Journal of Dairy Research最新文献

{"title":"Pathogen profiles and antimicrobial resistance in mastitis cases from Algerian dairy she-camels in semi-intensive production.","authors":"Mounir Mebarki, Mohamed Besbaci","doi":"10.1017/S0022029926102520","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022029926102520","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed to assess the prevalence, aetiology and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of mastitis in lactating she-camels on semi-intensive dromedary dairy farms. A total of 179 lactating camels from nine farms across five key regions were examined, with 716 udder quarters analysed. Mastitis was identified in 17.9% of animals and 9.4% of udder quarters (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 7.4-11.7), comprising clinical (7.3% of animals; 3.5% of quarters) and subclinical (10.6% of animals; 5.9% of quarters) forms. Bacteriological analysis revealed <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> as the most frequently isolated pathogen (a combined prevalence 34.3%; 95% CI: 23.2-46.9), followed by <i>Streptococcus</i> spp. and <i>Escherichia coli</i>. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of 43 isolates showed high susceptibility to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in both <i>S. aureus</i> (100%; 95% CI: 80.5-100) and <i>Streptococcus</i> spp. (100%; 95% CI: 78.2-100). For erythromycin, susceptibility was 100% (95% CI: 78.2-100) in <i>Streptococcus</i> spp. and 76.5% (95% CI: 50.1-93.2) in <i>S. aureus</i>. Conversely, <i>E. coli</i> exhibited high rates of resistance to tetracycline (72.7%; 95% CI: 39.0-94.0) and ampicillin (54.5%; 95% CI: 23.4-83.3), highlighting concerns about the efficacy of empirical treatment and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance in this production context. These findings underscore the need for systematic udder health monitoring, evidence-based antimicrobial stewardship and improved biosecurity on semi-intensive camel dairy farms. This study contributes to the understanding of the microbial landscape and resistance profiles in camel dairy production, with implications for animal productivity, milk safety and public health within a One Health framework.</p>","PeriodicalId":15615,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-6"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148669681","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Extending the shelf life of pasteurized milk through microfiltration and implementation of a comprehensive safety and quality management system: case study at the farm and dairy plant.","authors":"Sana Gammoh, Muhammad H Alu'datt, Mohammad N Alhamad, Carole C Tranchant, Taha Rababah, Mohammad Alrosan, Bayan Obeidat, Haya Alzoubi, Ala'a Al-Tawaha","doi":"10.1017/S0022029926102234","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0022029926102234","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed to implement good hygienic practices and good manufacturing practices programmes, together with the hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP) system, to produce extended shelf-life (ESL) pasteurized milk using crossflow microfiltration. The microbiological quality of raw milk was markedly improved upon implementation of hygienic prerequisites and HACCP, resulting in a reduction of total colony count (TCC), <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, psychrotrophs, yeasts and moulds, spore-forming bacteria, <i>Salmonella</i>, coliforms and <i>Escherichia coli</i>. All the milk samples tested negative for antibiotics and aflatoxin <i>M</i>₁. Pasteurized and homogenized milk was microfiltered through a 0.8 or 0.45 μm pore-size membrane to produce ESL whole milk and ESL partly skimmed (2%) milk, respectively, resulting in further improvement of refrigerated shelf life to about 2 weeks and 3 weeks, respectively. ESL 2% milk showed a significantly lower TCC compared to ESL whole milk, and the latter also had a lower TCC than pasteurized whole milk. Both ESL milk products showed negligible denaturation of α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of combining microfiltration with on-farm and in-plant safety management systems for ensuring the safety and quality of ESL pasteurized milk.</p>","PeriodicalId":15615,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Research","volume":" ","pages":"485-499"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147729095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Model-based estimation and comparison of enteric methane emissions to assess model outcomes in South Asian cattle using feeding trial data.","authors":"Galib Hasan, Shahin Alam, Al Imran, Ishrat Jahan, Mohammad Abujar Shuva, Md Abdus Samad Khan, Mohammad Ashiqul Islam","doi":"10.1017/S0022029926102374","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0022029926102374","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>South Asia hosts over 270 million cattle raised under diverse low-input production systems, yet enteric methane (Ent_CH4) emissions in the region are often estimated using models developed for temperate, high-productivity systems. This study compared eight commonly used enteric methane prediction models - five based on dry matter intake (DMI) (IPCC_DMI, Ribeiro_DMI, Patra_DMI, ¹Alam_DMI, ²Alam_DMI) and three based on gross energy intake (GEI) (IPCC_GEI, Ribeiro_GEI, Patra_GEI) - using standardised feeding trial data from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Data were extracted from 91 published feeding trials covering 1684 cattle of different breeds, physiological states and yield levels. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) models overestimate emissions by approximately 7-28% compared with the Alam models across different factors, for example, countries, breed and lactating status. Significant variation was observed across countries, with Pakistani cattle showing the highest predicted emissions compared to India and Bangladesh, driven by greater body weight and feed intake. Breed-wise comparisons revealed consistently higher emissions from Holstein Friesians than from indigenous and Sahiwal cattle. The IPCC models consistently overestimated methane compared with tropical-calibrated models. GEI-based models showed less variation than DMI-based models. Overall, the study highlights large discrepancies among models and demonstrates the importance of using region-specific or tropical-calibrated equations for robust Ent_CH4 estimation in South Asian cattle. These findings provide an evidence base for improving national greenhouse gas inventories and methane mitigation planning in tropical livestock systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":15615,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Research","volume":" ","pages":"360-371"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148163382","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Economic modeling and selection for longevity traits in dairy cattle.","authors":"Farzaneh Shokri-Sangari, Ali Sadeghi-Sefidmazgi, Saeid Ansari-Mahyari, Hadi Atashi","doi":"10.1017/S0022029926102192","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0022029926102192","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Different definitions have been proposed for longevity, making it challenging to compare methods for estimating the economic significance of survival traits. Simple profit functions often fail to capture biological complexity, whereas bioeconomic models, though comprehensive, can be difficult to apply. This study aimed to develop a versatile framework for estimating the economic value (EV) of longevity traits and designing optimal selection indices. The approach can accommodate various definitions of longevity (e.g., herd life, productive life, number of lactations, stayability or survival across lactations) and be applied across production systems. The economic model is founded on a stable herd age structure at equilibrium, where changes in survival rates influence profitability and age distribution. Average survival rates between parities determine the distribution of cows across parities and the number of replacements needed to maintain a steady-state herd structure. Iranian production and economic data were used for parameterization, and EVs were estimated accordingly. Seven selection indices were developed, incorporating production, reproduction, somatic cell score (SCS), longevity and type traits. The estimated economic weights were $0.12/kg for milk yield, $5.56/kg for fat yield, $5.50/kg for protein yield, $2.73/month for productive life, $22.6/year for herd life, $0.18/percentage point for survival, $37.59/lactation for number of lactations, $-3.84/day for days open and $-122.87/unit for SCC. Excluding longevity from the breeding goal led to the lowest observed genetic gain, demonstrating that including longevity traits positively influences overall genetic improvement. The greatest genetic progress was achieved by indices enhancing productive life through indirect selection on fore udder conformation. This study demonstrates that (1) the flexible approach enables estimation of EVs under multiple longevity definitions and (2) selection for productive life, particularly via indirect selection on fore udder traits, improves longevity, enhances production and reduces SCC.</p>","PeriodicalId":15615,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Research","volume":" ","pages":"432-441"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147816206","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of suboptimal chlorine-free cleaning practices on the bacterial quality of milk produced on commercial dairy farms.","authors":"Lorna Twomey, Ambrose Furey, Bernadette O'Brien, Tom Beresford, D Gleeson","doi":"10.1017/S0022029925101544","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0022029925101544","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chlorine formed the basis of milking equipment cleaning protocols for decades on farms in the Republic of Ireland as it is an exceptional cleaning and disinfection agent but concerns around chlorine-based residues, primarily chlorate and trichloromethane led to the imposition of chlorine-free cleaning of milking equipment in 2021. In contrast to the versatility of chlorine-based cleaning protocols, chlorine-free cleaning requires the proper employment of several elements for effective cleaning: adequate hot water temperature, washing time and solution concentration. The objective of this study was to ascertain if the essential elements of chlorine-free cleaning are being employed as recommended on farms and if not, is it impacting on the delivery of farm bulk milk of a high microbiological standard, as measured by total bacteria (TBC) and thermoduric counts. Participating farms with TBC >15,000 cfu/mL were considered to