Maternal metabolic health, particularly during late pregnancy, plays a crucial role in fetal development and postnatal metabolic function. Elevated levels of β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) in dry cows, commonly observed in late gestation, may affect offspring development, but the effects on brown adipose tissue (BAT) and metabolic health remain unclear. In this study, 60 pregnant Holstein dairy cows were categorized into 2 groups based on serum BHB concentrations measured at 1, 3, 5 and 7 wk after dry-off: Maternal-Low-BHB (n = 30; mean ± SEM, 0.21 ± 0.005 mM) and Maternal-High-BHB (n = 30; mean ± SEM, 0.64 ± 0.02 mM).

Butyrate (C4) is known to enhance ruminal papillae development for transitioning neonatal calves from liquid to dry feed, and botanical extracts (BE) have demonstrated enhanced DMI and improved gut health. The hypothesis was that these additives, based on their mechanism of action, could be synergistic to neonatal calf growth performance by improving ruminal function for transitioning from liquid milk replacer (MR) to dry calf starter (CS). Eighty 2- to 5-d old Holstein bull calves were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments using a randomized complete block design with a 2 × 2 factorial treatment arrangement with main effects being 2 MR (C4− vs.

Mixed silage of whole catch crops - crops grown between 2 main crops - and straw might be an alternative forage source for dairy cattle in times of forage shortage, but is still understudied. This research sought to evaluate the effects of feeding mixed silage of rye-vetch-mixture and straw (RVS silage) in replacement of whole crop rye silage on feed intake, ECM yield, milk composition, nutrient digestibility, and metabolic variables of dairy cows. The study was a crossover trial with 10 Holstein and 4 Simmental cows (average 593 kg BW and 53 DIM at the start of the trial) tested in 2 experimental runs of 4 weeks each, whereby the last 2 weeks were used for the measurements.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by cells contain mRNAs, miRNAs, lncRNAs, lipids, and proteins, playing crucial roles in cell-cell communication. While full-length mRNA transcripts have been documented in EVs secreted by cancer cells, there are no reports on full transcripts secreted by embryos. Our study aimed to identify EV mRNAs in the culture media of bovine embryos and investigate their roles in embryo-maternal communication. Following the isolation of EVs from in vitro fertilization media samples and RNA sequencing, we identified a full mRNA transcript of DPPA3, known to play an essential role in embryo development.

Targeted mastitis treatment concepts are the most scientifically validated approaches to comply with the prudent use of antimicrobials. However, this approach is still a challenge for many farmers who often lack experience with it. Another option for more prudent use of antibiotics in mastitis therapy could be the initial treatment with an non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) for non-severe mastitis. A randomized, multi-herd, non-inferiority study was carried out to compare 2 treatments of non-severe mastitis cases.

Grazing dairy production systems have gained interest due to the increasing consumer preferences associated with environmental care and animal welfare perception. Nonetheless, grazing dairy cows have lower feed conversion than those fed indoors with a TMR, partly because of increased maintenance energy costs associated with grazing and walking activity. However, to our knowledge, the energy cost of grazing has not been quantified for dairy cows. The objectives of the present work were to evaluate the effects of grazing on the oxygen pulse (O2P; mL O2 consumed per heartbeat; experiment 1) and to quantify the energy cost of grazing in dairy cows using the oxygen pulse–heart rate (O2P-HR) technique (experiments 1 and 2).

The objectives of the current study were to estimate genetic parameters of BCS as a function of lactation stage to investigate the genetic relationship between BCS, metabolic disease traits, and other traits under selection in Israel, as well as to consider the consequence of inclusion of some measure of BCS in the Israeli breeding index. The basic dataset included records on 236,350 Israeli Holstein cows with at least 1 BCS record during first parity. Heritabilities in parities 1 to 3 for BCS near calving, peak milk production, and drying-off ranged from 0.27 to 0.36 and were highest for second parity.

Flavor perception plays a decisive role in consumer choice of dairy products. That confer overall flavor formation, far less is known about the critical flavor compound of the specific sensory, particularly for fermentation aroma and off-flavor perception. Here in fine details, we resolved the volatile flavor compounds in dairy products by Lactobacillus casei or Lactobacillus bulgaricus with prolonged fermentation process using the headspace-solid phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and 49 and 47 volatile flavor compounds were identified, respectively.

Microwave vacuum drying (MVD) is a promising technology that can be used for creating cheese puffs. In this study, the effects of vacuum level (2–14 kPa), specific microwave power input (1–3 W g−1), and sample geometry on the drying and expansion behavior of low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese during MVD were investigated. The created MVD cheese puffs' moisture content, water activity, area ratio, texture, and color were determined. Vacuum level had the greatest influence on expansion (1.74–3.59 area ratio) but minimal effect on drying, with an optimum puffing range between 6 and 10 kPa.

Co-fermenting kefir with Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been shown to enhance the exopolysaccharides (EPS) produced by lactic acid bacteria during fermentation, which may further promote intestinal development in the calf. Four different concentrations (0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 1%) on a weight/weight basis (g/20 g kefir grain) of either dried, activated distiller's yeast or autolyzed yeast powder were evaluated for EPS optimization in kefir, and inclusion of 1% autolyzed yeast powder resulted in the greatest EPS yield.

