An epidemiological and genetic study on registered diseases in Finnish Ayrshire cattle. II. Reproductive disorders

The epidemiology and genetic variability of the most common reproductive diseases were examined. The data set consisted of the lactation records of 70,775 Finnish Ayrshire dairy cows. Each cow was under observation for 2 days before for 305 days after calving. Lactation incidence rates (%) were: dystocia (DYST) 0.9, retained placenta (RTPL) 4.5, metritis (METR) 2.3, anoestrus and suboe&trus (ESTR) 5.2, and ovulatory dysfunction (CYST) 7.0. These diseases formed 33 % of all first treatmetns by veterinarians during farm visits. The occurrence of DYST, RTPL and METR was lowest in parity 2. ESTR decreased and CYST increased with parity. Cows calving during the dark season (September-February) had a higher risk of ESTR, METR and CYST (odds ratios (OR) 2.2–1.1) and a lower risk of RTPL (OR 0.9) than those calving during the light season (March-August). The increase in herd milk yield was positively associated with the occurrence of reproductive disorders. The cows with a history of parturient paresis had a higher risk of contracting CYST, RTPL and METR (OR 6.6–1.8), the cows with retained placenta of contracting metritis (OR 5.1), the cows with metritis of contracting ESTR and CYST (OR 1.5–1.7), the cows with mastitis of contracting METR and ESTR (OR 2.0–1.3) and the cows with ketosis of contracting METR, ESTR and CYST (OR 2.7–1.6). Heretabilities were determined for 5 diseases and for infertility in general. Heritability estimates for parity 2 were: DYST 2 %, RTPL 3 %, METR 7 %, ESTR 12 %, CYST 12 %, and infertility in general 5 %. Heritability for calving interval was 5 % in parity 1 and 6 % in parity 2.     

Oat Bran Fermentation by Rye Sourdough

Hydration of oat bran including fermentation by rye sourdough was studied. Three types of oat bran suspensions were prepared (a control, one with whole meal rye flour added, and one with rye starter added). The suspensions were incubated for 1, 2, 3 and 4 hr. β‐Glucan content and solubilities of protein and β‐glucan were analyzed. Viscosity of the supernatants of oat bran suspensions was determined. Neither the rye sourdough nor the rye flour alone had a significant effect on the total β‐glucan content of oat bran suspensions. However, the addition of rye, either as whole meal rye flour or as sourdough starter, markedly increased the solubility of β‐glucan and proteins and simultaneously decreased the viscosity of the water‐soluble fraction of oat bran suspension. This suggests that a hydrolysis of β‐glucan had occurred that could change the rheological properties of oat bran in baking and the physiological potential of oat bran in nutrition.