• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.201-205
• /
• 1974

Blood serum from 30 pregnant cows, 6 non-Pregnant cows (one month after delivery), 6 sterile cows (ovarian cyst), and 6 heifers (16 months old) were analyzed for total vitamin E concentration by the ferric chloride-bipyridyl reaction. The pregnant group was determined periodically throughout pregnancy. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The mean value of serum vitamin E level in pregnant group was $0.651{\pm}0.068(SE)mg/100ml$, in non-pregnant group $0.647{\pm}0.119(SE)mg/100ml$, in sterile group $0.488{\pm}0.053(SE)mg/100ml$, and in heifer group $0.083{\pm}0.016(SE)mg/100ml$. Samples below 0.19mg/100ml were net observed and most of the pregnants (83.3%) showed the values of 0.40 to 0.99mg/100ml during pregnancy 2. The difference of vitamin E level between pregnant group and non-pregnant group was net significant, but these trio groups showed a significantly higher value than that of sterile group. On the other hand, in heifer group was recognized significantly lower value compared with adult groups. 3. The change of serum vitamin E level in pregnant group revealed the tendency of decrease as gestation progresses and significantly dropped at the eighth month, thereafter, the value was rose slightly at the tenth month of gestation but no differences were observed. The coefficient of correlation between months and serum vitamin E levels during pregnancy was r=-0.956(p<0.01), and a regression equation was Y (serum vitamin E levels, mg/100ml)=1.034-0.063x(month).

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.213-222
• /
• 1997

This study was carried out to investigate the reproduction efficiency and disease of Holstein heifer grazed on mixed pasture desighed with association of tall fescue and white clover cultivar (3 treatments = TI : Tall fescue Fawn + White clover Regal + Orchardgrass + Perennial ryegrass, T2 : Tall fescue Roa + Ladino clover Regal + Orchardgrass + Perennial ryegrass, T3 : Tall fescue Roa + White clover Tahora + Orchardgrass + Perennial ryegrass) on reproduction efficiency and disease in Holstein heifers, ftom April 1994 to November 1996. The results are as follows: 1. Erythrocyte counts, hemoglobin and packed cell volume of hematological values were $8.12\times10^6/{\mu}\ell, 9.9g/m\ell and 30.6m\ell/100m\ell$ respectively. While those were decreased to $4.84~5.93 \times10^6/{\mu}\ell, 7.0~7.8g/100m\ell and 22.8~28.3m\ell/100m\ell$, on pastuage (May-August), WBC counts was increased from $14.4\times10^3/{\mu}\ell to 14.0~18.3 \times 10^{3/\mu\ell}$ on pasturage. No significant differences were detected among the treatments on pastures. 2. Parasitemia levels increased to $14.0\pm8.2$(parasite/1,000rbc) at 1 month after pasturage. 3. At the occurrence of tirst estrus and conception, the average age of the Holstein heifers was $14.3\pm1.9$ and $17.4\pm1.5$ months, respectively, and the average interval of estrus cycle was $20.6\pm1.0$ days. Howerer, there was no significant difference on reproductive efficiency among 3 treatments. 4. The outbreak of diseases were tick bane disease, pink eye, pneumonia, mastitis, gastroentitis, waterpoisoning ringworm papillon and atosis during pasturage period(may-october). These diseases were showed no significant difference among 3 treatments. 5. In conclusion, there are no significant difference on the reproductive effeciency and disease outbreak among three treatments.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.4 no.3
• /
• pp.293-298
• /
• 1991

A study was conducted to determine the effect of environmental temperature and level of food intake on plasma concentration of thyroid hormones. Three dairy heifers were used in an experiment which consisted of three levels of chamber temperature (10, 20 and $30^{\circ}C$) and three levels of food intake (100, 75 and 50% of recommended requirements). The analysis showed significant effects of environmental temperature on plasma triiodothyronine concentration, rectal temperature, respiration rate and heart rate but not on heat production. The range of plasma triiodothyronine was 2.51~1.79 ng/ml when the environmental temperature varied from 10 to $30^{\circ}C$. Effects of feed intake level were significant for heart rate and heal production. Heat production decreased from 25.9 to $20.0kJ/kg^{0.75}{\cdot}h$ when the TDN intake decreased from 66.3 to $35.1g/kg^{0.75}{\cdot}d$. There was no interactive effect of environmental temperature and feed intake level. Plasma triiodothyronine concentration decreased under high environmental temperature without any changes in heat production. The effects of environmental temperature and feed intake level on the physiological function of thyroid gland, as indicated by the relative circulating rate of thyroid hormones, were found to be clear.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.30 no.9
• /
• pp.1261-1269
• /
• 2017

