The signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) genes are responsive to a wide range of cytokines, growth factors, and hormones, and thus control important biological processes. In humans, STAT4 mutations have been identified as genetic markers for rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and primary Sjögren's syndrome, whereas little research has been conducted on bovine...

Selective signatures in whole genome can help us understand the mechanisms of selection and target causal variants for breeding program. In present study, we performed Extended Haplotype Homozygosity (EHH) tests to identify significant core regions harboring such signals in Chinese Holstein, and then verified the biological significance of these identified regions based on commonly-used bioinfo...

The objective of this study was to assess the association of polymorphisms in κ-cn, β-lg, β-lg 5′ flanking region, CSN1S2, and IGFBP-3 genes with milk production traits and mastitis-related traits in Chinese Holstein. Traits analyzed were 305 day standard milk yield, protein percentage, fat percentage, the ratio of fat percentage and protein percentage, pre-somatic cell count, somatic cell coun...

The future value of an individual dairy cow depends greatly on its projected milk yield. In developed countries with developed dairy industry infrastructures, facilities exist to record individual cow production and reproduction outcomes consistently and accurately. Accurate prediction of the future value of a dairy cow requires further detailed knowledge of the costs associated with feed, mana...

We investigated the associations between SLC11A1 polymorphisms and susceptibility to tuberculosis (TB) in Chinese Holstein cattle, using a case-control study of 136 animals that had positive reactions to TB tests and showed symptoms and 96 animals that had negative reactions to tests and showed no symptoms. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) sequencing and the restriction fragment length polymorph...

Typically, central milk recording data from dairy herds are recorded less than monthly. Over-fitting early in lactation periods is a challenge, which we explored in different ways by reducing the number of parameters needed to describe the milk yield and somatic cell count of individual cows. Furthermore, we investigated how the parameters of lactation models correlate between parities and from...

Milk urea nitrogen (MUN) has been proposed as a management tool for nutritionists and dairy farmers to use as a monitor for protein feeding rates and nitrogen metabolism in lactating dairy cows. Dietary crude protein (CP) content has the greatest nutritional influence on MUN concentrations and has the potential to be used as a management tool for assessing dietary protein feeding. The MUN conce...

As ruminants are able to digest fibre efficiently and assuming that competition for feed v. food use would intensify in the future, cereals and other field crops should primarily be destined to cover the dietary needs of humans and monogastric animals such as poultry and pigs. Farming systems with a reduced or absent concentrate supplementation, as postulated by organic agriculture associations...

Abstract The aim of the current experiment is to reduce heat stress on imported Holstein cows in central Iraq during months August and September. Using 12 multiparous from milk-producing raised station, divided into three treatments each treatment containing 4 cows. C = without spraying (control treatment), T1 sprayed once a day at 1 pm T2 twice 11 am pm. results statistical analysis indicated ...