JDS February 21 - March20 Flashcards
Prevalence and risk factors related to anovular phenotypes in dairy cows
Monteiro et al., 2021
The risk factors for the 3 distinct anovular follicle phenotypes differed.
Generally, anovular cows with smaller follicles had longer dry periods, less BCS at 35 DIM, and disease (mastitis, respiratory, reproductive, hyperketonaemia, GIT, lameness).
Late-gestation heat stress abatement in dairy heifers promotes thermoregulation and improves productivity
Davidson et al., 2021
Pregnant heifers either exposed to heat stress (average THI 77) or not during the last 60d of gestation
Cooled heifers had higher milk yield (35.8 vs. 31.9 ± 1.4 kg/d), when compared with HT heifers.
Similar to multiparous cows, our data indicate that actively cooling heifers in late pregnancy is effective in promoting thermoregulation and results in elevated milk production postcalving.
Short communication: Claw block application improves locomotion and weight-bearing characteristics in cattle with foot diseases
Pluss et al., 2021 (Steiner author)
Application of a claw block significantly reduced lameness scores and differences in weightbearing across contralateral limbs in lame cattle at a walking pace, but it did not affect weight distribution when standing.
Additional methods of pain relief may be necessary
Monitoring udder health on routinely collected census data: Evaluating the short- to mid-term consequences of implementing selective dry cow treatment
Santman-Berends et al., 2021
The ban on BDCT and implementation of SDCT in the Netherlands was associated with a considerable reduction in AMU without a major impairment in udder health at the national level. Although negative effects of changed dry cow management were observed in some herds, we conclude that SDCT can be introduced without substantial negative effects on udder health.
Mycoplasma bovis infection in dairy herds—Risk factors and effect of control measures
Haapala et al., 2021
Among risk factors: Insemination with an M. bovis-positive bull indicated a trend of increasing the odds of M. bovis infection on the farm
Suggested control measures included:
Culling of M. bovis mastitic cows
Isolation of new calves from older animals after initial M. bovis mastitic cows had been culled
Prevention of nose-to-nose contact with infected animals
Early detection of mastitis cases using M. bovis PCR
Hygiene measures mainly related to milking, calf pens, feeding buckets, and teats.
Association between serum calcium dynamics around parturition and common postpartum diseases in dairy cows
Venjakob et al., 2021
A delayed onset of hypocalcemia (d 3 and 7) was indicative for the development of disease in primiparous cows
In multiparous cows, reduced serum Ca concentrations on d 1 and 3 were associated with occurrence of diseases.
Associations of freestall design and cleanliness with cow lying behaviour, hygiene, lameness, and risk of high somatic cell count
Robles et al., 2021
Dirty stalls associated with reduced lying times of ~80mins per day.
The odds of a cow having a dirty upper leg–flank, udder, and lower legs were 1.5, 2.0, and 1.9 times greater, respectively, for cows housed with dirtier stalls.
Cows housed on farms with dirtier stalls had 1.3 times greater odds of being lame at the time of observation
No associations between cleanliness and SCC found in this study
The effects of social environment on standing behaviour and the development of claw horn lesions
Eriksson et al., 2021
The number and severity of sole and white line lesions increased after calving.
Social environment did not influence standing behaviour, but did affect agonistic interactions and may have influenced the risk of claw horn lesions in the weeks following calving, although not significantly
A randomized controlled trial to evaluate propylene glycol alone or in combination with dextrose as a treatment for hyperketonemia in dairy cows
Capel et al., 2021
The addition of dextrose for 1 or 3 d provided no improvement in resolution of ketosis assessed once weekly, reduction in adverse events during the first 60 d of lactation, or a difference in average daily milk yield during the first 10 wk of lactation.
Refinement of international recommendations for cubicles, based on the identification of associations between cubicle characteristics and dairy cow welfare measures
Lardy et al., 2021
Risk factor analysis led to the following recommendations:
(1) position cubicles in a way that leaves more than 1 m of clearance from any obstacle in front of the cubicle;
(2) if there is an obstacle on the lateral plane (i.e., where the cubicle partition is) in front ahead of the cow, put the obstacle in front of the fore knees;
(3) if there is an obstacle in front of the cow on the median plane (e.g., neck or front rail), the position the obstacle between 1.25 and 1.5 of the cow length from the curb and between 1.0 and 1.25 of its height;
(4) use curb height between 0.11 and 0.15 of cow height with no sharp edges on the curb;
(5) use round or at least has no sharp edges brisket board;
(6) use a stone-free soil instead of concrete or use a mattress thicker than 1 cm, with microrelief, and a soft fixing area at the curb,
(7) litter with straw (rather than nothing or sawdust) and keep it dry.
The effect of Cryptosporidium parvum, rotavirus, and coronavirus infection on the health and performance of male dairy calves
Renaud et al., 2021
STP and source associated with testing positive for a pathogen at arrival
Calves with diarrhoea demonstrated a reduced rate of weight gain; up to 15kg by 77d
C. parvum and Bovine coronavirus associated with reduced BW gain.
Effect of subclinical mastitis detected in the first month of lactation on somatic cell count linear scores, milk yield, fertility, and culling of dairy cows in certified organic herds
Fernandez et al., 2021
Elevated SCC in the first month of lactation had detrimental effects on the milk yield and survivability of dairy cows in USDA organic herds, but it did not affect reproductive performance.
