Different definitions have been proposed for longevity, making it challenging to compare methods for estimating the economic significance of survival traits. Simple profit functions often fail to capture biological complexity, whereas bioeconomic models, though comprehensive, can be difficult to apply. This study aimed to develop a versatile framework for estimating the economic value (EV) of longevity traits and designing optimal selection indices. The approach can accommodate various definitions of longevity (e.g., herd life, productive life, number of lactations, stayability or survival across lactations) and be applied across production systems. The economic model is founded on a stable herd age structure at equilibrium, where changes in survival rates influence profitability and age distribution. Average survival rates between parities determine the distribution of cows across parities and the number of replacements needed to maintain a steady-state herd structure. Iranian production and economic data were used for parameterization, and EVs were estimated accordingly. Seven selection indices were developed, incorporating production, reproduction, somatic cell score (SCS), longevity and type traits. The estimated economic weights were $0.12/kg for milk yield, $5.56/kg for fat yield, $5.50/kg for protein yield, $2.73/month for productive life, $22.6/year for herd life, $0.18/percentage point for survival, $37.59/lactation for number of lactations, $-3.84/day for days open and $-122.87/unit for SCC. Excluding longevity from the breeding goal led to the lowest observed genetic gain, demonstrating that including longevity traits positively influences overall genetic improvement. The greatest genetic progress was achieved by indices enhancing productive life through indirect selection on fore udder conformation. This study demonstrates that (1) the flexible approach enables estimation of EVs under multiple longevity definitions and (2) selection for productive life, particularly via indirect selection on fore udder traits, improves longevity, enhances production and reduces SCC.

This research paper addresses the hypothesis that the incorporation of yellow-fleshed sweet potato powder (SPP) into yoghurt can enhance its physicochemical, microbial and textural properties while improving storage stability. This study aimed to develop a yoghurt product incorporating yellow-fleshed SPP and to evaluate its effects on physicochemical, microbial and textural properties during fermentation and a 28-day storage period. SPP was added at concentrations of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% (w/v) to milk prior to fermentation. Parameters including pH, titratable acidity (TA), syneresis, viscosity, hardness, adhesiveness, colour attributes and microbial viability were measured. The addition of SPP positively influenced the fermentation process, significantly increasing total plate count, TA, viscosity and adhesiveness, while reducing pH, syneresis and hardness. Colour analysis showed that supplementation decreased L* values and whiteness index while increasing a*, b*, yellowness index and ΔE*, depending on the amount added. During storage, yoghurts with 5–10% SPP maintained superior textural stability, lower syneresis, minimal colour changes and preserved microbial viability compared to the control and higher concentration treatments. Otherwise, 15–20% additions resulted in reduced bacterial counts and destabilised gel structure. These results suggest that yellow-fleshed SPP acts as a natural stabiliser and prebiotic, enhancing yoghurt quality and storage stability. An optimal addition of 5–10% is recommended to maximise functional and sensory benefits without compromising product integrity, offering promising potential for the development of value-added, health-oriented dairy products targeting modern consumers.

Despite the significant contribution of the dairy sector to global food systems, data on food loss during dairy farming and processing are scarce. This research aimed to quantify and understand the drivers, and strategies that prevent food loss and waste. Using a mixed-method approach combining quantitative (processor quantities and farmer estimates) and qualitative (interview) data, two New Zealand case studies (dairy farmers and staff who worked for a dairy processor) were assessed to estimate the quantity of milk solids lost, identify dairy disposal practices and examine drivers that incentivised waste disposal or prevention/recycling approaches. From this study, dairy food loss is not a sizable issue given the percentage of losses occurring (1.8% per farm, and 5.5% at the processor). However, when extrapolated to national milk production: a 1.8% loss of New Zealand dairy production is the equivalent annual production of 350,000 cows. Qualitative analysis associated four key drivers with the level of food loss: perceptions of food loss inevitability, economic pressures, strong inter-stakeholder relationships and risk mitigation strategies. Prevention and recycling decisions were enabled by the industry’s cooperative structure and the high value of milk solids, for example, surplus milk was traded to other processors rather than put onto farmers to dispose of/use. However, this study found that participants were very limited in their recycling and disposal destination options. This exposed farmers and the processor to serious reputational (e.g. odour, wasteful perceptions) and biohazardous (e.g. animal disease, antibiotic resistance) risks. These findings highlight how supporting more equitable market power between farmers and processors prevents dairy food loss, and that farmers and processors require support to diversify end-of-pipe recycling options, and ultimately improve the sustainability of dairy supply chains.

