Effects of Herbal Feed Additive on Milk Production of Dairy Cows

[Objective] The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of the herbal feed additive Zengrujianniusan on the milk production of dairy cows. [Method] Thirty-two black-white lactating cows were randomly divided into four groups, and were fed with forage supplemented with 0 （control group）, 0.2%, 0.4% and 0.6% Zengrujianniusan for 60 d. During this period, the contents of fat, protein and non-fat solid in milk were measured every 20 d. [Result] The milk production of the cows whose forage was added with 0.2 %, 0.4 % and 0.6% Zengrujianniusan was 4.02%, 12.50%, 14.00% higher than that of the control （P〉0.05）. The herbal feed additive had no significant influence on the contents of fat, milk and non-fat solid in milk, but significantly reduced the number of somatic cells. [Conclusion] The study will provide reference for developing feed additives which is safe and non-toxic to cows and their milk.

Identification of SNPs in Bovine SLC27A1 Gene and Its Effects on Milk Production Traits in Chinese Holstein Cattle

[Objective] This study discussed the SNPs of SLC27A1 gene and its relationship with milk production traits in Chinese Holstein Cattle in order to find the SNP site which had significant effect on milk production traits in Chinese Holstein Cattle.[Method] DNA was extracted from the bleed of 48 Chinese Holstein Cattle selected according to phenotypic character and mixed into DNA pool for SNPs detection by polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism（PCR-SSCP）and cloning sequencing.Then different genotypes were detected in other 231 Chinese Holstein Cattle by PCR-RFLP.The association between genotype and production traits was assessed by GLM procedure,SAS version 8.02.[Result] There were T112C in exon3 and G64A loci in 3＇UTR,among them the T112C in exon3 was synonymous mutation.There were 3 genotypes TT,TC and CC in T112C locus and 3 genotypes GG,GA and AA in G64A locus.The population was at Hardy-Weinberg equilibration.Cows with genotype CC had significantly highest milk yield than those with genotype TC（P0.01）,and there were no significant differences among the 3 genotypes on milk protein percent and milk fat percent（P0.05）,but the tendency of CC TC TT on milk protein percent and the tendency of TT TC CC on milk fat percent were showed.There was no significant difference among the 3 genotypes of G64A loci on milk yield,milk protein percent and milk fat percent（P0.05）,but the tendency of GA GG AA on milk yield and the tendency of AA GG GA both on milk protein percent and milk fat percent were showed.[Conclusion] There was certain relation between the T112C locus and milk yield traits;It may improve milk yield to raise the frequency of genotype CC;SLC27A1 gene could be a useful candidate gene in selection program on milk yield traits in Chinese Holstein Cattle,which provided a theoretical basis for the marker-assisted breeding and further study of SLC27A1 gene.

Fine Mapping QTLs Affecting Milk Production Traits on BTA6 in Chinese Holstein with SNP Markers

Our previous studies demonstrated that the region around markers BMS470 and BMS1242 on BTA6 showed a linkage to 305-d milk yield and composition traits in the Chinese Holstein population. We herein focused on such narrow region to fine map milk production QTLs with 15 SNPs across 25 Mb with each SNP in 1 Mb within most regions in a Chinese Holstein population with daughter design. 1 449 Holstein cows and 11 sires were genotyped for such SNPs by using TaqMan probe and RFLP assays. Multipoint linkage analysis across family revealed a QTL affecting milk yield between PPARGC1A C4075T and SLC34A2 T1713C. Meanwhile, within family analysis found three milk yield QTLs （two in CR T60984131G-CEP135 C501T and one in PDLIM5 A106C-OPN T3907, a fat yield QTLin UGDH T1670C-CR T60984131G region, and two protein yield QTLs in TBC1D1 G501C-UGDH T1670C and PPARGC1A C4075T-SLC34A2 T1713C, respectively. Associations between aforementioned significant SNP markers and milk production traits were further implemented. We found significant associations of PPARGC1A C4075T, SLC34A2 T1713C with milk yield （P0.05, P0.01, P0.01）, UGDH T1670C, and CR T60984131G with fat yield （P0.01, P0.01）, and PPARGC1A C4075T, SLC34A2 T1713C, UGDH T1670C and OPN T3907 with protein yield （P0.01, P0.01, P0.01, P0.01）. Our findings implied that QTLs affecting milk production traits on BTA6 were pleictropism or multigenic effect and PPARGC1A and OPN may be the causal mutations behind milk production QTLs on BTA6 in the Chinese Holstein population.

