Validation of a Remote Sampling Sensor for Measuring Urine Volume and Nitrogen Concentration in Grazing Dairy Cattle.

The purpose of this research was to validate a urine sensor (Lincoln University PEETER V2.0, Canterbury, New Zealand) that records the time and volume of urination events for dairy cows in addition to collecting a proportional urine sample from all urination events. Sixteen multiparous Holstein × Jersey mid-lactating cows (101 ± 5 days in milk, 498 ± 24.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of cow-level factors affecting milk urea nitrogen and urinary nitrogen output under pasture-based diets.

With dairy cattle farming under pressure to lower its environmental footprint, it is important to find effective on-farm proxies for evaluation and monitoring of management practices aimed at reducing the risk of nitrogen (N) losses and optimizing N use efficiency of dairy farm systems. Urinary N (UN) is regarded as the most potent source of N emissions. In contrast to confinement systems, there have been few studies from pasture-based systems associating on-farm animal and nutritional factors with UN output.

Can the Inclusion of Forage Chicory in the Diet of Lactating Dairy Cattle Alter Milk Production and Milk Fatty Acid Composition? Findings of a Multilevel Meta-Analysis.

In traditional ryegrass/white clover ( L./ L.) pastoral systems, forage herbs such as chicory ( L.

Rumen function and grazing behavior of early-lactation dairy cows supplemented with fodder beet.

Fodder beet (FB) is a source of readily fermentable carbohydrate that can mitigate early spring herbage deficits and correct the negative energy balance experienced during early lactation in pastoral dairy systems of New Zealand. However, the low-fiber and high-soluble carbohydrate content of both FB bulb and spring herbage are factors that promote subacute ruminal acidosis, impairing rumen function and limiting the marginal milk production response to supplement. In a crossover experiment, 8 Holstein Friesian × Jersey early-lactation dairy cows were used to test the effect of supplementing 16 kg of dry matter (DM) of a grazed perennial ryegrass herbage with 6 kg of DM/d of FB bulb (FBH) versus herbage only (HO) on changes in rumen function and grazing behavior.

Functional Traits, Morphology, and Herbage Production of Vernalised and Non-Vernalised Chicory cv. Choice ( L.) in Response to Defoliation Frequency and Height.

Chicory ( L.) used in pastoral systems has the attributes required of a forage species to reduce animal urinary nitrogen loading to soil, increase milk production, and enhance milk fatty acid profile to improve pastoral farm systems for matching increasing global demand for dairy products and environmental standards of livestock systems. Greater adoption of chicory requires confidence in management decisions that can control risks to farm production, namely bolting after vernalisation or a decline in persistence of chicory swards, which have slowed its adoption in pastoral systems.

Rumen Fermentation and Fatty Acid Composition of Milk of Mid Lactating Dairy Cows Grazing Chicory and Ryegrass.

The goals of the current study were to investigate the effects of including chicory ( L.) into the traditional feeding regime of ryegrass/white clover ( L./ L.

Effect of seasonal changes on fertility parameters of Holstein dairy cows in subtropical climate of Taiwan.

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.

Effects of Lactobacillus formosensis S215 and Lactobacillus buchneri on quality and in vitro ruminal biological activity of condensed tannins in sweet potato vines silage.

Aims: This study investigated the influence of two microbial inoculants; Lactobacillus formosensis and Lactobacillus buchneri on fermentation quality, chemical composition, aerobic stability and in vitro ruminal biological activity of condensed tannins in sweet potato vines silage.

Methods And Results: Sweet potato vines were ensiled for 28 and 60 days; without inoculant (CON), with Lact. buchneri (LB) or with Lact.

Chemical composition, nitrogen degradability and in vitro ruminal biological activity of tannins in vines harvested from four tropical sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) varieties.

This study investigated the potential of vines from four sweet potato varieties (Tia Nong 57, Tia Nong 66, Ligwalagwala and Kenya) as alternative feed resources for ruminant livestock. The chemical composition [neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), crude protein (CP) and acid detergent insoluble nitrogen (ADIN)], in vitro ruminal nitrogen (N) degradability and in vitro ruminal biological activity of tannins in the vines, harvested at 70 and 110 days after planting (DAP), were determined. Variety and harvesting stage did not (p > 0.