Evaluation of Holstein cows with different tongue‑rolling frequencies:stress immunity,rumen environment and general behavioural activity

Background The tongue-rolling behaviour of cows is regarded as an outward sign of stressed animals in a low welfare status.The primary aim of this observational study was to evaluate the association between the frequency of tongue-rolling behaviour and its physiological function.The secondary aim was to explore the relationship between general activities and the frequency of tongue-rolling behaviour of cows.A total of 126 scan sampling behavioural observations were collected over 7 d on 348 Holstein cows with the same lactation stage in the same barn.The tongue-rolling frequency was defined as the number of tongue-rolling observations as a percentage to the total observations per individual cow.According to their tongue-rolling frequency,the cows were grouped into the CON(no tongue-rolling),LT(frequency 1%),MT(frequency 5%),and HT(frequency 10%)groups.Six cows from each group were randomly selected for sampling.Serum samples,rumen fluid,milk yield,and background infor-mation were collected.The general behaviour data during 72 continuous hours of dairy cows,including eating time,rumination time,food time(eating time+rumination time),and lying time,were recorded by the collar sensor.Results Cortisol(P=0.012),γ-hydroxybutyric acid(P=0.008),epinephrine(P=0.030),and dopamine(P=0.047)levels were significantly higher in tongue-rolling groups than in the CON group.Cortisol levels and tongue-rolling frequency had a moderate positive correlation(linearly r=0.363).With the increase in tongue-rolling frequency,the rumen pH decreased first and then increased(P=0.013),comparing to the CON group.HT cows had significantly less food time than CON cows(P=0.035).The frequency of tongue-rolling had a moderate negative relationship with rumination time(r=-0.384)and food time(r=-0.492).Conclusions The tongue-rolling behaviour is considered as a passive coping mechanism,as the stress response in cows with high tongue-rolling frequency increased.Food intake and rumination activities were all closely related to the occurrence of tongue-rolling behaviour.

Identification Effects of Pedometer on Estrus of Holstein Cows during Peak Lactation Period

[Objective]The paper was to discuss identification effects of pedometer on estrus of Holstein cows during peak lactation period. [Method]The estrus of Holstein cows during peak lactation period were identified by manual observation and pedometer monitoring. [Result]Compared with manual observation,the detection rate of estrus in Holstein cows using pedometer monitoring was increased by 24. 01%,which reduced the labor cost and enhanced accuracy rate. [Conclusion]The research could provide reliable basis for estrus identification of cows.

Milk Yield of Holstein Cows Induced into Lactation Twice Consecutively and Lactation Curve Models Fitted to Artificial Lactations

Nineteen multiparous barren Holstein cows were subjected to an induction of lactation protocol for 21 d administering estradiol cypionate （2 mg kg-1 of body weight （BW） d-1, on day 1 to 14）, progesterone （0.10 mg kg-1 of BW, on day 1 to 7）, lfumethasone （0.03 mg kg-1 of BW, on day 18 to 20） and recombinant bovine somatotropin （rbST;500 mg per cow, on day 1, 6, 16 and 21）. At the end of lactation and with a minimum of a 2-mon dry period, the same cows were again hormonally induced into lactation. Cows in both lactations were not artiifcially inseminated, they were milked 3 times daily and received rbST throughout lactation. Mean accumulated milk yield at 305 d in milk （DIM） did not differ between the ifrst and second induced lactations （（9 710 ＆#177;1 728） vs. （9 309＆#177;2 150） kg;mean＆#177;SD）. Total milk yield （（12 707＆#177;3 406） vs. （12 306＆#177;4 218） kg;mean＆#177;SD） and lactation length （（405＆#177;100） vs. （410＆#177;91） d;mean＆#177;SD） were not different between the ifrst and second induced lactations. In a second study, 15 empirical models including exponential, power law, yield-density, sigmoidal and miscellaneous models were compared for their suitability by modeling 12-mon （n=334）, 18-mon （n=164） and 29-mon （n=22） lactation cycles of Holsteins cows induced into lactation and treated with rbST throughout the lactation. Hoerl （Y=ab1/xxc）, Wood （Y=axb exp（cx）） and Dhanoa （Y=ax（bc）exp（cx）） models were equally suitable to describe 12-mon lactations. An exponential model with ifve parameters （Y=exp（a＋bx＋cd2＋e/x）） showed the best ift for milk yield for 18-mon lactations. The rational model （Y=a＋bx/1＋cx＋dx2） was found to produce the closest ift for 29-mon lactations. It was concluded that, with the protocol used in the present study, multiparous cows respond favorably to a second cycle of induced lactation, with milk yield similar to that experienced during the ifrst cycle. Thus, dairy producers might be able to lengthen the productive life of infertile high producing cows with a renewal of artiifcial lactation, which would imply an overall reduction in voluntary culling of cows. Also, various equations used to describe the lactation curves demonstrated the potential for iftting monthly milk records of Holstein cows with prolonged lactations and induced hormonally into lactation.

