The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between milk-flow-based parameters, vacuum-based milking variables, and teat health and morphology metrics in relation to both quarter- and cow-level SCC across lactation. Data were collected from 58 cows during 1 wk/mo over an 8-mo period (April to November 2024). Multivariable mixed models were used to identify factors significantly associated with quarter- and cow-level log10-transformed SCC (log10SCC). This study demonstrates associations between vacuum-, milk-flow-, and teat-based milking parameters and SCC at both levels of analysis.

The production process of set-type yogurt fortified with phytosterol esters was systematically optimized in this paper. Subsequently, the relevant quality characteristics, microstructure, and antioxidant activity of the phytosterol ester set-type yogurt were also evaluated. The results showed that the phytosterol ester set-type yogurt had a maximal sensory score of 88.07 under the optimized conditions (0.4% phytosterol ester, 5.7% white sugar, and 0.38% gelatin). Compared with the control yogurt, the obtained phytosterol ester set-type yogurt exhibited significantly higher sensory quality, lower pH value, and greater titratable acidity.

A wide array of operational and management practices characterizes the dairy farming landscape in Canada. This heterogeneity poses challenges in understanding the full range of dairy farming systems, which can lead to incomplete representations and less effective interventions aimed at improving the well-being of dairy farmers. This study aimed to holistically explore the relationship between dairy farmers' well-being and farm management practices. A multiple factorial analysis was used to group dairy farmers based on various factors, including demographic characteristics, mental and physical health outcomes, farming responsibilities, work-life balance, social environment and support, animal housing and management, and concerns about various dairy-related stressors.

Fatty acid (FA) supplements are commonly fed to increase the energy content of lactating dairy cow diets and improve milk and milk fat yield and energy balance. However, increasing dietary fat commonly decreases FA digestibility. Our objective was to investigate the effects of of magnesium salts of fatty acids or exogenous emulsifiers in a FA prill on milk yield and composition and FA digestibility. Fifteen multiparous Holstein cows were randomly assigned to treatment sequence in a 5 × 5 Latin square design with 14-d periods.

Increasing AA sequestration in milk is essential for improving N efficiency in dairy cows and to reduce the environmental impacts of dairy production. Isoleucine, Leu, and Met are promising AA to improve milk protein yield and N efficiency due to their signaling roles in mammary epithelial cells. Glucogenic diets can also stimulate milk protein synthesis and, through their effect on insulin, potentiate the signaling effects of AA. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of Ile, Leu, and Met on production performance and N metabolism, and the role of energy source (ES; glucose or acetate) on lactating cows' responses to AA.

The objective of this study was to assess associations between diarrhea and activity (step count, activity index, lying time, lying bouts) and milk feeding behaviors (milk intake, drinking speed, rewarded visits, time spent in the feeder) in the days leading up to and during a diarrhea bout in group-housed dairy calves. Holstein calves were fed ad libitum from automated milk feeders and monitored daily for health from 3 to 28 d of age. Activity was measured daily using accelerometers placed at 3 d of age.

Microwave heating of certain foods (e.g., popcorn) can produce an expanded, puffed structure. During certain baking conditions, some cheeses (e.g., mozzarella) can form expanded structures (e.g., blisters on pizza). However, Cheddar cheese usually melts during heating instead of expanding. Our hypothesis is that by altering the proportions of moisture, protein, and fat content in cheese by drying, perhaps we can achieve a cheese composition or texture more favorable to expansion (i.e., less meltable) during microwave heating.

Emissions by livestock contribute to global warming through greenhouse gases including enteric methane (CH4). Heat stress (HS) reduces dairy cattle productivity, but its impact on CH4 emissions is unclear. We hypothesize that HS increases CH4 intensity in lactating cows. Forty lactating multiparous Holstein cows (mean ± SD; ∼173 ± 23 DIM, 703 ± 66 kg of BW, and 46.2 ± 7.6 kg of milk yield) were stratified by lactation number, DIM, and PTA for milk production and then randomly assigned to 2 treatments in a 4-wk crossover design.

Although most cows effectively normalize their calcium status following the physiological decline in serum total calcium (tCa) that occurs after parturition, a substantial proportion of dairy cows develop dyscalcemia. Dyscalcemia is defined as tCa ≤2.2 mmol/L at 4 DIM and is associated with poor productivity, reduced reproductive success, and increased risk of disease. The physiological relationships underlying these associations are poorly understood; therefore, our objective in this prospective cohort study was to establish the sequence of physiology related to dyscalcemia.

Two DCAD (−40 or −80 mEq/kg) +/− 23 g/d supplemental nicotinic acid (NA) were fed to prepartum Jersey cows. The effects of NA and DCAD supplementation of prepartum Jersey cows on the growth and performance of their calves have not been studied. Briefly, 40 multiparous Jersey cows were blocked by calving date and assigned to treatments 4 wk prepartum in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments in a randomized complete block design. Colostrum was collected within 90 min after parturition, and calves were not allowed to suckle.

The objective of the study was to compare fatty acids (FA) of milk from Holstein (n = 424) cows and crossbred cows composed of Montbéliarde, Viking Red, and Holstein breeds (n = 138) from 2 commercial dairy herds in Minnesota. Total, de novo, mixed, and preformed FA, as well as C16:0, C18:0, C18:1 cis-9 FA in g/100g of milk and g/100g of total FA units from all monthly test-days were provided by Minnesota DHIA (Buffalo, MN) from July 2022 to January 2024. Test-days were grouped into 7 seasons; summer 2022 (July and August 2022), fall 2022 (September through November 2022), and thereafter, every 3 mo to the winter of 2024 (December 2023 and January 2024).