Streptococcus uberis is currently the most notable emerging mastitis pathogen in South Africa. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was used to investigate the sequence types (STs) of S. uberis isolated from bovine milk and their epidemiological patterns of occurrence. This retrospective, longitudinal study was conducted on a pasture-based herd of 1005 lactating cows, on which slurry-spreading had been recently introduced. Composite cow milk samples were collected quarterly during routine whole herd sampling and from clinical mastitis cases (monthly) during 2021. Streptococcus uberis isolates obtained from two routine samplings and clinical mastitis cases were stored at −80°C. In 2024, seven S. uberis isolates were added; these were from the same cows in consecutive samplings. The prevalence of S. uberis intramammary infection (IMI) was 7.44%, while 21.26% of clinical mastitis cases were caused by S. uberis. Based on conventional microbiology, 31.4% of S. uberis IMIs were recurring in consecutive samplings. A total of 42 S. uberis STs were identified from 70 isolates; 41 were novel and only 1 (ST 1613) had been previously reported in the PubMLST/GenBank database. Of the S. uberis isolates examined, 35.7% had known clonal complexes (CCs); of these, 60% were CC ST-5. Owing to the high heterogeneity, no predominant STs were observed; ST 1613 was isolated six times but did not cause clinical cases. When S. uberis was isolated from a cow more than once, only 50% of the isolates had similar STs. Where cows had multiple infections in an udder, quarters infected had different STs. In summary, this herd showed significant heterogeneity in S. uberis, with all but one ST being novel variants. Results indicate that S. uberis IMI in this herd was transient, possibly of environmental origin rather than persistent udder infections, making a point-source of infection less likely.

This Research Communication addresses the hypothesis that calf faeces can be used as a microbial inoculum in the in vitro gas production (GP) technique to model rumen digestibility in calves. In vitro GP is a valuable method of screening dietary interventions in ruminants. However, the technique requires a microbial inoculum, typically obtained from the rumens of fistulated animals. Using faecal inocula that can be collected non-invasively would be ethically and economically preferable, if it provided equivalent results. The aim of this pilot study was to compare in vitro GP from faecal and ruminal inocula obtained from dairy calves that were killed either pre-weaning or post-weaning. Ruminal content and faeces were collected from calves aged 4, 7 and 13 weeks old, and incubated with calf starter concentrates in the ANKOMRF system. A weak relationship between inocula was seen for all modelled GP kinetic parameters (R2 < 0.53), although modelling indicated that incubations using faecal and rumen inocula from pre-weaned calves had similar lag times and rates of degradation. In weaned calves, aged 13 weeks, faecal incubations produced less gas, lag times were longer, and the rate of degradation of the slowly degradable fraction of calf starter was slower, compared to rumen incubations. Weak relationships, and kinetic differences, between rumen and faecal inocula would likely hinder the use of faeces to model calf rumen fermentation.

This is a descriptive longitudinal pilot study aimed at investigating the individual variation in milk osmolality, within and between cows, both diurnally and over one lactation. Milk samples from 21 Swedish Holstein (n = 9) and Swedish Red Breed (n = 12) dairy cows on one farm were collected 5–44 days after calving, then monthly for 12 months. During the first month, samples were also obtained every second hour (during the day) for 4 days. Milk samples were collected by hand milking in 10 ml tubes and analysed in a Fiske osmometer. The sample collection time was measured, and individual variation in milk osmolality was investigated within both days and months. In addition, bulk-tank milk samples (including milk from additional 230 cows) were collected at the end of each sampling day, with osmolality varying between 286 and 305 mOsm/kg among days. Individual osmolality ranged from 279 to 317 mOsm/kg, and there were significant variations in the mean milk osmolality between cows (2% variation). The individual osmolality varied significantly within days (up to 8%) and over months (up to a 13% variation). Swedish Red Breed cows had higher (1%, P = 0.02) osmolality (301 ± 1 mOsm/kg) than Swedish Holstein cows (299 ± 1 mOsm/kg). The observed differences range from 1% to 9% with variations between breeds being the smallest and those between months/lactation stages and individuals being the largest. It is concluded that there are variations in milk osmolality between individuals, days and breeds that exceed what can be interpreted as thirst-stimulating (+1–2%). Since the variation among clinically healthy animals and over time is considerable, there is potentially a challenge to the practical use of milk osmolality as an indicator of hydration state to be of practical use. Further studies are needed to understand the variations in milk osmolality when cows are water deprived.