Effect of dietary phosphorus content on milk production and phosphorus excretion in dairy cows

Background：Phosphorus（P） supplementation is costly and can result in excess P excretion.This study investigated the effects of reducing dietary P on milk production and P excretion in dairy cows over a full lactation.Method：Forty-five multiparous Holstein dairy cows were divided into 15 blocks according to expected calving date and previous milk yield,and assigned randomly to one of the three dietary treatments：0.37,0.47,and 0.57%P（DM basis）;these P levels represent the NRC recommendations,Chinese recommendations,and the amount of dietary P commonly fed by Chinese dairy farmers,respectively.Average daily feed intake was calculated from monthly data on feed offered and refused.Milk yields of individual cows were recorded weekly,and milk samples were taken for analysis of protein,fat,solids-not-fat,lactose,and somatic cell count.Blood samples were collected on days-6,-3,0,3,6 relative to calving,and then monthly throughout lactation,and analyzed for P and Ca concentrations.Spot samples of feces and urine were collected for 3 consecutive d during weeks 12,24,and 36,and P concentrations were analyzed.Reproduction and health data were recorded.Results：Dietary P did not affect dry matter intake or milk yield（P〉 0.10）.Milk fat content was slightly higher in cows fed 0.37%P than in cows fed 0.47%P（P = 0.05）.Serum concentrations of P and Ca did not reflect dietary P content（P〉 0.10）.Fecal and urinary P both declined linearly（P〈 0.05） as dietary P decreased from 0.57 to0.37%.Fecal P content was 25%less when dietary P was 0.37%compared to 0.57%.Health events and reproductive performance were not associated with dietary P content（P〉 0.05）.Conclusions：Lowering dietary P from 0.57 to 0.37%did not negatively affect milk production,but did significantly reduce P excretion into environment.

A Capra hircus chromosome 19 locus linked to milk production influences mammary conformation

Background:Economically important milk production traits including milk volume,milk fat and protein yield vary considerably across dairy goats in New Zealand.A significant portion of the variation is attributable to genetic variation.Discovery of genetic markers linked to milk production traits can be utilised to drive selection of highperformance animals.A previously reported genome wide association study across dairy goats in New Zealand identified a quantitative trait locus(QTL)located on chromosome 19.The most significantly associated single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)marker for this locus is located at position 26,610,610(SNP marker rs268292132).This locus is associated with multiple milk production traits including fat,protein and volume.The predicted effect of selection for the beneficial haplotype would result in an average production increase of 2.2 kg fat,1.9 kg protein and 73.6 kg milk yield.An outstanding question was whether selection for the beneficial allele would co-select for any negative pleiotropic effects.An adverse relationship between milk production and udder health traits has been reported at this locus.Therefore,a genome wide association study was undertaken looking for loci associated with udder traits.Results:The QTL and production associated marker rs268292132 was identified in this study to also be associated with several goat udder traits including udder depth(UD),fore udder attachment(FUA)and rear udder attachment(RUA).Our study replicates the negative relationship between production and udder traits with the high production allele at position 19:26,610,610(SNP marker rs268292132)associated with an adverse change in UD,FUA and RUA.Conclusions:Our study has confirmed the negative relationship between udder traits and production traits in the NZ goat population.We have found that the frequency of the high production allele is relatively high in the NZ goat population,indicating that its effect on udder conformation is not significantly detrimental on animal health.It will however be important to monitor udder conformation as the chromosome 19 locus is progressively implemented for marker assisted selection.It will also be of interest to determine if the gene underlying the production QTL has a direct effect on mammary gland morphology or whether the changes observed are a consequence of the increased milk volume.

