Search

In this study, the utility of a commercial intravaginal thermometer was evaluated as an automated method for the prediction of calving in a total of 257 healthy pregnant Holstein-Friesian female cattle. The accuracy and the sensitivity of predicting calving within 48 hr before calving were also evaluated. The intravaginal temperature changes from 72 hr before and up to calving were significantly (p ≤ .001) affected by parity, season (summer vs. autumn), the time of day (8 a.m. or 8 p.m.) and the 6-hr time intervals (38.19°C: first interval 0 to 6 hr before calving vs. 38.78°C: twelfth interval 66 to 72 hr before calving), while the gender (p = .943), and the weight of the calf (p = .610), twinning (p = .300), gestation length (p = .186), foetal presentation (p = .123), dystocia (p = .197) and retention of foetal membranes (p = .253) did not affect it significantly. The sensitivity of the SMS of expecting calving within 48 hr and the positive predictive value were 62.4% and 75%, respectively, while the sensitivity and the positive predictive value for the SMS of expulsion reached 100%. It can be concluded that the investigated thermometer is not able to predict calving within 48 hr accurately; however, imminent calving can be accurately alerted., (© 2020 The Authors. Reproduction in Domestic Animals published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The objective of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of an intravaginal thermometer in the field prediction of the second stage of labor and to determine its impact on the health of dams and newborn calves. Holstein cows (n = 241) were randomly selected about 5 (mean ± SD: 4.7 ± 2.0) days before the expected date of calving and the thermometer was inserted into the vagina. Another 113 cattle served as controls. There was no false alarm during the experiment. The risk of dystocia (Score >1) was 1.9 times higher, the prevalence of stillbirth was 19.8 times higher, the risk of retained fetal membranes (RFM) was 2.8 times higher and the risk of clinical metritis was 10.5 times higher in the control group than in the experimental group. The prevalence of stillbirth was 7 times higher in cows with dystocia compared to cows with eutocia. The presence of dystocia and stillbirth increased the risk of RFM 4 and 5 times, respectively. The occurrence of RFM increased the risk of development of clinical metritis with a 22 times higher odds. The results indicate that the use of calving alert systems not only facilitates controlling the time of parturition and providing prompt and appropriate calving assistance but also decreases the number of dystocia cases and improves reproductive efficiency, postpartum health of the dam and newborn calf survival., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this study was to determine whether measurements of certain metabolic (non-esterified fatty acid, β-hydroxybutyrate, glucose, total protein, albumin, urea-nitrogen, aspartate aminotransferase, total calcium, inorganic phosphate and magnesium) and endocrine (cortisol, thyroxine, triiodothyronine, insulin and insulin-like growth factor) parameters in the peripartal period (2 months and 3 weeks before expected calving and within 1 hr after calving) were related to the prevalence of stillbirth in a Holstein-Friesian farm in Hungary. All together 155 dairy cattle (n = 22 primiparous, n = 133 multiparous cows) were monitored in two separate years selected randomly on the same farm. Overall, the prevalence of stillbirth was 11% (n = 17). Significantly higher stillbirth rate was detected in case of heifer calvings (OR = 8.5), and when ≥3 assistants (severe dystocia; OR = 8.9) were needed to assist at calving while the body condition score of the dams, the bodyweight and gender of the newborn calves, the percentage of posterior presentations had no significant effect on stillbirth rate. There were no significant differences between cows without and with stillbirth in case of any measured metabolic and endocrine parameters during the examined time periods. At the same time, some of the metabolic parameters (TP, AST and inorg.P) showed some significant differences among the stillbirth groups, but stillbirth could not be predicted by the measured parameters and therefore the role of metabolic and/or endocrine changes on the prevalence of stillbirth needs further elucidation., (© 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

Background: Pregnancy and early life are critical periods of plasticity during which the fetus and neonate may be influenced by environmental factors such as nutrition. Maternal methionine (Met) supply in non-ruminants during pregnancy can affect offspring development and growth. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate if increasing Met supply during late-pregnancy affects developmental parameters of the calf at birth and if either maternal Met or colostrum from Met-fed cows alters calf growth. Calves born to Holstein cows individually-fed a basal control [CON; 1.47 Mcal/kg dry matter (DM) and 15.3% crude protein] diet with no added Met or CON plus ethylcellulose rumen-protected Met (MET; Mepron® at 0.09% of diet DM; Evonik Nutrition & Care GmbH, Germany) during the last 28 ± 2 d of pregnancy were used. A total of 39 calves were in CON ( n  = 22 bulls, 17 heifers) and 42 in MET ( n  = 20 bulls, 22 heifers). At birth, calves were randomly allocated considering dam treatment and colostrum as follows: 1) calves from CON cows and colostrum from CON cows ( n  = 21); 2) calves from CON cows and colostrum from MET cows ( n  = 18); 3) calves from MET cows and colostrum