Calves, dairy

Gordon F J, Ferris C P, Patterson D C and Mayne C S (2000), A comparison of two grassland-based systems for autumn-calving dairy cows of high genetic merit , Grass and Forage Science, 55, 83-96. 

Kanjanapruthipong, J. Supplementation of milk replacers containing soy protein with threonine, methionine, and lysine in the diets of calves./. Dairy Sci. 1998, 81, 2912—2915. 

Castberg HB and Morris HA (1978) The pyruvate oxidizing system oiPropionibacterium freudenreichii subsp. shermanii. Milchwissenschaft 33 541-544 Cerda-Olmedo E and Hanawalt PC (1967) Macromolecular action of nitrosoguanidine in Escherichia coli. Biochim Biophys Acta 142 450-464 Cema B, Cemy M, Betkova H, Patricny P, Soch M and Opatma I (1991) Effect of the Proma probiotics on calves. Dairy Sci Abstr 55 1735 Ceming J (1995) Production of exopolysaccharides by lactic acid bacteria and dairy propionibacteria. Lait 75 463 72... 

Montagne, L. I. Crdvieu-Gabriel R. Toullec J.P. Lalles. Influence of dietary protein level and source on the course of protein digestion along the small intestine of the veal calf /. Dairy Sci. 2003, 86, 934-943. 

The mmen is not functional at birth and milk is shunted to the abomasum. One to two weeks after birth, the neonate consumes soHd food if offered. A calf or lamb that is nursing tends to nibble the mother s feed. An alternative method of raising the neonate is to remove it from its mother at a very young age, <1 week. A common example of an early weaning situation is the dairy calf that is removed from the cow soon after birth so that the cow s milk supply might be devoted entirely to production. In this instance, the neonate requires complete dietary supplementation with milk replacer. Sources of milk replacer protein have traditionally included milk protein but may also include soybean proteins, fish protein concentrates, field bean proteins, pea protein concentrates, and yeast protein (4). Information on the digestibiUty of some of these protein sources is available (4). 

Different farm enterprises vary as to the regularity of sales. For instance, one of the attractions of dairying is the monthly milk cheque. This may vary in size depending on the stage of lactation in the herd, but it is rare to have a month with no milk to sell. With beef, on the other hand, particularly with suckler beef, there can be two years or more between putting the cow in calf and selling the finished animal. Income from beef is unpredictable, but production is far less labour intensive than dairying - the cows have to be milked twice a day, every day of the year. 

In a recent study of range cattle, the overall prevalence of serotype 0157 H7 from fecal samples was 1 % and this parameter was only 0.6% in animals that were on cow-calf pasture (Renter et al., 2003). New Zealand is a major cattle producing country that relies mostly on pasture feeding, but epidemiological evidence and cattle surveys suggested that the prevalence of E. coli 0157 H7 appears to be extremely low in that country (Cook, personal communication). Other researchers reported only two 0157-positive animals in a study that included 531 cattle in 55 dairy farms (Buncic and Avery, 1997). In studies conducted by New Zealand s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, E. coli 0157 H7 was never detected from a total of 3000 bovine and 500 ovine carcasses (Cook, personal communication). Based on these reports, it is apparent that cattle fed pasture had a lower 0157 H7 prevalence, but further work is needed to determine if the effect is due to the pasture feed itself or to the physical separation of the animals. 

Research studies concluded that diets containing 200 ppm or less of free gossypol as cotton-seed meal was safe for Holstein calves. At 400 ppm, there was an increase in cardiovascular and lung lesions, leading to increased calf losses. Mature beef cows can be safely fed cotton-seed meal as their entire protein supplement as this is generally kept relatively low, whereas dairy cows should not receive more than 3.6 kg/head/day (reviewed by Cheeke, 1998). 

Green, M. L., Angal, S., Lowe, P. A. and Marston, F. A. O. 1985. Cheddar cheesemaking with recombinant calf chymosin synthesized in Escherichia coli. J. Dairy Res. 52, 281-286. 

