Moderate lameness leads to marked behavioral changes in dairy cows

Lameness is one of the most prevalent diseases affecting the welfare of cows in modern dairy production. Lameness leads to behavioral changes in severely lame cows, which have been investigated in much detail. For early detection of lameness, knowledge of the effects of moderate lameness on cow behavior is crucial. Therefore, the behavior of nonlame and moderately lame cows was compared on 17 Swiss dairy farms. On each farm, 5 to 11 nonlame (locomotion score 1 of 5) and 2 to 7 moderately lame (locomotion score 3 of 5) cows were selected for data collection in two 48-h periods (A, B) separated by an interval of 6 to 10 wk. Based on visual locomotion scoring, 142 nonlame and 66 moderately lame cows were examined in period A and 128 nonlame and 53 moderately lame cows in period B. Between these 2 periods, the cows underwent corrective hoof trimming. Lying behavior, locomotor activity, and neck activity were recorded by accelerometers (MSR145 data logger, MSR Electronics GmbH, Seuzach, Switzerland), and feeding and rumination behaviors by noseband sensors (RumiWatch halter, ITIN + HOCH GmbH, Liestal, Switzerland). Furthermore, visits to the brush and the concentrate feeder, and the milking order position were recorded. In comparison with nonlame cows, moderately lame cows had a longer lying duration, a longer average lying bout duration, and a greater lateral asymmetry in lying duration. Average locomotor activity, locomotor activity during 1 h after feed delivery or push-ups, and average neck activity were lower in moderately lame cows. Eating time and the number of eating chews (jaw movements) were reduced in moderately lame compared with nonlame cows, whereas no effect of moderate lameness was evident for ruminating time, number of ruminating chews and boluses, and average number of ruminating chews per bolus. Moderately lame cows visited the concentrate feeder and the brush less frequently, and they were further back in the milking order compared with nonlame cows. In conclusion, nonlame and moderately lame cows differed in a biologically relevant way in many of the behavioral variables investigated in this study. Therefore, the use of these behavioral changes seems to be promising to develop a tool for early lameness detection.     

Effect of temperature and retention period on biogas production from lignocellulosic material

The extensive utilization of biogas for energy needs of rural dwellers would reduce their dependence on fossil fuels and fuelwoods and henoe camplement Government afforestation programes. In this investigation, effect of temperature and retention period on biogas production from lignooellulosic material, hereafter referred to as cow dung were studied. Maximum gas production was dotained at thermophilic temperature. The results of the effect of retention period shows that gas production was qotimum at 4th and 7th weeks of production.     

有机-无机复合肥生产工艺

随着社会经济快速发展和城乡环境的污染已日趋严重。根据有机肥、无机肥各自的优缺点提出有机-无机肥生产的新工艺。     

我国奶牛场收入政策及发展

叙述了我国目前乳业概况，就经济体制转变以来，我国的奶生产情况，牧场收入，政府所起的作用及乳业今后面临的挑战等问题进行了分析和论述。     

Exosomal Cargo May Hold the Key to Improving Reproductive Outcomes in Dairy Cows

The reproductive status of dairy cows remains a challenge for dairy farmers worldwide, with impaired fertility linked to a significant reduction in herd profitability, due in part to impaired immunity, increased metabolic pressure, and longer postpartum anestrous interval (PPAI). Exosomes are nanovesicles released from a variety of cell types and end up in circulation, and carry proteins, bioactive peptides, lipids, and nucleic acids specific to the place of origin. As such, their role in health and disease has been investigated in humans and animals. This review discusses research into exosomes in the context of reproduction in dairy herds and introduces recent advances in mass-spectrometry (MS) based proteomics that have a potential to advance quantitative profiling of exosomal protein cargo in a search for early biomarkers of cattle fertility.     

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON MIXING: POWER CONSUMPTION AND DEGREE OF SUSPENSION

An experimental study on mixing, degree of suspension and power consumption in solid-liquid suspensions was done. A system similar to those found in anaerobic fermentation processes of animal manures was used, and an existing mixing equipment was adapted for the study. Power consumption and degree of suspension for both mechanical mixing and mixing by gas was determined. The influence of variables such as geometry, solids concentration, stirrer velocity, and gas velocity was studied, discussed, and compared to data from the literature. Best results were obtained for gas mixing, the power consumption being about one fourth of that required by mechanical agitation. Finally, extended correlations relating Power and Reynolds numbers for mechanical mixing and mixing by gas are proposed.     

