Profiles of energy metabolites and haptoglobin (Hp) in dairy cows that are transitioned from conventional to organic management in various Alberta farms were compared with those of dairy cows managed conventionally at the University of Alberta dairy farm. Blood samples were collected during the following periods: Dry, 0 30, 30 60, and 60 90 days in milk (DIM, n = 7 cows). Concentrations of meta...

Grazed pasture, which is the cheapest source of nutrients for dairy cows, should form the basis of profitable and low-input animal production systems. Management of high-producing dairy cows at pasture is thus a major challenge in most countries. The objective of the present paper is to review the factors that can affect nutrient supply for grazing dairy cows in order to point out areas with sc...

BACKGROUND Optimal body condition in early lactation is generally accepted as a prerequisite for good reproductive performance. Examination of milk progesterone profiles offers an objective method for characterization of postpartum ovarian activity in dairy cows. The present study investigated the relationship between body condition after calving, some metabolic parameters in blood plasma, and ...

Bovine-leukosis virus (BLV; also termed 'bovine-leukemia virus') is a retrovirus that primarily affects lymphoid tissue of dairy and beef cattle. Our objective was to investigate the association between BLV infection and annual value of production (AVP) on dairy herds within the United States, as part of the USDA National Animal Health Monitoring System's 1996 dairy study. 1006 herds (in 20 sta...

OBJECTIVE To estimate seroprevalence of Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis (MAP) infection among adult dairy cows in Colorado and determine herd-level factors associated with the risk that individual cows would be seropositive. DESIGN Cross-sectional observational study. ANIMALS 10,280 adult (> or = 2 years old) dairy cows in 15 herds in Colorado. PROCEDURE Serum samples were test...

Current NRC recommendations for dairy cattle provide limited guidance to nutritionists for meeting the fiber and carbohydrate needs of lactating cows. The NRC provide only minimum recommendations for fiber and no accommodation for factors such as physical effectiveness of fiber, interactions with nonfibrous carbohydrates, or animal attributes, which can affect the optimality of dairy rations. T...

Energy is the most limiting nutritional component in diets for high-producing dairy cows. Palmitic (C16:0) and stearic (C18:0) acids have unique and specific functions in lactating dairy cows beyond a ubiquitous energy source. This review delineates their metabolism and usage in lactating dairy cows from diet to milk production. Palmitic acid is the fatty acid (FA) found in the greatest quantit...

Mastitis is the most common and costly disease of dairy cows (Hortet and Seegers, 1998; Zafalon et al., 2007); this is also the single most common reason for antimicrobial use in dairy herds, since antimicrobial therapy is the major primary tool for mastitis control in lactating and dry cows. Recently, coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CNS) are increasing in importance as cause of bovine intram...

AIM Bovine mastitis and lameness are the most common production diseases affecting dairy farms worldwide resulting in huge economic impact and impaired animal welfare. The objective of this field study was to investigate the association of infectious and non-infectious claw disorders with the occurrence of subclinical intramammary infections (IMIs) diagnosed by California mastitis test (CMT) in...

Efficient reproduction is important for optimal profitability on dairy operations. Unfortunately, most dairy farms do not attain optimal reproduction due to many factors related to management, health, and physiology of high-producing dairy cows. The physiology issues involved in reproduction of lactating dairy cows are complex but increasingly, the interactions between nutrition, the hormonal s...