Feeding Solanum glaucophyllum to preparturient multiparous cows prevents postparturient hypocalcemia

Solanum glaucophyllum (SG) contains 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D₃ (1,25‐(OH)₂D₃) glycosides. We investigated the effect of SG on hypocalcemia in cows. Serum levels of 1,25‐(OH)₂D₃, total calcium and phosphorus dose‐relatedly increased after feeding with SG, while serum magnesium and chloride levels fell (P < 0.05). We also performed an ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) infusion to induce artificial hypocalcemia. Cows that had been fed 4.0 mg/kg body weight of SG daily for 2 weeks had a higher serum concentration of total calcium at the end of EDTA infusion than those not fed SG (P < 0.05). In a field trial, multiparous cows were assigned to one of four groups: (1) no SG, (2) 1.3 g or (3) 2.6 g of SG daily from 14 days before the estimated calving day until 3 days after calving, or (4) a single feed of 35.75 g SG at 3 days before the estimated calving day. The concentrations of serum total calcium after the calving in each treatment group were (1) 7.4, (2) 7.9, (3) 8.0 and (4) 8.9 mg/dL and higher for (4) than for (1) (P < 0.05). The data suggests that feeding a high dose of SG before the calving may maintain higher concentrations of serum calcium after the calving.     

改善奶牛氮磷利用效率的营养策略

氮磷在奶牛生长、发育和生产过程中发挥着重要作用,但在实际生产中,饲粮氮磷含量往往过高,而奶牛对于氮磷的利用效率普遍偏低,这不仅会造成饲料资源的浪费,而且加重了氮磷的排放,导致严重的环境污染.合理减少饲粮氮磷含量、提高奶牛机体对氮磷的利用效率具有重要的现实意义.因此,本文主要从影响氮磷利用效率的因素,以及改善奶牛氮磷利用效率的营养策略2个方面进行了综述,以期为提高奶牛氮磷利用效率,减少氮磷向环境的排放,提高奶牛场经济和生态效益提供理论依据.     

奶牛蹄病的治疗

将患有蹄病的牛按病情严重程度分三级,在每级中各选出12头,并将36头随机分成4组,每组共9头。第1组为对照组,第2组每头牛日粮中加35%石粉18g,第3组每头牛日粮中加硫酸锌1.2g,第4组每头牛日粮中同时加35%石粉18g和硫酸锌1.2g。同样护理,每星期对试验牛群进行修蹄及常规治疗。经过1个月的治疗第1组治愈1头,有效3头,无效5头;第2组治愈2头,有效6头,无效1头;第3组治愈3头,有效4头,无效2头;第4组治愈7头,有效2头,无效0头。卡方检测除第2、3两组差异不显著外,其他各组之间差异显著。说明在日粮中适量提高钙和锌对奶牛蹄病有良好的预防和治疗作用。     

利用Kalman滤波和Hungarian算法的多目标奶牛嘴部跟踪及反刍监测

针对奶牛养殖场复杂环境下多目标奶牛嘴部自动跟踪及反刍监测困难的情况,该研究提出了一种基于嘴部区域跟踪的多目标奶牛反刍行为智能监测方法。在YOLOv4模型识别奶牛嘴部上下颚区域的基础上,以Kalman滤波和Hungarian算法跟踪上颚区域,并对同一奶牛目标的上颚和下颚区域进行关联匹配获取嘴部咀嚼曲线,以此获取反刍相关信息,从而实现多目标奶牛个体的嘴部跟踪和反刍行为监测;为解决奶牛快速摆头运动和棚舍栏杆遮挡引发奶牛标号变化的问题,提出未匹配跟踪框保持及扩大的方法。采集并选择实际养殖场环境下的反刍奶牛视频66段,对其中58段视频采取分帧操作得到图像,制作YOLOv4模型数据集,以其余8段视频验证跟踪方法和反刍行为判定方法的有效性。试验结果表明,YOLOv4模型对奶牛嘴部上颚、下颚区域的识别准确率分别为93.92%和92.46%;改进的跟踪算法可实现复杂环境下多目标奶牛嘴部区域的稳定跟踪,且有效解决了栏杆遮挡、快速摆头运动造成的奶牛标号变化现象,上下颚匹配率平均为99.89%,跟踪速度平均为31.85帧/s;由反刍行为判定方法获取的咀嚼次数正确率的平均值为96.93%,反刍时长误差的平均值为1.48 s。该研究可为实际养殖中多目标奶牛反刍行为的智能监测和分析提供参考,也可供其他群体动物运动部位的跟踪和行为监测借鉴。     

玉米青贮与花生秧配比对奶牛瘤胃中花生秧降解特性的影响

本试验旨在研究玉米青贮与花生秧配比对奶牛瘤胃中花生秧降解特性的影响。选择4头体重、生理状态、生产性能相近,装有永久瘤胃瘘管的中国荷斯坦奶牛,分别饲喂含有玉米青贮与花生秧不同配比的全混合日粮(TMR),3种TMR中玉米青贮与花生秧的干物质(DM)配比分别为3.9∶1.0(A组)、1.2∶1.0(B组)、0.4∶1.0(C组)。试验分3期进行,依次进行A、B、C组试验。每期预试15 d,采样期4 d;共57 d。采用尼龙袋瘤胃降解技术测定花生秧在奶牛瘤胃中DM、粗蛋白质(CP)、中性洗涤纤维(NDF)和酸性洗涤纤维(ADF)的72 h瘤胃降解率,并求得目标养分的动态降解参数及有效降解率。结果表明:1)花生秧的DM在瘤胃中有效降解率为56.49%~59.62%,CP为40.45%~47.36%,NDF为33.26%~35.20%,ADF为36.31%~37.45%。2)B组DM的有效降解率显著高于C组(P0.05),极显著高于A组(P0.01);B、C组的CP有效降解率显著高于A组(P0.05)。3)B、C组的NDF快速降解部分含量显著高于A组(P0.05);3种TMR对花生秧粗NDF和ADF有效降解率无显著影响(P0.05)。由此可见,花生秧具有较高的饲用价值。本试验条件下,玉米青贮与花生秧DM配比为1.2∶1.0时,可有效提高花生秧DM和CP的瘤胃降解率。     

