This study aimed to evaluate the effects of linseed supplementation on the in vitro production of embryos subjected to vitrification. Pantaneira cows supplemented with linseed or not (control) were evaluated. The best-quality embryos produced in vitro from both groups were vitrified. Oocyte quality and blastocyst rate did not differ between the groups. However, the rates of vitrifiable embryos and re-expansion at 3 h were higher in the linseed-supplemented group. In conclusion, linseed supplementation in Pantaneira cows improved the quality of embryos produced in vitro.

The reproductive efficiency of dairy cows decreases significantly in hot climates. Exposure to heat stress causes damage to different stages of the reproductive cycle including a decrease in the quality of oocytes. Antioxidant supplementation has been introduced as one of the main approaches to alleviate the effects of free radical damage associated with heat stress. Gamma-oryzanol (ORY), a component of rice bran oil, is introduced as a novel antioxidant. As a supplement of culture media for maturation, the effect of ORY on the development of heat-shocked bovine cumulus–oocyte complexes was evaluated in this study. At the end of maturation in vitro using the heat-shock model, a higher proportion of metaphase II oocytes (0.78 ± 0.03 vs 0.42 ± 0.03) and lower metaphase I and germinal vesicle breakdown (0.10 ± 0.02 vs 0.38 ± 0.03) were recorded for the treated group (N = 205) in comparison with the control (N = 203) (P < 0.05). Moreover, the treatment exerted upregulation of NRF2, SOD, CAT and GPX transcripts in matured oocytes and GPX in CCs, along with a considerable increase in the cleavage (0.52 ± 0.04 vs 0.33 ± 0.03) and total blastocyst rates (0.30 ± 0.03 vs 0.14 ± 0.02) (P < 0.05). These results showed that ORY increased the mRNA expression of the transcripts associated with antioxidant enzymes and enhanced the developmental potential of heat-shocked bovine oocytes and warranted further studies to explore this antioxidant’s influence on improving dairy cattle’s reproductive efficiency during heat stress.

Tritrichomonas foetus causes bovine trichomonosis, a venereal disease that reduces productivity in naturally mated cattle. Its high prevalence in Northern Australian herds underscores the need for a locally made strain-specific vaccine. This study developed and tested a whole-cell killed T. foetus vaccine using the Queensland isolate TfOz5 (vaccine strain) and TfOz-N36 (Northern Territory isolate) as the challenge strain. The heat-inactivated vaccine, adjuvanted with Montanide ISA 61 VG, was administered subcutaneously in 2 doses (5 × 10⁷ cells/dose) at a 1-month interval to mature bulls (n = 6) (4–7 years old), while controls (n = 6) (4–8 years old) received adjuvant with PBS. Bulls were experimentally challenged intrapreputially with live cultures of T. foetus at 2- and 6-months post first vaccination. A therapeutic trial with T. foetus-positive, persistently infected mature bulls (n = 10) (4–7 years old) used the same vaccine regime without the subsequent T. foetus challenges. The vaccine was found to be safe, causing only mild local reactions. The vaccine challenge experiment demonstrated similar duration of T. foetus positivity, confirmed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), compared to controls (94 vs. 106 days, P = 0.73). In the therapeutic experiment, 2/10 treated bulls tested negative for T. foetus at the end of the trial, while the remaining eight remained positive. Vaccinated bulls in both experiments showed significantly elevated serum anti-T. foetus IgG antibody levels, confirming the vaccine’s immunogenicity. These findings demonstrate that the experimental vaccine is safe and capable of eliciting a specific immune response in mature bulls.

While the plague of Provence is the most studied outbreak of the disease in early modern Europe, there is little in the extensive historiography on this topic about fears of the cross-species transmission of disease which re-emerged in the early eighteenth century because of events in southwestern France. Concerns about the interplay between cattle murrains and human plague resurfaced in the early eighteenth century because the plague of Provence followed an outbreak of cattle disease which swept across Europe and killed tens of thousands of animals. This article focuses on the debate about the spread of contagious diseases between species which occurred in Britain during this time. Links between the health of animals and that of humans became objects of heated discussion especially following the issuing of the 1721 Quarantine Act, which was designed to prevent the plague currently ravaging southwestern France from taking hold in Britain. It then considers the different beliefs regarding contagion and the transmission of diseases between different species during the plague of Provence. While focusing on the richly documented and highly revealing discussions in early eighteenth-century Britain about the interplay between plague in cattle and plague in humans, it also utilises materials from earlier centuries to examine more fully how early modern populations understood the relationship between plague in humans and cattle murrains.

