Genetic and economic evaluation of a basic breeding programme for Kenya Boran cattle

The objective of this study is to describe the present organisational structure of Boran cattle breeding and develop a model breeding programme using a deterministic approach under the current structure of the Boran Cattle Breeders Society. A breeding unit of 13,000 cows supplying bulls to a commercial population of 39,000 cows was assumed. Selection criteria used were growth and reproduction traits while breeding objective traits targeted were growth, carcass, reproduction, survival, milk yield and feed intake traits. Higher selection intensity was possible for breeding sires resulting in higher genetic gains compared to dams even though selection accuracies were generally low. Annual genetic gains were positive except for dressing percentage, cow survival rate, and age at first calving. However, a reduction of age at first calving by 9.5 days obtained a return of Ksh 49.76. The overall monetary genetic gain obtained was Ksh 84.89 with a profit per cow per year of Ksh 377.98. The basic breeding programme could be expanded to accommodate a larger population of Boran cattle. The implications of the results are also discussed.     

Factor XI mutation in a Holstein cow with repeat breeding in Japan

Factor XI deficiency is an autosomal recessive coagulopathy in Holstein cattle. Affected cows have a tendency to show repeat breeding. Forty repeat breeding Holstein Friesian cows were selected and tested for the Factor XI mutation. Genomic DNA was isolated from the blood of the cows (n=40). Exon 12 of the Factor XI gene of the cows was amplified by PCR. One repeat breeding cow was heterozygous to the Factor XI mutation as indicated by the presence of two DNA fragments of 320 bp and 244 bp. The insertion of the 76 bp in the heterozygous cow was confirmed by DNA sequencing. The heterozygous cow was in her fourth lactation. She gave birth to male twins at the last calving. She was inseminated artificially four times after the last calving. Factor XI deficiency in cattle has been reported in different countries. However, no case was reported in Japan. This might be the first to report Factor XI mutation in Holstein cattle in Japan.     

浅谈巴州地区家庭奶牛业向合作社发展的措施

目前新疆巴州地区奶牛业以乳品企业为主,家庭养殖为副。巴州地区现有养殖的奶牛共52 700多头,其中,农村散养奶牛数量比较少。农村饲料来源丰富、劳动力足够,家庭饲养奶牛已成为农户脱贫致富奔小康的一条生产门路。本文主要从培育龙头企业带动,逐步建立完善奶牛合作社奶牛业生产体系,同时对开辟青贮饲料来源及作好加工调制、逐步做到日粮标准化、饲养管理规模化、统一搞好奶牛配种及良种繁育等方面提出了对策分析。     

Responsiveness of beef cattle (Bos taurus) to human approach,novelty, social isolation,restraint and trade‐offs between feeding and social companionship

This study investigated responsiveness of beef cattle to various environmental stimuli by subjecting 15–16 Japanese Black cows to five tests repeated twice. Within individual behavioral measures, cows were moderately (repeatability = 0.54–0.70) or highly (repeatability = 0.74–0.89) consistent in flight distance during grazing and resting in the human approach tests, maximum distance from the group pen and the number of total and different feed tub visits in the feeding–sociability trade‐off test, and unwillingness to enter the restraint, movement under restraint and flight speed after release from restraint in the social isolation and restraint test. By contrast, cows were not consistent in the latency to make the first contact and the number of contacts with novel object(s) in the novelty test (repeatability = 0.24–0.39). Across behavioral measures in different tests, cows showed no consistency (P ≥ 0.05) in any combinations of measures from the two human approach tests, the trade‐off test and the social isolation and restraint test. In conclusion, human approach (particularly during resting), feeding–sociability trade‐off and social isolation and restraint situations can be used for evaluating personality in Japanese Black cows, while the value of the novelty test needs to be reexamined.     