Cows with SCM diagnosed in the first month of lactation continued to have elevated SCC linear scores throughout their entire lactation,
The value of the biomarkers cathelicidin, milk amyloid A, and haptoglobin to diagnose and classify clinical and subclinical mastitis
Wollowski et al., 2021
Cathelicidin and haptoglobin in subclinical mastitis quarters were significantly influenced by different bacteriological results
Milk amyloid A and Haptoglobin elevated in cases of clinical mastitis
The measurement of cathelicidin, milk amyloid A, and haptoglobin in milk proved to be a reliable method to detect quarters with subclinical or clinical mastitis
The effect of bovine viral diarrhoea virus introduction on milk production of Dutch dairy herds
Yue et al., 2021
MY losses are greatest during the first quarter after BVD introduction
BVDV introduction had a negative, but on average a relatively small, effect on milk yield of around 0.1kg/cow per day
Randomized controlled trial comparison of analgesic drugs for control of pain associated with induced lameness in lactating dairy cattle
Warner et al., 2021
meaningful differences were evident for visual lameness assessment and cortisol from meloxicam and flunixin treatment versus the positive control.
Hot topic: Accuracy of refractometry as an indirect method to measure failed transfer of passive immunity in dairy calves fed colostrum replacer and maternal colostrum
Lopez et al., 2021
Serum total protein and IgG for calves fed maternal colostrum were highly correlated.
In contrast, STP and IgG for calves fed CR were lowly correlated
A STP cutoff point that could predict FTPI when calves are fed CR would be 4.9 g/dL (sensitivity = 0.68; specificity = 0.75).
This study suggests that current cutoff points used for STP inflates the number of calves estimated to have FTPI when they are fed CR.
Evaluation of customized dry-period strategies in dairy cows
Kok et al., 2021
There was no difference in udder-health status in the transition period among decision trees
Overall, 30-d and 0-d dry periods reduced milk revenues, but this might be financially compensated by improved cow health with customized dry-period strategies.
Herd-level associations between somatic cell counts and economic performance indicators in Brazilian dairy herds
Goncalves et al., 2021
High BTSCC associated with a reduction in milk yield
The lower the BTSCC, the greater the revenue, Gross Margin and Net Margin, profit, and operational profitability of the herds
Effects of late-gestation heat stress independent of reduced feed intake on colostrum, metabolism at calving, and milk yield in early lactation of dairy cows
Seyed Almoosavi et al., 2021 (Drackley last author)
Heat stress associated with a reduction in DMI of 20%
Heat stress decreased gestation length, first colostrum yield, and calf birth weight
Reduced feed intake during late gestation accounted for 60% of the total reduced milk yield during the first 50DIM
Duration and degree of diet-induced metabolic acidosis prepartum alter tissue responses to insulin in dairy cows
Vieira-Neto et al., 2021
Collectively, the present data
suggest that diet-induced metabolic acidosis might alter release and tissue responsiveness to insulin, which consequently shifted protein profile in the adipose tissue to favor lipolysis over lipogenesis. Although the use of acidogenic diets clearly benefits dairy cow health and
productive performance, it might be prudent to avoid diets that cause an excessive decrease in blood pH or
uncompensated metabolic acidosis, as those conditions might disrupt tissue insulin signaling that favors lipid mobilization.
Short- and long-term effects of initial serum total protein, average starter feed intake during the last week of the preweaning period, and rearing body gain on primiparous dairy heifers’ performance
Stefanska et al., 2021
Initial STP concentration and average SI during the last week of the preweaning period were associated with improved growth performance of heifers, especially BW and Wither Height, and increased initial STP concentration and SI were also beneficial in improving reproductive performance by accelerating the occurrence of the first estrus and reducing AFC by approximately 1 mo.
Effect of increasing the amount of hay fed on Holstein calf performance and digestibility from 2 to 4 months of age
Aragona et al., 2021
Dry matter intake as a % of body weight changed quadratically with increasing hay, increasing from 0 to 5%, and decreasing from 5 to 10% hay.
Measures of digestibility increased up to 5% hay and declined thereafter
Addition of 5% chopped grass hay supported optimal digestion and growth in calves, but 10% hay decreased intake and digestion.
Differing planes of pre- and postweaning phase nutrition in Holstein heifers:
I. Effects on feed intake, growth efficiency, and metabolic and development indicators
II. Effects on circulating leptin, luteinizing hormone, and age at puberty
Rosadiuk et al., 2021
- Despite improved indicators of growth and development in the preweaning period in heifers offered more milk, there was very little indication that preweaning nutrition affected postweaning growth and performance.
- Increasing the preweaning plane from 5 to 10 kg of whole milk/d increased circulating leptin concentrations and enhanced LH pulses at 15 wk of age, associated with an earlier onset of puberty.
- Increasing the postweaning plane from 70 to 85% of concentrate dry total mixed ration resulted in greater leptin concentrations by wk 25, which was also associated with an earlier onset of puberty.
Effects of local or systemic administration of meloxicam on mammary gland inflammatory responses to lipopolysaccharide-induced mastitis in dairy cows
Caldeira et al., 2021
- During lipopolysaccharide-induced mastitis, meloxicam did not diminish the concentrations of markers for blood-milk barrier integrity, milk immune components, or the mRNA abundance of proinflammatory factors in mammary tissue.
Effect of duration of exposure to diets differing in dietary cation-anion difference on Ca metabolism after a parathyroid hormone challenge in dairy cows
Vieira-Neto et al., 2021
- A metabolic acidosis was detected 24hrs after treatment started in the negative DCAD group
- Tissue responsiveness to PTH and changes in blood concentrations of iCa and digestibility of Ca are elicited within 3 d of exposure to an acidogenic diet.
- DCAD was associated with greater urinary loss of Ca, but improved apparent Ca digestibility, resulting in similar Ca retention.
Short communication: The lag response of daily milk yield to heat stress in dairy cows
Li et al., 2021
- there exists a lag relationship between daily milk yield and heat stress
- Heat stress is associated with reductions in milk yield beginning and peaking 1d after maximum ambient temperatures and lasting for 3 days.
