The Research Column

The nitrogen use efficiency (NUE; defined as N output in milk/N consumed) of dairy cows within pasture-based systems is rather low, often less than 25%. Excreted N, in particular the rather high urinary N, may thus be lost to the atmosphere as ammonia and nitrous oxide and to waterways as nitrates.

In dairy cattle, the negative correlation between milk lactose content (LC) and SCC has been reported in various breeds and contexts, and several authors have discussed possible causal relationship and mechanisms responsible for the LC decrease associated with mastitis or high SCC.

There is growing interest in understanding how dietary choices impact health outcomes through their effects on blood metabolites. One such dietary choice is cheese consumption, which has been subject to debate regarding its health implications. Cheese is high in fat, particularly saturated fats, which have historically been associated with cardiovascular disease.

Lameness affects the sustainability of dairy farms due to the impact on animal health and production, which culminates in ethical and economic implications. Despite efforts to reduce lameness in the dairy industry, recent studies reflect that the global average prevalence still ranges from 14% to 36%.

Dairy cattle and calves are regularly transported by calf buyers and to auctions and abattoirs by livestock transport vehicles from about 12,000 dairy farms in the United Kingdom (UK). UK Government guidelines require transport vehicles to be cleaned and disinfected within 24 hours of use or before re-use within that period.

Genetic selection, optimizing feed, inseminations, and housing conditions are among the major strategies aimed at improving production and profit in the dairy industry, with a great number of studies focusing on those topics. Absent from the list is a strategy that explores the ability to control the mineral composition of drinking water.

There are several CH4 (methane) inhibitors on the market with promising but variable results.

The transition period is defined as the three weeks before and three weeks after calving. It is a period of high demand for nutrients, as there are drastic metabolic and hormonal changes that carry over to la

Dry matter intake (DMI) plays a major role in characterizing feed efficiency in dairy cattle and has been widely used in dairy nutrition research. As feed represents the largest operating cost in dairy production, feed efficiency has gained increased attention for genetic selection.

Waste milk (WM) may be colostrum and milk derived from cows undergoing treatment for several ailments, including clinical mastitis, foot and reproductive diseases etc. Additionally, WM may have elevated SCC, rendering it unsuitable for commercial use. Yet despite this adversity, the use of WM in suckling programs is worldwide a common practice, since producers perceive the use thereof as an economical feed alternative which can effectively replace calf nutrition derived from bulk tank milk (BTM) or milk replacer.