超敏蛋白复合酶在肉牛生产中的应用

[目的]试验将超敏蛋白复合酶添加于肉牛生产中的母牛繁育和肉牛育肥环节,研究其应用效果。[方法]试验选择平均怀孕45 d左右的同批次怀孕母牛28头,随机均分为试验A1组和对照A2组,选择育肥青年牛78头,随机均分为试验B1组和对照B2组。对照A2组和B2组按照原来的饲料配方饲喂,试验A1组和B1组在原有的基础上添加精饲料1‰的超敏蛋白复合酶进行饲喂。[结果]试验结果表明,怀孕母牛的试验组相较于对照组产活仔数多1头,出生均重差为7.58 kg, 60日龄断奶均重差为12.55 kg;育肥青年牛的试验组相较于对照组增重大幅提升,育肥期平均增重差为84 kg。[结论]超敏蛋白复合酶在肉牛生产的母牛繁育、青年牛育肥方面均表现出卓越成效,经济效益明显提高。     

宁夏海原肉牛品种改良的实践与探索

近年来,海原县肉牛产业得到快速发展。为支撑未来肉牛产业发展需求,迫切需要从品种改良技术层面破解当前育种工作中遇到的问题,为今后高端肉牛产业发展指明方向。本文分析了海原县当前繁育母牛资源现状,从肉牛产业发展目标以及制约产业发展的瓶颈问题出发,探索高端肉牛产业的内在含义,提出以西门达尔牛为母本,安格斯公牛为父本的“海原黑牛”育种方向及其在实践基础上的现实可能性。同时通过现有安格斯纯种繁育扩大母牛和选育良种安格斯公牛,为大量杂交提供优秀的公牛基因资源。希望对当前海原肉牛产业发展具有一定指导意义。     

Relationships between human-animal interactions and productivity of commercial dairy cows

This study examined the relationships between a number of stockperson and cow variables at 66 commercial dairy farms. Variables such as the attitudes and behavior of stockpeople toward their cows and the behavioral response to humans and productivity of cows were studied over one lactation. There were consistent and significant correlations between some of these stockperson and cow variables. For example, a positive attitude by stockpeople toward the behavior of dairy cows was negatively correlated with the number of forceful, negative, tactile interactions used by stockpeople in handling cows (r = -0.27, df = 127, P < 0.01). Furthermore, based on farm averages, the number of forceful, negative, tactile interactions used by stockpeople was negatively correlated with the percentage of cows approaching within 1 m of an experimenter in a standard test (r = -0.27, df= 64, P< 0.05). Although not confirming a fear-productivity relationship, a moderate but nonsignificant correlation was found between flight distance of cows to an experimenter in a standard test and milk yield (r = -0.27, df = 33, P > 0.05). Support for the existence of a negative fear-productivity relationship was the finding that the use of negative interactions by stockpeople was significantly and negatively correlated with milk yield, protein, and fat at the farm (r = -0.36, -0.35 and -0.33, respectively, df = 64, P < 0.01) and was significantly and positively correlated with milk cortisol concentrations at the farm (r = 0.34, df= 64, P < 0.01). Furthermore, the percentage of cows approaching within 3 m of an experimenter in a standard test was positively correlated with conception rate to the first insemination (r = 0.38, df = 46, P < 0.01). The significant correlations found in the present study between stockperson attitudes and behavior and cow behavior and productivity, although not evidence of causal relationships, indicate the possibility of targeting these human characteristics to reduce fear responses of dairy cows to humans and improve the cows' productivity.     

Evaluation and Comparison of 2 On‐Farm Tests for Estimating Somatic Cell Count in Quarter Milk Samples from Lactating Dairy Cattle

Background

The somatic cell count (SCC) is commonly used to monitor udder health and diagnose subclinical intramammary infection (IMI) in dairy cattle.

Hypothesis

The Somaticell test (ST) 2 and California mastitis test (CMT) are clinically useful cow‐side tests for diagnosing subclinical IMI.

Animals

One hundred and eleven dairy cows at dry‐off and 92 cows within 4–7 days postcalving.

