Postpartum Reproductive Management Based on the Routine Farm Records of a Dairy Herd: Relationship between the Metabolic Parameters and Postpartum Ovarian Activity

Takagi, Mitsuhiro,Hirai, Toshiya,Moriyama, Naoki,Ohtani, Masayuki,Miyamoto, Akio,Wijayagunawardane, Missaka P.B. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2005 Animal Bioscience Vol.18 No.6

The aim of this study was 1) to confirm the practical efficiency of a routine milk P4 monitoring system for postpartum reproductive management of a dairy herd, and 2) to evaluate the relationship between the blood metabolic profiles, milk quality and body weight of individual cows in the farm records, which may reflect the postpartum nutritional condition, and the time of postpartum resumption of ovarian activity of dairy cows. A total of 116 Holstein cows was used in the present study. First, during the period of Experiment 1, postpartum reproductive management based on weekly measured milk P4 concentration from individual cows was conducted. Compared with the reproductive records of the past two years without P4 monitoring, although the day from calving to first AI did not change, both the number of AI until pregnant (with P4; 1.9 times vs. without P4; 2.9 times) and the days open (with P4; 95.1 days vs. without P4; 135.8 days and 133.8 days) were significantly decreased. In Experiment 2, the measurement of blood constituents such as albumin, blood urea nitrogen, packed cell volume, ammonia, glucose, total cholesterol, non-esterified, AST and $\gamma$-GTP was performed on the blood samples taken once approximately 14 days postpartum, to monitor both health and nutritional conditions. The milk constituent parameters, such as milk protein (MP), milk fat (MF), SNF and lactose, collected from the monthly progeny test of individual cows, were used to monitor the postpartum nutritional status. Furthermore, the data obtained from the routine measurements of body weight were used to calculate the rate of peripartum body weight loss. The resumption day of the postpartum estrous cycle was assumed from the milk P4 profiles of individual cows. There was no clear relationship between each parameter from blood examination and those from resumption time. However, the cows had low values of MP, and SNF, which significantly affected the resumption of the postpartum estrous cycle. Similarly, a higher rate of body weight loss indicated a significant delay (more than 1 month) in the resumption of the postpartum estrous cycle, compared with the groups that had a medium or lower rate of body weight loss. The results of the present study demonstrated that the implementation of routine milk P4 monitoring-based postpartum reproductive management, together with milk quality parameters and routine BW data available in field conditions may be utilized as a practical approach for increasing the postpartum reproductive efficiency of a high yielding dairy herd.

Detection of Torque teno sus virus 1 and 2 in tissues from stillborn piglets delivered by sows via natural farrowing

Chenga Tshering,Mitsuhiro Takagi,Eisaburo Deguchi 대한수의학회 2012 JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE Vol.13 No.4

We detected Torque teno sus virus 1 and 2 (TTSuV1 and TTSuV2) in tissue samples from 18 stillborn piglets using nested polymerase chain reaction. The detection rates of TTSuV1 and TTSuV2 were 78% and 50%, respectively, with 83% of the stillborn piglets positive for TTSuV1 or TTSuV2. TTSuV1 was detected highest in the liver (72%) followed by heart (56%), spleen (38%) and tonsils (38%) while TTSuV2 was detected highest in the tonsils (38%)followed by liver (33%), spleen (25%), and heart (17%). These results indicate that TTSuVs are commonly present but not equally distributed among the tissues of stillborn piglets.