Effects of Feeding Siamese neem leaves and Zanthoxylum Pods, on Dry Matter Intake, Dry Matter Digestibility, Milk Production and Composition in Thai Holstein Dairy Cows, Fed Rice Straw as Fiber Source

The plant secondary metabolites （PSM） are highly sought compounds for use as an alternative to conventionally used feed additives in animal production these days; Siamese neem leaf （Azadirachta indica A. Juss. var. siamenses Valeton） and Zanthoxylum pods （Zanthoxylum piperatum） are known to contain numerous such compounds.The objectives of this study were to determine effects of feeding Siamese neem leaf and Zanthoxylum pods as feed additives on dry matter intake （DMI）, dry matter digestibility （DMD） and milk production and milk composition. Lactating Thai Holstein cows （n = 8） were arranged in two replicates of 4 x 4 Latin square designs, housed in individual stall, treatments consisted of Siamese neem 0.5 and 1.5 g kgl dry matter （DM）, ZanthoxylumO. 1 and 0.5 g kg1 DM added to the total mixed ration （TMR）. TMRand drinking water were provided ad lib. There were no significant differences （P 〉 0.05） in DMI and crude protein （CP）, acid detergent fiber （ADF）, neutral detergent fiber （NDF） digestibility, milk production and composition among the treatments.However, significant difference （P 〈 0.05） was observed in dry matter （DM） and ether extract （EE） digestibility. Though statistically non-significant, Zanthoxylum at higher dose level tended to show low DMI （14.85 kg） in cows, while promotingmarginally higher milk （14.18 kg） production as compared with lower dose levelwhere DMI and milk production were 16.14 kg and 13.83 kg.This indicated that Zanthoxylum has a potential to improve feed digestion in dairy cows when used as additives.

Production Systems, Genetic Diversity and Genes Associated with Prolificacy and Milk Production in Indigenous Goats of Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review

Goats are one of the oldest domesticated animal species widely distributed in the world playing an important role in the food production system in Sub-Saharan African Region (SSAR). Due to their multiple uses (milk production, meat, fiber and hides) and adaptation aptitudes to ecological conditions, goats produce and contribute positively to farmers’ socio-economy status in various production systems. This review aimed at giving a summary overview on the goat’s production systems characteristics, the genetic diversity and the candidate genes affecting reproductive and milk production performances in goat breeds in SSAR. It has been observed that traditional livestock production system with communal grazing system is the most used in goat keeping in SSAR. The geographical locations play an important role in the relationships between goat’s distributions in the region. At the same time, goats might have been differentiated and isolated one to others due to the wide geographic range, the diversify climate and the topography in the region. Among the six worldwide known haplogroups of goat (A, B, C, D, G and F), haplogroup A is the most representative in SSAR. However, haplogroup G and B can be found in some goat populations in some countries in east (Kenya and Ethiopia) and south parts of Africa. This review reveals that little is known on the candidate genes associated with prolificacy and milk production traits in indigenous goat breeds in the region. That observation suggests the importance of assessing candidate genes associated with economic traits in the populations of goat in SSAR.

Economical Analysis of Milk Production in the Farms of Siedlce Region

Last years the most profitable line of activity in agriculture is considered with milk production. The-effectiveness of this project depends primarily on the direct costs and the obtained of purchase price. Therefore the aim of this work was to analyze the financial results of dairy farms in the east part of Mazovia region. Completing the research in 2010, to the owners of 36 farms were sent a questionnaire containing 18 questions. The obtained data were used to characterize the various research facilities. And then the whole population was devoted on the 6 production groups, depend on the number of physical units of dairy cows. Moreover, based on survey data, an analysis of the profitability of milk production was done. It was the following economic values： direct costs, revenue, gross margin and the index of production profitability. Also the statistical analysis by calculating the Pearson linear correlation coefficient （r） and coefficient of determination （R2） was done. The study showed that the highest annual yield of milk from a cow at the level of 7500 kg, reached the farmers with the area of l 9.7 ha of with the density of 1.82 BFU/ha and with 8 years of cow utilization. Respondents from this group also received the highest value of effectiveness index （184.60%）. In addition, the performed regression analysis showed significant positive correlation between the effectiveness index and the surface agricultural lands occurring in the farms, density of agricultural lands, and efficiency from a cow and the price of milk.