Methods

Quarter foremilk samples were obtained and analyzed with a DeLaval cell counter (DCC, reference method), 1 ST, and CMT. The ST was run in a simulated cow‐side manner using milk at 37°C instead of 0–8°C as recommended by the manufacturer. Test performance for diagnosing IMI (DCC SCC >200,000 cells/mL) was evaluated by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and the kappa coefficient (κ) at the optimal cut‐point for each test. The effect of milk/reagent temperature also was evaluated.

Results

Compared to the reference method, the ST run in a simulated cow‐side manner had an AUC = 0.68 and κ = 0.24 at dry‐off, and AUC = 0.74 and κ = 0.40 in fresh cows. The CMT performed much better than the ST in diagnosing subclinical IMI with AUC = 0.88 and κ = 0.77 at dry‐off, and AUC = 0.87 and κ = 0.76 in fresh cows. The measured ST value decreased with increasing temperature of the milk/reagent mixture.

Conclusions/Clinical Importance

The ST is optimized for use on milk at 0–8°C and is therefore designed for on‐farm use on refrigerated milk samples. The ST is not suited for use as a cow‐side screening test for IMI because the milk temperature exceeds the recommended range for the test.     

母牛难产的原因及解决方法

[目的]为了寻求本地黄牛母牛难产的原因和解决方法。[方法]2013年对5081头母牛的产犊情况进行统计分析。[结果]在统计产犊的母牛中,本地母牛为4018头,西本杂母牛为1063头,难产率最高的是本地母牛×西门塔尔,难产率为7.98%,其后依次为本地母牛×利木赞（6.55%）,西本杂母牛×西门塔尔（4.65%）,本地牛×安格斯（3.1%）,难产率最低的是本地母牛×本地公牛,难产率为0.85%。[结论]可采取科学选配、控制营养等方法来减少难产的发生率;采取科学的接产方法,能有效解决难产问题。     

Effects of breeding season length and calving season on range beef cow productivity

A 5-yr study was conducted beginning in 1983 with 460 cows to evaluate the effects of three breeding seasons (30, 45, and 70 d in length) and two times of spring calving, March (early) and April (late), on cattle production under Nebraska Sandhills range conditions. Criteria evaluated included pregnancy and weaning percentages, calving date and distribution, cow weights and body condition at four intervals, calf birth and weaning weights, and cow productivity. The 30-d breeding season included a 10-d estrus synchronization and AI period; in the other breeding seasons only natural breeding was used. The same sires were used over the entire study period. Percentage of cows pregnant and percentage of calves weaned were lower (P less than .01) for cows bred for 30 d than for cows bred for 45 or 70 d. Average calving dates were similar among the breeding groups within the early and late calving herds. Pregnancy rates from AI were higher (P less than .01) for the cows calving in April (64%) than for the cows calving in March (41%). Cows calving in April lost less weight between precalving and prebreeding and were heavier (P less than .05) at prebreeding time than the cows calving in March. Calf weaning weights were not different (P greater than .10) among any of the breeding season groups or between the two calving herds when calves were weaned at a similar age. Cow productivity (calf weaning weight per breeding female) was highest (P less than .05) for the cows bred for 70 d (186 kg), intermediate for the cows bred for 45 d (172 kg), and lowest for cows bred for 30 d (162 kg).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

两广地区带犊母牛体系建立之浅谈

带犊母牛体系的建立在肉牛产业链中具有非常重要的意义。本文就该体系中种牛的选育、母牛产犊率和犊牛断奶体重的主要管理作一简单概述。     

探讨牛瘤胃酸中毒的中西医结合治疗效果

现代牛养殖与生产中,牛瘤胃酸中毒是比较常见的一种消化性病症,该病发病急、病牛死亡快,所以很容易给奶牛行业带来巨大经济损失。本研究通过分析牛瘤胃酸中毒原因与症状,提出对牛瘤胃酸中毒实施中西医结合治疗方法,观察其治疗效果,以期能够为牛养殖提供有用的治疗建议。     

