African Journal of Dairy Farming and Milk Production

African Journal of Dairy Farming and Milk Production ISSN 2375-1258 Vol. 13 (1), pp. 001-013, January, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Review

Assessing the Impact of Dietary Cation-Anion Differences on Productive and Reproductive Efficiency in Animal Agriculture

Muhammad Sharif*, Muhammad Aasif Shahzad, Mahr-un-Nisa and Muhammad Sarwar

Institute of Animal Nutrition and Feed Technology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Accepted 15 October, 2024

Abstract

Various nutritional tools have been used to improve the productive and reproductive performance of animals, among which difference between certain minerals, called dietary cation anion difference (DCAD) plays a pivotal role. Low or negative DCAD diets reduce blood pH and HCO3- and animal becomes acidotic. This improves Ca absorption from the intestinal tract. It also induces mobilization of Ca from bones which improves Ca status of the animal, thus preventing the occurrence of milk fever at the time of parturition. This may increase milk production and health in subsequent lactation. However, animals fed high DCAD diets before parturition may suffer from milk fever. Milk fever affected animals have increased plasma cortisol level that causes immunosuppression at calving. It is also positively associated with other problems like retained placenta, mastitis and udder edema. On the other hand, feeding high DCAD diet results in increased ruminal pH which is pre-requisite for optimal microbial activity as well as improving the feed intake of the animal. Improved dry matter intake (DMI) is positively correlated with milk yield by providing precursors for various milk constituents. High DCAD diet results in increased milk fat percent due to shifting of ruminal volatile fatty acid production towards acetic acid and butyric acid. It also improves energy balance of the animal which causes increased blood flow towards ovaries and increased progesterone synthesis and follicular development due to positive association between energy balance and postpartum ovulation, which leads to improved reproductive performance of the animal. While feeding low DCAD diet reduces feed intake which causes negative energy balance in early lactating animals that lessens conception rate and increases services per conception. In conclusion, feeding low DCAD diets prepartum prevents the occurrence of milk fever via improving Ca status while feeding high DCAD diets results in improved productive and reproductive performance in lactating animals.

Key words: Feed intake, milk yield, reproductive performance, hypocalcaemia, dietary cation anion difference.
 

African Journal of Dairy Farming and Milk Production ISSN 2375-1258 Vol. 13 (1), pp. 001-009, January, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Effects of Alfalfa Hay and Peanut Hay in Total Mixed Ration on the Performance of Periparturient Dairy Cows: Insights from a Field Trial in Thailand

Theera Rukkwamsuk¹*, Sunthorn Rungruang², Apassara Choothesa¹ and Theo Wensing³

¹Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Kamphanegsaen, Nakhon-Pathom 73140, Thailand.
²Pakthongchai Dairy Farm, Pakthongchai, Nakhonrachasima 30150, Thailand.
³Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3508TD Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Accepted 2 September, 2024

Abstract

Forty Holstein Friesian dairy cows were used to compare alfalfa (ALF) and peanut hay-base (PNT) total mixed rations on performance in periparturient period. Twenty cows were fed ALF diet (16.5% crude protein) and 20 cows were fed PNT diet (19% crude protein). All cows were routinely drenched once daily with propylene glycol as early as 1 week prior to anticipated calving date, until 7 days after calving. Blood samples were collected at -2, 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks from parturition. Milk yields were recorded daily and milk samples were collected twice a week to determine urea nitrogen concentrations and milk composition. During the 4 weeks postpartum, daily dry matter intake of cows did not differ between the two groups. Serum glucose, non-esterified fatty acid, b-hydroxybutyrate and urea nitrogen concentrations did not differ between the two groups at any sampling times. After calving, decreased glucose and increased nonesterified fatty acid and b-hydroxybutyrate concentrations in the blood indicated that cows in both groups went into negative energy balance status. Serum urea nitrogen concentrations did not change during the sampling period. Cows fed PNT diet seemed to have higher urea nitrogen concentrations in the milk than cows fed ALF diet. Average milk production during the 30 days postpartum was greater for cows fed ALF diet than those fed PNT diet. Milk composition did not differ between groups. Although, average days from calving to first service did not differ between groups, cows fed ALF diet had better conception rate at first service than cows fed PNT diet. In conclusion, cows fed ALF diet could improve milk yield and conception rate. However, in Thailand, replacing PNT with ALF hay in total mixed ration would depend on the economic analysis because ALF hay was exported from a foreign country.

Key words: Alfalfa hay, dairy cow, peanut hay, performance.
 

African Journal of Dairy Farming and Milk Production ISSN 2375-1258 Vol. 12 (4), pp. 001-007, April, 2024. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Optimizing cattle health through proper hoof care: Essential guidelines for farmers

Ifeanyieze F. O.¹, Ogunbosoye D. O.² and Ikehi M. E.¹*

¹Department of Agricultural Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.

²Department of Animal Production, Fisheries and Aquaculture, College of Agricultural Science, Kwara State University, Malete, Kwara State, Nigeria. *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected].