Milk Production in Tibet

This paper describes milk production and livestock production in Tibet. Some information of market demand has also been presented. There has been very little information published in Tibetan journals on production and nutrition of cattle. This review provides a brief introduction to feeding systems and feeding resources. Many studies on milk production have been done in isolation, and do not go beyond the basic and practical level. Compared with dairy cattle research in other parts of China, large gaps in knowledge still exist in cattle production science, particularly related to nutrition, and systems approaches for the development of a dairy industry.

Test of Feeding Dairy Cows with Chinese Herbal Additive for Improving Production and Quality of Milk

At Baiyin dairy farm, the Chinese herbal additive was added into feed which was then fed to dairy cows from August to October, 2014, and the changes in milk production and quality were observed. The test showed that the additive added into the feed had obvious milk-increasing effect, the milk production was im- proved by 12.67%-17.26%, and the milk quality was improved. The additive has the effects of preventing miscarriage, expelling parasite and preventing diseases. The nutritional components in the feed additive were determined, and the results showed that the contents of protein, crude fat, Ca and P in the additive were 12.29%, 2.66%, 1.8% and 0.22%, respectively.

The effects of probiotics administration on the milk production,milk components and fecal bacteria microbiota of dairy cows

Probiotics administration can improve host health. This study aims to determine the effects of probiotics （Lactobacillus casei Zhang and Lactobacillus plantarum P-8） administration on milk production, milk func- tional components, milk composition, and fecal microbiota of dairy cows. Variations in the fecal bacteria microbiota between treatments were assessed based on 16S rRNA profiles determined by PacBio single molecule real-time sequencing technology. The probiotics supplementation significantly increased the milk production and the contents of milk immunoglobulin C （IgG）, lactoferrin （LTF）, lysozyme （LYS） and lactoperoxidase （LP）, while the somatic cell counts （SCC） significantly decreased （P〈0.01）. However, no significant difference was found in the milk fat, protein and lactose contents （P 〉 0.05）. Although the probiotics supplementation did not change the fecal bacteria richness and diversity, significantly more rumen fermentative bacteria （ Bacteroides, Roseburia, Ruminococcus, CIostridium, Coprococcus and Dorea） and beneficial bacteria （Faecalibacterium prausnitzii） were found in the probiotics treatment group. Meanwhile, some opportunistic pathogens e.g. Bacillus cereus, Cronobacter sakazakii and Alkaliphilus oremlandii, were suppressed. Additionally, we found some correlations between the milk production, milk components and fecal bacteria. To sum up, our study demonstrated the beneficial effects of probiotics application in improving the quality and quantity of cow milk production.

Milk fatty acids profiles and milk production from dairy cows fed different forage quality diets

Thirty lactating Holstein cows were used to investigate the effects of different forages quality on milk fatty acids(FA) profiles and production. The cows were assigned to 3 dietary treatments(n = 10 per treatment) in a randomized block design with 3 repeated measures. They were fed the experimental diets for 90 d with 3 days of collection of samples for analysis at about 27 d intervals(samples were collected on days 28,29,30, 58, 59, 60.88, 89 and 90). The treatments were(DM basis): 1) mixed forages diet(MF) consisting of 3.7% Chinese wild rye, 26.7% corn silage and 23.4% alfalfa hay; 2) corn stalk diet 1(CS1) where corn stalk was used to formulate a similar chemical nutrient level to MF; 3) corn stalk diet 2(CS2) which used corn stalk to formulate a similar forage level to MF for the diet. Dry matter intake and BW were similar between treatments, but daily milk yield, milk fat and protein yield decreased(P < 0.05)in CS1 and CS2 compared with MF, with CS2 being the lowest(P < 0.05). In total FA of milk, the compositions of C18:1 c9, C18:3 and unsaturated FA increased(P < 0.05) in CS1 and CS2 compared with MF,and C18:0 and trans-C18:1 were trended to increase(P < 0.10), but C4:0-C16:0 were decreased(P < 0.05).Compared with cows fed CS2, cows receiving CS1 increased the compositions of C4:0 to C12:0 and C18:2(P < 0.05). The results suggests feeding corn stalk could produce a greater proportion of unsaturated fatty acid(UFA) in milk fat without resulting in milk fat depression(MFD) in mid lactation cows, but simply increasing the ratio of concentrate in low forages diets is not an effective way to increase milk fat synthesis and milk production.

