The trend towards health-conscious consumption has led the food industry to enhance the nutritional content of staple products like yoghurt. This review explores the integration of nutrient-rich fruit peels into yoghurt, emphasizing both health benefits and technological advancements. Fruit peels, which are frequently discarded as agro-industrial waste, are abundant in nutrients, antioxidants and dietary fibres, which can boost yoghurt's nutritional profile. Incorporating fruit peels not only supports waste reduction and sustainability but also contributes to the added value of yoghurt products. Technological innovations have made it possible to efficiently process and incorporate these peels while preserving their benefits. The review evaluates various methods such as fermentation, drying and grinding and their effects on yoghurt's taste, texture and shelf-life. Additionally, it considers consumer acceptance and market potential for these enhanced yoghurts. Overall, this approach highlights the promise of fruit peels as functional ingredients, promoting health benefits and advancing yoghurt production technologies.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether hair can be used as a non-invasive sample material that is less influenced by homeostasis than blood. Blood analysis is an invasive method of assessing trace element status, concentrations can be influenced by homeostasis, and they might not accurately reflect the true status of the animal. Thus, hair samples could play an important non-invasive role in diagnosing chronic deficiencies. The study group included 100 veal calves of a variety of different breeds and crossbreeds aged between 2 and 5 months, consisting of both sexes. Samples were taken to compare different locations and colours of hair. The concentration of trace elements Mn, Fe, Se, Co, Cu, Zn and Mo of different coloured ear and shoulder hair (black, brown and white) were measured, and concentrations were compared with those in the liver, kidney, muscle and blood plasma. All samples were measured with triple-quadrupole collision/reaction cell ICP-MS. This study showed that both hair colour and hair location have an influence on trace element concentration. In this animal series, no strong correlations could be found between trace element concentrations in hair and other tissues, suggesting that such an approach is only feasible when a heterogeneous animal series is used. Whether hair is a feasible sample material for trace element analysis cannot be conclusively answered; a larger sample size and further studies on other influencing factors would have been required. In addition, the procedure would need to be highly standardized, as both sampling localization and hair colour appear to have an influence.

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.

Lactotransferrin (LTF), a critical multifunctional glycoprotein, plays an essential role in the immune defence, growth and development, and milk quality of dairy cows. The regulatory mechanisms governing gene expression are intricate, with sequence variations in the promoter region potentially exerting a substantial impact on gene expression. In this study, sequencing analysis of the bovine lactotransferrin promoter region was conducted, leading to the identification of two linked single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites. A significant association between these SNPs and lactotransferrin content was observed in a cohort of 301 Holstein cows. Subsequently, further investigation into the transcriptional activity of various lactotransferrin genotypes was performed by constructing promoter fragments encompassing different lactotransferrin genotypes. The findings reveal that the two SNPs significantly influence the activity of the lactotransferrin promoter, thereby affecting lactotransferrin expression. These results hold substantial implications for advancing our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms underlying lactotransferrin expression and for the genetic enhancement of dairy cows.

The confirmatory factor analysis technique was used to quantify a latent variable for test-day lactation performance (TDLP) in the first parity of Chinese Holstein dairy cows by applying five measurable traits, including test-day milk yield (TDMY), test-day milk fat percentage (TDFP), test-day milk protein percentage (TDPP), test-day somatic cell score (TDSCS) and test-day milk urea nitrogen (TDMUN). The standardised factor loadings of TDMY, TDFP, TDPP, TDSCS, and TDMUN for describing TDLP were 0.46, −0.52, −0.70, −0.14 and −0.19, respectively. Genetic analysis was conducted using a multivariate repeatability model within a Bayesian framework. The posterior means for the heritability and repeatability estimates of TDLP were 0.26 ± 0.02 and 0.34 ± 0.02, respectively. In general, posterior means for heritability and repeatability estimates of the measurable traits were low to medium. The heritability estimates ranged from 0.05 for TDSCS to 0.28 for TDPP, and repeatability estimates ranged from 0.15 for TDMUN to 0.38 for TDMY. The latent variable of TDLP exhibited positive genetic (0.62) and phenotypic (0.40) correlations with TDMY, whereas its genetic and phenotypic correlations with other measurable traits were negative, ranging from −0.96 (TDLP–TDPP) to −0.11 (TDLP–TDSCS). The corresponding phenotypic correlations ranged from −0.85 (TDLP–TDPP) to −0.07 (TDLP–TDSCS). It may be concluded that breeding for higher TDLP might increase TDMY but could reduce milk composition traits. In general, the negative genetic and phenotypic correlations suggest a trade-off between milk quantity (yield) and quality (composition).

