Somatic cell count is used as an indicator of milk quality and udder health in dairy goats, although its interpretation is complicated by noninfectious causes, including seasonality, farm-specific practices, and physiological factors. This study analyzed 868 milk samples from 9 Norwegian dairy goat farms to investigate the interplay between SCC, individual bacterial count (IBC), and milk composition. Samples were collected on 3 occasions during the lactation period (early, mid, and late lactation).

Camel milk is recognized for its unique nutritional and functional properties, particularly due to its distinct oligosaccharide composition, which closely resembles human milk oligosaccharides. Despite growing interest, a comprehensive analysis of camel milk oligosaccharides remains limited. This study employed liquid chromatography-tandem MS to quantitatively analyze 12 key oligosaccharides in 60 camel milk samples, providing unprecedented insights into their distribution and variability. The results revealed significant variability in oligosaccharide concentrations across samples, with lacto-N-tetraose, lacto-N-neotetraose, and 6′-sialyllactose emerging as the predominant structures.

Some studies have shown that only A2 β-casein containing milk (A2 milk) causes fewer gut symptoms in milk-sensitive individuals compared with milk containing both A1 and A2 β-caseins (A1A2 milk). However, in most of the previous clinical studies the role of lactose in symptom generation has been largely overlooked. Partial hydrolysis of β-caseins during milk processing has been noted to impact gastrointestinal symptoms of sensitive individuals such as those with irritable bowel syndrome. Currently, there is no clear conclusion about the factors behind gut symptoms in milk-sensitive individuals, aside from lactose in those who are lactose intolerant, or milk protein allergy.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bovine respiratory pathogens can significantly decrease treatment success and have an effect on dairy farm productivity. Although antibiograms have emerged as a tool to support empirical decision making for disease treatment, the prevalence of MDR isolates on a farm can have a negative effect on the selection of the best antibiotic treatment using antibiogram data. This study aimed to characterize the MDR profile of Pasteurella multocida and Mannheimia haemolytica isolates from the deep nasopharyngeal swabs of calves, heifers, and cows diagnosed with bovine respiratory disease (BRD) over 2 yr.

Byproduct cheese (American, mozzarella, provolone) can be liquefied and used as an ingredient for the formulation and manufacture of neonatal calf milk replacers. This study evaluated the optimal inclusion rate for maintaining or improving growth and health performance of neonatal calves. Eighty 2- to 5-d old neonatal Holstein bull calves were blocked by initial BW and randomly allocated to 1 of 4 treatments for 56 d using a randomized complete block design with linear, quadratic, and cubic contrasts.

The use of mating technologies, including genomic testing and sexed semen, has recently increased in the breeding programs of commercial dairy herds, along with the use of beef semen. We aimed to quantify the use of advanced mating strategies in US dairy herds and the influence of these strategies on genetic merit. Breeding records (n = 35,124,479) that resulted in successful pregnancies of cows and heifers by semen type (conventional dairy, sexed dairy, and beef) and records of genomic testing of female dairy cattle were extracted from the National Cooperator Database for the years 2008 to 2023.

Lameness in dairy cows, linked to claw disorders and pain, is a major welfare concern. Studies worldwide use various scoring methods, resulting in differing prevalences. To address this, we developed a 3-level comparative locomotion scale (Welfare Quality equivalent [WQE]), to compare studies using different lameness scoring methods and provide insights into the distribution of lameness prevalence. This scale defines lameness and severe lameness according to stride length, weightbearing and back posture.

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) play a pivotal role in shaping the infant gut microbiome and immune system, primarily by selectively promoting Bifidobacterium species. Although the metabolic pathways of individual bifidobacterial strains for HMO are well-characterized, competitive interactions among multiple strains under single-HMO conditions remain poorly understood. Here, we evaluated metabolic capabilities of 15 infant-derived Bifidobacterium strains on 3 substrates: 2′-fucosyllactose (2′-FL), lacto-N-tetraose (LNT), and high-purity galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS-HP).

Milk replacers (MR) for calves contain alternative fat sources, leading to lower butyric acid (C4:0) and caproic acid (C6:0) levels than are found in bovine milk fat. The objective of this study was to determine whether fortification of a vegetable-based MR with tributyrin (TB; C4) and tricaproin (TC; C6) alters the plasma lipidome and lipoprotein profile toward the profile observed in calves fed an MR from milk fat, possibly causing a metabolic imprint for healthy preweaning development. Forty-five male Holstein calves (46.1 ± 4.6 kg BW) were blocked by order of arrival and randomly assigned within block to 1 of 3 MR treatments (n = 15 per treatment): (1) a control MR (CON) with vegetable fats (62.7% palm fat, 35% coconut fat, 2.3% linseed; % total fat); (2) an MR with vegetable fats supplemented with TB (3.75%) and TC (2.5%) with reduced palm fat content (TRI); or (3) an MR with dairy cream (MF).

