are often focused on the cheese-making process and lack information on the dairy farming system that is upstream of the chain. This case study aimed to analyze and cluster the dairy farms that supply milk to the chain of Asiago, an internationally known PDO cheese of northeastern Italy. A large survey involving all of the cheese factories of the Asiago PDO chain was made in 2017. Each cheese factory submitted a questionnaire to its supplying dairy farmers concerning (1) farm facilities and herd management and (2) feeding program of lactating cows. Results from 517 farms were processed; there were 67 ± 27% (mean ± standard deviation) respondents per cheese factory. Four clusters of dairy farms were identified by hierarchical clustering analysis. Cluster 1 (8% of the surveyed farms) and cluster 2 (22%) are small in size and low in yield, representing the traditional milk production system; farms are mainly located on mountains or hills and have autochthonous dual-purpose breeds mostly housed in tiestall barns. By rearing cattle of endangered breeds and feeding cows primarily with forages produced on-farm together with the use of pasture, these clusters, and especially cluster 1, have shown to provide essential ecosystem services for landscape and biodiversity preservation in the alpine areas. Clusters 3 and 4 (34 and 36% of the surveyed farms, respectively) gather medium-scale farms mainly located in the lowland that operate according to modern management and housing systems and rear high-producing dairy cows. These cows are mainly fed total mixed rations based on corn silage, but the dietary forage:concentrate ratio is kept relatively high, as farmers are more interested in producing high-quality milk for cheese-making than pushing for yield. Regardless of the cluster allocation, a considerable cow longevity, which is a recognized “iceberg indicator” of cattle well-being, was highlighted. This study showed that different farming systems may lay behind a single PDO cheese. The knowledge of their characteristics is important to reinforce the PDO production specifications as well as to distinguish and protect niche products that come from specific groups of farms that provide essential ecosystem services
Health, behaviour and growth performance of Charolais and Limousin bulls fattened on different types of flooring
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Short communication: The relationship between dietary particle size and undegraded neutral detergent fibre in lactating dairy cows: A prospective cohort observational study
Full text linkPhysically effective NDF (peNDF) and undegraded aNDF at 240 h (uNDF.240) are important parameters for characterizing NDF in fibre evaluation and are associated with dietary physical form and fibre digestibility characteristics. A new concept that combines peNDF and uNDF.240, physically effective uNDF.240 (peuNDF.240 = pef × uNDF.240), was recently established. The peuNDF.240 value allows determination of dry matter intake (DMI), and the productive response of cows even in the absence of variation in DMI or when cows are fed rations with low uNDF.240 and high peNDF or rations with high uNDF.240 and more finely chopped fibre. The aim of this study was to improve our understanding of the relationships between dietary uNDF.240 content to other fibre fractions, average cow DMI, gross feed efficiency, and milk yield at the farm level. Furthermore, the relation between peuNDF.240 and the productive response of cows was also investigated at the farm level. In the Po’ Valley, which is a representative area for dairy production in Italy, a cohort of 22 Holstein dairy farms was monitored over two years (2019–2020). Information regarding average cow DMI, milk yield, and ration composition was obtained through interviews with farmers, and feed samples were collected and chemically analysed. Farms were classified according to their dietary uNDF.240 (% of DM) content: low (uL) ≤ 8.29 or high (uH) > 8.29. Farms with low dietary uNDF.240 used less alfalfa forage as a fibre source compared with farms with high dietary uNDF.240 (6.27 vs. 15.5 % of DM) and showed higher average milk yield (35.9 vs. 33.6 kg/cow/day, respectively) and similar DMI (23.9 vs. 24.3 kg/cow/day, respectively). Dietary peuNDF.240 was negatively related to milk yield (milk yield = 47.4 – 1.87 peuNDF.240, R2 = 0.62, adjusted R2 = 0.60, residual standard error (RSE) = 1.87, P = 0.001) and gross feed efficiency (gross feed efficiency = 1.96 – 0.08 peuNDF.240, R2 = 0.65, adjusted R2 = 0.64, RSE = 0.07, P = 0.001). The results of this study have practical significance for farmers, as they suggest that the inclusion of low digestible forages in the ration (i.e., late-harvested alfalfa characterized by high uNDF.240) may require more fine shredding to reduce the overall value of peuNDF.240 and increase cow production
Comparative near Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy calibrations performance of dried and undried forage on dry and wet matter bases