Retrospective surveillance of metabolic parameters affecting reproductive performance of Japanese Black breeding cows

Urara Watanabe,Mitsuhiro Takagi,Osamu Yamato,Takeshige Otoi,Koji Okamoto 대한수의학회 2014 JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE Vol.15 No.2

This retrospective study was conducted to confirm therelationship between pre- and postpartum metabolicparameters and postpartum reproductive performance and toclarify seasonal characteristics of the metabolic parameters byusing our metabolic profile test (MPT) database of JapaneseBlack breeding herds. In evaluation 1, MPT databases of bloodsamples from multiparous cows collected prepartum andpostpartum were divided into two groups according to calvinginterval, and each MPT parameter was compared. Inevaluation 2, the same MPT databases used in evaluation 1 weredivided into two groups according to the sampling period. Significant differences were found in the prepartal total proteinand postpartal γ-glutamyltransferase in evaluation 1. Inevaluation 2, significant differences were found in the prepartaland postpartal total protein, albumin/globulin ratio, andglucose. Clear seasonal differences in MPT results emphasizedthe usefulness of the MPT in breeding cattle herds fedhome-pasture roughage and suggest that unsatisfactoryreproductive performance during hot periods reflectsinadequate nutritional content of the diet and possible reducedfeed intake due to heat stress.

Effects of Oral Administration of Difructose Anhydride III on Selected Health and Blood Parameters of Group-housed Japanese Black Calves during the Preweaning Period

Matsumoto, Daisaku,Takagi, Mitsuhiro,Hasunuma, Hiroshi,Fushimi, Yasuo,Ohtani, Masayuki,Sato, Tadashi,Okamoto, Koji,Shahada, Francis,Tanaka, Tetsuya,Deguchi, Eisaburo Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2009 Animal Bioscience Vol.22 No.12

Two field studies were conducted to determine the efficacy of difructose anhydride III (DFA III) as a supplement in colostrum replacer (CR) for improving the general health status (judged on the basis of incidence of enteritis, bronchitis, and pneumonia) of group-housed suckling Japanese Black calves. In a preliminary study, CR supplemented with DFA III (6 g) was orally administered within 24 h of calving to eight individually reared calves fed colostrum (DFA III group) (Exp. 1). Subsequently, CR supplemented with DFA III (6 g) was orally administered twice within 2 and 12 h of calving to four calves (DFA III group) that were not fed colostrum (Exp. 2). In both experiments, the health status of the calves was assessed during the preweaning period. In Exp. 2, hematological and blood-chemistry parameters were analyzed 24 h after the second administration of CR and at 1 wk and 1 month after calving. The results were compared between the DFA III and control groups (without DFA III supplementation; Exp. 1: n = 10, Exp. 2: n = 4). In Exp. 1, the number of calves requiring medications for the treatment of enteritis, bronchitis, and pneumonia during the preweaning period was significantly (p<0.05) lower in the DFA III group than in the control group. In Exp. 2, supplementation of DFA III did not influence the gain in body weight of calves during the pre-weaning period. Calves in the DFA III group tended to require medications for a shorter duration than those in the control group (DFA III: 10.3 d/calf, control: 21.3 d/calf; p = 0.07). Significant differences (p<0.05) in the level of mean corpuscular hemoglobin, total protein, total cholesterol, and immunoglobulin (Ig)G were observed between the DFA III and control groups. These differences probably reflect the health and nutritional status of the calves. Additionally, the serum iron and lactoferrin concentrations at 24 h and 1 wk after calving, respectively, differed significantly between the 2 groups. These concentrations might reflect the incidence of infections after calving. The present study revealed that the administration of DFA III as a CR supplement may prevent diseases in group-housed calves during the pre-weaning period.

Magnetic Memory in a Ceramic YBCO Superconductor Composed of Sub-micron-size Grains

Hiroyuki Deguchi,Takuya Ashida,Mitsuhiro Syudo,Masaki Mito,Seishi Takagi,Makoto Hagiwara,Kuniyuki Koyama 한국물리학회 2013 THE JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Vol.62 No.12

The ceramic YBa2Cu4O8 (YBCO) composed of sub-micron-size grains is considered as a randomJosephson-coupled network of 0 and junctions and shows successive phase transitions. The firsttransition occurs inside each grain at Tc1 = 81 K, and the second transition occurs among thegrains at Tc2 = 47 K. A magnetic glass behavior similar to those of spin-glasses is observed attemperatures below Tc2. The memory phenomena are investigated by recording the zero-fieldcooledand thermoremanent magnetizations measured on heating after the cooling process witha halt at Ts = 41 K. Memory effects of the halt are imprinted in the system when the sampleis re-heated. In the case without a field switch at Ts, the influence of the halt is confined to anarrow temperature region near Ts whereas the memory effect of the halt employing a field switchis extended over a wide temperature region below Ts. The results suggest that chiral-glass orderingoccurs at Tc2 in the ceramic YBCO.