Short communication: Screening stable flies and house flies as potential vectors of digital dermatitis in dairy cattle
Thibodeaux et al., 2021
- DNA-based assays did not detect any Treponema phagedenis from stable flies and house flies collected at a dairy experiencing an outbreak of digital dermatitis.
Informative value of an ELISA applied to bulk tank milk to assess within-herd prevalence of digital dermatitis in dairy herds
Aubineau et al., 2021
- In-parlour HL M scoring during milking and a BTM sample taken and tested for anti-Treponema phagedenis-like antibodies with an antibody ELISA in 40 french dairy herds
- The ELISA was able to discriminate herds with low (<10%) or high (>40%) DD prevalence.
Short communication: Effects of different blood buffers administered in electrolyte solution to grain-fed veal calves experiencing diarrhoea
Wood et al., 2021
o BBP = sodium bicarbonate (50.7 mmol/L)
o MBP = sodium bicarbonate (33.8 mmol/L), sodium citrate (8.4 mmol/L), sodium acetate (6.3 mmol/L), and potassium citrate (1.9 mmol/L)
o HAL = sodium acetate (50.1 mmol/L)
- Enrolled to tx when faecal score was 2 for 2d or 3; tube fed 1hr post milk replacer feeding
An observational study on the management of digital dermatitis through a repeated risk assessment on 19 Dutch dairy herds
Vanhoudt et al., 2021
- A DD risk assessment questionnaire performed alongside prevalence determination, a report provided to farmers with suggestions for improvement, reevaluation of status 2yrs later
- No relationship between risk score and DD prevalence was determinaed
- Generally, vets did not follow up the results
- Provision of a summary risk assessment was insufficient to initiate behavioural change that led to a decrease in DD prevalence
Relationships between type of hoof lesion and behavioural signs of lameness in Holstein cows housed in Canadian tiestall facilities
Jewell et al., 2021
- Stall lameness scoring (SLS), allows observers to assess cattle for lameness while they remain in their stall.
o Based on behavioural changes in weight bearing and foot positioning, which include: shifting weight, resting a foot, standing on the edge of the stall, and uneven weight bearing when stepping side to side. - Solar ulceration associated with a cow observed resting one limb and bearing weight unevenly
- Solar haemorrhage associated with shifting their weight from one foot to another
- Digital dermatitis associated with bearing weight unevenly
The effects of a training program using a phantom to accustom heifers to the automatic milking system
Von Kuhlberg et al., 2021
- Heifers trained on a phantom AMS machine prior to the onset of lactation showed a higher milking frequency and needed less fetching/training onto the machines
Serum retinol, β-carotene, and α-tocopherol as biomarkers for disease risk and milk production in periparturient dairy cows
Strickland et al., 2021
- Serum retinol concentrations at close-up and early lactation were negatively associated with odds of developing postpartum hyperketonuria.
- At early lactation, cows with uterine disease had lower serum retinol concentrations than cows without uterine disease.
- First-test 305-d mature-equivalent milk yield was positively correlated with increased serum α-tocopherol and negatively correlated with β-carotene concentrations.
Longitudinal study on the effects of intramammary infection with non-aureus staphylococci on udder health and milk production in dairy heifers
Valckenier et al., 2021
- The predominant species was Staphylococcus chromogenes accounting for 52% of IMI
- S. chromogenes demonstrated the greatest persistency – 110d Vs 70d for other NAS species.
- qSCC was highest in quarters having a pIMI with a major pathogen, followed by quarters having a pIMI with S. chromogenes, and a persistent IMI with other NAS.
- No significant differences in quarter Milk Yield were observed between quarters having a persistent IMI or transient IMI with S. chromogenes or with the other NAS species compared with noninfected quarters, despite the higher quarter SCC
Effects of prepartum stocking density and a blind on physiological biomarkers, health, and hygiene of transition Holstein dairy cows.
Creutzinger et al., 2021
- The provision of a blind and lower stocking density may be beneficial for reducing inflammation before calving.
- However, low prepartum stocking density might increase the odds of metritis after calving.
- The reason for this paradox is unclear, the effects of prepartum stocking density may require further exploration
Identification of biomarkers measured upon arrival associated with morbidity, mortality, and average daily gain in grain-fed veal calves.
Goetz et al., 2021
- Higher weight on arrival, creatine kinase, cholesterol, immunoglobulin G, iron, and copper were associated with improved calf health
- Elevated zinc, haptoglobin, and molybdenum were negatively associated with calf health
Dairy cow trade-off preference for 2 different lying qualities: Lying surface and lying space
Shewbridge Carter et al., 2021
- Cows preferred straw the most
- When a Freestall was inserted with sand, cows would sacrifice surface for preference of greater free space
- When lying down, dairy cows value an open lying space more than the lying surface
A cross-sectional study of associations between herd-level calf mortality rates, compliance with legislation on calf welfare, and milk feeding management in Norwegian dairy herds
Johnsen et al., 2021
- Calf mortality rates were higher in herds whose calves did not have free access to water, and higher in herds hat had reported calf disease events
- More than half of producers (59.6%) fed less milk than currently recommended for 3-wk-old calves (8 L/d first 3 to 4 wk)
Effect of hyperketonemia on the diurnal patterns of energy-related blood metabolites in early-lactation dairy cows
Seely et al., 2021 (mcArt last author)
– We observed consistent diurnal patterns in both metabolites and a strong positive correlation between them
- Plasma NEFA reached a peak approximately 2 h before morning feed delivery, falling to a nadir in the late evening.
- Plasma BHB was at a nadir at the time of morning feed delivery, peaking 4 h later.
- The time relative to feeding should be considered when analyzing plasma metabolites, as classification of energy status may change throughout a day.
- A single blood sample may not be representative of energy status of the early-lactation cow.