Biometric identification represents a transformative, advanced technology with significant implications for herd management. Its adoption addresses the critical requirement of accurate identification methods along with upgraded approaches on higher traceability, disease control, genetic management, and economic returns. In this work, a database of muzzle images was collected from 264 Vrindavani cattle, with ages ranging from 6 months to 10 years. To assess the accuracy of muzzle print as a biometric means of identification, this study investigated the efficiency of a 68-layer convolutional neural network called SqueezeNet for the identification of Vrindavani cattle (a crossbred developed in India) using 2,640 muzzle images. It was observed that SqueezeNet gives a harmonious blend of superior accuracy and minimal complexity, rendering it an optimal option for devices with constrained specifications and computing power. Further, the results of this study showed an identification accuracy of 97.22% with a remarkably small model size (<4 MB). This compact size makes it significantly advantageous compared to other models.

A ruminant model, MINDY, was used to explore the impact of grazing patches of tannin-containing legumes on environmental impact of cows grazing on grass-dominated rangelands swards. MINDY was initialised as a pregnant beef cow grazing on a grass (Bromus biebersteinii; meadow brome-Control), with the addition of a patch with tannin-containing legumes (Lotus corniculatus-birdsfoot trefoil-Tre, or Onobrychis viciifolia-sainfoin-Sain). Twenty-five scenarios (treatments) were established as a product of frequency (weekly, fortnightly and monthly) and dietary proportions (0.05, 0.10, 0.15 and 0.20 of total forage allocation) of either Sain or Tre. Methane (CH4) production and nitrogen (N) excretion increased with legume availability. As legume proportion increased, dry matter intake (DMI), animal performance, CH4 production and urinary nitrogen (UN) excretion increased with a greater magnitude for Sain. Methane yield was lower than the Control at weekly allocation of legumes. Environmental costs in terms of CH4 emission increments per unit of production relative to Control were greater at monthly allocations when the levels of legumes in the diet were low (0.5–0.10). Legumes in the diet at 0.15–0.20 yielded the lowest costs regardless of frequency of allocation. Environmental costs in terms of UN increments per unit of production relative to Control were lowest at 0.15–0.20 of legumes in the diet regardless of frequency of allocation. This study suggests that strategic allocation of either sainfoin or birdsfoot trefoil when beef cattle graze grass-dominated rangelands swards can reduce environmental impact while increasing secondary production of the system at the same levels of resource allocation.

Beef has a considerably higher climate impact than meat from monogastric animals and plant-based foods, due to methane emissions from enteric fermentation in ruminants. Animal feed production also contributes considerably to the climate impact, through carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel use and nitrous oxide emissions from soil. Despite this, ruminant animals can still be part of sustainable food systems, as they can produce human-edible food from coarse biomass unsuitable for human consumption (e.g., grass or straw), i.e., acting as ‘upgraders’. Feeding ruminants on coarse biomass also reduces the need for cropland for feed production. Using cereal straw as indoor feed for suckler cows reduces their feed intake in winter, while increasing their intake of biomass on pasture during the grazing season. This study assessed the climate impact of producing 1 kg of beef (carcass weight), and of the farm as a whole, in a Swedish suckler-based system using a mixture of cereal straw and grass-clover silage as winter feed for suckler cows, compared with using only grass-clover silage (reference scenario). The rest of the feed remained unchanged. Replacing part of the grass-clover silage with straw meant that less cropland area was needed to grow feed. Two alternative scenarios for using this spared land were investigated: producing wheat for human consumption (straw-food) and conversion to pasture (straw-pasture). Effects on total food production were also calculated. Using a combination of cereal straw and grass-clover silage as winter feed for suckler cows was found to reduce the climate impact associated with feed production compared with using only grass-clover silage. However, this change in winter feed increased biomass intake on pasture during the grazing season and thus the grazed area, so total climate impact of beef per kg carcass weight, and of the farm as a whole, increased when the demand for more grazing area resulted in deforestation. With no deforestation, the climate impact was comparable to that of beef from suckler cows fed exclusively on grass-clover silage during winter. Therefore, upcycling of straw to meat had no notable effect on the climate impact, indicating that using residues as feed does not always entail a climate benefit. However, increased demand for pasture can have a direct benefit for biodiversity if more biologically rich semi-natural pastures are maintained or restored. Using the land spared through feeding straw instead of grass-clover silage for wheat production increase total food production from the system, with potential indirect climate benefits.

Systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to provide comprehensive information on the prevalence of amphistome infections in domestic ruminants in sub-Saharan Africa. A systematic search of peer-reviewed articles published between 2002 and 2023 was conducted. Prevalence estimates and meta-analysis were based on 76 peer-reviewed articles which met the inclusion criteria. Of the 55,122 domestic ruminants screened, 12,858 were infected, and the overall pooled prevalence was 22% (95% confidence interval [CI], 10-37). The highest prevalence was recorded in southern Africa 25% (95% CI, 0-62), and central Africa 16% (95% CI, 0-61) the lowest. Cattle were the most frequently sampled hosts (76.56%, n = 42,202) and sheep (8.78%, n = 4838) the lowest, and cattle recorded the highest pooled prevalence of 28% (95% CI, 12-47), and goats the lowest at 5% (95% CI, 0-14). Prevalence rate was the high in males 32% (95% CI, 21-44), adult ruminants 37% (95% CI, 15-62) and animals with poor body condition 47% (95% CI, 34-60), and during the wet season 36% (95% CI, 0-94). The highest pooled prevalence was recorded at postmortem 23% (95% CI, 8-43) compared to coprology 20% (95% CI, 6-39) studies. The meta-regression model demonstrated that the body condition score, host, and period, and the interactions of different factors significantly influenced the prevalence. The lowest prevalence rate was noted for the period between 2013 and 2023. This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis in sub-Saharan Africa that provides a comprehensive review of the prevalence of amphistome infections in domestic ruminants in the past 20 years.

Schistosomosis in animals due to Schistosoma spindale significantly burdens India’s livestock economy because of high prevalence and morbidity and is mostly underdiagnosed from the lack of sensitive tools for field-level detection. This study aimed to clone, express the 22.6-kDa tegument protein of S. spindale (rSs22.6kDa) and to utilise it in a dot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for serodiagnosis. RNA was extracted from adult worms recovered from the mesenteries of slaughtered cattle to amplify the gene encoding the 22.6-kDa protein. In silico analysis revealed the protein’s secondary structure, consisting of 190 amino acids forming alpha helices (47.89%), extended strands (17.37%), beta turns (8.95%), and random coils (25.79%), with α helices and β sheets in the tertiary structure. Two conserved domains were noted: an EF-hand domain at the N-terminus and a dynein light-chain domain at the C-terminus. Phylogenetic studies positioned the S. spindale sequence as a sister clade to Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma bovis. The gene was cloned into a pJET vector and transformed into Escherichia coli Top 10 cells, with expression achieved using a pET28b vector, BL21 E. coli cells, and induction with 0.6 mM isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside. The protein’s soluble fraction was purified using nickel-chelating affinity chromatography, confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting, identifying a distinct immunodominant 22.6-kDa protein. The diagnostic utility was validated using a dot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay which demonstrated a of sensitivity of 89.47% and specificity of 100%. The study records for the first time the prokaryotic expression and evaluation of the 22.6-kDa tegumental protein of S. spindale, highlighting its potential as a diagnostic antigen for seroprevalence studies in bovine intestinal schistosomosis.

Bovine anaplasmosis is an infectious, tick-borne disease caused by Anaplasma species, which is accountable for huge economic loss in dairy industry. This study was aimed to determine the seroprevalence of bovine anaplasmosis on randomly selected 61 commercial dairy farms in 3 intensive regions of Bangladesh. A total of 1472 sera were analysed using VMRD Anaplasma Antibody Test Kit cELISA v2 for the presence of Anaplasma-specific antibodies. The highest regional seroprevalence of Anaplasma was 45.93% in individual level and 74.4% in herd level recorded in the southeast region, whereas it was 48.8% in individual level and 83.3% in herd level in Khagrachari and Sherpur districts, indicating an emerging state of the disease. The herd size and type in herd level and regions, districts, sex, age and breed in individual level were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) associated with anaplasmosis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that cattle aged >1 year had 1.86 times higher odds compared to cattle younger than 1 year. Dairy cows had the highest odds (2.25) of anaplasmosis, followed by dairy heifers (1.68), compared to bulls. Compared to herd sizes of <4, the odds of Anaplasma infection were 11.3 and 7.45 times greater in herd sizes of >28 and 4–28. Crossbred cattle had 2.4 times higher odds of anaplasmosis compared to indigenous cattle. This first seroprevalence study signifies the widespread presence and underscores the importance of monitoring and managing anaplasmosis to safeguard cattle health in Bangladesh. Study on the molecular epidemiology and genetic diversity of Anaplasma among cattle populations should be prioritized.