Growth and Development Regularity of Holstein Cows

[ Objective ] The paper was to study growth and physical structure of Holstein cows at specific phase under intensive rearing conditions in the South China. [ Method] The body sizes of 279 Holstein cows including 49 calves, 35 young cows and 195 adult cows in the experimental farm of Yangzhou University were measured. The raw data were processed by computer to obtain body size index at various physiological stages. The body size indexes were analyzed by SPSS 15.0 software to reflect changes in different physiological stages and various parities of cows. Body size indexes such as body height, body length and heart girth of young cows and calves were fitted by scatter plot. [ Result] The eider the cows were, the longer their bodies were. Calves had a stable growth and development. The body size of young cow at different month-ages was imbalanced. The physical structure of adult cows showed no regularity at different parities, so the specific feeding for growth and development of bone should be strengthened in multiparous cows. [ Conclusion] The study provides reference for keeping management of calves, breeding and keeping management of young cows as well as selection and assortative mating of adult cows.

A comparative study of the intestinal digestive characteristics of diferent feeds for Holstein cows

This experiment was conducted with lactating Chinese Holstein cows to study the nutritional value of local protein feed resources.A three-step method(TSP)and a modifed three-step method(MTSP)were used to measure the in vitro digestibility of rumen undegraded protein(RUP)for 11 feedstufs and correlation.Eleven experimental feeds were chosen and air-dried to investigate the efects of diferent growth periods and varieties on nutrition value and RUP digestibility.The small intestinal digestibility of RUP by TSP in concentrated feed was determined to be higher than that of roughage,approximately 65%.The highest concentrate(79%)was SBM(soybean mean),while the lowest was corn(65%).The proportions of DDGS(with soluble wine lees)and SFM(sunfower meal)were 70.9 and 74.9%,respectively.ASS(alfalfa mowed at the squaring stage)had the highest small intestinal digestibility of RUP(55%)among roughages,and WCS(whole-plant corn silage)had the lowest digestibility(40.5%).When the small intestinal digestibility of RUP was determined using the MTSP method,it exhibited similar results to the TSP method.Nevertheless,the values were generally higher,and there was a strong signifcant correlation between them(R2=0.967,P<0.01).The comparative study of these two methods help us have a better understanding of small intestine digestibility of diferent feeds,make a reasonable feed formula to efectively prevent diseases.

Development of Microbial Fermented Feed and Its Effect on the Production Performance of Holstein Cows

[Objectives]This study was conducted to investigate the development method of microbial fermented feed and its effect on the production performance of Holstein cows.[Methods]Thirty Holstein cows were selected and randomly divided into 2 groups,15 cows in each group.The diet composition of the experimental group was:concentrate supplement added with 30% microbial fermented feed+silage+alfalfa hay,and the diet composition of the control group was:concentrate supplement added with 30% flax cake+silage+alfalfa hay.The experimental period was 60 d.[Results]Compared with the control group,the experimental group increased the average daily milk yield per cow by 2.25%(P>0.05)and the total increase in average milk yield per cow in the experimental period by 43.51%(P<0.01),and reduced the average feed-to-milk ratio by 9.20%(P<0.05).The average gross profit per cow of the experimental group was 40.34 yuan higher than that of the control group,showing an increase of 3.53% in the economic benefit.[Conclusions]Feeding a diet supplemented with the microbial fermented feed could improve the efficiency of Holstein cow farming and is recommended to be promoted.