from MET cows ( n  = 22); and 4) calves from MET cows and colostrum from CON cows ( n  = 20). All calves were housed, managed, and fed individually during the first 9 wk of life., Results: Despite greater daily DM intake pre-partum in cows fed MET (15.7 vs. 14.4 ± 0.12 kg/d, P  < 0.05), colostrum quality and quantity were not affected by maternal diet. At birth, MET calves had greater ( P  ≤ 0.05) body weight (BW, 44.1 vs. 42.1 ± 0.70 kg), hip height (HH, 81.3 vs. 79.6 ± 0.53 cm) and wither height (WH, 77.8 vs. 75.9 ± 0.47 cm). In contrast, concentrations of His, Lys, and Asn in plasma were lower ( P  ≤ 0.05) in MET calves. Regardless of colostrum source, the greater BW, HH, and WH in MET calves at birth persisted through 9 wk of age resulting in average responses of + 3.1 kg BW, + 1.9 cm HH, and + 1.8 cm WH compared with CON. Average daily gain during the 9 wk was ( P  < 0.05) 0.72 ± 0.02 kg/d in MET compared with 0.67 ± 0.02 kg/d in CON calves. Respiratory scores were normal and did not differ ( P  > 0.05) due to maternal Met supply or colostrum source. However, fecal scores tended to be lower ( P  ≤ 0.10) in MET calves regardless of colostrum source., Conclusions: Increasing the maternal supply of MET during late-pregnancy enhanced growth in utero as well as during the pre-weaning and early post-weaning periods. Although the ~ 1 kg/d greater DM intake during the last 2-3 wk prior to parturition could explain a portion of the 2 kg extra body mass of MET calves at birth, other mechanisms potentially encompassing nutrient assimilation efficiency likely played a role. Assessing the exact mechanisms sensitive to supply of Met or total amino acid supply during the latter stages of growth in utero merit further research., Competing Interests: Abdulrahman S. Alharthi is PhD candidate, Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, 61,801, USA. Fernanda Batistel is Assistant Professor, Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA. Mohamed K. Abdelmegeid is Lecturer in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Shaikh 33,516, Egypt. Gustavo Lascano is Assistant Professor, Department of Animal and Veterinary Science, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA. Claudia Parys is Senior Manager Global Technical Support, Evonik Nutrition & Care GmbH, 63,457 Hanau-Wolfgang, Germany. Arianne Helmbrecht is Business Director Key Account, Evonik Nutrition & Care GmbH, 63,457 Hanau-Wolfgang, Germany. Erminio Trevisi is Associate Professor, Department of Animal Sciences, Food and Nutrition Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza 29,122, Italy. Juan J. Loor is Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, 61,801, USA.All the procedures for this study were conducted in accordance with a protocol approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of the University of Illinois (protocol # 14270).Not applicable.The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Background: Residual feed intake (RFI) describes an animal's feed efficiency independent of growth performance. The objective of this study was to determine differences in growth performance, carcass traits, major bacteria attached to ruminal solids-fraction, and ruminal epithelium gene expression between the most-efficient and the least-efficient beef cattle. One-hundred and forty-nine Red Angus cattle were allocated to three contemporary groups according to sex and herd origin. Animals were fed a finishing diet in confinement for 70 d to determine the RFI category for each. Within each group, the two most-efficient ( n  = 6; RFI coefficient = - 2.69 ± 0.58 kg dry matter intake (DMI)/d) and the two least-efficient animals ( n  = 6; RFI coefficient = 3.08 ± 0.55 kg DMI/d) were selected. Immediately after slaughter, ruminal solids-fraction and ruminal epithelium were collected for bacteria relative abundance and epithelial gene expression analyses, respectively, using real-time PCR., Results: The most-efficient animals consumed less feed ( P  = 0.01; 5.03 kg less DMI/d) compared with the least-efficient animals. No differences ( P  > 0.10) in initial body weight (BW), final BW, and average daily gain (ADG) were observed between the two RFI classes. There were no significant RFI × sex effects ( P  > 0.10) on growth performance. Compared with the least-efficient group, hot carcass weight (HCW), ribeye area (REA), and kidney, pelvic, and heart fat (KPH) were greater ( P  ≤ 0.05) in the most-efficient cattle. No RFI × sex effect ( P  > 0.10) for carcass traits was detected between RFI groups. Of the 10 bacterial species evaluated, the most-efficient compared with least efficient cattle had greater ( P  ≤ 0.05) relative abundance of Eubacterium ruminantium , Fibrobacter succinogenes , and Megasphaera elsdenii , and lower ( P  ≤ 0.05) Succinimonas amylolytica and total bacterial density. No RFI × sex effect on ruminal bacteria was detected between RFI groups. Of the 34 genes evaluated in ruminal epithelium, the most-efficient cattle had greater ( P  ≤ 0.05) abundance of genes involved in VFA absorption, metabolism, ketogenesis, and immune/inflammation-response. The RFI × sex interactions indicated that responses in gene expression between RFI groups were due to differences in sex. Steers in the most-efficient compared with least-efficient group had greater ( P  ≤ 0.05) expression of SLC9A1 , HIF1A , and ACO2 . The most-efficient compared with least-efficient heifers had greater ( P  ≤ 0.05) mRNA expression of BDH1 and lower expression ( P  ≤ 0.05) of SLC9A2 and PDHA1 ., Conclusions: The present study revealed that greater feed efficiency in beef cattle is