Heat stress and cow factors affect bacteria shedding pattern from naturally infected mammary gland quarters in dairy cattle
Hamel et al., 2021
- Somatic cell count, pathogen, parity, and THI had significant influence on pathogen shedding.
- The pathogen shedding from mammary gland quarters with intramammary infections was higher in the first and second lactation than in higher lactations.
- Exceeding the THI threshold 60 resulted in higher pathogen counts on the same day, but only for infections caused by yeasts and Streptococcus uberis
Calving difficulty influences rumination time and inflammatory profile in Holstein dairy cows
Mammi et al., 2021
- Cows giving birth to larger calves (dam:calf BW ratio <14) had greater calving assistance, shorter rumination times during the first 30DIM and shorter resting times for the first week after calving.
o The D:C ratio might serve as a useful index for the identification of cows at relatively higher risk of metabolic and inflammatory disease
Bacterial flora associated with udder cleft dermatitis in Dutch dairy cows
Engelen et al., 2021
- In severe UCD lesions, anaerobic bacteria Trueperella pyogenes and Bacteroides pyogenes were more frequently present in deep tissue layers and in superficial layers, compared with the same layers in mild UCD lesions or healthy skin.
o Culturing and histopathology indicated no sign of involvement of treponemes, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, fungi, or mites in the UCD lesions. - The majority of lesions were characterized by chronic aseptic inflammation
The relationship of excessive energy deficit with milk somatic cell score and clinical mastitis
Bach et al., 2021
- Although the relationship between EED and CM is still unclear, our findings suggest that cows in EED, diagnosed using blood BHB or mpbNEFA during the first 18 DIM, have a tendency toward lower SCS compared with their non-EED counterparts
Short communication: Increasing the teatcup removal settings of the last milking quarter did not reduce box time in a pasture-based automatic milking system
Silva-Bolona et al., 2021 (reinmann author)
- Quarters of a typical udder are unequal in milk yields and milking duration. Due to potentially large differences in milking duration between quarters, this study sought to evaluate changes in milk-flowrate for removal of the last quarter teatcup.
- Applying a higher milk flowrate switch point based as a percentage of the rolling average milk flowrate on the last milking quarter, did not produce a significant reduction in milking duration or time spent by individual cows in the AMS.
Effects of injectable calcitriol on mineral metabolism and postpartum health and performance in dairy cows.
Vieira-Neto et al., 2021
- Administration of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 within
6 h of parturition successfully induced an acute and
transient increase in concentrations of calcitriol in
plasma for the first 3 d postpartum, which resulted in a sustained increase in plasma concentrations of iCa, tCa, and tP in the first 5 d postpartum. - Collectively, results
from the current experiment indicate that treatment
with either 200 or 300 μg of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin
D3 immediately after calving is an alternative method
to reduce hypocalcemia, but health benefits depend
on the cohort of cows treated
Fertility and milk production on commercial dairy farms with customized lactation lengths
Burgers et al., 2021
- Effective lactation yield at most farms was greatest in cows with a calving interval from 364 to 531 d, especially for multiparous cows
o For heifers on most farms, a CFSI of more than 196 d resulted in greatest effective lactation yield, when high-yielding heifers (differs per farm; >7,500–11,000 kg of FPCM/305 d) were selected.
o For cows on most farms, a CFSI of more than 140 d resulted in greatest effective lactation yield, when high-yielding cows (differs per farm; >9,500–12,000 kg of FPCM/305 d) were selected.
Relationship of body weight at first calving with milk yield and herd life
Han et al., 2021 (De vires and Dechow authors)
- Body weight at first calving was not a strong indicator for first-lactation milk yield and long-term milk yield.
o Whilst significant factors, they accounted for <3% of variation, suggesting they are not primary contributors to variation in MY - Heavier heifers lost more weight during the first month of lactation and subsequently faced higher risk of being culled than lighter heifers.
- Optimal suggested maturity rate of 73-77% at first calving would allow milk production to be optimized during the first lactation without sacrificing long-term MY and herd life
o Maturity rate = body weight at first calving as a percentage of mature body weight
Effects of transition milk and milk replacer supplemented with colostrum replacer on growth and health of dairy calves.
Van Soest et al., 2020
Feeding a transition milk, or CR:MR blend was associated with greater bodyweight gains until weaning
No differences in health scores, but lower haptoglobin in TM and MR:CR fed calves
Exposure of dairy cows to high environmental temperatures and their lactation status impairs establishment of the ovarian reserve in their offspring.
Succu et al., 2020
Heifers conceived in summer had fewer follicles but similar fertility at first pregnancy compared with heifers conceived in winter.
Follicles were fewer in daughters of nonlactating versus lactating dams. Heifers with the lowest anti-Müllerian hormone (proxy of follicle numbers) had greater age at first service but not first conception compared with heifers with intermediate anti-Müllerian hormone
Effects of oral calcium bolus supplementation on intracellular polymorphonuclear leukocyte calcium levels and functionality in primiparous and multiparous dairy cows.
Reitsma et al., 2020
Further, supplementing 50 g of oral Ca increased PMNL phagocytosis and oxidative burst among primiparous animals.
50 g of oral Ca for 2 d can increase intracellular PMNL Ca and restore some of the impaired PMNL function around parturition.
Do biological and management reasons for a short or long dry period induce the same effects on dairy cattle productivity?
Olagaray et al., 2020
Short gestation length was a greater contributor to poor performance than dry period length itself
Long dry period length or gestation length did not influence milk yield
Long dry period length associated with more issues relating to fat mobilization: higher milk fat and milk fat:protein ratio, greater hazard of leaving the herd.
Mycoplasma bovis and other Mollicutes in replacement dairy heifers from Mycoplasma bovis-infected and uninfected herds: A 2-year longitudinal study.