Objective: The effect of flavonoids from alfalfa on the microbial flora was determined using molecular techniques of 16S ribosome deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA) analysis. Methods: Four primiparous Holstein heifers fitted with ruminal cannulas were used in a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design and fed a total mixed ration to which alfalfa flavonoids extract (AFE) was added at the rates of 0 (A, control), 20 (B), 60 (C), or 100 (D) mg per kg of heifer BW. Results: The number of operational taxonomic units in heifers given higher levels of flavonoid extract (C and D) was higher than for the two other treatments. The Shannon, Ace, and Chao indices for treatment C were significantly higher than for the other treatments (p<0.05). The number of phyla and genera increased linearly with increasing dietary supplementation of AFE (p<0.05). The principal co-ordinates analysis plot showed substantial differences in the microbial flora for the four treatments. The microbial flora in treatment A was similar to that in B, C, and D were similar by the weighted analysis. The richness of Tenericutes at the phylum level tended to increase with increasing AFE (p = 0.10). The proportion of Euryarchaeota at the phylum level increased linearly, whereas the proportion of Fusobacteria decreased linearly with increasing AFE supplementation (p = 0.04). The percentage of Mogibacterium, Pyramidobacter, and Asteroleplasma at the genus level decreased linearly with increasing AFE (p<0.05). The abundance of Spirochaeta, Succinivibrio, and Suttonella at the genus level tended to decrease linearly with increasing AFE (0.05

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.265-270
• /
• 2015

Growth rate during rearing, which varies depending on provided nutrition, has been related with age at $1^{st}$ calving (AFC). This study investigated the effect of upgrowth parameters during the rearing period on the reproduction of nulliparous Holstein heifers. The study comprised 77 successively born heifers from the same herd. Growth rate and fertility traits were measured during rearing and fertility parameters were recorded in lactations 1. Growth parameters (body weight, height, heart girth and body length) were measured at the approximate birth time, 270 and 450 d of age. Reproduction data collected included age at $1^{st}$ breeding, number of services per conception (S/C), pregnancy rate to $1^{st}$ artificial insemination, AFC. Animals were subsequently divided into 4 AFC groups for analysis: <23 mo, 23~25 mo, 26~30 mo and >30 mo. The AFC reflected both upgrowth rate and heifer reproduction, with later calving heifers smaller. Increased skeletal growth (at 270 and 450 d) was related with a reduced AFC (p<0.05). Early calving animals (<23 mo) had the best reproduction as nulliparous heifers, with most conceiving at first service (87.5%). Fertility in the first lactation was the worst in the oldest AFC group (>30 mo). In the 1st lactation period, a number of services per conception ($3.1{\pm}0.3$) increased with increasing AFC (>30 mo). Sub-optimal upgrowth related with an increased AFC could be mitigated by improved monitoring of replacement heifers during the rearing period.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.159-164
• /
• 2004

A dairy farm that has been suffered continuously(more than 2 years) from brucellosis in Korea in spite of repeated legal test-and-slaughter was investigated the main source of infection in the farm. All cattle(22 milking cows, 44 heifers, 60 calves, 8 bull), dogs(3 mixed breed), feces from wild birds(3 samples), drinking water(3 sites), and soil in the paddocks(14 sites) inside the farm were examined with serological and/or bacteriological methods including specific DNA detection with PCR method. Brucella spp in the milk and blood were detected in 12/22 and 5/22 milking cows, respectively, although all of them were negative with conventional tube agglutination test. The number of serologically positive heifer was 15(15/44), but the isolation of Brucella spp was succeeded in the only 11(11/15) of them. Brucella were detected in vagina 1(1/11) and nasal(3/12) excretion in serologically positive heifers. All the three dogs were serologically positive, and Brucella spp were isolated from their blood. However, Brucella spp were not detected in the drinking water, soil in the paddocks, nor the feces of wild birds. The results suggest that milking cow secrete Brucella spp through milk, genital tract and nasal cavity, which are the major source of infection in this farm, The main infection route of Brucella spp is contact to contact with Brucella spp excreting animals rather than environmental contamination. The animals, living together with infected cow such as dogs, are the readily susceptible and are required to be examined for Brucella spp.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.756-764
• /
• 2009