associated with differences in bacterial species and transcriptional adaptations in the ruminal epithelium that might enhance nutrient delivery and utilization by tissues. The lack of RFI × sex interaction for growth performance and carcass traits indicates that sex may not play a major role in improving these phenotypes in superior RFI beef cattle. However, it is important to note that this result should not be considered a solid biomarker of efficient beef cattle prior to further examination due to the limited number of heifers compared with steers used in the study., Competing Interests: Ahmed A. Elolimy is PhD candidate, Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, 61,801, USA. Mohamed K. Abdelmegeid is Lecturer in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Shaikh 33,516, Egypt. Joshua C. McCann is Assistant Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, 61,801, USA. Daniel W. Shike Loor is Associate Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, 61,801, USA. Juan J. Loor is Associate Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, 61,801, USA.All procedures for this study (protocol no. 12009) were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the University of Illinois.Not applicable.The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Background: Extensive degradation of amino acids in the rumen via microbial deamination decreases the post-ruminal availability of dietary indispensable amino acids. Together with the normal decrease in voluntary dry matter intake (DMI) around parturition in dairy cows, microbial metabolism contributes to a markedly negative balance of indispensable amino acids, including methionine which may be the first-limiting for milk production. The main objective of the current study was to profile changes in major bacterial species with key functions in cellulose and hemicellulose digestion, xylan breakdown, proteolytic action, propionic acid production, lactate utilization and ruminal biohydrogenation in cows supplemented with rumen-protected Methionine (SM; Smartamine M, Adisseo NA, Alpharetta, GA, USA) from -23 through 30 d relative to parturition. Because ~90% of the methionine in SM bypasses the rumen, ~10% of the methionine is released into the rumen and can be utilized by microbes., Results: As expected, there was an increase in overall DMI after parturition (Day, P  < 0.05) during which cows consumed on average 19.6 kg/d versus 13.9 kg/d in the prepartum period. The postpartum diet contained greater concentrations of lipid and highly-fermentable carbohydrate from corn grain, which likely explains the increases in the relative abundance of Anaerovibrio lipolytica , Megasphaera elsdenii , Prevotella bryantii , Selenomonas ruminantium , Streptococcus bovis , and Succinimonas amylolytica . Despite similar DMI prepartum, cows fed SM had greater (Treatment × Day, P < 0.05) abundance prepartum of Fibrobacter succinogenes, Succinimonas amylolytica , and Succinivibrio dextrinosolvens . However, the greater DMI in cows fed SM after parturition (19.6 kg/d versus 13.9 kg/d) was associated with lower abundance of Fibrobacter succinogenes (2.13 × 10 -3 versus 2.25 × 10 -4 ) and Selenomonas ruminantium (2.98 × 10 -1 versus 4.10 × 10 -1 ). A lower abundance (Day, P  < 0.05) was detected on d 20 compared with d -10 for Fibrobacter succinogenes and Succinivibrio dextrinosolvens . The relative abundance of Butyrivibrio proteoclasticus and Eubacterium ruminantium was stable across treatment and time., Conclusions: In diets with proper balance of rumen-degradable protein and fermentable carbohydrate, the small fraction of Methionine released from the rumen-protected supplement did not seem to compromise growth of major bacterial species in the rumen. In fact, it had a positive effect on 3 major species prepartum when DMI was similar between groups. Because the actual requirements of Methionine (and Lysine, for example) by the cow during the transition period are unknown, it appears warranted to study the rumen microbiome as it relates to supply of rumen-protected amino acids., Competing Interests: Not applicable.Not applicable.The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Isolated PMNL from neonatal calves were used to evaluate the effect of Met, choline, and taurine supplementation on mRNA expression of genes related to the Met cycle and innate immunity. Five neonatal Holstein calves (3 wk old) were used for PMNL isolation and in vitro culture. The selected genes were related to the 1-carbon and Met cycles, cell signaling and cytokine mediators, inflammation, antimicrobial and killing mechanism associated genes, immune mediators, adhesion, and pathogen recognition. The results indicated that supplementation of Met, choline, and taurine increased homocysteine synthesis through upregulation of SAHH. Furthermore, the lower expression of CXCR1, IL10, IL6, IRAK1, NFKB1, NR3C1, SELL, TLR4, and TNFA indicated that all treatments mitigated the inflammatory activation of blood PMNL. As indicated by the modulation of GCLC and GPX1, choline and taurine supplementation also affected the antioxidant system. However, data indicate that oversupplementation could alter the inflammatory and oxidative status, suggesting the existence of cytotoxicity thresholds. Overall, multiple biological processes in calf PMNL related to inflammatory response and cytoprotection against oxidative stress were affected by Met, choline, and taurine supplementation. These data underscore an important role of these compounds in pre-weaning calf nutritional management., (Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)