Evaluation of the Metabolic Relationship between Cows and Calves by Monitoring Calf Health and Cow Automatic Milking System and Metabolic Parameters.

With this study, we investigated the relationship between a cow's and calf's metabolic state, and its effect on health status. To achieve this, 20 calves of primiparous and 20 calves of multiparous cows were selected. The calves were monitored for 30 days and scored for signs of disease, as described in McQuirk (2008); according to score, they were divided into healthier calves; the Low calf score group (LCS, 5-8), Medium calf score group (MCS, 9-12) and High calf score group (HCS, 14-17); or calves most prone to disease. Their mothers were monitored for the same period with a Lely Astronaut 3 herd management system (Lely, Maassluis, The Netherlands) for rumination time, milk yield, milk fat, protein, lactose concentrations and milk fat to protein ratio. Both cows and calves were sampled for blood, and concentrations of glucose with ß-hydroxybutyrate were registered. The results indicate that primiparous cows had a 16% higher blood glucose concentration (3.03 mmol/L SE = 0.093) compared with multiparous cows (2.61 mmol/L, SE = 0.102) (p < 0.01), but no difference in calf glucose was recorded. Β-hydroxybutyrate levels did not differ significantly between cows and calves by parity group. Rumination time was longest in the HCS group at 550.79 min/d. and was 16% longer compared with the LCS group (461.94 min/d.; p < 0.001) and 8% longer compared with the MCS group (505.56 min/d.; p < 0.001). The MCS group rumination time mean was statistically significantly higher compared with the LCS group by 8% (p < 0.001). Milk yield was also highest in the HCS group (44.8 kg/d.): 19% higher compared with the MCS group (36.31 kg/d., p < 0.001) and 13% higher than the LCS group (38.83 kg/d., p < 0.001). There was also a significant difference between the MCS and LCS groups of 6% (p < 0.001). The HCS group had the highest milk fat concentration (4.47%): it was 4% higher compared with the LCS group (4.28%, p < 0.001) and 5% higher than the MCS group (4.25%, p < 0.001). Milk fat to protein ratio was highest in the HCS group (1.21) and was 7% higher than in the MCS group (1.12, p < 0.001) and 8% higher than in the LCS group (1.11, p < 0.001). The LCS group was determined to have the highest concentration of milk lactose (4.66%). It was 1% higher compared with the MCS group (4.62%, p < 0.001) and 1.07% higher than the HCS group (4.61%, p < 0.001). We can conclude that parity did not affect calf health status and that cows of the HCS group showed symptoms of negative energy balance expressed through higher milk yield, higher milk fat concentration and higher milk fat to protein ratio, with lower milk lactose concentration. Further and more thorough research is needed to evaluate the relationship between pregnant cows and calves.

Identification of Changes in Rumination Behavior Registered with an Online Sensor System in Cows with Subclinical Mastitis.

The aim of the present study is to determine the relationship between subclinical mastitis and rumination behavior registered with an online sensor system. Based on the findings of the general clinical examination of 650 milking cows, 10 cows with subclinical mastitis (SCM) and 10 clinically healthy cows (HG) were selected (without clinical signs of any diseases). Rumination behavior biomarkers were registered with RumiWatch noseband sensors (RWS; ITIN + HOCH GmbH, Fütterungstechnik, Liestal, Switzerland). Sensors were implanted on the first day after calving. Data from the RWS 13 days before diagnosis of SCM and 13 days after diagnosis of SCM were compared with HG data from the same period. Healthy cows were checked alongside SCM cows on the same days. In our study, we found that healthy cows spent more time engaging in rumination and drinking (p < 0.05) and also had more boluses per rumination. Moreover, among cows with subclinical mastitis, rumination time from day 4 to day 0 decreased by 60.91%, drinking time decreased by 48.47%, and the number of boluses per rumination decreased by 8.67% (p < 0.05). The results indicate that subclinical affects time and rumination chews registered with sensor systems. However, additional studies with larger numbers of animals are required to confirm these results. Furthermore, the impact of heat stress, estrus, and other effects on rumination behavior biomarkers should be evaluated.

Trends in Changes of Automatic Milking System Biomarkers and Their Relations with Blood Biochemical Parameters in Fresh Dairy Cows.

The aim or this study was to determine the relationship between non-esterified fatty acids and biomarkers from an automatic milking system (AMS). Fresh dairy cows (n = 102) were selected and milked in Lely Astronaut® A3 milking robots. The rumination time (RT), body weight (BW), milk content and composition parameters, milk fat/protein ratio (F/P), and milk electrical conductivity were registered by the same milking robots. For examining non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs), blood samples were acquired from cows in the dry period. According to the NEFA concentrations, all cows were divided into two groups: Group I, with <0.300 mEq/L (n = 66), and Group II, with ≥0.300 mEq/L (n = 36). Albumin (ALB), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and cortisol concentrations were also analyzed once a week up to 30 days in milking. The study revealed that the cows in Group I had higher concentrations of ALB, cortisol, and GGT, but the average concentration of AST was lower. In Group 1, the milk F/P was higher, but the milk yield was lower. We hypothesize that biomarkers from AMS could help in the early diagnosis of metabolic diseases after calving or to control negative energy balance before calving.

Influence of Calving Ease on In-Line Milk Lactose and Other Milk Components.