Full text link: The application of Near Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for analyzing wet feed directly on farms is increasingly recognized for its role in supporting harvest-time decisions and refining the precision of animal feeding practices. This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of NIR spectroscopy calibrations for both undried, unprocessed samples and dried, ground samples. Additionally, it investigates the influence of the bases of reference data (wet vs. dry basis) on the predictive capabilities of the NIR analysis. The study utilized 492 Corn Whole Plant (CWP) and 405 High Moisture Corn (HMC) samples, sourced from various farms across Italy. Spectral data were acquired from both undried, unground and dried, ground samples using laboratory bench NIR instruments, covering a spectral range of 1100 to 2498 nm. The reference chemical composition of these samples was analyzed and presented in two formats: on a wet matter basis and on a dry matter basis. The study revealed that calibrations based on undried samples generally exhibited lower predictive accuracy for most traits, with the exception of Dry Matter (DM). Notably, the decline in predictive performance was more pronounced in highly moist products like CWP, where the average error increased by 60-70%. Conversely, this reduction in accuracy was relatively contained (10-15%) in drier samples such as HMC. The Standard Error of Cross-Validation (SECV) values for DMres, Ash, CP, and EE were notably low, at 0.39, 0.30, 0.29, 0.21% for CWP and 0.49, 0.14, 0.25, 0.14% for HMC, respectively. These results align with previous studies, indicating the reliability of NIR spectroscopy in diverse moisture contexts. The study attributes this variance to the interference caused by water in 'as is' samples, where the spectral features predominantly reflect water content, thereby obscuring the spectral signatures of other nutrients. In terms of calibration development strategies, the study concludes that there is no significant difference in predictive performance between undried calibrations based on either 'dry matter' or 'as is' basis. This finding emphasizes the potential of NIR spectroscopy in diverse moisture contexts, although with varying degrees of accuracy contingent upon the moisture content of the analyzed samples. Overall, this research provides valuable insights into the calibration strategies of NIR spectroscopy and its practical applications in agricultural settings, particularly for on-farm forage analysis
Brief Research Report: How Do Claw Disorders Affect Activity, Body Weight, and Milk Yield of Multiparous Holstein Dairy Cows?
Full text linkClaw disorders are among the most relevant health problems in dairy herds. Despite being often not clearly visible and not easily detectable for farmers, they may appear as peculiar cow behavioral and performance patterns. This retrospective study aimed to assess cow's behavior and production variations associated with claw disorders. The study involved 54 lactating Italian Holstein cows reared on the same dairy farm. A veterinarian performed the routine hoof trimming every 6 months, diagnosing specific claw disorders. Multiparous cows with no disorders at the first trimming were selected and monitored for the two following trimming sessions. Data coming from the automatic milking system and neck collars and related to the 15 days before a given cow was diagnosed with claw problems during trimming were further collected. These data were compared with those recorded for the same animal over the 15 days preceding the previous trimming in which no claw disorders were observed. Compared to when they had no disorders, the cows affected by claw disorders had a lower daily activity (405 vs. 429 ± 27.7 units/day, p < 0.001), showing a constant decrease in the last 10 days before the trimming, a lower milk yield (26.5 vs. 28.4 ± 1.57 kg/day, p = 0.03), and only a decreasing trend of rumination time. These patterns of activity, milk yield, and rumination characterizing cows affected by claw disorders should promote the development of specific algorithms that would enable early detection of lameness thanks to the deviations of these parameters that are sensitive to cow claw health
Effect of Inoculants and Sealing Delay on the Fermentation Quality of Early Harvested Wheat Forage
Full text linkSimple Summary: Winter cereal silages are becoming a crucial component of dairy nutrition for Mediterranean countries, partially replacing maize silage even in high-producing cows. Concerns regarding the definition of their final quality and the potential for aerobic deterioration, leading to loss of dry matter, feed intake, and milk yield, need to be investigated. We evaluate the effect of different ensiling conditions, including the use of inoculants and freshly harvested plant composition, on the final silage quality, and the most relevant risk factors associated with the silage's aerobic deterioration. The dry matter at harvest affected the entire final silage quality, and acetic acid varies between the control (pure water) and the hetero-/homofermentative. The aerobic stability for all samples was 59.2 +/- 23.6 h without statistical differences within the thesis, ensuring a sufficient time for a convenient silo unload rate. Winter cereal silages