Provision of an optimal environment for the calf is critical to establishing the patterns of growth and development essential to allow the heifer to express its genetic potential for milk output and reproductive capacity during its productive life. Maternal nutrition during gestation is now recognised as a key to genetic programming in utero and this influence is extended through the complexity of hormones, growth factors and immunostimulants incorporated into colostrum and milk consumed by the neonatal calf. This natural process is most often disrupted as calves are weaned abruptly to maximise milk output for commercial exploitation. The key then is to accelerate the rate of maturation of the ruminal epithelium through the provision of concentrate starter rations and high quality forage, which promote VFA production. Management systems to promote these processes in Holstein Friesian cattle are well developed, however, little is known of these processes with buffalo and Bos indicus dairy cattle such as the Sahiwal. The development of methods to program the neonate to grow faster to puberty in these species will be important to improving their productivity for the dairy industries in tropical and sub-tropical environments in the future.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.31 no.6
• /
• pp.820-826
• /
• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the relationship between temperature-humidity index (THI), season, and conception rate (CR) of Holstein cows in central Taiwan. Methods: The mean performance and number of observations were statistically evaluated for various parameters, including age at first service, number of days open, gestation length, CR, and calving interval for different parities. Results: The results indicate that the mean age at first service was 493.2 days; the gestation length was similar across all cows of different parities, ranging from 275.1 to 280.7 days. The overall CR of all inseminations was significantly lower in multiparous cows ($47.26%{\pm}0.22%$) than in heifers ($57.14%{\pm}0.11%$) (p<0.05). At THI>72 and during the hot season (from June to November), CRs for multiparous cows were significantly reduced compared to that for heifers, while the ratio remained unchanged among heifers for all seasons. Conclusion: To achieve a high CR, lactating cows should be bred in winter and spring (from December to May) from the start of the seasonal breeding program, whereas the heifer should be allowed to breed in summer and fall under the subtropical climate in Taiwan.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.314-319
• /
• 2005

To compare two different schemes, continuous scheme (CS) and discontinuous scheme (DCS), of once-weekly ovum pick up (OPU) with ultrasound-guided follicular puncture technique, Holstein heifers were randomly divided into two groups of five. After characterization of their two normal estrous cycles, the heifers were subjected to consecutive 20 weeks of once-weekly OPU under two schemes: the CS (one week interval between continuous OPU, total 100 OPU sessions performed) and the DCS (OPU fixed to the day 3 and day 10 of each estrus). Then, the status of ovaries and artificial insemination results were observed. On oocyte yield, the total number of punctured follicles using DCS was lower than that using CS, but the mean numbers of punctured follicles and recovered oocytes per session were higher in DCS than CS group. So the total number of recovered oocytes was similar in both groups. There were also no differences in the quality of recovered oocytes, nor in the developmental ability of oocytes fertilized in vitro between groups. The heifers in the DCS group showed regular estrous cycles with stable estrous signs through the periods of before, during, and after OPU, while those in CS group showed longer estrous cycles and less estrous signs during and/or after OPU compared with before period. Furthermore, the mean number of inseminations required for obtaining pregnancy after completion of the experiments was lower in DCS than CS group. The research demonstrates that similar quantity and quality oocytes can be achieved, and the side effects on donors are lower in DCS that needs fewer OPUs than CS group, and DCS is superior to CS.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.271-274
• /
• 1993

Four Holstein heifers were used in the present study to investigate the effect of standing and lying behaviors on heat production and physiological responses under low (L), medium (M) and high (H) levels of TDN intake. Rectal temperature (RT), respiration rate (RR), heart rate (HR), heat production (HP) and animals behavior (standing time, ST) were measured continuously for 5h (11:00-16:00) periods. There was a tendency for increased RT with TDN intake, and no difference in RT was observed between standing and lying. The RR, HR and HP during standing were significantly higher (p<0.05) than during lying. The difference between standing and lying HP were 4.41, 4.68 and $5.37kJ/kg^{0.75}$ h for L, M and H of TDN intake, respectively. These values showed that standing HP was 18.6-20.9% higher than lying HP. A multiple regression analysis of HP ($kJ/kg^{0.75}$ h) on TDN intake ($g/kg^{0.75}$ d) and ST (min/h) was HP = 7.75 + 0.28 TDN intake + 0.12 ST (R = 0.84). This analysis showed that the total HP not only depend on feed intake levels, but also depends on animal behavior. It was suggested that the change in HP due to the change in feed intake and animal behavior would influence the level of heat loss which was indicated by the changes in the RR and HR.