The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of environmental temperature and backfat thickness (BT) on the reproductive performance of lactating sows. Sixty crossbred sows were allotted to four groups in a 2×2 factorial arrangement by environmental temperature (high temperature [HT], 27.5±1.76℃; low temperature [LT], 23.3±0.89℃) and BT (<20 mm, average 17.70 mm; ≥20 mm, average 23.20 mm) from July to August 2019. Sows in the HT group experienced a greater change in BT and a lower feed intake. Losses in body weight and BT were lower in sows with <20 mm BT than in those with ≥20 mm BT. Sows with low BT had a lower weaning-to-estrus interval than sows with high BT (5.20, 4.93 d vs. 5.87, 5.60 d, respectively). Piglet survivability was lower in the HT group (90.31%) than in the LT group (94.87%). Piglet weaning weight and average daily weight gain were greater in sows with <20 mm BT (5.75 kg and 201.46 g, respectively) than in those with ≥20 mm BT (5.49 kg and 188.41 g, respectively). Sows in the HT group had higher cortisol concentrations than those in the LT group (post-farrowing: HT 7.86 μg/mL vs. LT 6.04 μg/mL; weanling: HT 5.48 μg/mL vs. LT 4.40 μg/mL). In conclusion, environmental temperature adversely influenced sow performance and cortisol levels. Moreover, sows with low BT had a greater weaning-to-estrus interval when subjected to heat stress.

A diverse of recommendation has been made for the structure and management of dairy cows, despite demanding research, the relationship between lactation number and various factors is yet to be established. The present study was aimed to investigate the covariance among lactation number, growth performance, calving interval, and milk production was considered to increase an efficiency of selection schemes and to manage more efficiently Holstein dairy cows that have been raised on small-scale family farms in Republic of Korea. For that purpose, the data were observed from 850 Holstein dairy cows, which a total of 3929 milking, since April 2016 - January 2017. We measured the body weight, height, age, calving interval, and milk production of the each dairy cow. Also, information about the date of lactation, calving interval, and milk production was recorded using an automatic milking system(AMS) with identification numbers. Milk production was calculated per udder quarter in the AMS. Our study results showed the increased average body weight(p>0.05) in 1, 2, 3, and 4th lactating dairy cows and afterwards, we noticed the tendency on the average body weight(p<0.05) per lactation progressed. There was no significant difference noticed on height measurement of dairy cows. From the processing data of 850 Holstein dairy cows, the lactation number 1 and 7 had a greater calving interval with significantly lowered milk production, and the lactation number 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 had significantly lowered the calving interval(p<0.05) with a greater milk production. From our study results, we evidenced that there is a significant relationship between the lactation number, growth performance, calving interval, and milk yield, and the maximum production of milk occurring in the 3rd and 4th lactation dairy cows. The achieved results from this study can be used by the small-scale farmers to encourage the structure and management of growth performance, calving interval, and milk yield in Holstein dairy cows in Korea.

본 실험은 포유기 사료 급여 기간의 변화가 포유 모돈의 생리적 변화와 번식 능력에 미치는 영향을 조사하기 위해 수행되었다. 평균체중 256.15 ± 4.39kg의 F1 모돈(Yorkshire × Landrace) 30두를 공 시하였으며, 완전임의배치법에 따라 3처리구에 배치하였다. 각 처리구는 1) L0-5: 임신기 110일령부터 이유시까지 포유모돈 사료를 급여, 2) L0: 분만일부터 이유시까지 포유모돈 사료를 급여, 3) L0+5: 분 만 5일 후부터 이유시까지 포유모돈 사료를 급여 하였다. 포유기에는 모돈들에게 사료를 무제한 급여 하였으며, 실험결과 사료의 변화 시기는 모돈의 체중 및 등지방 두께에 유의적인 영향을 미치지 못하였 다. 사료섭취량에 있어서 분만일부터 이유시까지 포유돈 사료를 섭취한 모돈이 수치적으로 가장 높았지 만 처리구간 유의적인 차이는 나타나지 않았다. 산자수, 자돈의 체중 및 유성분에 있어서도 처리구간 차이는 발견되지 않았다. 결론적으로 분만 5일전부터 5일후 사이에 포유돈 사료로 교체하는 것은 모돈 의 번식능력 및 포유능력에는 긍정적인 영향을 미치지 않는 것으로 판단된다.