This study explored the relationship between dairy technology adoption (DTA), crop diversification and food security among smallholder farmers practicing mixed agriculture in Bason Werana Woreda, North Shewa Zone, Amhara Region. A systematic sampling method selected 252 households from two randomly chosen government administrative areas (kebeles), proportional to size. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and an endogeneity-corrected recursive conditional mixed process regression model to examine bidirectional causation. Findings showed a 34% adoption rate of dairy technology, with improved housing and vaccination being the most common, while artificial insemination and improved breeds had the lowest adoption. The Herfindahl Iindex for crop diversification was 0.31, indicating a lower-middle level. Food security analysis, based on the Food Consumption Score, revealed that 78.57% of households were food secure, while 16.27% and 5.16% had borderline and poor food security, respectively. The regression results indicated that DTA significantly improves food security, and vice versa, but no causal relationship was found between these factors and crop diversification. The study identified key household-level and policy-related variables that are critical for enhancing DTA and addressing food insecurity. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of designing and promoting context-specific, locally optimal agricultural strategies that are closely aligned with household characteristics. Such alignment is essential for advancing dairy sector development and improving the welfare of smallholder farmers in Ethiopia.

This research paper addresses the hypothesis that sequence-based long short-term memory (LSTM) architectures improve the prediction of the next DO (days open) relative to a feed-forward multi-layer perceptron and a Cox model under strictly temporally valid predictors. Modern dairy farming can heavily benefit from optimising ‘days open’ for profitability and animal welfare. Machine learning can forecast this metric, improving farm management, disease prevention and culling decisions. This study used a dataset of 16,472 breeding records. The study compared the performance of feed-forward neural networks and two types of recurrent neural networks (RNNs). The results showed that LSTM most accurately forecasted the next ‘days open’. This demonstrates that RNN models, due to their ability to capture temporal patterns in the data, significantly outperform feed-forward and traditional statistical methods in terms of mean absolute error and concordance.

The integration of phenotypic, genomic and pedigree data into a single-step model for predicting genomically enhanced estimated breeding values (GEBVs) has become crucial for the accurate genetic evaluation of dairy cattle. This study compared two widely used software implementations, MiXBLUP and BLUPF90IOD3, for the prediction of breeding values using the single-step G-BLUP model based on data from the Polish national evaluation for stature. Four core animal sets were tested, which differed in the selection of bulls and cows. The GEBVs were predicted and validated using different subsets of the population. Both software packages resulted in high correlations (0.89 and 0.97) between full and truncated dataset predictions and similar validation performance, with MiXBLUP exhibiting slightly greater consistency across different sets of core animals. The ranking of the top 50 bulls remained stable across the implementations. This study concludes that both software implementations provide comparable GEBV predictions, suggesting that software choice should consider computational efficiency, cost and modeling flexibility, with MiXBLUP offering additional options for GEBV estimation.

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.

As breeding has become increasingly specialized over the last decades, modern dairy breeds have mainly been focusing on milk production, producing bull and surplus female calves with low economic value. To address this dilemma, the present study evaluates how crossbreeding with the specialized beef breed Belgian Blue and pure breeding with Holstein-Friesian bulls affect calving ease and subsequent fattening performance, and carcass quality in Holstein-Friesian herds. For the study, pedigree information, calving information, as well as fattening performance and carcass quality parameters of 5,162 fattening bulls sired by either Holstein-Friesian (n = 4,607) or Belgian Blue (n = 555) sires from Holstein-Friesian cows in northern Germany were considered. Crossbred calves had higher birth weights and better carcass conformation ratings but also higher age at slaughter, carcass weight and average daily weight gain than purebred dairy calves, reflecting beef breeds’ superior muscle development. However, crossbreeding with Belgian Blue sires also increased the frequency of difficult births (dystocia), which has previously been shown to negatively impact calf health. The effect of parity was not relevant for fattening and carcass quality parameters but highlighted the present breeding practice of using beef sires in multiparous rather than in primiparous cows. Seasonal variations were also observed, with spring and summer-born bulls exhibiting faster weight gain.

The aim of the experiment reported in this research paper was to determine the influence of the bovine appeasing substance (BAS) on milk yield, energy metabolism, inflammation, and stress in cows during the transition period. Twenty-four multiparous Holstein cows (day 28 pre-partum to 21 postpartum) were distributed randomly into two groups: control (n = 12) and BAS (Secure Cattle®; n = 12). Each animal was administered 5 mL of the product on days 28 and 14 pre-partum and on the day of calving. The feed intake was assessed using automated, individual feeders and the milk yield was determined electronically. Six milk samples were obtained from each animal, which were analyzed for chemical composition and somatic cell count. Six blood samples were obtained per animal for future biochemical analyses (free fatty acids, beta hydroxybutyrate, cortisol, myeloperoxidase and paraoxonase 1). The statistical analyses were conducted with the JMP Pro 14 software, with P ≤ 0.05 being considered as statistical significance. BAS-treated cows showed higher milk yield than controls. Dry matter intake (DMI) during the pre- and postpartum periods was greater for the control than treated group. The BAS group exhibited reduced plasma cortisol postpartum. In conclusion, cows treated with BAS showed higher milk yield, lower DMI, and reduced plasma cortisol concentrations than controls.