Hazelton et al. 2020
In infected herds, despite a high seroprevalence in the calves at weaning, only 4% were positive on culture from vaginal, conjunctival and nose swabs
M. bovis was isolated:
o 0.5% at prebreeding
o 0% prevalving
o 0.3% 1 month postcalving
The nose was the predominant anatomical site of M. bovis colonization
A single heifer was repeatedly detected with M. bovis in its nose at weaning, prebreeding, and postcalving samplings. This demonstrates the possibility, albeit rare, of a long-term M. bovis carrier state in replacement heifers exposed to M. bovis as calves
For groups of 50 or more heifers exposed to M. bovis preweaning, there is at least a nontrivial probability that the group will contain at least 1 shedding heifer postcalving.
Feeding colostrum or a 1:1 colostrum:whole milk mixture for 3 days after birth increases serum immunoglobulin G and apparent immunoglobulin G persistency in Holstein bulls
Hare et al., 2020
Serum IgG concentrations were higher and more persistent in calves fed colostrum or a mixture, compared to those fed whole milk
Indicators of dehydration in healthy 4- to 5-day-old dairy calves deprived of feed and water for 24 hours.
Kells et al., 2020
Skin tent return time, capillary refill time, and detectable enophthalmos were useful indicators of mild to moderate dehydration
Factors associate with a dehydration of 3.5-4.5% were:
o Skin tent of >3 seconds (min 4.4% dehydration)
o CRT of >3 seconds (min 4.3% dehydration)
o Enophthalmos ≥1 mm – (min 3.5% dehydration)
Mycoplasma species in vaginas of dairy cows before and after exposure to bulls and their association with conception.
Hazelton et al., 2020
Mycoplasma spp. were infrequently isolated from the vagina pre- (1.9%; 12/629) and post-bull (3.2%; 20/629) exposure
Cows whose conception during the bull breeding period was delayed, or who had not conceived, were more likely to have vaginal colonization with Mycoplasma bovigenitalium after bull exposure.
Cows that remain not pregnant for longer are more likely to be served by a bull (likely repeatedly) and subsequently become colonized with a Mycoplasma sp. (mostly M. bovigenitalium) through venereal transmission.
In dairy herds that use bulls, there is a greater chance of isolating a Mycoplasma sp. (mostly M. bovigenitalium) after a period of bull breedings from the vaginas of cows that have remained nonpregnant for longer during the bull breeding period
Association of prepartum lying time with nonesterified fatty acids and stillbirth in prepartum dairy heifers and cows.
Menichetti et al., 2020
Regardless of parity, prepartum dams with a stillborn calf had reduced lying time (LT) and increased coefficient of variation of LT within the last 7 d before calving compared with dams with a calf born alive.
Prognostic utility of pre- and postoperative plasma l-lactate measurements in hospitalized cows with acute abdominal emergencies.
Giertzuch et al., 2020
Plasma L-lactate concentrations determined upon admission to the hospital, pre surgery, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72hrs later.
Cows with a negative outcome (median: 6.81 mmol/L) had significantly higher L-LAC than cows with a positive outcome (3.66 mmol/L) of therapy.
At the individual diagnosis level, L-LAC was associated with mortality in cows with a diagnosis of abomasal volvulus, local peritonitis, hemorrhagic bowel syndrome, and jejunal volvulus.
The largest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for L-LAC was observed at 6 h (0.89). A cut-point of 1.77 mmol/L was identified, which had a sensitivity and specificity for predicting a negative outcome until hospital discharge of 88.9 and 73.4%, respectively
Persistent hyper-l-lactatemia during the early postoperative period is a more reliable indicator for a negative outcome than hyper-l-lactatemia before initiation of surgical intervention.
Effect of continued metabolic acidification into the first 3 days of lactation on blood calcium status in postpartum dairy cattle: A randomized controlled trial.
Maier et al., 2020
No difference was detectable between treatment and control cows at 2 or 4 DIM with respect to blood ionized calcium concentrations
Continued acidification of dairy cows until 2 DIM did not result in clinically meaningful higher blood calcium concentrations compared with controls
Association between lameness risk assessment and lameness and foot lesion prevalence on dairy farms in Alberta, Canada
Van Huvssteen et al., 2020 (Barkema author)
Lesions were reported in 93% of lame cows BUT only 21% of cows presenting a lesion were lame
Foot examination of only lame cows is likely to result in an underestimation of lameness prevalence
Incidence of udder cleft dermatitis (UCD) in dairy cows and risk factors for transitions to UCD
Ekman et al., 2020
Risk factors associated with a higher risk of a transition to any type of UCD and mild UCD were breed (Swedish Red vs. Swedish Holstein), an indentation or fold at the fore udder attachment, and increasing DIM.
A low milk urea level was associated with a lower risk of transition to any type of and mild UCD.
Cows with previous mild UCD and high-yielding cows had increased risk for a transition to severe UCD.
Cows that had an observed transition to severe UCD had an increased risk of veterinary-treated clinical mastitis within 6 wk after the UCD observation.
No associations were found between UCD and SCC or hock lesions
Randomized clinical trial to assess the effect of antibiotic therapy on health and growth of preweaned dairy calves diagnosed with respiratory disease using respiratory scoring and lung ultrasound
Binversie et al., 2020 ( Ruegg & olivett authors)
Calves examined twice weekly and disease classified as:
29%- Upper respiratory tract disease – clinical signs, no consolidation
43% -Subclinical lobular pneumonia – no clinical signs, patchy consolidation ≥1 cm2
13%-Clinical lobular pneumonia – clinical signs, patchy consolidation ≥1 cm2
8%-Subclinical lobar pneumonia – no clinical signs, ≥1 lobe consolidated
7 % Clinical lobar pneumonia - clinical signs, ≥1 lobe consolidated
Treatment based on early diagnosis with lung ultrasound and clinical scoring affected short-term lung health and growth and reduced mortality
Early antibiotic therapy limited progression of lung consolidation immediately following treatment, reduced the likelihood of requiring treatment within 7 d of BRD1, and improved growth and mortality before weaning.
