Specificity of 2 peripartum blood markers for early-lactation acute uterine inflammation in pasture-fed, seasonal-calving dairy cows.

A delayed recovery of the reproductive tract from natural inflammatory processes associated with postpartum involution will compromise further reproductive function. Following a literature review, we selected serum amyloid A (SAA) and α1-acid glycoprotein (α1-AGP) to assess as potential circulating markers of acute uterine inflammation, as concentrations of these 2 acute phase proteins were reported to be elevated early postpartum in dairy cows with active uterine infection. Convenience serum samples from an induced model of uterine infection were used to measure concentrations of these markers.

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.

Temporal profiles describing markers of inflammation and metabolism during the transition period of pasture-based, seasonal-calving dairy cows.

The physiology of the dairy cow while transitioning from pregnancy to lactation is complex, with multifactorial processes studied extensively for the role they play in manifestation of disease along with associated economic losses and compromised animal welfare. Manuscripts outlining associations among nutrition, production, physiology, and genetics variables and transition cow disorders are common in literature, with blood analytes that are central to energy metabolism (e.g.

A quantitative case study assessment of biophysical and economic effects from altering season of calving in temperate pasture-based dairy systems.

In theory, a late winter-early spring calving date in temperate grazing systems best matches pasture supply and herd demand, thereby minimizing the need for nonpasture feeds and maximizing profitability. We used a quantitative case study approach to define the effects of season of calving on biophysical and financial performance in a grazing system without the confounding effects of imported feeds (i.e.

Short communication: Milk fat payment affects the relative profitability of Jersey and Holstein-Friesian cows at optimal comparative stocking rate.

Choice of stocking rate and breed of cow are 2 strategic decisions that affect the profitability of pasture-based dairy farm businesses. This study sought to analyze the effects of a range of fat and protein prices on the profitability of the Jersey (J) and Holstein-Friesian (HF) breeds at 2 comparative stocking rates (CSR): 80 kg of body weight (BW) per tonne of dry matter (DM) of feed (CSR80), and 100 kg of BW per tonne of DM of feed (CSR100). Data were obtained from a recently published study, and equations constructed to determine the values for fat and protein at which each breed broke even (profit = NZ$0/ha; at time of writing, NZ$1 = US$0.