Visser, S., Hup, G., Exterkate, F. A. and Stadhouders, J. 1983. Bitter flavor in cheese. 2. Model studies on the formation and degradation of bitter peptides by proteolytic enzymes from calf rennet, starter cells and starter cell fractions. Neth. Milk Dairy J. 37, 169-180. 

Cow s milk is a complex and dynamic fluid that contains all nutrients needed for the development and growth of the calf. Milk contains lipids (dairy fat), high-quality protein, vitamins, minerals, and other bioactive components. The nutritional composition in milk varies depending on factors such as breed and age of the cow and the forage composition (Haug et al., 2007). Table 1.1 presents the different components of milk and their respective concentration per liter. Also presented in the table is an approximation of the daily contribution (%) of the different components in milk to the diet for adults, as well as the main health effects. 

Scanff, P., Yvon, M., Thirouin, S., and Pelissier, J.-P. 1992. Characterization and kinetics of gastric emptying of peptides derived from milk proteins in the preruminant calf. J. Dairy Res. 59, 437-447. 

The newborn dairy calf requires fat in its diet until the rumen becomes functional. About 10% fat in milk replacers is sufficient to supply the EFA, carry fat-soluble vitamins, and provide adequate energy for normal growth. Higher fat (15-20%) content milk replacers are recommended for colder climates and for veal production. Forages and grains usually contain less than 3 % fat. Dairy cows can use approximately 0.45 kg fat/day, or 2-3% added fat in their diet. 

Milk fever is a problem on the dairy farm. The disease occurs in cows whose plasma calcium levels drop below 5.0 mg /100 ml. Milk fever often results in coma and death. The disease presents when a cow has been fed a diet high in calcium prior to calving and lactation. ("Calving" means giving birth to a calf.) Alfalfa is an example of a high-caJeium food- The mother cow starts to produce milk at the lime of calving. The milk production places a sudden drain on the calcium present in the cow s plasma. This calcium must originate either from the diet or from the bones of the cow. Animals are able to dissolve or "mobilize" calcium from their own bones in times of need to maintain plasma calcium levels. 

There are restrictions on some dairy ingredients. For example, enzymes used to make cheese should be of microbial origin to be acceptable as halal. Rennet from calf must be avoided. The active ingredient in rennet is Chymosin. Chymosin can also be produced in the lab, and this biotech product can be halal. Most calf rennet in the US is not halal. 

Regardless of the mechanism, average daily gains and gaimfeed ratios usually are lower than milk-fed controls when calves are fed milk replacers containing a substantial amount of protein from soybeans. Identification of factors limiting calf performance when soy-containing milk replacers are fed would be an enormous benefit to both the dairy and soybean industries. 

Bines, V. E., Young, P., and Law, B. A. (1989). Comparison of cheese made with a recombinant calf chymosin and with standard calf rennet. J. Dairy Res. 56,657-664. 

Green, M. L., and Foster, P. D. M. (1974). Comparison of the rates of proteolysis during ripening of Cheddar cheeses made with calf rennet and swine pepsin as coagulants. J. Dairy Res. 41,269-282. 

Johnston, K. A., Dunlop, F. P., Coker, C. J., and Wards, S. M. (1994). Comparisons between the electrophoretic pattern and textural assessment of aged Cheddar made using various levels of calf rennet or microbial coagulant (Rennilase 46L). Int. Dairy J. 4, 303-327. 

Dairy Milk curd formation for cheese making rennet fungal calf stomach 5... 

Morris HJA, Anderson K (1991) A comparative study of Cheddar cheeses made with fermentation produced calf chymosin from Kluyveromyces lactis and with calf rennet. Cult Dairy Prod J... 

Jenkins KJ, Hidiroglou M. 1991. Tolerance of the preruminant calf for excess manganese or zinc in milk replacer. J Dairy Sci 74 1047-1053. 

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