produce poor quality milk from a TBC perspective, as were farms with a thermoduric count of >200 cfu/mL. A high percentage of farms were not using sufficient volumes of detergent (38%), acid (53%) and hot water with a starting temperature >75°C (69%) to achieve effective chlorine-free cleaning. Of the farms that were using insufficient volumes of chlorine-free detergent when 'hot washing' (<i>n</i> = 39), 62% had 'build-up' present on the internal surfaces of claw-bowls. Moreover, the probability of having a TBC >15,000 cfu/mL (OR = 1.67) and a thermoduric count >200 cfu/mL (OR = 1.09) was numerically higher when insufficient volumes of acid were used. Approximately half the farms visited were producing low-quality milk due largely to suboptimal chlorine-free cleaning practices being employed on those farms. This research reiterates that chlorine-free cleaning will facilitate the production of high-quality milk at farm level, but it is critical that the chlorine-free washing protocols are correctly implemented.</p>","PeriodicalId":15615,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Research","volume":" ","pages":"500-506"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148251932","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genomic evaluation for cow wellness traits in crossbred and purebred Holsteins and Jersey cattle.","authors":"Giovana Vargas, Dianelys Fundora Gonzalez-Peña, Asmita Kulkarni, Tiago Luciano Passafaro, Hendyel Pacheco, Natascha Vukasinovic, Zuhaib Ahmed","doi":"10.1017/S0022029926102271","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0022029926102271","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The growing adoption of crossbred populations by dairy farmers has sparked increased interest in multibreed genomic evaluation, which offers promising opportunities to accelerate genetic progress and refine breeding strategies. This study assessed the feasibility of applying single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction (ssGBLUP) for multibreed genomic evaluation of cow wellness traits in Holstein (HO), Jersey (JE) and their crosses (HO × JE). The traits considered were abortion (ABRT), cystic ovaries (CYST), displaced abomasum (DA), ketosis (KETO), lameness (LAME), mastitis (MAST), metritis (METR), milk fever (MFEV), respiratory illness (RESP), retained placenta (RETP) and twinning (TWIN). The number of phenotypic records ranged from 1,176,935 for RESP to 7,703,872 for MAST. Traits were analysed using a linear model within a multi-trait framework. Variance components were estimated using Gibbs sampling, incorporating the effects of inbreeding, retained heterosis, trait-specific systematic effects and random effects of additive direct and permanent environmental effects. The algorithm for Proven and Young was used by randomly selecting a core set of 30,000 animals. Two scenarios were developed based on the number of genotyped HO animals in the evaluation: (1) including all available genotyped individuals, and (2) including only a subset of relevant genotyped HOs. Genomic predictions were compared against commercially available single-breed evaluations to assess consistency and potential improvements in predictive performance. Heritability estimates ranged from 0.003 for MFEV and CYST to 0.057 for MAST. Spearman and Pearson correlations between multibreed and single-breed evaluations for cow wellness ranged from 0.36 and 0.33 (METR) to 0.88 and 0.89 (MAST) for JE, and from 0.79 (MFEV) to 0.97 and 0.96 (METR) for HO. These findings suggest that a single-step approach can produce comparable results and accurate genomic predictions, demonstrating the feasibility of ssGBLUP for multibreed genomic evaluation in dairy populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":15615,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Research","volume":" ","pages":"450-462"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148042714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seasonal transcriptome profile analysis in mammary glands of Sewa sheep: a lactation perspective.","authors":"Junru Pan, Shehr Bano Mustafa, Zhenzhen Zhang, Cheng Pan, Rui Li, Yangzong Zhaxi, Lanting Wei, Zhaxi Danba, Zhaxi Baijiu, Yu Sun, Zhuoma Jiayang, Wangsheng Zhao, Tianzeng Song","doi":"10.1017/S0022029925101891","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0022029925101891","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Sewa sheep has an important economic value. This study selected mammary gland tissues from Sewa sheep during summer (S) and autumn (A) for transcriptome sequencing to explore the molecular regulatory mechanisms affecting lactation performance. In this experiment, 3566 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, of which 1837 were up-regulated, and 1729 were down-regulated. DEGs were implicated in the 20 most highly enriched pathways, according to analyses using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and Gene Ontology, such as cell adhesion molecules and Rap1 signalling pathways, which are involved in mammary gland development and milk fat production. Using RT-qPCR, we analysed the expression levels of eight genes across two distinct lactation periods. Our results indicated that butyrophilin subfamily 1 member A (<i>BTN1A1</i>), fatty acid binding protein 3 (<i>FABP3</i>), perilipin 2 (<i>PLIN2</i>) and stearoyl-coA desaturase (<i>SCD</i>) were downregulated. Conversely, stearoyl-coA desaturase 5 (<i>SCD5</i>), cluster of differentiation 52 (<i>CD52</i>), perilipin 1 (<i>PLIN1</i>) and potassium inwardly-rectifying channel, subfamily j, member 3 (<i>KCNJ3</i>) exhibited upregulated expression. These genes are primarily related to protein and fat metabolism, synthesis and milk fat formation, indicating the performance differences in mammary glands during various lactation periods may be due to the differential expression of related genes. These findings provide foundational data for mining candidate genes related to sheep lactation regulation and mammary gland development and provide insights into the mechanism of lactation regulation in sheep.