Stress detection/assement in dairy cows by the determination of cortisol in hair by near-infrared (NIR), mid-infrared (MIR) and Raman spectroscopy.

Chronic stress in dairy cows could adversely affect their emotional well-being, immune function, reproductive capability and milk yield. Effective measurement and assessment of chronic stress in herds is crucial for maintaining welfare and addressing issues. Hair cortisol concentration is a promising biomarker of chronic stress that is typically measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which is reliable but costly and time-consuming.

Exploring the relationship between predicted negative energy balance and its biomarkers of Holstein cows in first-parity early lactation.

The negative energy balance (NEB) state in dairy cows is a critical factor affecting health, reproduction, and production, particularly during early lactation. Multiple blood and milk biomarkers change when dairy cows are in the NEB state. Direct measurement of NEB is impractical for large-scale use due to costs, necessitating reliance on indirect predictors such as milk mid-infrared (MIR) spectrometry-based predicted biomarkers.

Residual analysis for the identification of potential mid-infrared-derived biomarkers of heat stress in dairy cattle.

Numerous prediction equations have been developed based on mid-infrared (MIR) spectra, and some could be potentially used as biomarkers of heat stress. However, practical experience shows that confusion can easily occur between the effect of heat stress and other effects, such as lactation stage or feeding variation over the year. On this basis, the objective of this study was to identify potential milk components predicted by MIR as biomarkers of heat stress based on a 2-step approach allowing correction for those effects.

Genetic parameters for mid-infrared-spectroscopy-predicted mastitis phenotypes and related traits.

Genetic improvement of udder health in dairy cows is of high relevance as mastitis is one of the most prevalent diseases. Since it is known that the heritability of mastitis is low and direct data on mastitis cases are often not available in large numbers, auxiliary traits, such as somatic cell count (SCC) are used for the genetic evaluation of udder health. In previous studies, models to predict clinical mastitis based on mid-infrared (MIR) spectral data and a somatic cell count-derived score (SCS) were developed.

Genetic analysis of milk citrate predicted by milk mid-infrared spectra of Holstein cows in early lactation.

Milk citrate is regarded as an early biomarker of negative energy balance in dairy cows during early lactation and serves as a suitable candidate phenotype for genomic selection due to its wide availability across a large number of cows through milk mid-infrared spectra prediction. However, its genetic background is not well known. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to (1) analyze the genetic parameters of milk citrate; (2) identify genomic regions associated with milk citrate; and (3) analyze the functional annotation of candidate genes and quantitative trait loci (QTL) related to milk citrate in Walloon Holstein cows.

Hepatic Global Transcriptomic Profiles of Holstein Cows According to Parity Reveal Age-Related Changes in Early Lactation.

Cows can live for over 20 years, but their productive lifespan averages only around 3 years after first calving. Liver dysfunction can reduce lifespan by increasing the risk of metabolic and infectious disease. This study investigated the changes in hepatic global transcriptomic profiles in early lactation Holstein cows in different lactations.

Prediction of Acute and Chronic Mastitis in Dairy Cows Based on Somatic Cell Score and Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy of Milk.

Monitoring for mastitis on dairy farms is of particular importance, as it is one of the most prevalent bovine diseases. A commonly used indicator for mastitis monitoring is somatic cell count. A supplementary tool to predict mastitis risk may be mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy of milk.

Multiple Breeds and Countries' Predictions of Mineral Contents in Milk from Milk Mid-Infrared Spectrometry.

Measuring the mineral composition of milk is of major interest in the dairy sector. This study aims to develop and validate robust multi-breed and multi-country models predicting the major minerals through milk mid-infrared spectrometry using partial least square regressions. A total of 1281 samples coming from five countries were analyzed to obtain spectra and in ICP-AES to measure the mineral reference contents.

Isoquinoline Alkaloids in Sows' Diet Reduce Body Weight Loss during Lactation and Increase IgG in Colostrum.