Effects of Chinese Herb Additive on Milk Yield and Anti-heat Stress Ability of Holstein Cows

[Objective] To explore the effects of Chinese herb additive on milk yield and anti-heat stress ability of Holstein diary cow. [Method] A total of 36 Holstein cows at same parity and with similar milk yield were randomly divided into three groups, namely, control group, Chinese medi- cine group I and Chinese medicine group I1. The cows in the Chinese medicine group I were fed basal diet containing 4% compound Chinese herb additive; those in the Chinese medicine group II were fed basal diet containing 3% compound Chinese herb additive; and those in the control group were fed common basal diet. All cows in the three groups were analyzed comparatively. [Result] Supplementing some compound Chinese herb ad- ditive into basal diet increased milk yield and anti-heat stress ability of Holstein cows, besides, it also decreased cow diseases like cow mastitis. The Chinese medicine group I generated the highest economic benefit of practical production. [ Conclusion] Supplementing Chinese herb additive in- to basal diet is an effective way to relieve heat stress and increase milk yield.

Characterization and mitigation option of greenhouse gas emissions from lactating Holstein dairy cows in East China

Background:This study investigated greenhouse gas(GHG)emission characteristics of lactating Holstein dairy cows in East China and provided a basis for formulating GHG emission reduction measures.GreenFeed system was used to measure the amount of methane(CH_(4))and carbon dioxide(CO_(2))emitted by the cows through respiration.Data from a commercial cow farm were used to observe the effects of parity,body weight,milk yield,and milk component yield on CH_(4) and CO_(2) emissions.Results:Mean herd responses throughout the study were as follows:111 cows completed all experimental processes,while 42 cows were rejected because they were sick or had not visited the GreenFeed system 20 times.On average,lactating days of cows was 138±19.04 d,metabolic weight was 136.5±9.5 kg,parity was 2.8±1.0,dry matter intake(DMI)was 23.1±2.6 kg/d,and milk yield was 38.1±6.9 kg/d.The GreenFeed system revealed that CH_(4) production(expressed in CO_(2) equivalent,CO_(2)-eq)was found to be 8304 g/d,CH_(4)_(CO_(2)−eq)/DMI was 359 g/kg,CH_(4)_(CO_(2)−eq)/energy-corrected milk(ECM)was 229.5 g/kg,total CO_(2) production(CH_(4) production plus CO_(2) production)was 19,201 g/d,total CO_(2)/DMI was 831 g/kg,and total CO_(2)/ECM was 531 g/kg.The parity and metabolic weight of cows had no significant effect on total CO_(2) emissions(P>0.05).Cows with high milk yield,milk fat yield,milk protein yield,and total milk solids yield produced more total CO_(2)(P<0.05),but their total CO_(2) production per kg of ECM was low(P<0.05).The total CO_(2)/ECM of the medium and high milk yield groups was 17%and 27%lower than that of the low milk yield group,respectively.Conclusions:The parity and body condition had no effect on total CO_(2) emissions,while the total CO_(2)/ECM was negatively correlated with milk yield,milk fat yield,milk protein yield,and total milk solids yield in lactating Holstein dairy cows.Measurement of total CO_(2) emissions of dairy cows in the Chinese production system will help establish regional or national GHG inventories and develop mitigation approaches to dairy production regimes.

Protective Effects of Rumen Protected Choline in Dairy Cows

Choline is a necessary nutrient for dairy cows and contributes to milk yield, but most of dietary choline can be degraded by the microorganisms in rumen. Rumen protected choline （RPC） has been developed to protect choline from degradation. To screen stable RPC, choline chloride was coated with acrylic resin no. IV, chitosan and the mixture containing the two lagging covers by fluidized bed coating technology, respectively. Their stability was evaluated in vitro and in situ. The results showed that release rate of RPC coated with acrylic resin no. IV and chitosan was the lowest in rumen and pH 6.6 buffer. And its effective protection rate reached 62.04% in rumen. Therefore, RPC coated with acrylic resin no. IV and chitosan has good stability and protection efficacy in rumen, and it can be used in practice to supply effective choline for the ruminant.