Fine mapping quantitative trait loci affecting milk production traits on bovine chromosome 6 in a Chinese Holstein population

To fine map the previously detected quantitative trait loci （QTLs） affecting milk production traits on bovine chromosome 6 （BTA6）, 15 microsatellite markers situated within an interval of 14.3 cM spanning from BMS690 to BM4528 were selected and 918 daughters of 8 sires were genotyped. Two mapping approaches, haplotype sharing based LD mapping and single marker regression mapping, were used to analyze the data. Both approaches revealed a quantitative trait locus （QTL） with significant effects on milk yield, fat yield and protein yield located in the segment flanked by markers BMS483 and MNB209, which spans a genetic distance of 0.6 cM and a physical distance of 1.5 Mb. In addition, the single marker regression mapping also revealed a QTL affecting fat percentage and protein percentage at marker DIK2291. Our fine mapping work will facilitate the cloning of candidate genes underlying the QTLs for milk production traits.

A post-GWAS replication study confirming the association of C14H8orf33 gene with milk production traits in dairy cattle

Genome-wide association studies with an Illumina Bovine50K chip have detected 105 SNPs associated with one or multiple milk production traits in the Chinese Holstein population.Of these,38 significant SNPs detected with high confidence by both L1-TDT and MMRA methods were selected to further mine potential key genes affecting milk yield and milk composition.By blasting the flanking sequences of these 38 SNPs with the bovine genome sequence combined with comparative genomics analysis,26 genes were found to contain or be near to such SNPs.Among them,the C14H8orf33 gene is merely 87 bp away from the significant SNP,Hapmap30383-BTC-005848.Hence,we report herein genotype-phenotype associations to further validate the genetic effects of the C14H8orf33 gene.By pooled DNA sequencing of 14 unrelated Holstein sires,a total of 18 with seven novel SNPs were identified.Among them,nine SNPs were in the 5′regulatory region,one in exon 6 and the other in the 3′UTR and 3′regulatory region.A total of nine of these identified SNPs were successfully genotyped and analyzed by mass spectrometry for association with five milk production traits in an independent resource population.The results showed that these SNPs were statistically significant for more than two traits[P<(0.0001–0.0267)].In addition,mRNA expression analyses revealed that C14H8orf33 was ubiquitous in eight different tissues,with a relatively higher expression level in the mammary gland than in other tissues.These findings,therefore,provide strong evidence for association of C14H8orf33 variants with milk yield and milk composition traits and may be applied in Chinese Holstein breeding programs.

Effect of introducing weather parameters on the accuracy of milk production forecast models

The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of adding meteorological data to the training process of two milk production forecast models.The two models chosen were the nonlinear auto-regressive model with exogenous input(NARX)and the multiple linear regression(MLR)model.The accuracy of these models were assessed using seven different combinations of precipitation,sunshine hours and soil temperature as additional model training inputs.Lactation data(daily milk yield and days in milk)from 39 pasture-based Holstein-Friesian Irish dairy cows were selected to compare to the model outputs from a central database.The models were trained using historical milk production data from three lactation cycles and were employed to predict the total daily milk yield of a fourth lactation cycle for each individual cow over short(10-day),medium(30-day)and long-term(305-day)forecast horizons.The NARX model was found to provide a greater prediction accuracy when compared to the MLR model when predicting annual individual cow milk yield(kg),with R2 values greater than 0.7 for 95.5%and 14.7%of total predictions,respectively.The results showed that the introduction of sunshine hours,precipitation and soil temperature data improved the prediction accuracy of individual cow milk prediction for the NARX model in the short,medium and long-term forecast horizons.Sunshine hours was shown to have the largest impact on milk production with an improvement of forecast accuracy observed in 60%and 70%of all predictions(for all 39 test cows from both groups).However,the overall improvement in accuracy was small with a maximum forecast error reduction of 4.3%.Thus,the utilization of meteorological parameters in milk production forecasting did not have a substantial impact on forecast accuracy.

