Lactating cows with cannulae in the rumen and proximal duodenum were used in two 4 X 4 Latin square experiments to evaluate biohydrogenation, flow rates, and digestibility of dietary fatty acids in the gastrointestinal tract. In the first experiment, four cows were fed diets with 0% supplemental fat, 3% tallow, 3% partially hydrogenated tallow, or 3% tallow coated with casein and corn syrup solids. Fatty acid intake and flow to the duodenum increased with fat supplementation. Total tract apparent fatty acid digestibility was reduced by partially hydrogenated tallow. Apparent digestibility of C_18:0 in the small intestine quadradically decreased (R²=.86) as C_18:0 flow to the intestine increased. Fat supplementation increased milk production and decreased milk protein percent but did not affect milk fat percent or 3.5% FCM. Fat supplementation increased C_18:0 and C_18:1 and lowered C_12:0 and C_14:0 concentrations in milk fat. In the second experiment, four lactating Holstein cows were fed diets with 0% supplemental fat, 3% partially hydrogenated fatty acids, 1.5% fish oil plus 1.5% stearic acid, or 1.5% soybean oil plus 1.5% partially hydrogenated soybean oil. Fish oil decreased DM intake. Fish oil and soybean oil reduced biohydrogenation of C_18:1 + C_18:2 + C_18:3 in the rumen from 65% (control) to 28% and 55%, respectively, and increased trans C_18:1 flow from the rumen 4-fold. Milk fat percent was decreased by fish oil and soybean oil. Milk fat percent across treatments linearly decreased with amount (g/d) of trans C_18:1 flowing to the duodenum (R²=.92) and percent trans C_18:1 in milk fat (R²=.94). / Master of Science

The objective of this study was to determine the onset of puberty by using progesterone profiles and anterior pituitary gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) challenges in purebred and crossbred Holstein and Jersey heifers. In experiment 1, fifty prepubertal heifers by four sire - dam classifications (18 HH, 11 JJ, 10 JH, and 11 HJ) were used. The HH heifers attained puberty at an older age than the HJ, JH or JJ heifers, and these three classifications were not different from each other. There were significant differences in weight and wither height at puberty and average daily weight gain (ADWG) between all four sire - dam classifications. Season of birth had a significant effect on age and weight at puberty. In experiment 2, four prepubertal heifers from each sire - dam classification in experiment 1 were used at 3, 6, 9 and 12 mo of age to determine the effects of administering 200 μg GnRH on LH secretion. The effects of breed, age at challenge, and their interaction were only significant for time to LH peak. In conclusion, age at puberty in crossbred Holstein X Jersey heifers is regulated by breed and season of birth, and further research with larger sample sizes is needed to establish the relationship of pituitary maturation and the capacity to secrete LH in response to GnRH stimulation as related to onset of puberty in purebred and crossbred dairy heifers. / Master of Science

Improving prediction of P availability necessitates understanding of P digestion and absorption mechanism in ruminants. Greater knowledge of the interaction of P with other nutrients and the utilization of dietary P in the digestive tract will improve our ability to optimize P feeding and reduce P runoff in agricultural areas. In vivo experiments were performed and the data were used to reparamterize a model regarding P digestion and metabolism. The interaction of P and iron was investigated in lactating dairy cows by infusing 0, 200, 500, or 1250 mg/d Fe (equivalent to 0, 2, 5, or 12.5 mg Fe/L in drinking water) in the form of ferrous lactate solution into the abomasum of lactating cows. Phosphorus absorption was not negatively influenced by abomasally infused ferrous lactate, and the highest infusion (1250 mg Fe/d) approximates a drinking water iron content far above that found in most samples from the field. In the second study the effects of dietary P intake on intestinal P absorption was evaluated in eight growing Holstein steers fitted with permanent duodenal and ileal cannulas. Diets varying in P content (0.15%, 0.27%, 0.36% and 0.45%, DM basis) were fed , and increasing P intake increased the quantity of P absorbed from the small intestine linearly without affecting the absorption efficiency (mean = 59.6%). Only a small portion of P absorption occurred in large intestine and this was not affected by dietary P concentration. An absence of change of salivary P secretion at low dietary P suggested rumen function was prioritized during short-term P deficiency. Finally the data from these experiments along with four other studies were used to parameterize the P digestion and metabolism model of Hill et al. (2008) to provide a better understanding of the digestion and metabolism of P fractions in cattle. The data used were adequate to parameterize the digestive elements of the model with good precision, and the model structure appears to be appropriate with no significant mean or slope bias. The resulting model could be used to derive P bio-availabilities of commonly used feedstuffs in cattle production. Although the model explained the data used with no apparent bias, this does not guarantee that the model parameters are valid for all conditions. Additional data are needed to evaluate this model in a wider range of scenarios. / Ph. D.

Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Mastitis is the most prevalent and costly production disease of dairy cattle; hence mastitis incidence is a distinctly important trait in dairy cattle. The primary objective of the study was to determine the economic value, and develop a model for genetic prediction of clinical mastitis in South African Holstein cattle. These procedures are a prerequisite to including this trait in the breeding objective. The cost of clinical mastitis per incident was calculated as the sum of revenue loss due to discarded milk during the infection period and the associated treatment costs. Economic value (ZAR/incident) was calculated as the change in profit (increase in costs) resulting from a simulated marginal increase in mastitis incidence in an average herd. Average economic losses due to clinical mastitis were estimated at ZAR919.96/cow/year and the average incidence was 0.9cases/cow/year. The economic value of clinical mastitis was ‐ZAR1079.51/incident. A model for predicting estimated breeding values (EBVs) for clinical mastitis using somatic cell score (SCS), fore teat length (FTL), udder depth (UD) and rear udder height (RUH) was developed, using genetic (co)variances among these traits. Since EBVs for SCS, FTL, UD and RUH are routinely estimated under the national genetic evaluation programme, EBVs for clinical mastitis can be predicted from the model developed in the current study. Thus, the results of the study provide the basis for including clinical mastitis in the breeding objective for South African Holstein cattle. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Mastitis is die mees algemeenste en duursteproduksie siekte wat voorkom by melkbeeste, daarom is die voorkoms van mastitis 'n belangrike eienskap in melkbeeste. Die primêre doel van die studie was om die ekonomiese waarde te bepaal, asook die ontwikkeling van 'n model vir genetiese voorspelling van kliniese mastitis in Suid‐Afrikaanse Holstein beeste. Hierdie prosedures is 'n voorvereiste vir insluiting van hierdie eienskap as ‘n teeldoelwit in seleksie programme. Die koste van kliniese mastitis per voorval is bereken as die som van die inkomste verlies weens melk weggegooi tydens die infeksie periode en die gepaardgaande koste vir die behandeling. Ekonomiese waarde (ZAR / voorval) is bereken as die verandering in wins (toename in koste) wat voortspruit uit 'n gesimuleerde marginale toename in mastitis voorkoms in 'n gemiddelde kudde. Gemiddelde ekonomiese verliese as gevolg van kliniese mastitis was beraam op ZAR919.96/koei/jaar en die gemiddelde voorkoms was 0.9gevalle/koei/jaar. Die ekonomiese waarde van kliniese mastitis was ‐ ZAR1079.51/geval. 'n Model vir die voorspelling van beraamde teelwaardes (EBV’s) vir kliniese mastitis is ontwikkel deur gebruik te maak van die ko‐variansies tussen die onderskeie eienskappe: somatiese sel telling (SST), voorspeen lengte (VSL), uier diepte (UD) en agter uier hoogte (AUH). Aangesien teelwaardes vir SST, VSL, UD en AUH gereeld beraam word onder die Nasionale genetiese evaluasie program, kan teelwaardes vir kliniese mastitis voorspel word vanuit die model wat ontwikkel is in die huidige studie. Dus verskaf die resultate van hierdie studie ‘n basis vir die insluiting van kliniese mastitis as ‘n teeldoelwit in seleksie programme van die Suid‐Afrikaanse Holstein beeste.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Improvement and selection of superior animals for longevity is a viable complimentary strategy for increasing functional longevity of Holstein dairy cattle. Genetic evaluation of animals for functional longevity is a prerequisite for improvement of the trait. This study was carried out to determine non-genetic factors that influence functional longevity in South African Holstein cattle, as well as to estimate genetic parameters for functional longevity, estimate sire breeding values, and to establish the contribution of conformation traits to the risk of cows being culled from dairy herds. Analyses were carried out using records of 166 222 daughters of 2 051 sires from 1 545 herds in six regions of South Africa. The regions were the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Free State, Kwa-Zulu Natal and the combined Gauteng & North Western Provinces. Data were analysed using a piecewise Weibull sire-maternal grandsire model in which the baseline hazard was assumed to change at 270 and 380 days in milk as well as at drying-off. The fixed effects model comprised of the time-independent effect of age at first calving, the combined time-dependent effects of region x year of calving, number of lactations x within-herd milk production class, year of calving x within-herd protein and year of calving x fat percentage production class. Model also had the combined time-dependent effect of herd size x annual herd size change. The random herd-year and sire effects were later included in the model for the estimation of sire and herd-year variance components. Analyses indicated a decline in the survival function, an indicator of functional longevity, among cows that calved for the first