However, lung disease eventually worsened despite multiple antibiotic treatments.
Despite receiving multiple doses of antibiotics after BRD1, calves treated with either antibiotic or placebo were equally likely to enter the weaning phase with pneumonia.
Administration of acetylsalicylic acid after parturition in lactating dairy cows under certified organic management: Part I. Milk yield, milk components, activity patterns, fertility, and health
Barragan et al., 2020
Cows that received ASP produced 1.82 kg/d more milk (P = 0.048) compared with cows in the PLC group during the first 30 DIM
Cows that experienced DYS and received ASP (n = 13) produced 4.48 kg/d more milk compared with DYS cows that received PLC (n = 17)
Administration of acetylsalicylic acid after parturition in lactating dairy cows under certified organic management: Part II. Biomarkers of nociception, inflammation, and stress
Barragan et al., 2020
Cows treated with aspirin tended to have lower concentration of haptoglobin and had lower concentration of substance P at 36 h compared with cows treated with a placebo.
Colostrum supplementation with n-3 fatty acids alters plasma polyunsaturated fatty acids and inflammatory mediators in newborn calves
Opgenorth et al., 2020
Supplementing colostrum linearly increased plasma concentrations of n-3 FA and metabolites and decreased biomarkers of oxidative stress, but did not alter oxidant status or affect health or growth.
Conditioned place aversion of caustic paste and hot-iron disbudding in dairy calves
Ede et al., 2020
48hr after disbudding calves spent more time in the pen associated with hot-iron disbudding compared with what would be expected by chance, but no difference between caustic and hot iron pens were found at 72 and 96hrs.
Calves initially remember caustic paste disbudding as a more negative experience than hot-iron disbudding, even with the use of sedation, local anesthesia, and analgesia.
Predicting the likelihood of conception to first insemination of dairy cows using milk mid-infrared spectroscopy
Ho and Pryce, 2020
None of the models could predict cows that conceived to first insemination, with an accuracy around 0.48
MIR data did improve prediction accuracy when compared to the use of on farm data alone, with a prediction accuracy of 0.76 for identification of he bottom 10% of cows, which had the least likelihood of conception to first insemination.
A large-scale study on the effect of age at first calving, dam parity, and birth and calving month on first-lactation milk yield in Holstein Friesian dairy cattle
Van Eetvelde et al., 2020
AFC was found to be the most important determinant of milk yield during first lactation
With an increase in ECM up to an age of 33 mo (R2 = 0.047)
Calving season (R2 = 0.01), Birth month (R2 = 0.002), Dam parity (R2 = 0.002) also associated with heifer first lactation MY.
Low dietary protein resilience is an indicator of the relative protein efficiency of individual dairy cows
Liu and VandeHaar, 2020
Diets
Low protein: 14% CP at peak lactation, 13% CP at late lactation
High protein: 18% CP at pea lactation, 16% CP at late lactation
Some high-producing cows are better able to maintain high production when fed less protein.
Low dietary protein resilience was associated with greater protein efficiency when cows were fed low-protein diets and may be a desirable trait for comparing cows in the future.
Antimethanogenic effects of nitrate supplementation in cattle: A meta-analysis
Feng et al., 2020
Elevated DM intake decreases the effect of nitrate supplementation on CH4 production
Average DM, thus CH4 production was higher for dairy cows vs beef cows
Nitrate supplementation reduces CH4 production and yield in a dose-dependent manner
Increasing nitrate dose associated with decreasing CH4 production and yield.
The effect of meloxicam on neonatal dairy calves: Immunoglobulin G uptake and preweaning performance
Clark et al., 2020
Meloxicam did not affect apparent efficiency of absorption, serum total protein, or IgG uptake at 6, 18, and 24 h; however, meloxicam-treated calves had lesser IgG concentrations at 12 h
Meloxicam treatment did not affect MR intake, time of consumption of MR, total dry matter intake, or feed efficiency
Meloxicam-treated calves tended to consume more starter, had higher ketone levels suggestive of improved rumen development
Effects of physical forms of starter and milk allowance on growth performance, ruminal fermentation, and blood metabolites of Holstein dairy calves
Jafari et al., 2020
4 treatment groups, weaning at 56d by gradual method:
Low milk allowance (4L/day), finely ground starter
Low milk allowance (4L/day), textured starter (incl. steam-flaked grains)
High milk allowance (Up to 10L/day), finely ground starter
High milk allowance (Up to 10L/day), textured starter (incl. steam-flaked grains
There was no interaction between milk allowance and physical forms of starter on feed intake, average daily gain, feed efficiency, BW, and structural growth Feeding high milk allowance to calves resulted in greater weight gain and preweaning body weight.
Short communication: Effect of timing of induction of ovulation relative to timed artificial insemination using sexed semen on pregnancy outcomes in primiparous Holstein cows
Lauber et al., 2020
Thus, earlier induction of ovulation relative to TAI with sexed semen decreased pregnancies per artificial insemination in primiparous Holstein cows.
Designing a replacement heifer rearing strategy: Effects of growth profile on performance of Norwegian Red heifers and cows
Salte et al., 2020
By regulating energy and protein supply through roughage quality in a diet containing only 1 kg of concentrate/d it was possible to reduce the heifers’ unproductive period from 26 to 22 mo of age without impairing lifetime milk production.
Seasonal heat load is more potent than the degree of body weight loss in dysregulating immune function by reducing white blood cell populations and increasing inflammation in Holstein dairy cows
Zachut et al., 2020
Summer-calving cows had approximately 5-fold higher concentrations of plasma tumor-necrotizing factor-α, whereas the degree of body weight loss had minor effects.