This Research Paper investigates the hypothesis that variations in genes related to immune system function may influence the antioxidant potential of cow milk. The present study analysed the association between genotypes at selected osteopontin (OPN), chemokine receptor type 1 (CXCR1) and L-selectin (SELL) gene loci and the total antioxidant capacity of milk from 519 Polish Holstein–Friesian black-and-white cows. Genotyping at the genomic loci employed the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment-length polymorphism method, while the Trolox-equivalent antioxidant capacity method was used to measure milk TAC. The statistical method involves analysis of variance with Dunnett's post hoc tests. The results of analyses showed that the chosen genotypes as a TT (CXCR1 – c.291C > T), TT (CXCR1 – c. + 365 T > C) and TT (SELL – c.567C > T) combination was significantly associated with higher mean milk antioxidant capacity (P < 0.039). Therefore, analysing polymorphisms in genes related to the bovine immune system appears to be important in the context of selecting animals that produce milk with enhanced functional properties.

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.

This study tested the effects of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) rs110692574 polymorphism and rumen-protected choline and methionine supplementation on biochemical parameters, milk yield, reproductive performance and health status during the transition period in Holstein cows raised in Türkiye. Genotypes of 356 cows were determined using the tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system–polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) method. Following genotyping, 80 cows were selected and assigned to four groups based on nucleotide genotype at two loci (homozygous CC and heterozygous CT) and dietary supplement (choline or choline + methionine). Blood samples were collected on day 21 prepartum, on the day of parturition (day 0), and on day 21 postpartum to measure homocysteine, folic acid, vitamin B12, and non-esterified fatty acid concentrations. beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) values and production data were obtained from the farms’ routine monitoring records. Statistical analyses were performed using repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) to assess time-dependent effects, and a general linear model was used for between-group comparisons at the same time points. The frequency of the CT genotype was 12.64%. The polymorphism significantly affected folic acid and vitamin B12 concentrations across different stages of the transition period. Feed supplementation had a significant effect on folic acid concentrations on calving day and on day 21 postpartum, as well as on milk yield on days 100, 200 and 305. Moreover, the polymorphism was significantly associated with folic acid and vitamin B12 concentrations on day 21 prepartum and with BHBA values on day 7 postpartum. This variation was linked to specific health issues that could lead to decreased productivity. In conclusion, genotype-based nutritional strategies were found to play a key role in maintaining metabolic balance and enhancing productivity during the transition period.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) levels in goats’ diets on their performance and milk quality. We hypothesize that the inclusion of CNSL in lactating goats’ diets may influence the biohydrogenation process, increasing the levels of CLA (i.e., C18:2-c9 t11 isomer) and its precursors (rumenic acid, C18:1-t11) in goat milk. Eight lactating Saanen goats were assigned to a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with four diets: a control diet with no inclusion of CNSL and diets with the inclusion of 5, 15 and 20 g of CNSL per kg/dry matter. Intake of major nutrients was not different between diets, and no difference was observed in apparent total-tract digestibility of nutrients, except that ether extract intake increased linearly (P < 0.001) with CNSL inclusion rate. Milk yield (2.39 kg/day) and milk composition were not affected by the inclusion of CNSL. The milk fatty acids (FAs) C18:1-t9 (P = 0.001) and C18:3-n3 (P = 0.007) presented higher concentrations in milk with CNSL inclusion. The partial sum of omega-3 FA (Σn3), PUFA/SFA ratio and n6:n3 and n3:n6 ratios showed linear responses (P < 0.05) with increasing levels of CNSL. In conclusion, the CNSL affected the milk lipid profile in a way that is favourable to human health. CNSL may be a viable strategy to enhance milk with bioactive FAs.

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.

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 study aimed to evaluate the microclimatic conditions of natural shading provided by Ipês (Handroanthus heptaphyllus [Vell.] Mattos), and of an artificial shading structure characterized by the combination of an aluminized net on the outside and a black polypropylene net on the inside. In addition, their effects were analysed with respect to the physiological and behavioural responses of Holstein cows kept at pasture in a tropical climate. Two paddocks were used, one with trees and the other with trees and an artificial shade structure. Eight multiparous cows were evaluated over 20 non-consecutive days and selected according to their predominant coat colour: four with predominantly white coats and four with predominantly black coats. The experimental days were classified as very hot, with radiation above 625 Wm−2; and hot days, with radiation between 300 and 625 Wm−2. The mean radiant temperature (°C), the radiant heat load (Wm−2) and the black globe humidity index were calculated. The mean radiant temperature for artificial shading was lower for all days (P < 0.05), with values below 30°C during daylight hours. The radiant heat load was lower under the artificial shading structure regardless of the day (P < 0.05), with values below 470 Wm−2. When compared microclimatically with natural shading, artificial shading was more efficient (P < 0.05) in reducing mean radiant temperature and radiant heat load. Although behavioural variation (P < 0.05) was observed, these results were related to the difference in coat pattern. Animals with predominantly black coats grazed in the early morning hours and sought protection as thermal comfort levels rose.