This study aimed to implement good hygienic practices and good manufacturing practices programmes, together with the hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP) system, to produce extended shelf-life (ESL) pasteurized milk using crossflow microfiltration. The microbiological quality of raw milk was markedly improved upon implementation of hygienic prerequisites and HACCP, resulting in a reduction of total colony count (TCC), Staphylococcus aureus, psychrotrophs, yeasts and moulds, spore-forming bacteria, Salmonella, coliforms and Escherichia coli. All the milk samples tested negative for antibiotics and aflatoxin M1. Pasteurized and homogenized milk was microfiltered through a 0.8 or 0.45 μm pore-size membrane to produce ESL whole milk and ESL partly skimmed (2%) milk, respectively, resulting in further improvement of refrigerated shelf life to about 2 weeks and 3 weeks, respectively. ESL 2% milk showed a significantly lower TCC compared to ESL whole milk, and the latter also had a lower TCC than pasteurized whole milk. Both ESL milk products showed negligible denaturation of α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of combining microfiltration with on-farm and in-plant safety management systems for ensuring the safety and quality of ESL pasteurized milk.

This Research Communication aimed to establish reference freezing point (FP) values for raw Bactrian and dromedary camel milk and to evaluate the detectability of water dilution up to 30% using the cryoscopy method. A total of 38 milk samples from healthy camels in Kazakhstan were analysed. Pure Bactrian camel milk exhibited FP values between −0.542°C and −0.799°C, while dromedary milk ranged from −0.527°C to −0.655°C. Progressive dilution caused a significant linear increase in FP in both species (p < 0.0001). Although a 10% water addition resulted in measurable changes, natural variability may mask slight adulteration. FP showed weak correlations with protein and pH, with species-specific differences. These results provide reliable reference values for the FP and confirm the possibility of detecting adulteration of camel milk.

The aim of this study was to characterize the physiological variation of somatic cell count (SCC) and milk somatic cell subsets in relation to total bacterial count and milk production parameters, in mastitis-free local Greek ewes. To this end, we studied the SCC, daily milk yield and composition, milk somatic cell subset distribution and total bacterial count in the milk of first and second parity Frizarta ewes, at different lactation stages. As there is a total lack of evidence for differential milk somatic cell distribution in local Greek ewes, we chose to study the Frizarta breed, one of the most promising local sheep breeds, extensively reared in Western Greece, highly productive and well adapted to geoclimatic conditions. Partial correlation analysis was performed between SCC and somatic cell subtype populations with milk yield, composition and total bacterial count. Total SCC in Frizarta ewes ranged between 35 and 74 × 103 cells/ml and was significantly influenced by lactation stage and parity number. Neutrophils and lymphocytes were the most abundant immune cell types followed by mammary epithelial cells and macrophages. A positive association of bacterial count with neutrophils and macrophages and a negative association with lymphocytes were observed. Finally, a negative association between total bacterial count with daily milk yield was detected. Our data forms the basis for understanding how parity and stage of lactation affects different immune and epithelial cell populations in the milk of healthy Frizarta ewes and can be used in future studies investigating the effect of the health status on differential cell count in ewe milk.

Streptococcus agalactiae, a major bovine mastitis pathogen, poses significant economic and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) challenges. This study evaluated AMR in 128 isolates from Shandong, Hebei and Inner Mongolia using the broth microdilution method. Results showed high sensitivity to most antibiotics (e.g. 100% resistance to penicillin, ceftiofur, amoxicillin, cefquinome and vancomycin) but significant resistance to tetracycline (80.7%) and daptomycin (99.3%). Inner Mongolia isolates exhibited higher resistance and mimimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) values, reflecting regional antibiotic usage differences, guiding mastitis treatment and antibiotic stewardship in China's dairy industry.

This review examines the role glycerophospholipids (PL) in dairy cow health, with specific focus on phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI) and phosphatidylserine (PS). Increasing parity of cows is associated with lower concentrations of plasma PL that contain very long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, including docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, which are precursors for prostaglandin synthesis, and have anti-inflammatory roles. Low concentrations of these PL could plausibly contribute to the increased risk of disease, reproductive failure and mortality in older cows. The bioavailability and metabolism of fatty acids may differ among supplements that are predominately neutral lipids, such as triacylglycerol-rich oils, and those bound to PL including pasture, whole or ground oilseeds and fish meal. Hepatic lipidosis can occur during the transition period if there is insufficient very-low density lipoproteins (VLDL) production in the liver to transport lipids into blood circulation. The PC are the primary PL of VLDL and are produced by two main pathways in the liver, the cytidine diphosphate-choline pathway that uses choline as a substrate, and the PE N-methyltransferase pathway that uses PE and methyl-donors as substrates. Co-supplementation strategies that target both pathways may increase PC production over a one-pathway supplementation strategy. The PIs are phosphoinositides precursors, which have broad physiological roles including regulating inflammatory processes and may offer targets for novel treatment and management of disease. Both the PI and PE are precursors to endocannabinoids, important regulators of energy metabolism, immune function and reproduction in mammals. Early findings on the endocannabinoid system in transition dairy cows yielded results that diverge from non-ruminant models. The PS expression on cytoplasmic membranes signals apoptosis, coagulation and contributes to sperm–oocyte recognition. As lipidomic diagnostics become increasingly available, understanding the metabolism of PL will continue to develop and promises to offer novel strategies for optimising cattle health and longevity.