Influence of Mango Feed-Based Diets on the Production and Economic Profitability of Montbeliarde Cows’ Milk at the End of Lactation in Burkina Faso

The study evaluated the effects of a diet incorporating a mango-based feed on the technical-economic performance of milk production of Montbeliard cows at the end of lactation in a dairy farm in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. To do so, 14 cows were subjected to 3 diets, including an experimental diet incorporating mango (ED) in comparison to a balanced control diet (BCD) and to the feeding practice of the farmer (FCD) during 60 days. Results show that the average amount of milk milked per day from ED (10.93 ± 0.17 L) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than BCD (8.80 ± 0.19 L) and RTA (5.39 ± 0.14 L). The conversion index of FPD (4.24 ± 0.14) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that of BCD (1.75 ± 0.19) and ED (1.26 ± 0.16). Average feed costs per liter of milk (FC/L) were significantly different (p (125.95 ± 4.56 FCFA), BCD (83.67 ± 6.36 FCFA) and ED (60.06 ± 5.49 FCFA). The average gross profit margins (GPM) were significantly higher and decreasing (p ,953 ± 5031 FCFA), BCD (167,157 ± 5831 FCFA) and FCD (74,188 ± 4185 FCFA). Mango feed can be used in the diet of dairy cows. Its use contributes to the reduction of production costs and the generation of substantial profits. The valorization of mango residues is an alternative for a greater availability of feed at lower cost for the animals. It could contribute to a better management of processing residues that pollute the environment and to the reduction of fruit flies that affect orchard yields through reinfestation. The increased use of mango in dairy cattle feed should be encouraged.

Impact of dietary fat levels and fatty acid composition on milk fat synthesis in sows at peak lactation

Background Dietary fat is important for energy provision and immune function of lactating sows and their progeny.However,knowledge on the impact of fat on mammary transcription of lipogenic genes,de novo fat synthesis,and milk fatty acid(FA)output is sparse in sows.This study aimed to evaluate impacts of dietary fat levels and FA composition on these traits in sows.Forty second-parity sows(Danish Landrace×Yorkshire)were assigned to 1 of 5 dietary treatments from d 108 of gestation until weaning(d 28 of lactation):low-fat control diet(3%added animal fat);or 1 of 4 high-fat diets with 8%added fat:coconut oil(CO),fish oil(FO),sunflower oil(SO),or 4%octanoic acid plus 4%FO(OFO).Three approaches were taken to estimate de novo milk fat synthesis from glucose and body fat.Results Daily intake of FA was lowest in low-fat sows within fat levels(P<0.01)and in OFO and FO sows within highfat diets(P<0.01).Daily milk outputs of fat,FA,energy,and FA-derived carbon reflected to a large extent the intake of those.On average,estimates for de novo fat synthesis were 82 or 194 g/d from glucose according to method 1 or 2 and 255 g de novo+mobilized FA/d according to method 3.The low-fat diet increased mammary FAS expression(P<0.05)and de novo fat synthesis(method 1;P=0.13)within fat levels.The OFO diet increased de novo fat synthesis(method 1;P<0.05)and numerically upregulated mammary FAS expression compared to the other high-fat diets.Across diets,a daily intake of 440 g digestible FA minimized milk fat originating from glucose and mobilized body fat.Conclusions Sows fed diets with low-fat or octanoic acid,through upregulating FAS expression,increased mammary de novo fat synthesis whereas the milk FA output remained low in sows fed the low-fat diet or high-fat OFO or FO diets,indicating that dietary FA intake,dietary fat level,and body fat mobilization in concert determine de novo fat synthesis,amount and profiles of FA in milk.