Chronic heat is more potent in dysregulating immune function by reducing white blood cells and increasing inflammation.
Incidence and risk factors for reproductive disorders in organic certified dairies
Manriquez and Pinedo., 2020
Clinical endometritis had the highest lactational incidence risk, whereas retained fetal membranes had the lowest risk.
The main risk factors for reproductive diseases were shortened close-up and dry periods, shortened and extended calculated gestation length, and concurrent nonreproductive health conditions.
Associations between genomic merit for daughter pregnancy rate of Holstein cows and metabolites postpartum and oestrus characteristics
Chebel and Veronese et al., 2020
Greater genomic merit for daughter pregnancy rate is associated with shorter interval from calving to first oestrus and greater intensity of oestrus.
Despite not being associated with pregnancy per service, genomic merit for daughter pregnancy rate was positively associated with the hazard of pregnancy
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs affect the mammary epithelial barrier during inflammation
Sintes et al., 2020
NSAIDs did not prevent the mammary epithelial barrier opening by LPS; however, ketoprofen, flunixin meglumine, and meloxicam support the re-establishment of the barrier integrity.
Used in mastitis therapy at an optimized dosage the tested NSAID would likely support the recovery of milk composition. However, an overdose of NSAID would likely cause tissue irritation and in turn, a delayed recovery of the barrier permeability
Ovarian function and the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy in dairy cows with and without evidence of postpartum uterine disease
Molina-Coto et al., 2020
Ovarian function during the second and third months postpartum was largely unaffected by uterine disease.
Uterine disease as defined in this study did not affect cyclicity, ovarian follicular growth, or plasma progesterone concentrations
The initial period of pregnancy establishment (d 18 to 22) appeared to be unaffected by uterine disease.
Diseased cows, however, had greater embryonic loss after d 22 (note: small sample size)
Is faecal consistency scoring an accurate measure of fecal dry matter in dairy calves?
Renaud et al., 2020
Defined a 4-level scoring scale:
Score Faecal DM content
0 = normal (firm but not hard); 25%
1 = soft (does not hold form, piles but spreads slightly); 22%
2 = runny (spreads readily); 16%
3 = watery (liquid consistency, splatters). 11%
Using observational fecal consistency scoring can accurately predict diarrhoea or a decline in fecal DM.
Accuracy of estimation of lameness, injury, and cleanliness prevalence by dairy farmers and veterinarians
Denis-Robichaud et al., 2020 (Dubuc last author)
Overall, farmers and veterinarians underestimated cow-based measurements.
Farmers and veterinarians more accurately estimated lameness prevalence in herds with higher prevalence than in herds with low prevalence, suggesting a better awareness of the issue on farms with lameness problems.
Effect of forest biomass as bedding material on compost-bedded pack performance, microbial content, and behaviour of nonlactating dairy cows.
Llonch et al., 2020
The forest biomass–bedded pack was less appropriate than sawdust with regard to compost performance and cow comfort but better in terms of controlling microbial counts of some species.
Distribution of non-aureus staphylococci from quarter milk, teat apices, and rectal feces of dairy cows, and their virulence potential
Wuytack et al., 2020
Non-aureus staphylococci (NAS) was detected rectal feces from dairy cows in every sampled herd.
Staphylococcus arlettae, Staphylococcus auricularis, Staphylococcus chromogenes, Staphylococcus cohnii, Staphylococcus devriesei, Staphylococcus equorum, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Staphylococcus hominis, and Staphylococcus vitulinus
Four, 16, and 12% of the healthy quarters, quarters with SCC >50,000cells/ml and clinical mastitis cases, respectively, were NAS positive.
NAS has the potential to cause a mild mastitis or increases in SCC
Estimation of minimum tolerated milk temperature for feeding dairy calves with small- and large-aperture teat bottles: A complementary dose-response study
Ellingsen-Dalskau et al., 2020
Calves are often fed cold milk from a large-aperture teat, but warm milk and sucking behaviour are believed to trigger the esophageal reflex
Radiographs showed no milk in the rumen, regardless of milk temperature and aperture size
The minimum milk temperature was estimated to be 8°C – associated with shivering
The behaviour of dairy cattle in the transition period: Effects of blood calcium status
Barraclough et al., 2020 (MacRae last author)
For older cows, calcium status at calving affected their postcalving behaviour
Cows with clinical disease were observed to have longer lying times per day and fewer steps in the 21 d postcalving
Low blood calcium is associated with significant long-lasting behavioural effects during the critical postcalving period.
Critically important antimicrobials are generally not needed to treat nonsevere clinical mastitis in lactating dairy cows: Results from a network meta-analysis.
Nobrega et al., 2020 (barkem and Dufor authors)
Comparisons of cure rates demonstrated that CIA and non-CIA had comparable efficacy for treatment of nonsevere clinical mastitis in dairy cattle.
Additionally, for cows with nonsevere clinical mastitis caused by Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp., bacteriological cure rates were comparable for treated versus untreated cows; therefore, there was no evidence to justify treatment of these cases with CIA.
Early-lactation diseases and fertility in 2 seasons of calving across US dairy herds.
Pinedo et al., 2020
Disease during early lactation (50DIM) significantly affected fertility and survival.