Applying teat dips to cows’ teats before and after milking (pre- and post-dipping) are important methods for preventing mastitis. Given the proven effectiveness of ozonated water for eliminating bacterial colonies, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ozonated water in preventing mastitis in pre- and post-dipping of dairy cows. Fifty-eight cows were selected based on negative black-bottom cup test results and the California mastitis test (CMT), and randomly allocated into two groups: the control group (CG, n = 23) where pre- and post-dipping were done with a commercial hydrogen peroxide product, and the ozone group (OG3, n = 35) where ozonated water at a concentration of 2 µg/ml was used, prepared immediately before use with an ozone generator. Samples were collected at four timepoints: M0 (pre), M1 (72 h), M2 (7 d) and M3 (14 d). Somatic cell count, CMT, pH, milk composition, and microbiological identification were analysed. The black-bottom cup test and physical evaluation of the udder were performed daily before milking. All milk composition variables were similar in both groups. SCC remained within normal ranges for both groups at all time points as per the guidelines of the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply. Microbiological cultures revealed similar pathogens across time points with the same growth dynamics. The study demonstrated that the use of ozonated water was as effective as the commercial product used in pre- and post-dipping for hygiene and prevention of mastitis in dairy cows, potentially serving as a viable alternative with lower environmental contamination, especially on organic dairy farms. Further studies comparing different concentrations and evaluations against other sanitizers are necessary.

Currently, alternative sources of protein are being sought to replace not only meat but also dairy products in the diet. From this perspective, it is worth examining how consumers perceive these products, what motivates them to choose them and what barriers they encounter, especially with regard to attitudes towards dairy products. The present study aimed to compare attitudes towards plant-based dairy alternatives (PBDAs) in three European countries – Poland, Germany and the UK. Furthermore, the study aims to examine the extent to which two main arguments appearing in the media, intended to persuade consumers to replace dairy products with PBDA – referring to ethical concerns (animal welfare) or emphasising ecological considerations (environmental impact) – are actually convincing to them. An online survey was conducted in each of the three countries on a representative sample of dairy consumers (2,157 respondents in total). Curiosity proved to be the primary motivation for trying PBDA in all countries. In contrast, the arguments commonly used in PBDA communication (referring to environmental protection and animal welfare) appeal to consumers to a much lesser extent. However, these ethical and ecological factors influenced consumers differently across regions. British consumers emerged as the most receptive to PBDA. German respondents showed the highest sensitivity to animal welfare and environmental concerns in PBDA communication. Polish consumers, on the other hand, strongly believe in the exceptional health benefits and necessity of dairy in daily diets, which negatively affects their interest in PBDA. Notably, dairy is perceived more favourably than PBDAs on most attributes in all investigated countries.

Bovine mastitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus increases antimicrobial use and may compromise milk quality, yet genomic evidence from subtropical China remains limited. This study aimed to characterise the genomic epidemiology, antimicrobial non-susceptibility and functional risk tiers of dairy-associated S. aureus in northern Fujian, China. We analysed 59 S. aureus isolates recovered from 162 bulk-tank milk samples collected from 14 farms during 2023–2024, using whole-genome sequencing, MLST/spa typing and core-genome SNP phylogenetics, together with disc diffusion susceptibility testing (CLSI M100) and annotation of resistance, virulence and plasmid replicons (CARD, VFDB and PlasmidFinder). An unsupervised multivariate workflow (principal component analysis followed by K-means clustering) integrated genomic and phenotypic features to assign functional-risk tiers. Seven MLST and eight spa types were detected, dominated by ST1-t114/t127 (40.7%) and ST9784-t189 (20.3%). Livestock-associated MRSA ST59-t437 carrying SCCmec IV and IEC-D was detected in raw milk from this region for the first time. Overall, 45.8% of isolates were non-susceptible to at least one antimicrobial, most commonly penicillin and ampicillin (28.8% each). ST9784-t189 more frequently carried lnu(A) and pLNU4-like plasmid sequences and showed higher clindamycin non-susceptibility than other lineages. PCA/K-means grouped isolates into low-, medium- and high-risk tiers (76.3%, 15.3% and 8.4%, respectively); medium/high tiers showed higher multidrug non-susceptibility and a greater enterotoxin gene burden and were more often associated with plasmid replicons including pKH1 and pAMalpha1. This single-province pilot study provides a genomic baseline for dairy-associated S. aureus in subtropical China and suggests that unsupervised multivariate grouping may support risk-aware surveillance and milk-quality assurance; larger multi-region datasets are needed to assess generalisability.

