Six lactating Ayrshire heifers were used to study the utilization of energy and the energy requirements for milk production at different stages of lactation and at different levels of production. The heifers produced an average of 5175 kg 4% FCM during lactation. Gross energetic efficiency of milk production declined from 47.58% at the beginning of lactation to 29.93% at the end of lactation. The over-all gross energetic efficiency was 36.42 ±5.55%. There was a highly significant (P < .01) positive correlation (r = 0.91) between gross energetic efficiency and 4% FCM production. High net energetic efficiencies of milk production were associated with early stages of lactation or high levels of production. The overall net energetic efficiency was 64.22 ± 5.20%. This was equivalent to a requirement of 1.187 ±0.089 megacalories digestible energy /kg 4% FCM or 270 ±20 grams TDN/kg 4% FCM. These requirements were significantly (P < .01) lower than NRC recommendations. There was a highly significant (P < .01) difference between heifers in their daily net energetic requirements. A highly significant (P < .01) positive correlation (r = 0.88) was found between net energetic efficiency and 4% FCM production. Total energy balance trials were conducted. By using an assumed maintenance requirement of 131 kcal ME/Wkg.75 to calculate the efficiency of ME utilization for milk production, the efficiency with which ME was converted to milk decreased gradually from 55.37% in early lactation to 52.11% in late lactation. Higher efficiencies of ME utilization in early stages of lactation were attributed to tissue mobilization. A significant (P < .01) difference between heifers in their efficiency of ME utilization for milk production was observed, while period effect was non-significant. By either simple linear regression analysis of ME available for milk plus maintenance on milk energy or multiple regression analysis of dietary ME on milk energy, tissue loss and metabolic body size, the efficiency of ME utilization for milk production was estimated to be 69.2 to 70.0% with a maintenance requirement of 183.5 to 184.5 kcal ME/kg .75. Multiple regression analysis showed that tissue energy was utilized for milk production with an efficiency of 98.5%. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

Crossbreeding parameters (additive (a), dominance (d) and additive x additive (aa) epistatic effects for individual $ sp{ rm (I)}$ and for maternal $ sp{ rm (M)}$ performance) on body weight growth and first lactation performance traits of females from a crossbreeding experiment between Holstein (H) and Ayrshire (A) based lines were estimated by individual animal models, incorporating all known additive genetic relationships amongst animals, through restricted maximum likelihood and mixed-model methodologies. / The growth traits (asymptotic weight (A), rate parameter (k), inflection parameter (m), average lifetime absolute growth rate (AGR), average lifetime absolute maturing rate (AMR) and average lifetime relative growth rate (RGR)) were estimated by fitting the nonlinear equation, W$ sb1$ = A(1 $ pm$ be$ sp{ rm -kt}) sp{ rm M}$, to the observed weight-age data of 3076 individual females. / Results from the analyses of growth traits indicated that the H line exceeded the A line in addition genetic effects for individual performance (a$ sp{ rm I}$) for both A and AGR. The H line also exceeded the A line in additive effects for maternal performance (a$ sp{ rm M}$) in trait A. Both dominance (d) and additive x additive (aa) epistatic effects were statistically important in most cases. Individual heterosis (h$ sp{ rm I}$ = d$ sp{ rm I}$ $-$ 0.5aa$ sp{ rm I}$) was positive for traits A and AGR, whereas maternal heterosis (h$ sp{ rm M}$ = d$ sp{ rm M}$ $-$ 0.5aa$ sp{ rm M}$) was negative for A and positive for AMR. Total heterosis (TH = h$ sp{ rm I}$ + h$ sp{ rm M}$) had positive effects on AGR and AMR. For all growth traits, heterosis retained in advanced crossbred generations was statistically irrelevant. The overall conclusion was that crossbreeding systems designed to capitalize on TH would produce faster growing and earlier maturing animals. / The analyses of production traits found the additive effect of the H line for individual performance to be a major factor to increase yields of milk, protein and fat. On the other hand, line maternal and cytoplasmic source tended to favour the A line, but none reached statistical significance in any of the traits. Results indicate that two-line specific crosses or synthetic development would be sound breeding strategies for taking advantage of first cross heterosis or of line additive differences, respectively. / Estimates of crossbreeding parameters from mixed-model analyses, were found to be more reliable than those from ordinary least squares analyses. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

