The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of two different feeding systems and of four different energy sources (Grain diet) on lactation characteristics and milk composition of dairy cattle. A total of 8,808,798 test-day records from 566,736 Holstein cows in 5,183 different herds, and 416,883 test-day records from 26,973 Ayrshire cows in 652 different herds covering a period of five years were obtained from the Quebec dairy herd improvement agency (Valacta). In addition to test-day records, information on lactation, animal status, feed composition and feeding systems was also available. For both Ayrshire and Holstein cows the fixed effect of Feeding System*DIMB (Blocks of 15 days in milk) was a significant effect in predictive models of daily milk, milk-fat, protein, and lactose yields and on milk urea nitrogen (MUN) concentration. Cows served a diet prepared with a Total Mixed Ration (TMR) compared to cows served a diet in a Traditional way tended to have higher peak milk yields and appeared to have a stronger persistency after peak milk yield. TMR-fed cows also showed a tendency for higher milk-fat, protein, and lactose yields and lower MUN concentrations than Traditionally-fed ones. Significantly higher milk yields (peak to 135 days in milk) and higher milk-fat and protein yields (peak to mid-lactation) were found in TMR-fed cows compared to Traditionally-fed ones in 3rd parity Holsteins. Both milk-fat and protein-yield lactation curves of TMR-fed cows displayed a different pattern than Traditionally-fed cows. The fixed effect of the Grain diet*DIMB was found to be a significant effect in predictive models of milk and milk-protein yields of both Ayrshire and Holstein. It was also found to be a significant effect in predictive model of MUN concentration but only in 2nd parity Ayrshire. The effect was non-significant in predictive models of both milk-fat or lactose yields. A tendency for higher milk and milk-protein yields, and lower MUN values was seen when cows received Corn Grain or High Moisture Corn compared to Barley or Commercial Concentrate but no significant differences were observed. It was concluded that a tendency for higher milk and components yields can be observed when cows are fed with a TMR compared to a Traditional system.

Dairy heifers were submitted to high or moderate plane of nutrition before and during first gestation. High plane of nutrition did not increase milk production but negatively affected reproduction and health. In addition, high plane of nutrition decreased growth hormone (GH) concentration and increased prolactin concentration during gestation. There was no effect of previous plane of nutrition on peripartum concentrations of hormones. Milk production was positively correlated with GH concentrations, but was negatively correlated to concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1) concentrations postpartum. / The effect of GH administration on mammary vasculature and on paracrine secretion of growth factors was investigated in lactating and non-lactating dairy cows. The injection of GH induced a linear increase of IGF-1 concentration in blood and mammary primary lymph, but did not affect concentrations of prostaglandin E$ sb2$ (PGE$ sb2$) concentrations. However, the rate of IGF-1 increase was slower in lymph than in blood, suggesting that blood is the source of most lymph IGF-I. Therefore, GH did not seem to affect paracrine secretion of IGF-1 and PGE$ sb2$ by the bovine mammary gland. Growth hormone administration induced a gradual increase in mammary blood flow in lactating cows while it remained constant in non-lactating animals. Changes in lymphatic, but not blood, concentrations of a stable metabolite of the vasodilatator prostacyclin I$ sb2$ parallelled the changes in blood flow. This indicates that local secretion of this vasodilatator may be responsible for the effect of GH on mammary blood flow. / Mitogenic activity of mammary primary lymph samples taken at different physiological stages was evaluated on mammary epithelial and mammary fibroblast cell lines. The results indicate that the mitogenic activity of lymph in epithelial cells was not related to physiological stage but to PGE$ sb2$ concentration. In fibroblasts, mitogenic activity of lymph was not related to physiological stage or to the content in any of the growth factors assayed.

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Includes 6 reprints of papers by the author / Includes bibliographical references. / 147 leaves + [51] leaves : ill. (some folded) ; 26 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Genetics, 1969

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Melbourne, 1990. / Spine title: The effects of management on dairy herd profitability. Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (v. 1, p. 288-306).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin, 1956. / Typescript (carbon copy). eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 66-74).

level of cattle breeding is putting growing demands on milk production and it is closely related with fertility. The aim of this work was based on data analysis to determine fertility of dairy cows bred in modern technology in the context of the quality of nutrition, stabling and milk production and determine the level of the relationship between fertility and milk production. Monitoring herds proceeded in two breeds from May 2010 to December 2011. The data was obtained from the reports for monitoring performance, and the accompanying sheets cattle and T4C program (Time for Cows), which records detailed data on milking cows. Overall, more than 19,000 data entries on fertility and yield of cows were statistically evaluated. It was found that dairy cows kept in modern technology, which uses AMS (Automatic Milking Systems) the interval 368.97 days and 406.27 days, which is about 30 or 15.72 less compared with the average of Czech Republic. The value of service period in selected farms was 109.19 and 119.58 days. Compared to the national average is about 12.80 and 3.31 on shorter SP. Insemination interval of 62.63 and 81.06 days was again a 20.36 and 1.93 days shorter than the average insemination interval in Czech Republic in 2010. Correlation relationship between milk production and fertility was found to be statistically significant only for insemination interval rxy = - 0.302+ service period and rxy = 0.402+. The hypothesis, that using AMS does not have a negative effect on fertility was confirmed.

In a Holstein herd (125 cows) the influence of early and late breeding post partum on reproduction and production was investigated. At calving the cows were randomly assigned to two groups. The early bred group was scheduled to be bred at the first visible heat following 50 days post partum which resulted in an average interval of 73 ± 18 days from parturition to the first service. The average interval from parturition to conception was 88 ± 33 days. The cows in the early bred group conceived after an average of 1.50 (range: 1 to 3) services per conception. The late bred group was scheduled to be bred at the first visible heat following 80 days post partum which resulted in an average interval of 93 ± 17 days from parturition to the first service. The average interval from parturition to conception was 120 ± 40 days. The cows in the late bred group conceived after an average of 1.96 (range: 1 to 5) services per conception. The number of services per conception was significantly (P£.05) higher for the late bred group. The early post partum reproductive activity was monitored with milk progesterone analyses. A sample of milk strippings was analysed by a radioimmunoassay technique every second day from 6 days post partum until conception occurred or the animal was removed from the herd. Cows which did not conceive were excluded from the statistical analyses. The average length of the first estrous cycle was 17 ± 7.5 days. The first progesterone detected heat occurred 33 ± 10 days post partum compared to the first visible heat which occurred 48 ± 26 days post partum. Calving associated problems and the calving during the pasture season delayed conception in the late bred group but not in the early bred group. The late bred group produced more fat corrected milk (FCM) in the 305 day lactation and in the first 150 days of the subsequent lactation and also gained more (P≤.05) weight between calvings. Cows calving during the pasture season produced more FCM in the 305 day lactation but gained significantly (P≤.01) less weight between calvings than cows calving in the non-pasture season. There was no difference between early and late bred group, health status groups or groups according to the calving season in terms of average daily milk and FCM yield calculated over the entire period of this experiment (beginning of current lactation to day 150 of the subsequent lactation, including the dry period). Calving difficulties and early post partum reproductive problems were not related to production traits. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

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