Residual effect of long-term applications of farmyard manure to silage maize

Sluijsmans and Kolenbrander developed a simple model to describe the availability of animal manure, assuming a readily available, an easily decomposable and a slowly decomposable N fraction. We tested this model on data from an experiment in which farmyard manure had been applied for eleven successive years to silage maize [Zea mays L.] grown on a light sandy soil. The residual effects of this FYM were then measured by growing Italian ryegrass [Lolium multiflorum Lamk.] in the 12th year. The measured uptake of N by the grass of the FYM residues was then compared with the computed values. The measured amounts of N taken up agreed fairly well with the calculated amounts for applications of 50 and 100 t FYM per ha per year.If the rates of manure application are adjusted to crop requirement, the model shows that the potential, long-term release of N from the residual N fraction of FYM will not exceed 20 kg N per ha. For cattle slurry with a smaller residual fraction, the release will be at most 10% of the total annual N application.     

Nitrate leaching from loamy soils as affected by crop rotation and nitrogen fertilizer application

Nitrate leaching as affected by cropping system/crop rotation, history of farmyard manure application or fertilizer nitrogen application (0 N, 0.5 N and 1 N) was studied at nine sites on loamy soils during 1986/87, 1987/88 and 1988/89. Soil solution from 80 to 90 cm soil depth was sampled every second week in the period November to May by the use of porous ceramic cups and analysed for NO₃-N and Cl. Climatical conditions were obtained from standard meteorological observations in the region. Drainage from soil profiles was calculated from measured and simulated values of precipitation and actual evapotranspiration, respectively.The results show that type of crop is of the utmost importance for the leaching magnitude of nitrate as 40% of the total variance in nitrate concentrations in the soil solution could be explained by the type of crop.The second factor of importance was the history of farmyard manure (FYM) application, which was able to explain 28% of the total variation in nitrate concentration in the soil solution. Nitrate concentration/leaching from arable land without FYM ever being applied was considerably lower than from arable land which received periodical FYM applications until the early 70's or from arable land which besides periodical FYM applications in the past presently still receives regular applications of FYM. Only about 1% of the total variation in nitrate concentration in the soil solution was explainable by the level of fertilizer nitrogen application.Differences between years explained 14% of the total variation in nitrate concentration in the soil solution due to differences between the years in soil temperatures and water run-off. The run-off during the autumn and winter of 1986/87, 1987/88 and 1988/89 was 95, 275 and 55 mm, respectively. As expected nitrate leaching increased with increasing run off. However, nitrate leaching at the 275 mm run off was considerably lower than expected, which seems explainable by a substantial denitrification. The soil at the sites in question seems thus partly to purify the soil solution for nitrate before it leaves the root zone at the observed high run off conditions.     

β-乳球蛋白IgG抗原决定簇的识别

以β-乳球蛋白氨基酸序列为模板,错位合成β-乳球蛋白多肽,以收集到的牛乳过敏患者血清为抗体,鉴定β-乳球蛋白IgG抗原决定簇,探讨牛乳过敏机理．结果表明,β-乳球蛋白IgG抗原决定簇有2条,它们在β-乳球蛋白中的氨基酸序列定位分别为aa22—36和aa127—141．结果表明通过特异性水解抗原决定簇实现牛奶脱敏的方法是可行的．     

共轭亚油酸强化型乳制品的稳定性研究

通过牛乳液中添加共轭亚油酸（CLA）,分析杀菌温度、均质压力、乳化剂类型、CLA添加量对牛乳稳定性的影响.实验结果表明：脱脂乳中添加0.17%的CLA稳定性较好,口感纯正;当灭菌温度超过100℃时,CLA含量明显降低;以单苷酯、三聚苷酯和蔗糖酯的混合乳化剂,按1∶1∶2混合的乳液稳定性好;35MPa以上的均质压力下,乳液中的脂肪球细小,分布均匀,口感细腻。