Sulla is a forage legume species exploited mainly by grazing ruminants, greatly appreciated for its high protein content and moderate levels of condensed tannins with antioxidant activity. This study was aimed to explore the potential of sulla in relation to its seasonal utilization, as fresh or stored forage, and to improve the quality traits of sulla forage stocks, proposing dehydration as alternative to haymaking. Two experiments were carried out in different seasons, spring and autumn, both involving Valle del Belìce ewes fed different diets evaluated in terms of dairy production.

Sertoli cells (SC) are the pivotal somatic cells within the testicular microenvironment and are responsible for supporting and guiding the development of male germ cells throughout spermatogenesis. The size of the SC population is a key determinant of spermatogenic efficiency and success. Although FSH is well-established as a crucial regulator of reproduction, its specific effects and underlying molecular mechanisms in immature SC of dairy goats remain unclear. This study was designed to address this knowledge gap.

Heat stress (HS) negatively affects the health, reproduction, and milk production of dairy cows, indicating a major challenge to animal welfare and farm profitability. Although environmental and physiological indicators are commonly used to monitor HS, cellular biomarkers such as heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) offer a promising approach for detecting HS at the molecular level. This research aimed to evaluate and compare HSP70 levels in the milk, blood, and saliva of lactating dairy cows across seasons, assess their environmental responsiveness using the temperature-humidity index (THI) as the standard environmental indicator of HS under temperate Australian conditions, and investigate the potential of milk HSP70 as a noninvasive biomarker of HS at the cellular level.

The objective of this study was to characterize differences in plasma and uterine metabolome from transition dairy cows according to vaginal discharge (VD) characteristics observed postpartum. Plasma samples were collected at 3 time points: prepartum (−14 d relative to calving; PP), on the day of calving (D0), and the day of diagnosis of metritis (Dx), whereas the uterine lavage samples were collected at D0 and Dx. The VD was assessed on a 5-point scale as follows: 1 = not fetid, normal lochia, viscous, clear, red, or brown; 2 = cloudy, pink, red, or brown mucoid discharge with flecks of pus; 3 = not fetid, pink, red, or brown mucopurulent discharge with <50% pus; 4 = not fetid, pink, red, or brown purulent discharge with ≥50% pus; 5 = fetid, watery, red-brown discharge.

Weather conditions of high air temperature with or without elevated humidity induce heat stress in dairy cows, resulting in elevated body temperature, reduced DMI, and subsequent loss of production. The temperature and humidity index (THI) combines temperature and humidity to provide a single measure of heat load. Farmers will face longer and more severe weather, resulting in more frequent and severe periods of high THI in the future. We present a method to identify cows with lower body temperature responses to elevated THI through an understanding of the variation in body temperature on cool days and the relationship with body temperature on days of heat stress conditions.

Calcium is a pivotal mineral element in maintaining bone health. Absorption and metabolic balance of calcium are essential for the formation and maintenance of bones. In this study, we investigated the promotional effect of calcium yak caseinate (CYC) on calcium absorption and its mechanism in ovariectomized (OVX) mice induced by removal of bilateral ovaries. Here, after OVX mice were supplemented with CYC, their apparent calcium absorption rate was significantly improved by regulating serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the calcium/phosphorus ratio, and the ratios of phosphorus and calcium to creatinine in urine.

In the Netherlands, bulk milk somatic cell count (BMSCC) has decreased steadily from 2002 to 2018. From 2018 onward, the BMSCC has increased again, with a steep increase in 2022. This is an unfavorable development, and therefore, the aim of this study was to retrospectively explain the increase in BMSCC from 2018 onward. A multivariable (population averaged) regression model has been used to find associations between BMSCC and explanatory variables such as herd characteristics. The BMSCC showed a clear seasonal effect, being highest in summer.

Diets with 2 different DCAD (−40 or −80 mEq/kg) and with or without (+ or −) 23 g/d supplemental nicotinic acid (NA) were fed to prepartum Jersey cows. Cow performance and colostrum composition have been studied, but NA supplementation of prepartum Jersey cows has not been previously studied. To meet this objective, 40 multiparous Jersey cows were blocked by calving date and assigned to treatments. Treatments were administered for 29 d prepartum. Treatments were −40 mEq/kg without NA (−40/NA−), −40 mEq/kg with 23 g/d NA (−40/NA+), −80 mEq/kg without NA (−80/NA−), and −80 mEq/kg with 23 g/d NA (−80/NA+).

The objective of the present experiment was to determine the effects of MP supply on metabolic function of nonactivated (NA) and activated (AC) CD4+ T lymphocytes in mid-lactation dairy cows. Thirty-two multiparous Holstein cows with a mean ± SD lactation of 3.28 ± 0.99, milk yield 51.6 ± 6.1 kg/d, and milk protein 3.38% ± 0.47% were enrolled at 86 ± 18 DIM in a barn equipped with 16 bin feeders. Cows and bins (16 cows/8 bins per treatment) were randomly assigned to treatments. All cows were fed the same herd diet (MP = 3,006 g/d) during a 2-wk adaptation period before enrollment and a 1-wk covariate period following enrollment to allow acclimation to the bins and collect baseline measurements.