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Thesis (D. Tech.) -- Central University of Technology, Free State, 2010 / Branded dairy products have lately become a global trend. As a result of this, the origin of the milk used in the manufacturing of branded cheeses must be declared by the producer, since it is known that these products are highly adulterated with foreign milk. In South Africa, branded Ayrshire Cheddar cheese has become highly popular due to its unique organoleptic properties and in light of claims that it ripens much faster than cheese made from other milk (not including Ayrshire). This study was therefore directed to investigate the unique properties of branded Ayrshire Cheddar cheese versus Cheddar cheese manufactured from a mixture of other breeds’ milk (not including Ayrshire milk) and to establish a catabolite profile for each cheese type. The outlay of the thesis was constructed into six chapters each with its own outcomes. The first chapter focused on the variations between the two Cheddar cheese batches (produced from Ayrshire and other breeds’ milk) with regards to organic acid, selected chemical parameters and starter microbiotia. In the following three chapters mathematical models were developed that would predict organic-; fatty and amino acid fluxtuations respectively in the cheese made from Ayrshire and other milk. In the last chapter two artificial neural networks were designed with the two starter organisms, Lactococcus lactis and Streptococcus thermophilus as variable indicator respectively. Thirty-two cheese samples of each batch (pure Ayrshire (4) / mix breed with no Ayrshire (4)) were ripened and samples were analysed under the same conditions on the following days after production: 2, 10, 22, 36, 50, 64, 78, and 92. In the subsequent chapters, the following analysis were done on each day of analysis: organic acid by means of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); fatty acids by means of Gas Chromatography Mass Spectometry (GCMS); amino acids by means of GC-MS; microbial analysis by means of traditional methods, total DNA extraction and polymerase chain reaction (PCR); and standard chemical analysis for moisture, NaCl and pH. In the first research chapter, the minimum and maximum (min/max) values, standard deviations and proposed rel X values of organic acids were evaluated in Ayrshire and the mixed-breed Cheddar cheese, and showed that isovaleric acid is the organic acid with the least variation relative to concentration in both cheeses and it was assumed that this organic acid is the most effective indicator of cheese uniformity. Clear differences in organic acids, chemical variables and starter micro-organisms were also evident in the two cheese batches. Results obtained from the regression models which was defined for each organic -; amino - and fatty acid by means of mathematical equations can be used by the manufacturer to achieve i.e. the selection of cheese for specialist lines, the early exclusion of defective cheeses, and the establishment of brand origin (Ayrshire vs. mixed-breed Cheddar cheeses). The regression graphs also illustrate unique flux patterns in Ayrshire and the mixed-breed in terms of organic -, fatty -, and amino acid content. In the last chapter, the discrimination between the two batches was respectively done via artificial neural network (ANN) modelling of Lactococcus lactis and Streptococcus thermophilus as indicator organisms. The ANN consisted of a multilayered network with supervised training arranged into an ordered hierarchy of layers, in which connections were allowed only between nodes in immediately adjacent layers. The construction thereof allowed for two output nodes, connected to an input layer consisting of two nodes to which the inputs were connected. In both cheeses the results from the ANN showed acceptable classification of the cheeses based on the counts of L. lactis and S. thermophilus.

The objective of this study was to estimate the relationship between survival at various stages of productive life (17, 30, 43, 55 and 96 months of productive life) and type traits in Quebec Holstein and Ayrshire cows. The original data set from the Programme d'Analyse des Troupeaux Laitiers du Quebec contained 559,203 lifetime records calculated from 2,237,081 lactation records including calvings from 1979 to 1995. Lifetime records containing type classification information provided by the respective breed associations were used to study true survival variables (opportunity to survive to 17, 302 43, 55 and 96 months) and functional survival variables opportunity to survive to the same ages, independently of the level of production). K. Meyer's EQREML program was used to analyse these data by fitting a sire model. Heritabilities varied between 0.03 and 0.11 for both breeds. Final score and rear udder were two of the traits most highly correlated with survival. Specifically, in Holsteins, mammary system and fore udder showed the highest genetic correlation with functional survival, and dairy character showed the highest genetic correlation with true survival. In Ayrshires, final score, breed character, dairy quality, style and fore udder had the highest genetic correlations with both true and functional survival across all survival stages. In a second study, lifetime records not having type information and type records without lifetime information were analysed with D. L. Johnson and R. Thompson's AIREML program which enabled linking of sires in common between type and lifetime data sets. Only survival to 96 months was studied here, but the effect of supervised and non-supervised records was considered. In Holstein supervised records, body traits were more highly correlated with survival, whereas udder traits were more highly correlated in the non-supervised records. Ayrshire results were not conclusive.

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