Visual mobility scoring to detect lame dairy cattle can be subjective and inconsistent. This study assessed the reliability of visual mobility scores from multiple assessors, using different scoring methods (live vs. video) and experience levels to evaluate their influence on label quality for machine learning applications. We gathered data from two farms using the AHDB 4-point mobility scale and a simplified post-hoc dichotomised version, with both live and video assessments. Substantial within- and between-assessor variation was seen in scores, particularly for scores 0 and 1 (consistent with normal and slightly abnormal gaits, respectively). Assessors showed only fair (weighted kappa ≈ 0.33) score consistency when they scored the same animal in different ways (live vs. video). Post-hoc simplification of the four-level scores to a dichotomous score improved agreement but reduced granularity. Assessor experience had limited influence on agreement levels (P > 0.05), and increased video viewing frequency during the assessment process was associated with lower inter-assessor agreement (probability estimate = −0.49, P = 0.005), suggesting higher uncertainty in ambiguous cases. Qualitative feedback from assessor comments revealed that the speed of the animal affected their scoring decisions (β = –1.92, P = 0.007). These results highlight the difficulties in using subjective human scores as labels for machine learning training. To improve automatic lameness detection in dairy cattle, we need strategies to reduce this variation and use more definitive labels.

This study aimed to assess the productivity and profitability of Iranian Holstein dairy herds by utilizing technical-economic indices, particularly in light of fluctuations of milk and feed prices. The dataset comprised 2,890,994 test day records from 190,900 cows across 93 Holstein dairy herds in Isfahan province, covering agricultural years from 2016 to 2022. To evaluate the effects of production levels and lactation stages on investigated indices, a two-way ANOVA analysis using SAS software was used. The results revealed that the average daily milk income was US $9.37 ± 3.63 per cow, while the average of feed cost was $3.97 ± 1.70 per cow. The mean of income over feed cost (IOFC) was estimated at $5.40 ± 2.41, with a range from $1.12 to18.06. Notably, with an average income equal to feed cost (IEFC) of 16.8 kg, farmers need approximately 42% of their produced milk to cover feed costs. The results of this research indicated that only 1% of the milk-to-feed price ratio (MFPR) exceeded 3.0, suggesting that higher milk production at this level is indeed profitable. Additionally, the money-corrected milk (MCM) yield was found to be 1.5% higher than the standard milk yield. The IOFC exhibited a positive and relatively strong correlation with various factors: 0.92 with milk income, 0.75 with MCM, 0.55 with feed costs and 0.22 with IEFC. Furthermore, the production levels and lactation stages significantly impacted the measures studied (P < 0.01). Interestingly, the second-parity cows with medium milk production emerged as the most profitable due to quality bonuses associated with higher milk prices. This highlights how increasing rewards and penalties related to milk quality provide incentives to farmers to focus on improving milk quality rather than merely increasing volume.

Weaning is a significant event in the life of Sahiwal calves, often leading to notable behavioural and emotional changes. This study aimed to investigate the effects of dam–calf contact on behavioural responses and adaptability in Sahiwal calves, focusing on fear responses, social interactions and reactivity to humans. A total of 16 newborn calves were assigned to 2 rearing systems: fenceline mother-calf contact (FMC) and separated mother-calf (SM), with 8 calves in each group. The FMC group received natural suckling and fenceline contact with their dams, while the SM group was separated at birth and fed via nipple bottles. Behavioural assessments were conducted through a series of tests, including social reactivity tests, social preference tests, umbrella-based fear elicitation and interaction with a familiar human. Key behavioural parameters such as time spent idle, exploratory behaviour, escape attempts, vocalizations, latency to resume feeding and preference for conspecifics or humans were recorded. Data were statistically analysed using independent t-tests to compare behavioural responses between groups. The results revealed distinct behavioural differences between the FMC and SM calves, indicating that dam contact influences social behaviour, reduces fearfulness and improves calves’ adaptability to novel or stressful situations.