Early-life growth and development are crucial for the future performance of replacement heifers. Optimizing growth enhances immediate performance and establishes the foundation for long-term productivity, improving overall efficiency in milk production. This study retrospectively investigated the associations between growth rates during the first 2 mo of life and feeding behavior during the preweaning period, overall growth, and first-lactation performance in Holstein heifers under a high milk allowance.

Rapid and accurate prediction of milk yield plays an important role in the breeding of dairy goats. We improved the Mask R-CNN deep learning model based on Feature Channel Attention, anchor refinement module, and so on, making it more applicable for predicting milk yield in dairy goats. The accuracy, recall, and mIoU of the improved model for udder segmentation of dairy goats reached 92.21% ± 0.02%, 85.39% ± 0.02%, and 76.28% ± 0.01%, respectively. The predicted mean absolute error, mean squared error, and mean absolute percentage error for the milk yield in the test set were 0.149 ± 0.009, 0.042 ± 0.018, and 9.62 ± 0.014, respectively.

Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) has emerged as a potential physiological indicator of heat stress (HS), recognized for its substantial upregulation in response to increased temperatures and cellular stress. The accurate measurement of HSP70 is crucial for its application in research and on-farm monitoring. Commercial ELISA kits are widely available and exhibit high sensitivity; however, their limited working ranges require the dilution of high-concentration samples, which can potentially introduce variability.

The microbial, chemical, and sensory quality of bulk tank raw milk affects the shelf life and quality of finished dairy products. Traditionally, raw milk quality is determined using total bacteria count (TBC) and SCC. Here, a longitudinal study was conducted over a 15-mo period with 100 conventional dairy farms enrolled, each sampled 6 times. The farms represented a variety of sizes, milking systems, and other farming practices. Samples were evaluated for 24 different quality parameters, covering both traditional (e.g., TBC, SCC, and chemical composition) and novel measures of quality (e.g., sensory defect evaluation, mesophilic spore counts [MSC], thermophilic spore counts [TSC], psychrotolerant spore counts [PSC], and butyric acid bacteria [BAB]).

Our objective was to investigate sucrose replacement in school lunch chocolate milk with nutritive and non-nutritive sweeteners, with and without lactose hydrolysis of milk, on adult and child acceptance. In experiment 1, chocolate milk was formulated with nutritive and non-nutritive sweeteners (allulose syrup, mixed-sugar syrup, stevia, monk fruit, or sucralose) to the iso-sweet intensity of a current school lunch chocolate milk formulation with 3.69% sucrose (wt/vol). In experiment 2, lactose-hydrolyzed (LH) chocolate milk was formulated with nutritive and non-nutritive sweeteners (allulose syrup, mixed-sugar syrup, stevia, monk fruit) to the iso-sweet intensity of 3.69% sucrose (wt/vol).

Udder asymmetry is a clinical sign in dairy goats frequently linked to udder inflammation (mastitis). Therefore, goats identified with udder asymmetry should be examined and specifically checked for (past) mastitis. Ideally, all goats should be routinely monitored for udder asymmetry during milking. However, in many countries, dairy goat herds consist of hundreds to thousands of animals, which makes it practically impossible and too labor intensive to regularly examine all animals. Therefore, new automated solutions, including computer vision models, are highly desirable.

Biotin is a vital coenzyme involved in diverse metabolic pathways and plays a key role in hoof health by supporting keratin synthesis and the protective barrier of the hoof. This study systematically investigated the effects of rumen-protected biotin (RPB) on hepatic metabolic networks, redox homeostasis, and hoof health in lactating dairy cows using an integrated multiomics approach. The RPB supplement consisted of 2.1% biotin (purity ≥99%), 62.9% glucose, and 35% hydrogenated palm oil fatty acids.

Bovine mastitis caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae is an infectious disease characterized by severe clinical manifestations, poor therapeutic outcomes, and substantial economic losses. Although type 1 fimbriae, with fimA as the major structural subunit, are a recognized virulence factor in Enterobacteriaceae, their specific role in bovine mastitis remains unclear. In this study, we constructed a ΔfimA mutant from a clinical mastitis isolate to evaluate contributions of fimA to adhesion and virulence.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of parity on early embryonic development and placentation in Holstein cattle. Pregnant cows were classified as nulliparous (n = 16), primiparous (n = 7), or multiparous (n = 8) after estrous synchronization for timed artificial insemination (d 0 = day of timed AI). Pregnancy was confirmed on d 28 after AI via transrectal ultrasonography. Cervical epithelial cells were collected daily from d 14 to 20 to assess ISG15 and MX2 mRNA abundance. Blood samples were collected on d 0, 4.5, 7, 10, and 12 and daily from d 14 to 30; additional samples were collected every 12 h from d 18 to d 24 to assess circulating pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAG) concentration.

Training of new employees on dairy farms is often inadequate due to limited time, staff, expertise, and language barriers. This study evaluated the acceptance and learning outcomes of e-learning courses as a training tool for dairy farm workers. We developed an online course series based on standard operating procedures for 8 key tasks in calf care (neonatal care, emergency care, measuring colostrum quality, bottle feeding colostrum, tube feeding colostrum, disbudding, identification of sick calves, and cleaning and disinfection) and made it available to farmers and their employees (n = 301).