Colostrum quality is influenced by multiple factors, including its microbial load, which is determined by the cleanliness of collection and storage conditions. Additionally, the dam's diet and immune status play a crucial role in shaping colostrum quality by affecting immunoglobulin (IgG) concentrations. While many factors contribute to colostrum quality, this study will specifically use IgG content as the primary measure of quality. It is well established that feeding low-quality colostrum negatively affects calf health and growth, while feeding good-quality colostrum leads to better outcomes.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of fat content of high-protein milk replacer on intake and growth performance of dairy calves in summer and winter. Eighty-four Holstein heifer calves (body weight at 7 d of age, 42.2 ± 2.54 kg; mean ± SD) were assigned to one of the 3 treatments: milk replacer containing 21% fat (LF; 4.7 Mcal of metabolizable energy/kg), 26% fat (MF; 5.0 Mcal of metabolizable energy/kg), and 32% fat (HF; 5.3 Mcal of metabolizable energy/kg) on a DM basis (n = 14 each for summer and winter).

This study evaluated the impact of the addition of CaCO3 to milk on cheesemaking, physic-chemical, and microbiological composition of Caciotta cheeses (FriP®), compared with control cheeses without CaCO3. The addition of CaCO3 did not interfere with the production process, but modified some physical properties of FriP cheese, such as surface color and structure, specifically a widespread presence of holes. The higher calcium to phosphorous ratio of FriP cheeses did not substantially impact the other main chemical characteristics of the cheeses.

Milk lipolysis refers to the breakdown of triacylglycerols by lipoprotein lipase. Our aim was to identify the drivers of spontaneous lipolysis in skimmed ewe's milk. To achieve this, feed restriction was used as a lever to generate contrasting samples with respect to lipolysis. We combined multivariate statistical methods to identify the effects of feed restriction on ewes, the molecular composition of skim milk, and the drivers of spontaneous lipolysis in milk. The high spontaneous lipolysis in skimmed ewe's milk was driven by a combination of variables consisting of 12 milk proteins (ANGPT1, FN1, COL14A1, W5PDQ9, W5QH04, CLSTN1, PPIB, PLIN3, ITIH2, ASAH1, SMPD1 and FST), 7 milk fatty acids (C6:0, C14:0, C14:1 cis9, C10:1 cis9, C10:0, C11:0 and C12:0), milk urea, plasma acetate, plasma urea, plasma IGF1, milk yield and NEL.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of preweaning nutrient intake on milk production of the 2 first lactations, risk of culling and metabolomic profiles in dairy cows fed a restricted (RES) or an elevated (ELE) milk supply preweaning. A total of 86 Holstein Friesian female calves were randomly assigned to either 5.4 Mcal of ME in 8 L of MR/d (ELE) or 2.7 Mcal of ME in 4 L of MR/d (RES) from d 2 after birth until they were stepped down by 50% from d 42 to d 49 and fully weaned at d 50. Starting from d 50, animals from both treatments were fed and managed in the same way, with treatments being blinded, for the entire study duration.

The nutrient deficit during the transition period might alter activity of the nutrient sensing mechanistic target of rapamycin, thereby influencing immune phenotype and the inflammatory balance of transition cows. We investigated changes in circulating markers of inflammation during the transition period. Additionally, we assessed changes in ex-vivo indicators of the whole blood leukocyte cytokine response to LPS stimulation and leukocyte phagocytosis and oxidative burst. The second objective was to determine whether increasing the MP supply in the prepartum, the postpartum, or both diets would affect the measured parameters.

Given that the majority of energy and protein supplied to cattle arises as a result of ruminal fermentation, the rumen microbiome plays a key role in determining host feed efficiency and methane (CH4) emissions. Some reports suggests that a less diverse rumen microbiome is associated with improved feed efficiency, while other studies suggest that microbial diversity does not differ between low- and high-efficiency cattle of the same breed, fed identical diets. While reducing enteric CH4 emissions offers a dual benefit in terms of improved feed efficiency and a reduced environmental footprint; recent findings indicate that these outcomes are not always consistent in ruminants.

Lameness is a common and painful condition making it an important issue in the dairy industry. While moderate and severe cases of lameness are likely to be noticed and dealt with by most dairy producers, mild cases are often overlooked. The barriers to implementing best management practices (BMP) to detect lameness are unknown. The objectives of this study were to understand awareness, perceptions, and barriers to implementation of established BMP for early detection and treatment of lameness of participant dairy farmers.

Sanhe cattle are domestically bred dual-purpose (i.e., milk and meat) cattle in northeast China that exhibit exceptional adaptability, resilience, and milk composition traits. Nevertheless, few studies that have analyzed the transcriptome of Sanhe cattle and elucidated the key pathways and genes accountable for its immune and production traits. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis is effective for cattle genetic studies. In this study, with Holstein cattle (n = 82) serving as the dairy breed, we aimed to investigate the manifestations and regulatory pathways of the health and milk composition traits for the Sanhe cattle population (n = 61).

Accretion of key carcass tissues such as skeletal muscle and adipose tissue is a direct effect of the specific nutrients available to support the growth and development of these key tissues. While these nutrients vary greatly, many often are key regulators of important cell signaling pathways that regulate the growth and differentiation of these tissues. Postnatal skeletal muscle growth is a result of hypertrophy of the existing skeletal muscle fibers in animals. A major driver of skeletal muscle hypertrophy is protein accretion in the existing muscle fibers.