中草药防治母牛不孕症及其作用机理

养牛业作为农业产业之一,肉、奶等产品在市场上的需求不断提升,但在养殖过程母牛患上生殖系统疾病,该病可引发发情期紊乱等疾病,如不有效治疗会严重影响母牛正常繁殖,养殖场效益受到影响。母牛生殖系统疾病治疗需根据临床诊断采取合理的方案进行,中草药治疗该病在临床上效果明显,本文通过采用中药对母牛生殖系统疾病进行,并阐述相关的作用机理,以供同行参考。     

Temperament assessments of lactating cows in three contexts and their applicability as management traits

The applicability of three behavioral assessments of lactating cows as management traits was verified. Flight responses to an approaching human (flight starting and walking distances, and flight walking speed) at pasture, entrance order into the milking parlour and step‐kick behavior to cup attachment were observed for 713 subject cows in six Australasian dairy farms. On all farms, cows were kept at pasture without any barn housing. Flight responses were measured once, and other assessments were recorded repeatedly for each subject cow. A principal component analysis was performed to verify whether these assessments appear to measure the same trait. A two‐way anova and correlation analyses were then used to test whether obtained principal components were affected by farm, age and milking stage of cows. Australian and some Japanese herd management systems were compared for flight distance using a one‐way anova and a multiple comparison test. Three behavioral assessments clustered in different principal components, indicating that these assessments did not appear to measure the same trait. Factor scores of four principal components were affected by farm (all, P < 0.01), and the scores of principal component 1, interpreted as fear of humans (r = ?0.16, P < 0.01), and component 2, interpreted as aversion to cup attachment (r = ?0.28, P < 0.01), were moderately correlated with age. These results emphasize the necessity of data standardization to reduce the non‐genetic variation resulting from these two affectors. The flight distance at pasture of herds in Australia (6.06 ± 2.85 m) was significantly (P < 0.05) different from the flight distances measured in paddocks (1.50 ± 0.82 m) and free‐stall barns (1.22 ± 1.09 m) in Japan. However, mean distances were not different between the Australian herds at pasture and the Japanese herds at pasture in tie‐stall barns (3.96 ± 2.16 m) or in a free‐stall barn (4.03 ± 1.79 m). This difference could be a result of the fact that only a single measurement was made, so that repeated measurement might improve the usefulness of flight distance as a management trait. In conclusion, it was verified that step‐kick behavior to cup attachment and flight responses to human approach were, although they have some affectors, applicable as objective management traits in lactating cows.     

不同饲养模式下乳牛粪尿中氮磷排放量的研究

试验通过对规模化养殖场、奶农合作组织两种不同养殖模式下乳牛粪便中氮、磷含量进行抽样测定,旨在研究不同养殖模式对乳牛氮和磷污染物排放量的影响。结果表明:规模化奶牛场和奶农合作组织粪尿中总氮的排泄量占摄入量的比例从低到高的排序均为产奶牛、干奶牛、育成牛;规模化奶牛场奶牛不同生理阶段磷排泄量占摄入量的比例从低到高的排序为育成牛、产奶牛、干奶牛;奶农合作组织奶牛不同生理阶段磷排泄量占摄入量的比例从低到高的排序为产奶牛、育成牛、干奶牛。     

BPI指数在西杂牛经济类型划分上的应用研究

[目的]进一步提高我区西杂牛的选育水平,为培育河西肉牛新类群提供理论依据。[方法]通过采用BPI指数法,对172头西杂牛的测定分析。[结果]一岁公牛BPI指数平均为6.81±1.24、二岁公牛为7.14±1.38、三岁公牛为5.58±1.47,均达到或超过5.9的肉用型指标;一岁母牛BPI指数平均为4.45±1.07、...     