Maintaining a dietary supply of limiting AA such as Lys, Met, and His during heat stress–induced reduction of DMI may help meet lactation requirements. Twelve lactating Holstein cows were allocated into 2 plots based on parity: (1) primiparous (n = 6; 29.5 ± 1.2 kg milk/d; 95.2 ± 16.2 DIM; mean ± SD) and (2) multiparous (n = 6; 40.3 ± 5.5 kg milk/d; 86.8 ± 10.2 DIM; 3.5 ± 1.6 parities). Within each parity, cows were allocated to 3 treatments, according to a replicated Latin square design with 14-d periods and 7-d washouts.

Staphylococcus aureus is a major pathogen responsible for both clinical and subclinical bovine mastitis. Its ability to persist within the mammary gland and evade host immune responses makes it particularly significant for herd health and dairy production. So, this study aimed to evaluate whether the presence and diversity of S. aureus virulence genes mastitis-causing are associated with the onset and severity of mastitis in dairy cows. We analyzed 50 S. aureus isolates obtained from milk samples of cows with subclinical mastitis (SM) and 101 isolates from clinical mastitis (CM), including 28 from mild and 73 from moderate cases.

Ketosis is a common metabolic disease affecting dairy cows during early lactation. β-Hydroxybutyrate, the predominant ketone body in the bloodstream of ketotic cows, has been linked to neutrophil dysfunction and a higher incidence of mastitis. Neutrophils, the first line of cellular defense against bacteria, rely heavily on carbohydrate metabolism. In this study, we investigated the effect of high BHB concentrations on glycolysis and on the functional response of bovine neutrophils to Staphylococcus aureus—a leading cause of mastitis worldwide—and to Pam3CSK4, a synthetic agonist of toll-like receptor 2/1 (TLR2/1), which is critical for S.

Use of unconventional feeds is an important way to solve the shortage of traditional forage resources in dairy production. This study evaluated the effects of replacing alfalfa hay with Lycium barbarum branches (LBB) in dairy cow diets on the lactation performance, milk fatty acid (FA) composition, nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation, and blood metabolites. Forty-five midlactation Holstein cows with a milk yield of 26.5 ± 8.37 kg/d and parity of 2.1 ± 0.37 were assigned to a randomized complete block design to 3 groups: 0LBB, 50LBB and 100LBB, with LBB replacing 0%, 50%, and 100%, respectively, of alfalfa hay in cow diet (on a DM basis).

A meta-analysis was conducted to quantify production responses to chromium (Cr) supplementation and better understand variables that affect this response. Multivariate random and mixed effects models were used to develop and fit all models. The response variable was described by the mean difference of milk yield, ECM, DMI, and milk fat and protein yields between cows that received Cr supplementation and cows in the control group. Treatment means from 28 studies were used to assemble a database of studies designed specifically to investigate the effects of supplementing Cr on dairy cows.

This study evaluated the supplementation of phytogenic additives and inactivated yeast, either alone or in combination with a blend of fermentation residues, on DM and nutrient intake, apparent total-tract digestibility, feed particle sorting, milk yield and composition, blood metabolites, and nitrogen utilization in dairy cows during summer. Thirty-nine mid- to late-lactation cows (174 ± 76.0 DIM; 31.0 ± 3.42 kg/d milk yield, 630 ± 72.5 kg BW) were grouped into 13 blocks based on DIM, milk yield, BW, and parity, and assigned to the following treatments: control (CON), phytogenic compounds + sanguinarin and magnolia extract, fed at 1.94 g/kg DM (Heat Stress Solution, ADM Animal Nutrition; PHY); and phytogenic compounds + blend of fermentation residues (mycelium strains, Aspergillus niger), fed at 1.94 g/kg DM (Thermal Care R, ADM Animal Nutrition; BLD).

Cow-calf contact (CCC) systems are of growing scientific interest due to the public concern about early separation of the calf from the dam on dairy cattle farms, which currently occurrs soon after calving. Despite the scientifically demonstrated beneficial effects of CCC for both the cow (improving udder health and promoting maternal behaviors) and calf (growth, social learning and reduction of abnormal behaviors), only a small number of dairy cattle farmers practice CCC. Although unpredictable, new animal welfare legislation or best practice guidelines might suggest the adoption of CCC systems in the future.

In this work intergenerational and transgenerational effects of calving months on dairy performances of Italian Mediterranean river buffaloes were investigated. The EBVs for milk, fat, and protein yields, as well as fat and protein contents of 112,625 females (F3) born between 1985 and 2022 were analyzed with a linear model that included the fixed effects of the calving month of their dams (F2, 63,442 cows), granddams (F1, 44,015 cows), and great-granddams (F0, 33,452), the covariable of F0 calving date, and the covariable of the F1 EBV.

This study aimed to assess relationships of enteric methane (CH4) yield (g/kg of DMI) with immune response, feed efficiency (ECM/DMI), and rumen microbiome in dairy cows, both in early and in late lactation. The DMI, BW, ECM yield, and CH4 emission were measured in respiration chambers in early (n = 20, 32 ± 7 DIM) and nonpregnant late lactating (n = 14, 359 ± 90 DIM) multiparous Holstein cows. The in vitro immune response was studied in response to (1) LPS using whole blood, and (2) phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin A using peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Invited review: The impact of wildfires, air pollution, and air quality on the health and production of dairy cattle. By Pace et al., page 878. More than 40% of dairy cows reside in wildfire-prone states. Inhalation of smoke produced by wildfires is associated with a multitude of health effects in humans, yet only recently has this been studied in cattle. Evidence suggests that poor air quality from wildfire smoke negatively affects dairy and beef cattle production. This may be driven by immune and metabolic responses, as well as diminished health emanating from inhalation of toxic pollutants.