The objective of the current study was to establish the possible impact of several non-genetic factors on milk yield. Data from 1120 lactations were collected between 2019 and 2022 regarding cows’ milk yield (MY) and 305-d MY, under the influence…
This study aimed to determine the effects of parity, birth type, and lamb sex on milk yield, lactation length, milking period, and milk components in Zom ewes. In this study, which included 83 Zom ewes, it was observed that birth…
This study examined the effects of micro-supplementation of Moringa oleifera leaf meal on lactation performance and blood metabolites of lactating dairy cows. Thirty Jersey cows (± 40 days in milk (DIM)) were supplemented with Moringa oleifera leaf meal (M) at…
A new genotype of spineless cactus is being used in the diets of dairy cattle that are raised in semi-arid regions. However, little is known about its nutritional value. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of replacing Miúda (Nopalea…
The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary silymarin on milk yield, milk fat, and certain blood parameters of dairy cattle. Silymarin is a naturally accepted hepatoprotectant that is used in the treatment of liver diseases in…
This trial aimed to study the changes in the yield, composition, and fatty acid (FA) profile of ewes’ milk during suckling and milking periods. Nineteen multiparous Najdi ewes were kept under identical management and feeding conditions during a 12-week trial…
The objective of this study was to assess the genetic improvement programme of the Mpwapwa dairy cattle breed over the past four decades, based on on-station selection and breeding. Estimates of genetic parameters and genetic trends for total lactation milk…
The objective of the study was to determine the effect of the duration of the dry period (DP) on the milk yield and milk composition during the following lactation. Milk performance records of 561 Holstein cows, with a previous DP…
Well-defined breeding objectives form the basis of sound genetic improvement programmes. Breeding objectives for Holstein cattle in South Africa were developed in the current study. Economic values were calculated for those economically relevant traits that had adequate bio-economic data, namely…
Genetic evaluation for the South African dairy industry has kept pace with global advances in statistical methodology. Increasingly accurate estimated breeding values (EBVs), produced routinely in the past two or three decades, have aided selection decisions. This has been coupled…
Artificial neural networks (ANNs) have been shown to be a powerful tool for system modelling in a wide range of applications. In this paper, we focus on the capability of ANNs to predict 305-d milk yield in early lactation of…
The objective of the study was to determine whether early post-partum dosing of Megasphaera elsdenii NCIMB 41125 (Me) will be beneficial to performance of high producing TMR-fed cows. Sixty multiparous Holstein cows were randomly allocated to four treatments (60% or…
Sixty high-producing multiparous Holstein cows were used in a randomized complete block design experiment to determine the effect of a direct-fed microbial (DFM), Megasphaera elsdenii NCIMB 41125 (Me), on dairy cattle productivity and health. The cows received one of two…
In this experiment the response to niacin supplementation was evaluated. Twelve multiparous Holstein cows were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square statistical model in four 24 d periods as replicates. At the onset all the cows were…
Maize silage is relatively high in energy but low in protein for the normal lactational requirements of dairy cows. Three trials were conducted to compare the use of urea as opposed to natural protein supplements in balancing the…
A breeding policy to improve milk production in the Elsenburg Holstein-Friesland herd was adopted in 1984. Cow selection was based on partial (90 days) and completed (300 days) lactation records of 4% fat corrected milk and protein yields during first…
Milk yield data (n = 12307) from 116 Holstein-Friesian herds were grouped into three production environments based on mean and standard deviation of herd 305-day milk yield and evaluated for within herd variation using univariate animal model procedures. Variance components…
Female fertility is increasingly gaining importance in national dairy cattle breeding objectives worldwide. In South Africa, there is no routine prediction of breeding values for reproductive performance in dairy cattle and selection is mainly focused on production traits. The objective…
The aim of the study was to determine the effect of substituting maize grain with barley grain in the diet of lactating Jersey cows grazing kikuyu-ryegrass pasture. Sixty Jersey cows were blocked in terms of number of days in milk,…
The present study focused on gaining a better insight into how subclinical mastitis at the gland level in dairy sheep and goats affects milk yield and compositional changes in relation to curd yield. Animals chosen for the study had one…