The present study investigated the effects of fermented potato protein (FPP, Lianol® ferity) during gestation and lactation on productivity of sows. A total of 50 crossbred sows (Landrace×Yorkshire) in their 3 to 5 parities were allotted to one of two treatments (n=25) including control and FPP groups. FPP tablets applied in sows in two stages. Stage one involved applying FPP daily from 3 days before farrowing to 2 days after for 5 consecutive days. The second stage also involved a 5 day period around weaning time from 3 days before to 2 days after. After farrowing, the amount of feed offered 3 times per day gradually increased from about 3.6 kg at farrowing to 8.4 kg at late lactation. During the first lactation FPP tended to increase backfat thickness (BFT) at weaning at the first (p=0.069) whereas FPP increased BFT (p<0.05) at weaning in the second lactation. There was no significant effect of FPP on body weight changes and daily feed intake of sows. Decreased weaning to estrus interval was associated with applying lianol tablet at the second lactation (p<0.05). Weight of born alive piglets, weaned piglets and total weight gain were greater in FPP group at the second lactation (p<0.05). Applying FPP tended (p=0.062) to increase insulin like growth factor-Ⅰ(IGF-I) at the weaning time in the first lactation. The effect of FPP on IGF-I was significant at the second lactation, revealing a higher concentration in blood at post farrowing and weaning time (p<0.05). This study shows the benefit of using FPP tablets in sows to increase blood IGF-I and both initial and final litter size to improve piglet weaning weights.

This study was conducted for SNPs in the 5'-regions of estrogen receptor-α(ESR-α), and association with calving interval (CI), service per conception (SPC) and 305 days milk yield in Hanwoo and Holstein dairy cattle. The genet-ic improvement was incurred low reproduction performance. The objective of this study was to investigate connec-tions between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of Estrogen receptor-α (ESR-α) with reproduction performance (calving interval, service per conception, and 305 d milk yield) in Hanwoo and Holstein dairy cattle. Hanwoo and Holstein blood samples were collected from 183 and 124 dam of breeding farms and DNA was extracted. Primer design was based on NCBI GenBank (Accession No. AY340579). The PCR-RFLP method with Bgl I was used to ge-notype the cattle. The result showed two variants of the ESR-α gene. The Bgl I cut the 492 bp amplification pro- duct into 322 bp and 170 bp fragments for allele G, while allele A remained uncut, resulting in two restriction frag-ments for homozygote G/G and three fragments for heterozygote A/G. We found two of different genotypes in the-se breeds, A/G and G/G. In Hanwoo, the A/G genotype frequency was 0.13, and G/G was 0.87. The CI of A/G was 382.18±10.03 days, and G/G was 381.69±5.22 days. The SPC of A/G was 1.62±0.16, and G/G was 1.32±0.04. While CI showed no significance difference, SPC exhibited significant difference (p<0.05). In Holstein cattle, the frequency of genotype A/G was 0.02 and G/G was 0.98. The 305 days milk yield of A/G was 7,253.00±936.00 kg and of G/G was 8,747.51±204.88 kg, showing no significant difference.

This study aimed to improve the reproductive efficiency of dairy herds by comparison and analyzing estrous appearance rate, conception and non-conception rate according to the stage of lactation using the lactation and reproductive records of average (less than 10,000 liters milk in 305 days) and high yielding (more than 10,000 liters milk in 305 days) Holstein cows (n=102). Milk production and reproduction data were collected between January 2010 and December 2012 from Holstein cows kept in the commercial dairy farms. Average (n=32) and high yielding (n=24) Holstein cows used to analyze the relationship between milk yield and reproductive performance. Our results showed that estrous appearance rate according to the stage of lactation was 25.0% (30∼59d), 40.6% (60∼ 89d), 25% (90∼110d) and 9.4% (>111d) in average yielding cows and 16.7% (30∼59d), 20.8% (60∼89d), 12.5% (90 ∼110d) and 50.0% (>111d) in high yielding cows, respectively. Conception rate according to the stage of lactation was 87.5% (30∼59d), 61.5% (60∼ 89d), 75.0% (90∼110d) and 66.7% (>111d) in average yielding cows and 25.0% (30∼59d), 0% (60∼89d), 33.3% (90∼ 110d) and 50.0% (>111d) in high yielding cows, respectively. Days between parturition and conception was 23.7% (<149d), 0% (150∼209d) and 0% (>210 d) in average yielding cows and 69.0% (<149 d), 77.8% (150∼209d) and 38.9% (>210d) in high yielding cows, respectively. Conception rate from 110 days postpartum in high yielding cows was 41.7% (110∼150d), 50.0% (151∼180d) and 50.0% (>181d). Body condition score (BCS) in 120 days postpartum was 2.64±0.1 in average yielding cows and 2.28±0.1 in high yielding cows, respectively.