The Research Column

by Heinz Meissner

Click on any of the publications below to read more about the specific topic:

Risk factors associated with postpartum subclinical hypocalcemia in dairy cows.

Discipline: disease; Key words: hypocalcaemia, pre-partum, macro mineral concentrations, lameness score, hypomagnesaemia.
Role of bacterial endotoxins in the etiopathogenesis of periparturient diseases of transition dairy cows.

Discipline: disease; Key words: bacterial endotoxins,
The cost-benefit of genomic testing of heifers and using sexed semen in pasture-based dairy herds.

Discipline: breeding; Key words: genomic testing, rate of genetic gain, sexed semen
The effect of storage temperature and duration on the microbial quality of bulk tank milk

Discipline: contamination; Keywords: raw milk, milk storage,
Water use on non-irrigated pasture-based dairy farms: Combining detailed monitoring and modelling to set benchmarks.

Discipline: environment; Key words: water use, water efficiency, leakage, milking parlour, pasture systems
A high-throughput cheese manufacturing model for effective cheese starter culture screening

Discipline: starter culture; Keywords: industrial cheese manufacturing, enzymatic coagulation, protein separation, proteolysis.

Miniature cheeses can open up new possibilities to screen cheese starter cultures and study many other aspects of cheese production in the factory. The study was reported by H. Bachmann and coworkers in the Journal of Dairy Science (2009), Volume 92, pages 5868-5882, using the title: A high-throughput cheese manufacturing model for effective cheese starter culture screening.
A longitudinal study on the impact of Johne's disease status on milk production in individual cows.

Discipline: disease; Keywords: pathogen, faecal culture, blood serum tests, economic losses, culling.

How does infection with Johne's disease affect milk production in dairy herds? Smith and co-workers studied the status of the disease in three herds in the US and tried to predict the impact on milk production when the condition is latent or when the cows are actually shedding cells. The study was published in the Journal of Dairy Science, Volume 92 of 2009, pages 2653 to 2661, with the title: A longitudinal study on the impact of Johne's disease status on milk production in individual cows.
A study on cow comfort and risk for lameness and mastitis in relation to different types of bedding materials

Discipline: cow comfort; Key words: bedding material, lying behavior,
A STUDY TO LIMIT OFF-FLAVOURS IN NON-FAT DRY MILK AND MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE

Discipline: sensory; Key words: nonfat dry milk, milk protein concentrate, unit operations,
ABSENCE OF GROWTH OF LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES IN NATURALLY CONTAMINATED CHEDDAR CHEESE.

Discipline: cheese; Keywords: natural contamination, farmhouse cheese, Listeria monocytogenes, food safety.