time in 2000, 2004 and 2008. Cows that delivered their first calf in 2000 had better survival functions that those that calved for the first time in 2004 and 2008. All fitted effects significantly contributed to the risk of a cow being culled from a herd. Within-herd milk production made the largest contribution to the risk of a cow being culled from a herd. Survival was best in the Northern Cape and worst in Eastern Cape. The risk of being culled was the highest for cows in the second stage of lactation (271- 380 days), when the entire lactation period was considered. High producing cows were more likely not to be culled from a herd than poor producing cows. Cows were more likely to be culled for low protein production percentage than within-herd fat production percentage. The risk of being culled was low for heifers calving at 20 to 25 months of age. The higher risk of culling among cows with multiple lactations indicated the culling policy of dairy farmers to retain a higher number of younger cows than older cows in herds. A decrease in herd size was indicative of a high culling rate. Effective heritability was 0.109. Breeding values ranged from 2.12 for the best cows to -4.80 for the worst cows. This implied that the best and the worst cows were 2.12 times and 4.80 more likely to be culled from herds than the average cow respectively. Genetic trends for functional longevity indicated a marginal decline in sire estimated breeding values. This corresponded with the phenotypic decline in the survivor function observed in cows that calved in 200, 2004 and 2008. All udder, rump, body, feet and leg type traits, with the exception of rear leg side, significantly influenced functional longevity. Farmers culled cows mainly of extremely poor type with a tendency to retain animals with poor to very good structure. Udder traits contributed the most to the risk of a cow being culled. Cows were more likely to be culled for poor scores received for rear teat placement, rear udder height and fore udder attachment, than for any of the other conformation type traits. The contribution of angularity to the risk of being culled was also high, indicating a preference for highly angular bodied cows. Conformation type traits can therefore be used as indicator traits for functional longevity in Holstein cattle, especially when selection and culling is done based on very poor scores for udder traits. The study indicated that genetic improvement in functional longevity can be achieved with the evaluation and selection of dairy sires. There is therefore a wide scope for including functional longevity in the selection objectives for South African Holstein cattle. There is a need to develop appropriate models to ensure that the national dairy industry can benefit from using a Weibull piecewise model. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die verbetering en seleksie van voortreflike diere vir langlewendheid is 'n lewensvatbare en aanvullende strategie vir die verhoging van die funksionele langlewendheid van Holstein melkbeeste. Die genetiese evaluasie van melkproduserende diere ten opsigte van hierdie eienskap is ʼn voorvereiste om verbetering in die eienskap moontlik te maak. Die studie is uitgevoer om nie-genetiese faktore wat die funksionele langlewendheid van Suid-Afrikaanse Holsteins beïnvloed te bepaal, om genetiese parameters vir langlewendheid en vaar teeltwaardes vir dié eienskap te bepaal en ook om die bydrae van bouvorm eienskappe tot die waarskynlikheid van koeie om uitgeskot te word, te bepaal. ʼn Databasis bestaande uit rekords van 166 222 dogters van 2 051 vaars, wat in ses streke in Suid-Afrika (Wes-Kaap, Oos-Kaap, Noord-Kaap, Vrystaat, KwaZulu-Natal en die gekombineerde Gauteng en Noord-Wes Provinsies) voorgekom het, is vir die studie gebruik. Data is ontleed met behulp van 'n stuksgewyse Weibull vader-moeder grootvader model, waarin die basislyn risiko aanvaar is om te verander op 270, 380 dae na kalwing en by afdroog van die melkkoeie. Die vaste effek model het die tyd-onafhanklike effek van ouderdom met eerste kalwing en die tyd-afhanklike effekte van streek en jaar van kalwing, aantal laktasies en binne-kudde melkproduksie klas, binne-kudde proteïen en vet persent produksie klasse volgens jaar van kalwing, asook die gekombineerde tyd-afhanklike effek van kuddegrootte en jaarlikse verandering in kudde grootte, ingesluit. Die ewekansige trop-jaar en vaar effekte is later opgeneem in die model vir bepaling van die vaar- en kudde-jaar variansie komponente. Ontledings het aangedui dat daar 'n algemene afname in die oorlewingsfunksie, wat ʼn aanduiding van funksionele langlewendheid is, was in koeie wat vir die eerste keer in 2000, 2004 en 2008 gekalf het. Koeie wat vir die eerste keer in 2000 gekalf het, het ʼn hoër waarde vir die oorlewingsfunksie gehad as koeie wat onderskeidelik in 2004 en 2008 gekalf het. Alle vaste effekte het betekenisvol tot die waarskynlikheid van ʼn koei om uitgeskot te word, bygedra. Binne-kudde melkproduksie het die grootste bydrae tot die waarskynlikheid van ʼn koei om uitgeskot te word, gemaak. Wanneer die totale