Bovine respiratory syncytial virus outbreak reduced bulls' weight gain and feed conversion for eight months in a Norwegian beef herd.

Background: Cost-benefit evaluation of measures against respiratory disease in cattle requires accounting with the associated production losses. Investigations of naturally occurring respiratory infections in a herd setting are an opportunity for accurate estimates of the consequences. This article presents estimates based on individual monitoring of weight and concentrate intake of several hundred bulls previous to, during and after a respiratory infection outbreak with bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) as the main pathogen.

Subcutaneous electronic identification in cattle: a field study.

The use of injectable transponders in cattle for identification purposes, for up to 30 months, was investigated. Passive electronic transponders, encapsulated in either polymer or glass, were injected subcutaneously into either the ear base or the earlobe of 652 calves in three populations. The animals were clinically examined weekly, and transponder signalling was checked immediately before and after injection, after two weeks and after about eight months.

Changes in enzymes associated with energy metabolism during the early post mortem period in longissimus thoracis bovine muscle analyzed by proteomics.

Changes in metabolic protein levels in biopsies during the early post mortem period in the bovine longissimus thoracis muscle were investigated by 2-DE based proteome analyses. Nine NRF (Norwegian Red) dual purpose bulls were included in the study. Twenty-four proteins underwent changes between the two sampling times and were classified into two major groups: metabolic proteins and heat shock proteins.

Fertility in the ewe following cervical insemination with fresh or frozen-thawed semen at a natural or synchronised oestrus.

Artificial insemination (AI) in sheep is currently limited by the poor fertility obtained following non-surgical intracervical insemination of frozen-thawed semen. An exception to this general finding is the non-return rate of around 58% reported for large scale on-farm AI in Norway. The objective of the present study was to determine if similar results could be obtained under Irish conditions.