The Studies of Cellular Constituents in Siynovial Fluid of Carpusand Tarsus in cows

The cellular constituents of the carpus and tarsus were investigated in 6 healthy Holstein cows.The cell counts method in synovial fluid was founded.The differential leukocyte contes were made from smears stained with Wright's and Giemsa's compound stain.There were four types of cells in the synovial fluid,i.e,lymphocytes,neutrophils,macrophages and degenerated cells.The percentages of neutrophils in the synovial fluid was significantly lower than that in the bolld.The eosinophils and basophils were never observed in the smear.

Nutrition Regulation of Dairy Cows based on Extruded Cottonseed Meal

[Objective]The paper was to study the effects of extruded cottonseed meal on the nutrition of dairy cows.[Method]Holstein cows were selected for feeding and milk production test.[Result]Extruded cottonseed meal could substitute soybean meal,and there was no significant difference in milk yield and butter-fat percentage.Extruded cottonseed meal could increase milk yield when substituting corn germ meal.In addition,the health of diary cow had not been affected.[Conclusion]Extruded cottonseed meal could guarantee protein nutrition,increase milk yield,reduce feed cost and improve economic benefit of dairy cows when substituting soybean meal and corn germ meal.

Effect of Metallothionein on Cell Cycle,Apoptosis Rate and Subsets Distribution of Lymphocytes in Peripheral Blood of Dairy Cattle under Heat Stress

[Objective] This study aimed to research the effect of metallothionein on cell cycle, apoptosis rate and subsets distribution of lymphocytes in peripheral blood of dairy cows under heat stress, so as to perfect the regulative mechanism re- searches of MT to anti-heat stress. [Method] Twenty lactating Chinese Holstein cows were randomly divided into four groups （A, B, C and D）, and injected with 0, 4.0, 8.0 and 12.0 mg Zn-metallothionein, respectively by intravenous route. Blood sam- ples were collected at 1＂, 16~, 31~, 46~ and 61~ day, and the dynamic changes of cell cycle, apoptosis rate and subsets distribution of lymphocytes were determined. [Result] The apoptosis rate of cells in group B and C was lower than those in group A by 26.63% （P〉0.05） and 24.84% （P〉0.05） respectively. The number of cells in the Gc/G1 phage in trial groups was increased and the number of cells in the S and GJM phages tended to decrease, but there were no significant differences （P〉 0.05）. The number of CD3~ T cell in three trial groups was greater than those in group A by 7.02% （P〉0.05）, 5.45% （P〉0.05） and 3.85% （P〉0.05） respectively, while the number of CD4~ T cell in trial groups was higher than those in control group by 31.04% （P〈0.05）, 35.68% （P〈0.05） and 39.34% （P〈0.05） respectively. The number of CD8＇ T cell and the levels of CD4＊/CD8~ in trial groups were increased observ- ably, but significant difference （P〈0.05） was observed in the levels of CD4~/CD8~ between groups A and C only. It demonstrated that exogenous Zn-metallothionein can decrease apoptosis rate, improve cell cycle and regulate subsets distribution of lymphocytes in dairy cattle in a dose-dependent manner. [Conclusion] This study will provide scientific basis for safe utilization of MT in dairy industry.

Establishment of Immortalized Cow Mammary Epithelial Cells Expressing Both h TERT and SV40 T

Vectors of pcDNA3.1-hTERT and pcDNA 3. 1-SV40 T were established. After linearization, they were cotransfected to mammary epithelial cells of Holstein cow, in order to research on the role of hTERT and SV40 T in immortalized mammary epithelial cells in vitro. Both PT-PCR and immunohistochemical as- says of cells were carried out. Results showed that the expression of hTERT and SV40 T could effectively prolong the culture time in vitro of mammary epithelial cells, and enhance the cell passage number. The obtained cell line could be expressed normally, indicating that the in vitro cultured mammary epithelial cells expressing both hTERT and SV40 T could effectively prolong cell llfe without affecting the characteristics of mammary cells.