Luteal lifespan and fertility after estrus synchronization in goats

Lu Meng Chao,Koji Takayama,Yoshitaka Nakanishi,Katsumi Hamana,Mitsuhiro Takagi,Toshiyuki Kojima,Chikara Kubota 대한수의학회 2008 Journal of Veterinary Science Vol.9 No.1

The present experiment aims to examine the efficiency of estrus synchronization using progesterone and equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG) and to look at luteal function. During the non-breeding and breeding season, 5 adult female Korean native goats were injected intramuscularly with 2.5 ml of physiological saline as the control. A progesterone impregnated intravaginal sponge was then kept in the same goats for 10 days followed, after a week, by an intramuscular injection of 500 IU eCG. Five adult female Nubian goats were mated with a fertile buck during the non-breeding season. During the non-breeding season 2 of the 5 goats showed a normal estrous cycle (ranging from 18 to 21 days) and 3 a short estrous cycle (ranging from 3 to 6 days). During the breeding season the equivalent figures were 1 and 2. The major axes of the corpus luteum (CL) were measured by means of calipers built into the ultrasonography system, and the concentrations of plasma progesterone (P4) were determined by double antibody radioimmunoassay. The mean major axes of the CL in goats showing the short cycle (6.1 ± 0.5 mm) was significantly smaller than in those showing the normal cycle (8.9 ± 0.5 mm; p < 0.01) and also the value of P4 in goats showing the short cycle (4.2 ± 2.1 ng/ml) was significantly lower than for those showing the normal cycle (10.3 ± 4.3 ng/ml; p < 0.05) at day 3 following ovulation. Three out of 5 Nubian goats became pregnant but only one goat carried to full term. The present experiment indicated that a combination of progesterone and eCG was effective in inducing estrus, although it resulted in a high incidence of short luteal lifespan. The low kidding rate and high incidence of embryonic loss may be due to the instability of the luteal lifespan. The present experiment aims to examine the efficiency of estrus synchronization using progesterone and equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG) and to look at luteal function. During the non-breeding and breeding season, 5 adult female Korean native goats were injected intramuscularly with 2.5 ml of physiological saline as the control. A progesterone impregnated intravaginal sponge was then kept in the same goats for 10 days followed, after a week, by an intramuscular injection of 500 IU eCG. Five adult female Nubian goats were mated with a fertile buck during the non-breeding season. During the non-breeding season 2 of the 5 goats showed a normal estrous cycle (ranging from 18 to 21 days) and 3 a short estrous cycle (ranging from 3 to 6 days). During the breeding season the equivalent figures were 1 and 2. The major axes of the corpus luteum (CL) were measured by means of calipers built into the ultrasonography system, and the concentrations of plasma progesterone (P4) were determined by double antibody radioimmunoassay. The mean major axes of the CL in goats showing the short cycle (6.1 ± 0.5 mm) was significantly smaller than in those showing the normal cycle (8.9 ± 0.5 mm; p < 0.01) and also the value of P4 in goats showing the short cycle (4.2 ± 2.1 ng/ml) was significantly lower than for those showing the normal cycle (10.3 ± 4.3 ng/ml; p < 0.05) at day 3 following ovulation. Three out of 5 Nubian goats became pregnant but only one goat carried to full term. The present experiment indicated that a combination of progesterone and eCG was effective in inducing estrus, although it resulted in a high incidence of short luteal lifespan. The low kidding rate and high incidence of embryonic loss may be due to the instability of the luteal lifespan.