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A total of twelve lactating Jersey cows were used in a 5-week experiment to determine the effects of severe feed restriction on the permeability of mammary gland cell tight junctions (TJs) and its effects on milk stability to the alcohol test. During the first 2 weeks, cows were managed and fed together and received the same diet according to their nutritional requirements (full diet: 15 kg of sugar cane silage; 5.8 kg of alfalfa hay; 0.16 kg of mineral salt and 6.2 kg of concentrate). In the 3rd week, animals were distributed into two groups of six cows each. One group received the full diet and the other a restricted diet (50% of the full diet). In the 4th and 5th weeks, all animals received the full diet again. Milk composition and other attributes, such as titratable acidity, ethanol stability, pH, density and somatic cell count (SCC) were evaluated. Cortisol levels indicated the stress condition of the cows. Plasma lactose and milk sodium were measured to assess mammary TJ leakiness. Principal factor analysis (PFA) showed that the first two principal factors (PFs) contributed with 44.47% and 20.57% of the total variance in the experiment and, as feeding levels increased, milk stability to the ethanol test became higher and plasma lactose levels decreased, which indicates lower permeability of the mammary gland cell TJ. Correspondence analyses were consistent with PFA and also showed that lower feeding levels were related to reduced milk stability, high plasma lactose, high sodium in milk, low milk lactose (another parameter used to assess TJ permeability) and higher cortisol levels, indicating the stress to which animals were submitted. All observations were grouped in three clusters, with some of the above-mentioned patterns. Feeding restriction was associated with higher permeability of TJ, decreasing milk stability to the ethanol test.

The effect of shade on behavior and physiological attributes of grazing cows in a high altitude subtropical zone is not well established. This work aimed to investigate how social and ingestive behaviors, as well as physiological and other attributes of dairy cows such as milk production, change in a subtropical environment during the hot season either with or without free access to shade. Fourteen lactating cows were kept on pasture either with no shade or with free access to shade for 5 days and their behavior was recorded with instantaneous scan sampled every 10 min, from sunrise, 0530 h (Greenwich mean time, GMT − 0200 h) to sunset, 2100 h (GMT − 0200 h). Behavior traits included (1) time spent in activities such as grazing, ruminating, resting, lying, standing, walking, seeking shade and staying in the proximity to the water trough and (2) number of events such as water ingestion, aggressive interactions, as well as competition for shade and water. Physiological attributes such as heart and respiratory rates, rectal temperature, number of rumen movements, panting score, as well as milk yield, were evaluated. Time spent in behavioral activities, number of behavioral events and physiological attributes varied between groups (with and without access to shade). Cows with no shade showed increased respiratory and heart rates and panting score at 1300 h, higher values for time of permanence near the water trough, number of competition and aggression events for shade. On the other hand, they showed lower values for time spent resting while lying, ruminating while standing, seeking shade. Access to shade did not change time spent lying, standing, walking with the head up, ruminating while lying, resting while standing, as well as milk yield and number of ruminal movements. Significant interactions between access to shade and days of measurements were detected for time spent walking, ruminating, grazing, resting, number of water ingestion events, competition events near the water trough and for shade, as well as for rectal temperature and panting score measured at 1700 h. In the high altitude subtropical region, access to shade minimizes negative heat stress effects on behavior and physiological aspects of dairy cows.

-The objective of this study was to investigate changes in physiological parameters of dairy cows and understand which physiological parameters show greater reliability for verification of heat stress. Blood samples were collected for analysis and included hematocrit (Ht), erythrocyte count (ERY), and hemoglobin count (HEMO). In addition, physiological variables, including rectal temperature (RT), heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), and panting score (PS) were recorded in 38 lactating cows. These varied according to genetic group (½, ¾, and pure bred Holstein (HO)). Analysis of variance considering the effects of genetic group, days, and their interaction as well as linear and quadratic effect of the black globe humidity index (BGHI) was performed, as well as broken-line regression. These values were higher in pure HO than in ¾ and ½ groups. The average BGHI during the morning was 74, when 70, 43, and 13% of pure HO, ¾, and ½, respectively, presented RR above reference value. The RR was the best indicator of heat stress and its critical value was 116 breaths/min for ½, 140 for ¾, and 168 breaths/min for pure HO cows. In the HO group, physiological variables increased linearly with BGHI, without presenting inflection in the regression. The inflection point occurred at a higher BGHI for the ½ group compared with the other groups. Hematocrit and HEMO were different among genetic groups and did not vary with BGHI, showing that stress was not sufficient to alter these hematological parameters. The ½ HO group was capable of maintaining normal physiological parameters for at least 3 BGHI units above that of HO and 1 to 3 units higher than ¾ HO for RR and RT, respectively. Respiratory rate is the physiological parameter that best predicts heat stress in dairy cattle, and the 1/2 Holstein group is the best adapted to heat stress.

