Structural equation models (SEMs) of a recursive type with heterogeneous structural coefficients were used to explore biological relationships between gestation length (GL), calving difficulty (CD), and perinatal mortality, also known as stillbirth (SB), in cattle, with the last two traits having categorical expression. An acyclic model was assumed, where recursive effects existed from the GL p...

Straightbred and crossbred heifers (165) and cows (241) that were nonpregnant after exposure to fertile bulls for two consecutive breeding periods of 45 to 60 d (repeat breeders) and contemporary cows (102) that had produced a calf in the previous calving season (controls) were placed with bulls and were observed for mating. Repeat-breeder and control females were slaughtered at 2 to 51 d postm...

Sex-sorted semen can increase the profitability of dairy cattle by producing offspring of the desired sex. The objective of the present study was to compare conception rate, stillbirth, calving difficulty and sex ratios from sexed and conventional semen in a commercial dairy herd in Isfahan province, Iran. Data were collected from April 2009 until December 2015 on 13,343 inseminations in 8,011 ...

In the present study, records on 22872 first-parity Holsteins collected from 131 herds by the Animal Breeding and Improvement Center of Iran from 1995 to 2014 were considered to estimate genetic and phenotypic relationships between calving difficulty (CD) and the lactation curve traits, including initial milk yield (Ap), ascending (Bp) and descending (Cp) slope of the lactation curves, peak mil...

Calving records from 1969 to 1989 from the Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center were used to investigate how climatic conditions, in addition to dystocia, age of dam, size of calf, and sex affect calf survival from birth to 1 wk of age. Data were analyzed separately for cows calving with (n = 11,094) or without (n = 72,187) dystocia. Neonatal mortality was described by a logit model...

Inadequate dietary energy intake and poor body condition can negatively affect reproductive function. Supplemental lipids have been used to increase energy density of the diet and may also have direct positive effects on reproduction in beef cattle. Several fatty acid sources have been studied as they relate to reproductive function. Common sources include sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, rice...

The objective was to determine whether the use of estradiol-17beta (E2) at the initiation of short dry periods prevented an anticipated decline in milk production in the subsequent lactation. Lactating Holstein cows (n = 66) were dried at either 60 or 30 d before expected calving. Treatments in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement included: D60 (n = 19, 60-d dry, no E2), D60 + E2 (n = 18, 60-d dry, E2...

Abstract The objective of this study was to characterize calvings with low and high difficulty based on the productive reproductive performance dairy cows. Calvings were grouped in no calving assistance, assistance. original data set comprised 1,902 records obtained from a large farm Southeast Brazil. Factor analysis applied using SAS® Studio 3.8 statistical program through factor procedure, co...

Utilizing pasture-based systems may increase cow comfort during late gestation and calving as it lacks the constraints of confinement housing. The objective of this study was to quantify lying behavior and activity of Holstein dairy cows housed on pasture during the 6 d before calving. Sixteen Holstein dairy cows were moved to pasture 3 weeks before their projected calving date. Data loggers we...