The aim of our study was to determine how the ease of calving of cows may influence changes in lactose concentration and other milk components and whether these two factors correlate with each other. To achieve this, we compared data of calving ease scores and average percentage of in-line registered milk lactose and other milk components. A total of 4723 dairy cows from nine dairy farms were studied. The cows were from the second to the fourth lactation. All cows were classified according to the calving ease: group 1 (score 1)-no problems; group 2 (score 2)-slight problems; group 3 (score 3)-needed assistance; group 4 (score 4)-considerable force or extreme difficulty. Based on the data from the milking robots, during complete lactation we recorded milk indicators: milk yield MY (kg/day), milk fat (MF), milk protein (MP), lactose (ML), milk fat/lactose ratio (MF/ML), milk protein/lactose ratio (MP/ML), milk urea (MU), and milk electrical conductivity (EC) of all quarters of the udder. According to the results, we found that cows that had no calving difficulties, also had higher milk lactose concentration. ML > 4.7% was found in 58.8% of cows without calving problems. Cows with more severe calving problems had higher risk of mastitis (SCC and EC). Our data indicates that more productive cows have more calving problems compared to less productive ones.

Relation of Automated Body Condition Scoring System and Inline Biomarkers (Milk Yield, ß-Hydroxybutyrate, Lactate Dehydrogenase and Progesterone in Milk) with Cow's Pregnancy Success.

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the relation of automatically determined body condition score (BCS) and inline biomarkers such as ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), milk yield (MY), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and progesterone (mP4) with the pregnancy success of cows. The cows (n = 281) had 2.1 ± 0.1. lactations on average, were 151.6 ± 0.06 days postpartum, and were once tested with "Easy scan" ultrasound (IMV imaging, Scotland) at 30-35 d post-insemination. According to their reproductive status, cows were grouped into two groups: non-pregnant (n = 194 or 69.0% of cows) and pregnant (n = 87 or 31.0% of cows). Data concerning their BCS, mP4, MY, BHB, and LDH were collected each day from the day of insemination for 7 days. The BCS was collected with body condition score camera (DeLaval Inc., Tumba, Sweden); mP4, MY, BHB, and LDH were collected with the fully automated real-time analyzer Herd Navigator™ (Lattec I/S, Hillerød, Denmark) in combination with a DeLaval milking robot (DeLaval Inc., Tumba, Sweden). Of all the biomarkers, three differences between groups were significant. The body condition score (BCS) of the pregnant cows was higher (+0.49 score), the milk yield (MY) was lower (-4.36 kg), and milk progesterone in pregnant cows was (+6.11 ng/mL) higher compared to the group of non-pregnant cows (p < 0.001). The pregnancy status of the cows was associated with their BCS assessment (p < 0.001). We estimated that cows with BCS > 3.2 were 22 times more likely to have reproductive success than cows with BCS ≤ 3.2.

Influence of Subclinical Ketosis in Dairy Cows on Ingestive-Related Behaviours Registered with a Real-Time System.

According to the literature, rumination time can be used as biomarker in the diagnosis of subclinical ketosis (SCK). We hypothesized that SCK in cows influences ingestive-related behaviours registered with the real-time system. The aim of the current study was to determine the influence of SCK on dairy cows' ingestive-related behaviours registered with a real-time system. Twenty Lithuanian Black and White breed dairy cows were selected based on the following criteria: First day after calving, having two or more lactations (on average 3.0 ± 0.13 lactations), and being clinically healthy. The experiment lasted 18 days. Cows were tested 24 h a day for 17.5 days. On the day of diagnosis (day 0), data were recorded for 12 h. During the experimental period, one cow was studied for a total of 420 h. For the registration of rumination behaviour, the RumiWatch system (RWS) was used. It was found that cows with SCK showed lesser average values for the following parameters: rumination time and rumination chews (1.48 and 1.68 times respectively; p < 0.001), drinking time (1.50 times; p < 0.001), chews per minute, bolus and chews per bolus (1.12, 1.45 and 1.51 times; p < 0.001). From the 15th day before the diagnosis of SCK, rumination time in health cows was greater than that in SCK cows from -0.96% (-17 day) to 187.79% (0 days, < 0.001). We estimated the greater average value of drinking time in healthy cows compared with SCK cows from 34.22% on day -17 to -121.67% on day 0 (p < 0.001). Decrease in rumination time was associated with a significant increase in the probability of risk of SCK. Further studies are needed with a larger number of cows with SCK.

Relation of Subclinical Ketosis of Dairy Cows with Locomotion Behaviour and Ambient Temperature.

Rumination time, chewing time and drinking time are indicators that can be assessed in case of cow disease. In this research, two groups of cows were formed: cows with subclinical ketosis (SCK; n = 10) and healthy cows (HG; n = 10). Behaviour such as walking activity, feeding time with head position up, feeding time with head position down, change of activity and average, minimal and maximal ambient temperature of cows were recorded by the RumiWatch noseband system (RWS; RumiWatch System, Itin+Hoch GmbH, Liestal, Switzerland). The RWS comprises a noseband halter with a built-in pressure sensor and a liquid-filled pressure tube. Data from each studied cow were recorded for 420 h. According to the results of our study, it was determined that cows diagnosed with subclinical ketosis showed a tendency to change their activity more frequently. Our data indicates that minimal and maximal ambient temperatures are related with SCK.