-The objective of this study was to determine whether infrared thermography is a useful tool for the recognition of dairy cows in a state of thermal heat stress, as well as to identify the best region of the animal to be evaluated for this recognition. Physiological variables, including rectal temperature, respiratory frequency, cardiac frequency, and panting score were recorded in 38 lactating cows. For the assessment of environmental parameters, a digital black globe thermometer (TGD-200 model) was used. Thermographic photographs of different regions of the body of cows were taken using an infrared camera (FLIR ® System T300) and indicated respective superficial temperature. Physiological variables and superficial body temperature in different regions varied between genetic groups (Girolando: ½ Holstein × ½ Gir and ¾ Holstein × ¼ Gir; purebred Holstein). The environmental temperature ranged from 20.7 to 37.9 °C with a relative humidity reaching 95%. The mean rectal temperature (40.84 °C), respiratory frequency (111.36 breaths/min), and cardiac frequency (99.22 beats/min) were higher for pure Holstein than for Girolando cows. Positive correlations were found between the physiological parameters and thermographic measures. The highest positive correlation (0.74) was found between the temperature in the lateral region of the udder and rectal temperature. Thermography is a good indicator of thermal comfort. The best region to identify heat stress in cows using thermography is the lateral region of the udder.

Resumo -O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos da restrição alimentar sobre a produção de leite bovino e sobre seu perfil eletroforético de proteínas, bem como relacioná-los à estabilidade do leite pelo teste do álcool. Foram conduzidos dois experimentos com vacas Jersey: no primeiro, avaliou-se o efeito da redução de 40% na alimentação fornecida a vacas semiconfinadas; no segundo, avaliou-se o efeito da restrição de 30% do conteúdo de nutrientes digestíveis totais na alimentação de vacas confinadas. As frações proteicas foram determinadas por eletroforese, e sua quantificação por meio de análises de imagens. As amostras de leite foram classificadas conforme estabilidade no teste do álcool a 72°GL. A restrição alimentar de 40% a vacas semiconfinadas reduziu a produção de leite, mas não alterou a composição de proteínas lácteas e a estabilidade do leite; neste caso, o leite instável apresentou maiores teores de β-caseína e de proteínas totais, porém menor proporção de κ-caseína em comparação ao leite estável. A restrição de 30% do aporte energético a vacas confinadas não reduziu a produção leiteira, porém diminuiu a percentagem de albumina sérica bovina e a estabilidade no teste do álcool; neste caso, o leite instável e o estável não diferiram quanto às proteínas lácteas.Termos para indexação: b-caseína, κ-caseína, confinamento, eletroforese, leite instável não ácido, teste do álcool. Electrophoretic characterization of proteins and milk stability of cows submitted to feeding restrictionAbstract -The objective of this work was to evaluate the feeding restriction effects on milk yield and on its electrophoretic protein profile, and to relate them to milk stability to the alcohol test. Two experiments were carried out with Jersey cows: in the first one, the effect of 40% feed restriction was evaluated on semiconfined cows; in the second one, the effect of 30% reduction in total digestive nutrients was evaluated on confined cows. Protein fractions were determined by electrophoresis and their quantification was done by image analysis. Milk samples were classified according to their stability in the 72°GL-alcohol test. The 40% feed restriction for semiconfined cows decreased milk yield, but it did not change milk protein contents and stability; in this case, unstable milk showed larger contents of β-casein and total proteins, but lower κ-casein in comparison to stable milk. The 30% restriction of energy supply for confined cows did not reduce milk yield, but decreased the percentage of serum bovine albumin and milk stability; in this case, unstable and stable milk did not differ as for protein fractions.

-The objective of this research was to determine the variation of milk stability evaluated with ethanol, boiling, and coagulation time tests (CTT) to identify milk components related with stability and verify the correlation between the three methods. Bulk raw milk was collected monthly at 50 dairy farms from January 2007 to October 2009 and physicochemical attributes, somatic cell (SCC), and total bacterial counts (TBC) were determined. Milk samples were classified into low, medium, and high stability to ethanol test when coagulation occurred at 72 °GL, between 74 and 78 °GL, and above 78 °GL, respectively. Univariate analysis was performed considering the effects of year, months, and interaction in a completely randomized design. Principal factor analysis and logistic regression were done. There was an interaction between months and years for stability to the ethanol test and coagulation time. All samples were stable at the boiling test. Boiling test was not related to ethanol and coagulation time tests. Coagulation time was weakly but positively correlated with ethanol test. Broken line analysis revealed that milk stability measured with CTT and ethanol tests decreased sharply when SCC attained 790,000 or 106 cell/mL of milk, respectively. Milk stability measured with ethanol test decreased when TBC was higher than 250,000 cfu/mL, while there was no inflexion point between TBC and stability measured with CTT. Milk with high stability presented lower values for acidity, TBC, and SCC but higher values for pH, lactose, protein, and CTT compared with lowstability milk. Due to the execution easiness, single-point cut-off result and low cost, we do not recommend the replacement of ethanol test for boiling or coagulation time test.Key Words: milk composition, seasonality, somatic cell count Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia

Dairy cattle raised under harsh conditions have to adapt and prevent heat stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate physical characteristics and their association with heat tolerance in different genetic groups of dairy cattle. Thickness of the skin and coat, length and number of hairs, body measurements, as well as physiological parameters and body temperatures by infrared thermography were determined in 19 Holstein and 19 Girolando (½ and ¾ Holstein) cows. The Holstein cattle were less tolerant to heat stress than Girolando (GH50 and GH75 Holstein), because of the difficulty in dissipating heat due to the larger body size, as well as thicker and longer hairs. The correlations between physical characteristics, physiological parameters, and thermographic measurements prove to be inconsistent among genetic groups and therefore are not predictive of heat tolerance, while the regressions of morphometric characteristics on physiological and thermographic measures were not significant. Thus, the physical characteristics were not good predictors of physiological indices and thermographic temperature and so should not be used.