Relationships Between Herd Health and Reproductive Management of Dairy Animals

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Reproduction".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 1531

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Programa de Posgrado en Ciencias en Producción Agropecuaria, Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro Unidad Laguna, Torreón 27054, Mexico
Interests: small ruminants; reproduction; endocrinology; reproduction-nutrition interaction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Co-Guest Editor
Programa de Posgrado en Ciencias en Producción Agropecuaria, Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro Unidad Laguna, Torreón 27054, Mexico
Interests: small ruminants; genetics; reproduction

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Programa de Posgrado en Ciencias en Producción Agropecuaria, Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro Unidad Laguna, Torreón 27054, Mexico
Interests: small ruminants; reproduction; behavior
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Dairy products from cattle, sheep or goats are an essential component of the diets of a large proportion of the global population, which makes the dairy industries important. However, for these dairy industries to be productive, sustainable and profitable, appropriate herd management is crucial; one of the main issues is reproductive management, as it impacts fertility, herd health, milk quality and general farm profitability. Often, underlying health issues cause poor reproductive performance. When analyzed, herds with poor reproductive performance often show poor management practices. For this reason, we are pleased to invite scholars to submit new research concerning reproductive management and performance linked to health issues and herd management.

This Special Issue aims to publish original research articles and reviews on breeding techniques, herd health management, socio-sexual interactions, nutrition, animal welfare, and how they interrelate.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Francisco G. Véliz-Deras
Dr. Dalia Ivette Carrillo-Moreno
Dr. Viridiana Contreras Villarreal
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • biotechnology
  • AI
  • welfare
  • health
  • mastitis
  • ethology
  • nutrition
  • dairy
  • milk yield
  • herd

