Genetic parameters for body weight (BW), body condition score (BCS) and dry matter intake (DMI) of dairy heifers were estimated using covariance function (CF) methodology. Data were from 469 Holstein heifers of the Langhill Dairy Cattle Research Centre and included observations at calving and at 3, 5, 10, 20, and 25 weeks of lactation. The experiment comprised a selection line and a control lin...

Ghrelin is a gut peptide that when acylated is thought to stimulate appetite. Circulating ghrelin concentrations could potentially be used as a predictor of DMI in cattle. The objective of this experiment was to determine the association of circulating ghrelin concentrations with DMI and other production traits. Steers and heifers were fed a finishing diet, and individual intake was recorded fo...

Two experiments were conducted at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Research Center to determine the effects of feeding ground flaxseed (flax) during the receiving period on the growth, health, and subsequent finishing performance of heifers. Crossbred heifers (Exp. 1: n = 363, 214 +/- 1 kg of initial BW; Exp. 2: n = 377, 222 +/- 1 kg of initial BW) were purchased during January and April...

The objectives of this study were to investigate the associations between peripheral blood neutrophil (PMN) function, energy status, and uterine health in periparturient dairy cows. Data were collected from 83 multiparous Holstein cows. Blood samples for PMN function determination were collected weekly from 1 week prior to calving (week -1) through 4 weeks after calving and again at 8 weeks aft...

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of pregrazing pasture herbage mass (HM) on CH4 emissions, ruminal fermentation, and ADG of grazing beef heifers at 2 stages of the grazing season. Thirty Limousin cross heifers were allocated to 1 of 2 target pregrazing HM treatments [a low HM (LHM) or high HM (HHM) treatment] for 126 d in a randomized block design experiment. Pasture herb...

Determining the immune responses to the development of endometritis during the peripartum period may assist in the development of more efficient reproductive management regimens for dairy herds. In this study, we compared the peripartum immune responses of dairy cows that develop endometritis by 4 weeks postpartum (n = 11) to cows that did not develop this disease (n = 19). Blood samples were c...

One experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of glycerin (GLY) on animal performance and health when used as a partial replacement for roughage in receiving diets. The second experiment was conducted using ruminally and duodenally cannulated steers in a 4 × 4 Latin square to determine the site of nutrient digestion and ruminal fermentation characteristics when GLY replaced roughage at...

in order to determine the effects of substitution of barley grain with dried citrus pulp (dcp) on eight lactating holstein cows with average body weight of 550 ± 50 kg and 75 ± 15 days in milk were allocated to 4 dietary treatments, which were diet; the control with 0% dried citrus pulp (dcp) and 15% barley grain, diet 2, 3 and 4 containing 5, 10 and 15% dcp and 10, 5 and 0% barley grain respec...

Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of a low dietary cation-anion balance (DCAB) in preventing milk fever and udder edema in dry cows consuming a high-Ca diet and to evaluate the effect of this diet on calves delivered by these cows. Seventy primiparous or multiparous cows and 50 pregnant heifers were offered alfalfa hay-based diets beginning 4 wk before their projected calving date...