Reproductive disorders: Dystocia, twins, retained fetal membranes, metritis, and clinical endometritis
Other disorders: subclinical ketosis, mastitis, displaced abomasum, and pneumonia
As number of recorded diseases increased, resumption of ovarian cyclicity decreased
Both health events reduced chances of survival
Longitudinal effects of enrofloxacin or tulathromycin use in preweaned calves at high risk of bovine respiratory disease on the shedding of antimicrobial-resistant fecal Escherichia coli
Pereira et al., 2020
2-3wk old dairy calves healthy, but “at high risk” of developing BRD were untreated, or administered a single dose of enrofloxacin or tulathromycin
Treatment of calves at high risk of developing BRB with either enrofloxacin or tulathromycin resulted in a consistently higher proportion of ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli in fecal samples
Associations between lying behaviour and activity and hypocalcemia in grazing dairy cows during the transition period
Hendriks et al., 2020
Blood Ca ≤1.4 mmol/L “clinically hypocalcaemic”, Subclinically blood Ca > 1.4 and < 2.0 mmol/L
The day before and the day of calving, the “clinically hypocalcaemic” group spent longer lying and had reduced activity compared to healthy or subclinically affected animals
Disbudding affects use of a shelter provided to group-housed dairy calves.
Gingerich et al., 2020
Disbudded calves make greater use of environmental features that offer seclusion, with use of the shelter possibly reflecting an increased preference for social withdrawal or separation
Calves entered the shelter more frequently when empty, left more frequently when unoccupied, spent more time overall in the shelter
Disbudding even with recommended pain mitigation affects behaviour for at least several days.
Evaluating the association between early-lactation lying behaviour and hoof lesion development in lactating Jersey cows
Omontese et al., 2020
Cows that developed hoof lesions showed decreased daily lying duration in the early postpartum period (d20-120d) before being diagnosed with hoof lesions compared with cows that remained healthy.
We found no evidence for a difference in number of lying bouts, lying bout duration, and number of steps among cows that developed hoof lesions compared with cows that remained healthy
Changes in fluid and acid-base status of diarrheic calves on different oral rehydration regimens
Wenge-Dangschat et al., 2020
In diarrheic calves, isotonic oral rehydration solutions prepared in water improve plasma volume and variables more rapidly than do hypertonic milk-based solutions.
Therefore, isotonic water-based oral rehydration solutions should be used for first aid therapy of calves with diarrhoea.
Thereafter, oral rehydration solutions prepared in milk combined with free water access can be used because they offer greater potential for increasing blood pH and osmolality than milk alone (milk has no alkalinizing ability and contains low sodium) and fulfill the energy needs of diarrheic calves.
Sodium butyrate and monensin supplementation to postweaning heifer diets: Effects on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and health.
Stahl et al., 2020
Compared with the control, additives decreased the number of coccidia in feces.
Overall, additive supplementation offers positive results in growth performance and improvement in overall health.
Relationship between milk constituents from milk testing and health, feeding, and metabolic data of dairy cows.
Glatz-Hoppe et al., 2020
new optimum range of milk urea between 150 and 250 mg/L was better suited to dietary crude protein intake in relation to demand
FPR >1.4 more Sn than 1.5
Energy oversupply or the risk of overconditioning could not be identified by milk constituents alone
Feeding an amino acid–formulated milk replacer for Holstein calves during 2 time periods
Liu et al., 2020
Max intake 0.85 kg/d split in two feedings. Ad libitum access to water and 25% CP pelleted calf starter.
Feeding a greater essential AA formulated milk replacer with specific concentrations resulted in calf growth performance, dry matter intake, and feed conversions that were similar to those of calves fed standard 22% CP, but the feed cost was lower for the AA milk replacer under current study conditions.
Effects of step-down weaning implementation time on growth performance and blood metabolites of dairy calves
Mirzaei et al., 2020
Calves housed individually, ad lib solid feed and water, fed 6L milk from d3-10, then 4 treatment groups:
8L/day to 28d, then 4L/d from 29-63d
8L/day to 42d, then 4L/d from 43-63d
8L/day to 56d, then 4L/d from 57-63d
8L/day to 63d, abruptly weaned
Starter intake was greatest in calves in the 28d x 8L/day group
Overall, the average daily gain (ADG), feed efficiency (ADG/dry matter intake) were similar across the treatments.
The implementation of step-down weaning in early life (4–6 wk of age) could stimulate solid feed intake compared with weaning at a later age with no negative effect on performance.
Effects of feeding frequency and protein source in milk replacer for Holstein calves
Grice et al., 2020 (Drackely last author
Feeding a milk replacer containing a blend of bovine plasma protein and modified wheat protein (1:1) replacing about 44% of the whey proteins resulted in similar growth and greater starter intake than feeding an all-whey protein milk replacer.
Feeding the milk replacer in 2 feedings daily resulted in better growth and feed efficiency than feeding in 3 meals daily
Transition dairy cow health is associated with first postpartum ovulation risk, metabolic status, milk production, rumination, and physical activity
Stevenson et al. 2021
Disease status was associated with greater serum concentrations of free fatty acids, beta-hydroxybutyrate, haptoglobin, rectal temperature, and lesser calcium on postpartum d 0, 3, 7, and 14.
Prebreeding body condition score and body weight were greater in healthy cows. Odds of early ovulation were 1.92 times greater in healthy than diseased cows.
Evaluation of different analytical methods to assess failure of passive transfer in neonatal calves
Sutter et al., 2020
RID = gold standard for measurement of passive transfer
Compared centrifuged serum, centrifuged plasma, filtered plasma and ELISA, capillary electrophoresis (CE), Brix refractometer, and handheld optical refractometer.
All methods highly correlated with RID:
CE = r = 0.97
ELISA = r = 0.90
Brix = r = 0.84, 0.8 and 0.78 for centrifuged serum, centrifuged plasma, or filtered plasma
Optical refractometer = r = 0.83, 0.81, and 0.80 (as above, respectively)
All 4 analytical methods used in the present study were suitable for assessing FPT in neonatal calves, regardless of the medium used.
Different cutoffs should be used if different media are used:
Pathogen-specific risk factors in acute outbreaks of respiratory disease in calves.
Pardon et al., 2020