Isoquinoline alkaloids (IQ) exert beneficial antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects in livestock. Therefore, we hypothesized that supplementing sows' diets with IQ during gestation would decrease farrowing stress, affecting the piglets' development and performance. Sows were divided into: IQ1, supplemented with IQ from gestation day 80 (G80) to weaning; IQ2, supplemented from gestation day 110 (G110) to weaning, and a non-supplemented (NC) group.

Validation of Dairy Cow Bodyweight Prediction Using Traits Easily Recorded by Dairy Herd Improvement Organizations and Its Potential Improvement Using Feature Selection Algorithms.

Knowing the body weight (BW) of a cow at a specific moment or measuring its changes through time is of interest for management purposes. The current work aimed to validate the feasibility of predicting BW using the day in milk, parity, milk yield, and milk mid-infrared (MIR) spectrum from a multiple-country dataset and reduce the number of predictors to limit the risk of over-fitting and potentially improve its accuracy. The BW modeling procedure involved feature selections and herd-independent validation in identifying the most interesting subsets of predictors and then external validation of the models.

Appropriate Data Quality Checks Improve the Reliability of Values Predicted from Milk Mid-Infrared Spectra.

The use of abnormal milk mid-infrared (MIR) spectrum strongly affects prediction quality, even if the prediction equations used are accurate. So, this record must be detected after or before the prediction process to avoid erroneous spectral extrapolation or the use of poor-quality spectral data by dairy herd improvement (DHI) organizations. For financial or practical reasons, adapting the quality protocol currently used to improve the accuracy of fat and protein contents is unfeasible.

Effects of Wheat Bran Applied to Maternal Diet on the Intestinal Architecture and Immune Gene Expression in Suckling Piglets.

The strategy of improving the growth and health of piglets through maternal fiber diet intervention has attracted increasing attention. Therefore, 15 sows were conducted to a wheat bran (WB) group, in which the sows' diets included 25% of WB in gestation and 14% in lactation, and a control (CON) group, in which the sows' diets at all stages of reproduction did not contain WB. The results show that maternal high WB intervention seems not to have an impact on the growth of the offspring or the villus height of the duodenum, and the ratio of villi/crypts in the duodenum and jejunum were all higher in piglets born from WB sows, which may indicate that WB piglets had a larger absorption area and capacity for nutrients.

An Innovative Concept for a Multivariate Plausibility Assessment of Simultaneously Recorded Data.

The aim of this work was to develop an innovative multivariate plausibility assessment (MPA) algorithm in order to differentiate between 'physiologically normal', 'physiologically extreme' and 'implausible' observations in simultaneously recorded data. The underlying concept is based on the fact that different measurable parameters are often physiologically linked. If physiologically extreme observations occur due to disease, incident or hormonal cycles, usually more than one measurable trait is affected.

Predicting physiological imbalance in Holstein dairy cows by three different sets of milk biomarkers.

Blood biomarkers may be used to detect physiological imbalance and potential disease. However, blood sampling is difficult and expensive, and not applicable in commercial settings. Instead, individual milk samples are readily available at low cost, can be sampled easily and analysed instantly.

Short communication: Investigation of the temporal relationships between milk mid-infrared predicted biomarkers and lameness events in later lactation.

This study reports on the exploration of temporal relationships between milk mid-infrared predicted biomarkers and lameness events. Lameness in dairy cows is an issue that can vary greatly in severity and is of concern for both producers and consumers. Metabolic disorders are often associated with lameness.

Feeding sows resistant starch during gestation and lactation impacts their faecal microbiota and milk composition but shows limited effects on their progeny.

Background: Establishment of a beneficial microbiota profile for piglets as early in life as possible is important as it will impact their future health. In the current study, we hypothesized that resistant starch (RS) provided in the maternal diet during gestation and lactation will be fermented in their hindgut, which would favourably modify their milk and/or gut microbiota composition and that it would in turn affect piglets' microbiota profile and their absorptive and immune abilities.

Methods: In this experiment, 33% of pea starch was used in the diet of gestating and lactating sows and compared to control sows.