Characterization of breeds of Bos indicus and Bos taurus cattle for maternal and individual traits

Angus, Boran and Red Poll sires were mated to Ankole, Boran and small East African Zebu (Zebu) females to produce the cows characterized in this study, which produced calves by Friesian, Brown Swiss, Simmental, Boran and Red Poll sires. Individual traits included cow parturition weight, cow weight at weaning, cow mean weight and cow weight change from parturition to weaning; maternal traits included calf crop born percentage, preweaning viability percentage, overall viability percentage, birth weight, weaning weight, weight at 12, 18 and 24 mo and calf weight weaned per cow exposed to breeding (productivity index). Cows by Angus and Red Poll sires significantly exceeded cows by Boran sires (all cows in this comparison had Ankole and Zebu dams) in weaning weight of progeny and in cow weight at parturition and at weaning. Cows by Red Poll sires significantly exceeded cows by Boran sires in birth weight of progeny. Progeny of cows by Boran sires significantly exceeded progeny of cows by Angus and Red Poll sires in 24-mo weight. Cows by Angus and Red Poll sires did not differ (P greater than .05) in any of the traits analyzed. Cows with Ankole and Boran dams significantly exceeded cows with Zebu dams (all cows in this comparison had Angus and Red Poll sires) in progeny weight at birth, 18 mo and 24 mo and in cow weight at parturition and at weaning. Cows with Boran dams significantly exceeded cows with Zebu dams in weaning and 12-mo weight of progeny and significantly exceeded cows with Ankole dams in weaning weight of progeny. The significantly heavier weaning weight and significantly lighter 24-mo weight of the 3/4 Bos taurus progeny of cows with Angus and Red Poll sires relative to the 1/2 Bos taurus progeny of cows with Boran sires suggest that cattle that are 1/2 Bos taurus breed composition have greater general adaptation than cattle with 3/4 Bos taurus breed composition in the postweaning nutritive and climatic environment under which this experiment was conducted. Significantly heavier weights of Angus and Red Poll crossbred cows relative to Boran crossbred cows (all breeds crossed on Ankole and Zebu cows) indicate that the two Bos taurus breeds exceed the Boran (Bos indicus) breed in additive direct genetic effects for size when they have general adaptation to the environment.     

内蒙古通辽地区中国西门塔尔牛母牛养殖分析与探讨

介绍了内蒙古通辽地区中国西门塔尔母牛养殖基本情况。分析了母牛养殖中出现的问题,提出了提高母牛养殖水平的综合措施．以期为促进内蒙古通辽市养牛业的健康发展提供参考。     

Evaluation of early conception factor lateral flow test to determine nonpregnancy in dairy cattle

The early conception factor (ECF) lateral flow test was evaluated for its ability to accurately determine nonpregnant status in dairy cattle. Results of 2 field trials involving 191 cows and 832 tests indicated the probability that a cow can be correctly diagnosed as nonpregnant by using the ECF test is only about 50%. Agreement of test results between milk and serum obtained from the same cow was 57.5%. The ECF test was not consistent in identifying nonpregnancy when the same cows were tested repeatedly over a period of 4 weeks. We conclude that the ECF lateral flow test does not accurately identify nonpregnancy in dairy cattle.     

The effects of early treatment for hindlimb lameness in dairy cows on four commercial UK farms

An 'early threshold' protocol for treating cows within 48h of being detected lame in one or more hind limbs at fortnightly mobility scoring was tested on a randomly selected group of cattle on four commercial dairy farms. The outcomes of the early threshold treatment for first cases of lameness were compared with those of the farmers' conventional approach to treatment. The early threshold schedule resulted in a much shorter time to treatment than the conventional approach, for which the median time from the cow first being scored lame to treatment was 65days. The early threshold group presented with less severe foot lesions and cattle were less likely to be selected for further treatments by the farmer than conventionally treated cows. Early threshold treatment reduced the prevalence of lameness 4weeks after treatment, compared with controls. A clear effect of the early treatment on milk yield was not detected.