Genome-wide association studies of lactation yields of milk, fat, protein and somatic cell score in New Zealand dairy goats

Background: Identifying associations between genetic markers and traits of economic importance will provide practical benefits for the dairy goat industry, enabling genomic prediction of the breeding value of individuals, and facilitating discovery of the underlying genes and mutations. Genome-wide association studies were implemented to detect genetic regions that are significantly associated with effects on lactation yields of milk(MY), fat(FY),protein(PY) and somatic cell score(SCS) in New Zealand dairy goats.Methods: A total of 4,840 goats were genotyped with the Caprine 50 K SNP chip(Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA).After quality filtering, 3,732 animals and 41,989 SNPs were analysed assuming an additive linear model. Four GWAS models were performed, a single-SNP additive linear model and three multi-SNP Bayes C models. For the single-SNP GWAS, SNPs were fitted individually as fixed covariates, while the Bayes C models fit all SNPs simultaneously as random effects. A cluster of significant SNPs were used to define a haplotype block whose alleles were fitted as covariates in a Bayesian model. The corresponding diplotypes of the haplotype block were then fit as class variables in another Bayesian model.Results: Across all four traits, a total of 43 genome-wide significant SNPs were detected from the SNP GWAS. At a genome-wide significance level, the single-SNP analysis identified a cluster of variants on chromosome 19 associated with MY, FY, PY, and another cluster on chromosome 29 associated with SCS. Significant SNPs mapped in introns of candidate genes(45%), in intergenic regions(36%), were 0–5 kb upstream or downstream of the closest gene(14%) or were synonymous substitutions(5%). The most significant genomic window was located on chromosome 19 explaining up to 9.6% of the phenotypic variation for MY, 8.1% for FY, 9.1% for PY and 1% for SCS.Conclusions: The quantitative trait loci for yield traits on chromosome 19 confirms reported findings in other dairy goat populations. There is benefit to be gained from using these results for genomic selection to improve milk production in New Zealand dairy goats.

The History, Ethnology and Social Importance of Mare＇s Milk Consumption in Central Asia

The purpose of this paper is to make available for occidental lecturers a kind of synthesis of the information we accumulated over more than twenty years about horse breeding in Central Asia. It is also a trans-disciplinary approach mostly based on French bibliography and personal experiences. We will give a new perspective on the early time history of horse breeding to introduce the current breeding of horses in herds in Central Asia. We will continue with the description of the diet of the nomads and the central place taken by mare＇s milk in their culture. This induced rituals but also some medical aspects. These latter can now be partly explained with current modem studies. We will finally discuss on the prospects of horse milk products in the new globalised world.

Effect of Different Roughages on Milk Protein and Milk Fat Synthesis in Dairy Cows

The main purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a corn straw or mixed diet on milk production, milk composition and the expression of genes associated with lactation in mid-lactation Chinese Holstein cows. In this study, 10 healthy Chinese Holstein cows were randomly assigned to two groups and fed with different diets respectively, corn straw （CS） or mixed forage （MF） diet. CS group was fed roughage consisting of 53.8% corn straw only and the forge to concentrate （F ： C） ratio [dry matter （DM）] was about 40： 60. MF group was fed roughage consisting of 3.7% Chinese wildrye and 23.4% alfalfa hay, the forge to concentrate （F ： C） ratio （DM） was 70： 30. All the cows were fed 8 weeks and body weight, dry matter intake, body condition score, fat, protein, lactose, milk yield, total solid and somatic cell count （SCC） were recorded. Quantitative real-time PCR （qRT-PCR） was used to analyze cow mammary gland samples representing two different diets. The results suggested that different diet types had significant effects on milk yield, lactose, milk fat, milk protein, dry matter intake and somatic cell count in dairy cows, and cows fed MF diet improved milk production and lactation performance clearly （P〈0.05）. In addition, mRNA expression of genes ACC, roTOR, STATS, CSN2, PPAR）,, FABP3 and PTEN in MF group was extremely significantly higher than that in CS group （P〈0.05）. mRNA expression ofAKT1, FAS, SCD and SREBPlc in MF group was significantly higher than that in CS group （P〈0.01）. In summary, the milk yield and composition in mixed forage group were significantly improved than those in corn straw group.