Ultrasonographic findings of the corpus luteum and the gravid uterus during heat stress in dairy cattle

The objectives of this study were to assess alterations in, echogenic appearance, size and blood flow in the corpus luteum, the placentomes and the blood flow in umbilical and uterine arteries that heat stress can cause in cooled pregnant dairy cows. Pregnant cows were allocated in two groups and the gravid uteri, along with the ipsilateral corpora lutea were examined during the winter (group W, n = 9) or the summer (group S, n = 10). The grey-scale ultrasound and colour flow imaging of the corpus luteum and placentome were performed. In addition, the umbilical and uterine artery diameters and haemodynamic parameters in the vessels were calculated. At the time of ultrasonographic examination, cortisol concentrations were higher, and progesterone levels tended to be lower in group S compared to group W. The grey-scale ultrasound evaluation of corpora lutea and placentomes was lower in group S compared to group W. The diameter of umbilical artery and the blood volume in the vessel were less in group S than in group W. We infer that heat stress affects foetal blood supply and possibly the structure of placentomes and corpora lutea, but it differently affects the blood flow characteristics in the umbilical and uterine arteries.     

影响荷斯坦奶牛产犊间隔的因素及其研究进展

产犊间隔（calving internal,CI）又称胎间距,即两次产犊间的时间间隔,能够综合反映奶牛发情、配种、妊娠和产犊等繁殖性能,是衡量奶牛繁殖性能的一个重要指标,同时也是影响奶牛产奶量和产犊数量的重要因素,对奶牛养殖经济效益具有直接影响。最新研究显示,适宜产犊间隔与牛群泌乳能力相关,泌乳能力越高,适宜产犊间隔应越长。但是,即使中国规模化牛场产奶量已经有了大幅提升,中国大多数牧场还在追求更短的产犊间隔。为此,作者对影响荷斯坦奶牛产犊间隔的因素及其研究进展进行概述,并简要阐述了产犊间隔对牛场经济效益的影响,以期为中国荷斯坦奶牛养殖确定适宜产犊间隔提供一定的借鉴和理论依据。     

Effects of apple pomace proportion levels on the fermentation quality of total mixed ration silage and its digestibility,preference and ruminal fermentation in beef cows

Four Japanese black beef cows were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square to evaluate the fermentation quality, digestibility, ruminal fermentation and preference of total mixed ration (TMR) silages prepared with differing proportions of apple pomace (AP). Experimental treatments were the control (no AP added, CAP), 5% (low, LAP), 10% (medium, MAP) and 20% (high, HAP) of TMR dry matter (DM) as AP. All TMR silages were well preserved. Ethanol was produced in silages containing AP and the amount increased with the proportion of AP (P < 0.05). Nutrient digestibility with LAP, MAP and HAP treatment was lower than that with CAP treatment (P < 0.05). The ruminal molar proportion of acetic acid increased (P < 0.05), but the ruminal ammonia‐N concentration decreased (P < 0.05) as the proportion of AP increased. The preference of the animals was highest for HAP, followed by MAP, CAP and LAP. This study demonstrates that decrease in nutrient digestibility might be related to the ethanol produced naturally from AP. Therefore, the proportion of AP in TMR silages should be less than 5% of dietary DM.     

Relationship between calving difficulty and fertility traits in first‐parity Iranian Holsteins under standard and recursive models

The main objective of this study was to estimate the genetic and phenotypic relationships between calving difficulty (CD) and fertility traits, including success at first service (SF), number of inseminations to conception (INS), interval from calving to first service (CTFS), interval between first and last service (IFL) and days open (DO), in first‐parity Iranian Holsteins under standard (SMMs) and recursive (RMMs) mixed models. The data analysed in this paper included 29 950 records on CD and fertility traits, collected in the time period from 1995 to 2014 by the Animal Breeding and Improvement Center of Iran. Under all observed SMMs and RMMs, five bivariate sire‐maternal grandsire models (ten bivariate analyses in total) were used for the analyses. Recursive models were applied with a view to consider that CD influences the fertility traits in the subsequent reproductive cycle and the genetic determination of CD and fertility traits by fitting CD as covariate for any of the fertility traits studied. The existence of such cause‐and‐effect is considered in RMMs but not in SMMs. Our results implied a statistically non‐zero magnitude of the causal relationships between CD and all the fertility traits studied, with the former influencing the latter. The causal effects of CD on SF (on the observed scale, %), INS, CTFS, IFL and DO were ?2.23%, 0.10 services, 1.93 days, 3.76 days and 5.61 days, respectively. Direct genetic correlations between CD and the fertility traits under both models were not statistically different from zero (95% HPD interval included zero), except for the correlation between CD and CTFS, which were 0.197 and 0.134 under SMM and RMM, respectively, indicating that genes associated with difficult births also increase intervals between calving and the first insemination afterwards. Comparison of both models by the deviance information criterion (DIC) demonstrated the plausibility of RMMs over SMMs.