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 1106 KiB  
Article
Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence Determinants of Escherichia coli Isolates from Raw Milk of Dairy Cows with Subclinical Mastitis
by Ntelekwane George Khasapane, Olga de Smidt, Kgaugelo Edward Lekota, Jane Nkhebenyane, Oriel Thekisoe and Tsepo Ramatla
Animals 2025, 15(13), 1980; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15131980 - 5 Jul 2025
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Abstract
Subclinical mastitis (SCM) is a stealthy but devastating challenge in the dairy industry, leading to economic losses and hindering efforts to achieve milk self-sufficiency. This study investigated the prevalence of SCM, antimicrobial resistance, and virulence profiles of Escherichia coli. A total of [...] Read more.
Subclinical mastitis (SCM) is a stealthy but devastating challenge in the dairy industry, leading to economic losses and hindering efforts to achieve milk self-sufficiency. This study investigated the prevalence of SCM, antimicrobial resistance, and virulence profiles of Escherichia coli. A total of 174 milk samples were analyzed using the California mastitis test (CMT), somatic cell counts (SCCs), bacteriological culture, MALDI-TOF MS, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The findings revealed that the SCM prevalence was 68/174 (39.08%) based on CMT and SCC. Among SCM-positive samples, 60/68 (88.23%) were identified as E. coli, confirmed by MALDI-TOF MS and PCR assay. The most frequently detected serogroups were 0113 (11.6%) and 0113 (3.3%). Additionally, the genes for Stx1 and Stx2 were also detected in nine (15%) and one (1.7%), respectively. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests showed widespread resistance, with E. coli isolates demonstrating resistance to penicillin in 43 (71.6%), followed by ciprofloxacin in 42 (70%) and gentamicin in 18 (30%). A larger proportion of the E. coli strains (100%) harbored the blaVIM gene, while 23 (38.3%), 20%, 20%, and 1.47% contained blaKPC, blaNMD, suli1, and msrA. Thirty (50%) isolates were considered multidrug-resistant (MDR). These findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced surveillance and antibiotic stewardship in dairy farming. The presence of MDR E. coli in SCM poses a dual threat of potential transmission to humans and treatment failures in mastitis management. This study highlights the importance of proactive control strategies to mitigate the spread of antimicrobial resistance in livestock and beyond. Full article
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14 pages, 2949 KiB  
Article
Development a Recombinant Protein (CrFSH) as a Reproductive Hormone for the Assisted Reproduction of Dairy Cows
by Xinxi Qin, Haisen Zhang, Tian Liu, Zhenliang Cui, Kangkang Gao, Pengfei Lin and Yaping Jin
Animals 2025, 15(10), 1430; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15101430 - 15 May 2025
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Abstract
Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) stands as one of the most prevalently used reproductive hormones in the field of animal-assisted reproduction. Conventionally, pituitary FSH is sourced from the heterologous pituitary glands of pigs and sheep procured from slaughterhouses, and it typically exists in the [...] Read more.
Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) stands as one of the most prevalently used reproductive hormones in the field of animal-assisted reproduction. Conventionally, pituitary FSH is sourced from the heterologous pituitary glands of pigs and sheep procured from slaughterhouses, and it typically exists in the form of crude FSH. The specific challenges inherent in FSH-based assisted reproduction drugs has significantly spurred the interest in exploring novel alternatives, aiming to reduce the reliance on these traditional sources in relevant production processes. In this study, the α- and β-FSH genes were retrieved from pituitary cDNA libraries. These genes were selected to construct a recombinant protein—the novel cow recombinant FSH (CrFSH)—through the application of the homologous recombination method. Notably, the β-subunit was extended by a carboxy-terminal peptide (CTP). After successfully integrating the two genes into Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, the recombinant protein (approximately 33 kDa) in the culture supernatant was detected using Western blotting (WB). The results of the GCs proliferation experiment indicated that both 1.2 µg/mL pFSH and 20–20,000 ng/mL CrFSH could significantly promote the proliferation of GCs in vitro. Remarkably, on the 4th day after treatment, 20 ng/mL of CrFSH had a higher GCs proliferation rate than 1.2 μg/mL of pFSH (p < 0.001). Additionally, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) induction assay in GCs unequivocally confirmed that CrFSH possesses superior activity compared to pFSH. These findings underscore that this recombinant protein holds great potential as a promising candidate for FSH production in assisted reproduction approaches for dairy herds. Full article
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12 pages, 631 KiB  
Article
Maternal Social Hierarchy, Morphometric Traits, Live Weight, and Metabolic Status as Related to the Offspring Pre-Weaning Growth in Crossbred Dairy Goats
by Jessica Maria Flores-Salas, Ma Silvia Castillo-Zuñiga, Cesar Alberto Meza-Herrera, Ma Guadalupe Calderon-Leyva, Jorge Arturo Bustamante-Andrade, Ma de los Angeles de Santiago-Miramontes, Silvestre Moreno-Avalos, Alan Sebastian Alvarado-Espino, Viridiana Contreras-Villarreal and Francisco Gerardo Véliz-Deras
Animals 2025, 15(8), 1100; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15081100 - 10 Apr 2025
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Abstract
We evaluated the possible effect of maternal social rank (SR) concerning different morpho-physiological maternal indicators such as live weight (LWM, kg), body condition score (BCS, units), thoracic diameter (TD, cm), thoracic perimeter (TP, cm), and serum glucose content (GLU, mg dL−1), [...] Read more.
We evaluated the possible effect of maternal social rank (SR) concerning different morpho-physiological maternal indicators such as live weight (LWM, kg), body condition score (BCS, units), thoracic diameter (TD, cm), thoracic perimeter (TP, cm), and serum glucose content (GLU, mg dL−1), upon the kid’s live weights (LWGK, kg) during the birth-to-weaning period. To define the SR [either high (HSR) or low (LSR)], a behavioral study was conducted on pregnant goats managed under semi-extensive conditions in northern arid Mexico (25° N; Alpine–Saanen–Nubian × Criollo; n = 15, 2–3 y/old) 30 days before the expected kidding date. The behavioral study was conducted during feeding time (i.e., 08:00, 13:00, and 17:00; 60 min test−1, 180 min d−1). The HSR goats showed higher values (p < 0.05) regarding prepartum, parturition, postpartum weights, and zoometric values. However, no differences (p > 0.05) between HSR and LSR goats occurred concerning the maternal serum glucose values, litter size, individual kid weights, or litter weights at weaning. Full article
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