Limosilactobacillus fermentum is a promising probiotic species. Limosilactobacillus fermentum UP-1 was isolated from human milk by our research team; however, its genetic background and fermentation characteristics remain unclear. In this study, the whole genome of UP-1 was sequenced, assembled, and analyzed through comparative analysis with 61 publicly available L. fermentum genomes. Subsequently, it was combined with a basic starter culture to investigate its fermentation characteristics and storage stability in fermented milk.

This work examined the use of Raman spectroscopy to study the effects of 2 pasture-based feeding systems—perennial ryegrass pasture and multispecies swards—on bovine milk compositional parameters. The milks of both pasture-based diets were examined across 2 breeds, Holstein-Friesian and Jersey × Holstein-Friesian, throughout an entire lactation period (n = 144). The results demonstrate that Raman spectroscopy, coupled with multivariate analysis (principal component analysis [PCA] and support vector machine discriminant analysis), is a promising approach to discriminate and classify milk based on the pasture diets and breeds examined, across the 3 stages of lactation (SOL), as both separation and classification models showed excellent performance.

Increasing attention has been directed toward improving infant formula derived from minor milk sources, given that human milk is widely regarded as the gold standard for infant nutrition. To bridge this gap, this study aims to conduct a comparative analysis of the casein micelle proteomes and particle sizes in human and small ruminant colostrum and mature milk. Colostrum and mature milk from humans, as well as goats and sheep, were collected. Casein micelles were isolated, and their proteomes were analyzed using data-independent acquisition-based proteomics, and particle size and zeta potential were measured by laser scattering.

This study was conducted to evaluate the water source quality and a water treatment system to improve water quality for dairy cattle on the rate of ruminal fermentation and nutrient digestibility. One gram of dried ground TMR fed to lactating dairy cows was placed in a 50 μm Dacron bag, heat sealed, and then placed in a 500-mL Ankom gas fermentation bottle (GFB) containing ruminal fluid and treatment buffer to measure the rate and extent of ruminal nutrient digestion. Treatments were as follows: control, laboratory distilled water (DW); untreated ground water (UGW) from a local South Dakota dairy; treated ground water (TGW) using an H2O2 system; and municipal water (MW) supplied to the South Dakota State University Dairy Research and Teaching Farm (Brookings, SD).

Human milk contains numerous natural bioactive components that are closely associated with cardiovascular health. However, previous studies investigating the association between breastfed as a baby and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) have yielded conflicting results. We conducted a 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to estimate the causal association between breastfed as a baby and 6 CVDs using the genomewide association studies data. Multivariate MR and mediation analysis was used to investigate the mediating effects.

Due to insufficient energy intake, postpartum dairy cows experience a decrease in plasma glucose, which may result in lipid metabolism disorders. Rumen-protected glucose can improve energy balance and alter lipid metabolism in postpartum dairy cows. However, research on the changes in milk fatty acid composition and metabolites in early-lactating dairy cows fed different levels of rumen-protected glucose is very limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary rumen-protected glucose supplementation levels on the milk fatty acid composition and metabolome of early-lactating dairy cows.

Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important pathogen causing bovine mastitis and milk contamination, with severe consequences for the dairy industry. Due to increasing bacterial antibiotic resistance, phage therapy has regained attention; however, studies on the antibacterial properties of Klebsiella phages in milk are limited. We evaluated the antibacterial efficacy of the K5-specific phage in milk at 4°C and 38°C with different multiplicities of infection (MOI = 10, 1, and 0.1). At 4°C, phage treatment groups achieved significant bacterial load reductions, ranging from 1.13 to 1.89 log10 cfu/mL, compared with the control group after 24 h incubation.

Peripartum supplementation of rumen-protected choline has been shown to improve cow health and milk production by improving liver function through a reduction in hepatic lipidosis. However, the optimal dose range remains undetermined. To evaluate the effects of supplemented choline chloride on lactation performance and health of dairy cows, a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis were conducted. This meta-analysis followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines and used the population (dairy cows), intervention (choline supplementation), comparison (control group vs.

Invited review: The One Health challenges and opportunities of the H5N1 outbreak in dairy cattle in the United States. By Lombard et al., page 6513. The ongoing outbreak of H5N1 virus in dairy cattle in the United States has revealed challenges in the identification and management of a novel disease. The virus has affected the health of dairy cattle, poultry, cats, peridomestic species, and humans in multiple states. Livestock and poultry ecosystems support viral propagation and movement. Although the risk of human exposure to virus through dairy products is minimized by pasteurization, a risk of exposure via food remains.