can suffer from an inadequate fermentative path which can lead to aerobic instability. We evaluate the pre-ensiled conditions influencing the final fermentative quality and its aerobic stability. We studied the use of hetero/homofermentative inoculants on two early-harvest wheat samples (312 and 348 g/kg of dry matter-DM levels) undergoing three ensiling delays. The fermentative profiles were evaluated during the first ten d of ensiling, at 60 d and after 7 and 14 d of aerobic exposure. Aerobic stability was recorded during fourteen d after the silo opening. Significant (p < 0.05) differences of the final fermentative profile were related mainly to DM levels at harvest, while the use of the inoculant affected only the acetic acid significantly. Finally, the sealing delay did not significantly affect the silage fermentative profile. The overall aerobic stability was 59.2 +/- 23.6 h, and cumulative temperatures were lower than 438 for seven d of aerobic exposure and higher than 1526 for 14 d. Although the homofermentative inoculants reduced the counts of yeasts in the final silage for the earlier harvested wheat, the other samples showed yeasts counts of similar to 4.9 Log10 colony-forming units/g, with the presence of spoilage fungi (Pichia and Geotricum)
Short communication: Reference intervals for claw dimensions of intensively finished Charolais and Limousin young bulls and heifers housed on different flooring systems
No full textThis study aimed at calculating reference intervals for specific claws dimensions of healthy feet originating from intensively finished Charolais (CH) and Limousin (LIM) young bulls and heifers. Moreover, within a given breed × gender combination, measurements of healthy and affected claws were compared to investigate how claw conformation might change in relation to the housing on different types of floor. A total of 2237 CH feet (1324 bulls; 913 heifers) and 595 LIM feet (459 bulls; 136 heifers) were analyzed post-mortem during 20 sessions in three slaughterhouses in Northern Italy. Four measurements were performed on lateral claws of each hind foot: dorsal wall (DW) and total hoof (TH) lengths, heel height (HH) and toe angle (TA). Afterwards, a veterinarian trimmed the sole horn and assessed claw health condition by looking for specific disorders. A foot with no claw disorder was classified as -“healthy”, whereas when at least one claw disorder of different etiology was observed, the foot was classified as “affected”. A reduced dataset considering only healthy feet was used to calculate 95% reference intervals (RI) for each claw dimension according to breed (CH/LIM) × gender (bulls/heifers) combination. Relevant batch variance was detected for DW, TH and HH of CH heifers and for DW and TH of LIM heifers. These calculated RI might be used to assess claw condition and its predisposition to diseases in finishing beef cattle belonging to the tested beef categories. Affected claws belonging to both CH young bulls and heifers showed greater HH than healthy claws. In presence of claw disorders, CH young bulls and heifers housed on deep litter had longer DW and TH lengths, but only heifers showed shorter TA compared to healthy ones. Longer claws and higher heels of CH should be carefully monitored as indirect indicators of the presence of some disorders, particularly when housed on less-wearing surfaces. Claw health condition had no effect on conformation in LIM young bulls or heifers housed on different types of floor. The housing of young bulls, regardless of breed, on concrete slatted floor showed the highest occurrence of feet affected by any claw disorders, confirming the harmfulness of this type of floor for finishing beef cattle
Assessment of the effectiveness of a portable NIRS instrument in controlling the mixer wagon tuning and ration management
Full text linkThe adoption of the mixer wagon and total mixed ration aimed to decrease dysmetabolic diseases and improve feed efficiency in dairy cows. Differences between theoretical and eaten diets are imputable to errors in diet preparation or cow feed sorting. We proposed a method to measure the chemical composition and particle size distribution of the ration and determined its peNDF content through a portable Near Infra-Red spectrophotometer that allowed the calculation of two indexes: the homogeneity and the sorting indexes. In a cohort of 19 Italian Holstein breeding farms, we studied the correlation of these indexes with the mixer wagon settings. Determination coefficients in the validation (Rv2) for dry matter, crude protein, aNDF, and starch were 0.91, 0.54, 0.86, and 0.67, respectively. The ration fractions (%, w/w of wet weight) retained by the 3.8 and 1.8 mm sieves, and the bottom showed Rv2 of 0.46, 0.49, and 0.53, respectively. The homogeneity index regressed negatively with the mixer wagon load fullness (R2 = 0.374). The homogeneity-binary classification showed an odds ratio of 1.72 for dry matter and 0.39 for aNDF (p < 0.05). The sortingbinary classification showed an odds ratio of 2.54 for aNDF (p < 0.05). The studied farms showed low peNDF values (median = 17.9%)
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