laktasieperiode in ag geneem is, was daar gevind dat koeie wat in die tweede fase van laktasie (271-380 dae) die hoogste risiko ervaar het om uitgeskot te word. Hoë produseerders, wanneer hulle met lae produseerders vergelyk is, was minder geneig om uitgeskot te word. Koeie was meer geneig om uitgeskot te word vir lae proteïen produksie persentasie as binne-kudde vet produksie persentasie. Die waarskynlikheid om uitgeskot te word, was laag vir verse wat op ʼn ouderdom van 20 tot 25 maande gekalf het. Die hoër risiko van uitskot van koeie met veelvuldige laktasies het aangedui dat melkboere geneig was om meer jonger koeie te behou en ouer koeie uit te skot. ʼn Afname in kuddegrootte was aanduidend van ʼn hoë uitskotpersentasie. Die effektiewe oorerflikheid was 0.109, met teelwaardes wat van 2.12 vir die hoogste produserende koeie tot -4.80 vir die laagste produserende koeie, gewissel het. Hierdie waardes het dus aangedui dat hoë produseerders en swak produseerders onderskeidelik ʼn 2.12 en 4.80 groter kans gehad het om uitgeskot te kan word. Genetiese tendense vir funksionele langlewendheid het aangedui dat daar 'n marginale afname in vaar beraamde teelwaardes vir funksionele langlewendheid was. Dit het ooreengestem met die waargenome fenotipiese afname in die oorlewingsfunksie wat in 2000, 2004 en 2008 gekalf het. Alle bou-tipe eienskappe (uier, agterkwart, liggaam, voet en been), met die uitsondering van die agterbeen kant, het funksionele langlewendheid betekenisvol beïnvloed. Boere het koeie hoofsaaklik op uiters swak boutipe uitgeskot, met 'n neiging om diere wat as ʼn swak tot uiters goeie bouvorm geklassifiseer is, te behou. Uier eienskappe het die meeste tot die waarskynlikheid van ʼn koei om uitgeskot te word, bygedra. Koeie met ʼn lae gradering vir agterste speen plasing, agter-uier hoogte en voor-uier aanhegting se waarskynlikheid om uitgeskot te word, was groter. Die bydrae van hoekigheid tot die waarskynlikheid van ʼn koei om uitgeskot te word was hoog, wat ʼn aanduiding van ʼn voorkeur vir 'n baie growwe hoekigheid was. Bouvorm tipe eienskappe kan dus gebruik word as indikator eienskappe vir funksionele langlewendheid in Holstein melkbeeste, veral wanneer in ag geneem word dat die meeste melkboere seleksie op grond van swak gradering van uier eienskappe doen. Die studie het aangedui dat genetiese verbetering in funksionele langlewendheid teweeg gebring kan word met die evaluering en seleksie van Holstein vaars. Daar is dus ʼn geleentheid vir die insluiting van funksionele langlewendheid in die seleksie doelwitte vir Suid-Afrikaanse Holstein beeste. Daar is ʼn behoefte om toepaslike modelle te ontwikkel wat met die toepassing daarvan, sal verseker dat die plaaslike melkbedryf sal kan voordeel trek deur die gebruik van 'n stuksgewyse Weibull model benadering.

Extensive emphasis on selection for milk yield with minimal attention to the animals' functional performance has increased the yield of North American dairy cattle. The high intensity of selection for production traits such as milk yield, protein yield and fat yield has also brought about a rapid increase in genetic relationships among animals. In dairy cattle, correlated response to selection for milk yield includes fertility and susceptibility to diseases. Although the high producing cows have greater net profit, they also have higher mammary and discarded milk costs associated with high production. Long-term genetic selection against clinically diagnosed diseases might be useful to diminish their incidence. The Scandinavian countries have incorporated the health traits into their selection indices. Canadian breeding programs realize the need to consider traits other than the yield in selection decisions. The objective of this study was to determine the genetic variability of various clinically diagnosed health traits. Data from 171 herds of the Ontario milk-recording program were used. These herds are collaborating with the University of Guelph (Dr. David Kelton) to record health traits. A major impediment to estimating heritabilities for the majority of the disorders was that the progeny group size per sire was not large enough to enable detecting a significant difference among sires. Hence, heritability estimates were not obtained for all the health disorders included in the study. The progeny group size per sire has to be increased such that there are at least 5 cases per progeny group to enable detecting a difference among sires. Heritability estimates for retained placenta and displaced abomasum in the first lactation were 0.067 and 0.212 respectively. The heritability estimate of cystic ovaries in the second lactation was 0.092. In the third lactation, the heritability estimate of mastitis was 0.10 whereas retained placenta had a heritability of 0.25.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Universität Zürich. / Includes bibliographical references (p. i-iii).

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2007. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 44-49). Also available on the World Wide Web.

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