Communities living in African animal trypanosomiasis (AAT) endemic areas of Zambia use several control strategies to protect their livestock from the devastating effects of trypanosomiasis. Several studies have reported the effectiveness of trypanosomiasis control strategies based on retrospective data. In this study, we assessed incidence rates of AAT in cattle (n = 227) using a prospective cohort study comprising 4 treatment groups, i.e., Diminazene aceturate, Isometamidium chloride, Cyfluthrin pour-on and Cypermethrin treated targets. The study was conducted in Mambwe district in Eastern Zambia between February 2019 and March 2020. The endemic prevalence of AAT for each group was determined using ITS-PCR prior to application of treatments. High endemic trypanosome pre-treatment rates were found in all Groups (Diminazene aceturate (61%), Isometamidium chloride (48%), Cyfluthrin pour-on (87%) and Cypermethrin targets (72%)). The overall apparent prevalence for the Mambwe district was 67% (152/227) and true prevalence at 95%CI was 63–71%. Once treatments were implemented, 12 monthly follow-ups were conducted. The average monthly incidence rates without standardization recorded: Diminazene aceturate (67%) Isometamidium chloride (35%), Cyfluthrin pour-on (55%) and Cypermethrin targets (61%). Incidence rates were standardized considering the endemic level of disease for each Group and the average standardized monthly incidence rate in the Diminazene aceturate Group was 7%; the Isometamidium chloride Group −13%; the Cyfluthrin Group −26%; and the Cypermethrin target Group, −17%. All Groups showed a decrease in incidence of AAT over the period of the study with the Cyfluthrin group showing to be the most effective in reducing AAT incidence in cattle.

The objective of this study was to identify factors more commonly observed on farms with poor livestock welfare compared to farms with good welfare. Potentially, these factors may be used to develop an animal welfare risk assessment tool (AWRAT) that could be used to identify livestock at risk of poor welfare. Identifying livestock at risk of poor welfare would facilitate early intervention and improve strategies to promptly resolve welfare issues. This study focuses on cattle, sheep and goats in non-dairy extensive farming systems in Australia. To assist with identifying potential risk factors, a survey was developed presenting 99 factors about the farm, farmers, animals and various aspects of management. Based on their experience, key stakeholders, including veterinarians, stock agents, consultants, extension and animal welfare officers were asked to consider a farm where the welfare of the livestock was either high or low and rate the likelihood of observing these factors. Of the 141 responses, 65% were for farms with low welfare. Only 6% of factors had ratings that were not significantly different between high and low welfare surveys, and these were not considered further. Factors from poor welfare surveys with median ratings in the lowest 25% were considered potential risks (n = 49). Considering correlation, ease of verification and the different livestock farming systems in Australia, 18 risk factors relating to farm infrastructure, nutrition, treatment and husbandry were selected. The AWRAT requires validation in future studies.

Growth data on Jersey crossbred calves, maintained at ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Eastern Regional Station, Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal, India, were collected and analysed to assess the influence of maternal effects on growth traits of calves. Traits considered for this study were birth weight (BW) and weights at 3 months (W3M), 6 months (W6M), 9 months (W9M) and 12 months (W12M) of age. Least-squares analyses were employed to obtain the effects of non-genetic factors on the traits of interest. Determination of influence of maternal effects on growth traits was estimated by fitting three univariate animal models (including or excluding maternal effects) using Bayesian approach. The most appropriate model for each trait was selected based on Deviance Information Criterion. Direct heritability (h2) estimates for BW, W3M, W6M, W9M and W12M were 0.31 ± 0.08, 0.26 ± 0.10, 0.48 ± 0.10, 0.44 ± 0.11 and 0.39 ± 0.14, respectively, under the best model. Permanent environmental maternal effects (c2) varied from 0.04 to 0.12 for all traits. Existence of maternal effects for all ages reflects the importance of maternal components for these traits. Moderate to high heritability estimates for growth traits indicate the possibility of modest genetic progress for these traits through selection under prevalent management system.

As an important component of prehistoric subsistence, an understanding of bone-working is essential for interpreting the evolution of early complex societies, yet worked bones are rarely systematically collected in China. Here, the authors apply multiple analytical methods to worked bones from the Longshan site of Pingliangtai, in central China, showing that Neolithic bone-working in this area, with cervid as the main raw material, was mature but localised, household-based and self-sufficient. The introduction of cattle in the Late Neolithic precipitated a shift in bone-working traditions but it was only later, in the Bronze Age, that cattle bones were utilised in a specialised fashion and dedicated bone-working industries emerged in urban centres.