Received 07 July, 2023; Accepted 19 October, 2023

Abstract

Cattle is one of the animals raised by animal farmers for income generation from milk and meat. This study was carried out to identify the practices required by farmers in hoof trimming for effective health management of cattle. The objectives of the study were to identify the practises required by farmers in planning for, preventive, curative, and the materials for hoof trimming of cattle. The study adopted descriptive survey research design and was carried out in The Netherlands. The population for the study was 38 comprising of 13 lecturers of animal science, 11 veterinary doctors, 10 extension agents and 4 hoof trimmers. There was no sampling because of the manageable size of the population. The instrument for data collection was a 45 item structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was validated by three experts in the dairy training centre. Data were collected by the researchers and analysed using mean and standard deviation. Findings from the study showed that a balanced hoof and proper body posture are the primary desired results of hooves trimming, for both routine or preventive approach, using the right tools. Findings further revealed that effective hooves trimming requires such activity based skills which needs to be hought to cattle keepers for effective animal health management The study therefore recommended that the identified techniques should be utilized in training of extension agents through workshop, and the farmers in a town hall meeting to make them effective in hoof trimming of their cattle in Nigeria.

Key words: Animal health, routine, training, preventive, cattle production, posture.

African Journal of Dairy Farming and Milk Production ISSN 2375-1258 Vol. 12 (3), pp. 001-009, March, 2024. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Assessment of raw milk quality management in smallholder collection systems in Nakuru and Nyandarua counties, Kenya

Teresiah W. Ndungu¹*, Patrick S. Muliro¹, Mary Omwamba¹, Gerard Oosterwijk² and Anton Jansen³

¹Department of Dairy and Food Science, Egerton University, P. O. Box 536-20115, Egerton, Kenya.
²Happy Cow Limited, P. O. Box 558-20100, Nakuru, Kenya.
³SNV/KMDP Netherlands Development Organisation, P. O. Box 30776, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya. *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected].

Accepted 26 April, 2023

Abstract

Kenya has one of the largest dairy industries in sub-Saharan Africa. Most of the milk marketed by small-scale farmers in Kenya has been reported to be of poor quality and does not meet national and international standards due to high bacterial load, high somatic cell count, adulteration and antibiotic residues. This study was designed to assess status of microbiological and physico-chemical quality of raw milk from two smallholder dairy farmer’ groups at four sampling levels. Three hundred and eight raw milk samples were collected and analyzed along the value chain. Microbiological analysis for total bacterial count and coliform count was carried out using 3MTM Petrifilms plates. The average total bacterial and coliform counts Log10 per ml at the processing factory was 8.462 and 6.770 for Ngorika and Olenguruone, respectively. The antibiotic residues especially β- lactam was prevalent with 44.5% of all the analyzed samples being positive. Likewise, 60% of the samples had a range of 150,000 to 500,000 somatic cells/ml. Average water adulteration level for the two collecting and bulking enterprises was 30.3%. TVBC and CC should be used instead of resazurin while freezing point determination should be used for adulteration.

Key words: Raw milk safety, Adulteration, Antibiotic residues Resazurin test.
 

African Journal of Dairy Farming and Milk Production ISSN 2375-1258 Vol. 12 (2), pp. 001-009, February, 2024. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Exploring microbiological standards and quality attributes of Karish cheese from Egypt

Sameh Awad
    
Department of Dairy Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, Egypt. E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]. Tel: 020 3 5903915.

Received 22 March 2023; Accepted 9 May, 2023

Abstract

Some traditional fermented dairy products like Egyptian Karish cheese and traditional fermented milk (Laban Zeer) are manufactured in farmhouses following traditional techniques using raw milk without heat treatment or addition of selected starter cultures, these products are generally designed as “artisanal”. The representative Karish samples were analyzed for their content of total microbial, Enterobacteriaceae, yeast, molds, Staphylococci coagulase positive, Salmonella spp., Listeria spp., in addition to detection of Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridium perfringens and Campylobacter spp. using classical methods. The physico-chemical properties of collected samples showed that the average of protein, fat, moisture and acidity were in accepted range with that reported in literatures and Egyptian standard. Some lactic acid bacteria (Lactococcus lactis supsp. lactis, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis and Enterococcus feacium) were isolated and identified from fresh karish cheese using classical methods followed by rep-PCR. Lactococcus garvieae was detected in fresh samples using TTGE but could not be detected using classical methods. The results of microbiological analysis showed the presence of high numbers of Enterobacteriaceae that ranged from log10 2.6 cfu/g to log10 3.5 cfu/g, Bacillus ssp. ranged from log10 4.2 cfu/g to log 10 5.6 cfu/g, Staphylococci counts are ranged from log10 1.8 cfu/g to log10 2.7 cfu/g, faecal enterococci count ranged from log10 3.5 cfu/g to log10 5.8 cfu/g. Yeasts and molds count ranged from log10 2.7 cfu/g to log10 3.5 cfu/g. B. cereus, L. monocytogenes, C. perfringens, Shigella, Salmonella, Escherichia coli β-glucuronidase positive and Campylobacter spp. were not detected in all the examined samples. The count of undesirable microorganisms indicated the poor hygienic practice of traditional Karish cheese production; starting with using poor quality of raw milk and processing under uncontrolled environments. This would require using clean raw milk, controlled manufacturing steps and selection of the appropriate starter culture for the fermentation.

Key words: Karish cheese, microbiological analysis, safety.

African Journal of Dairy Farming and Milk Production ISSN 2375-1258 Vol. 12 (1), pp. 001-006, January, 2024. © International Scholars Journals