</p>","PeriodicalId":15615,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Research","volume":" ","pages":"423-431"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148054472","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Circular food resources as feed in South Asia: practices, gaps and implications for livestock systems - a systematic review with a focus on dairy production.","authors":"Shahin Alam, Thomas Hartinger, Md Elias Uddin, Jenia Mukherjee, Timothy J Krupnik, Eva Schlecht, Christoph Dittrich","doi":"10.1017/S0022029926102246","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0022029926102246","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This review explores the potential of circular food resources (CFRs) as animal feed in South Asian countries, with particular attention to dairy production systems. The review examines how CFRs are produced and supplied, identifying barriers to adoption, and evaluating existing governance and management frameworks to enable their integration into dairy feeding systems. A total of 24 research articles published in English between 2000 and 2025 met the selection criteria. Studies were included if they addressed CFRs in relation to feed types, processing methods, revalorization, life cycle assessments, circular economy models, relevant legislation, incentives and barriers to adoption. A thematic analysis was conducted to identify key patterns, trends and gaps in literature using MAXQDA. The review highlights that a large share of organic CFRs comes from private households, supermarkets, the hospitality sector and food industries. However, CFR management is still dominated by uncontrolled dumping and open burning, and only limited quantities are reused as feed, even though they could serve as a potential feed resource for dairy animals. Urban and peri-urban dairy farmers face adoption barriers such as contamination with inorganic materials, lack of regulation, insufficient nutritional, hygienic and safety data, and low awareness of impacts on animal performance. At conceptual level, the lack of integrated frameworks and stakeholder engagement limits the development of circular practices. At governance level, weak regulations and coordination hinder policy support. At management level, insufficient data on nutrition, safety, hygiene and regional availability highlight the need for context-specific evidence. Building on the synthesized findings, the review proposes a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) framework to evaluate the opportunities and risks of integrating CFRs into feeding systems. Transitioning from fragmented efforts to systemic change in CFRs-to-feed will require an interdisciplinary and multi-stakeholder approach, to build resilient and sustainable circular food systems in South Asian countries and beyond.</p>","PeriodicalId":15615,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Research","volume":" ","pages":"325-337"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147698999","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of an <i>Aspergillus niger</i> fermentation product and yeast mannan-rich fraction on dairy calf performance and rumen development.","authors":"Stefan Yerby, James Huntington, Nicholas N Jonsson, Helen Warren","doi":"10.1017/S0022029926102143","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0022029926102143","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This Research Paper tested the hypothesis that the dietary inclusion of a fermentation product of <i>Aspergillus niger</i> (ANP), alone, or in combination with a mannan-rich fraction (MRF) derived from <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> cell wall, would enhance dairy calf performance and rumen variables. Thirty Holstein-Friesian bull calves (age 19 ± 5 days) were obtained from a single farm and randomly assigned according to days of age to one of three dietary treatment groups and one of two cull dates, experimental day 27 (immediately prior to weaning) or experimental day 70. Dietary treatment groups were: CTRL, no treatment; ANP, 3 g/day ANP; MRF, 3 g/day ANP and 2 g/day MRF. Calves were housed and fed individually and had <i>ad libitum</i> access to starter concentrates, water, and straw. Throughout the trial, ANP calves consumed a greater quantity of solid starter feed than CTRL and MRF calves. Body weight, average daily gain, apparent total tract dry matter digestibility and faecal scores were unaffected by treatment. Calves fed ANP and MRF had improved feed conversion efficiency compared with CTRL in some weeks, but this was not consistent throughout the pre-weaned and weaned periods. Calves fed MRF had a decreased acetate to propionate ratio compared with CTRL pre-weaning, and ANP had a lower acetate to propionate ratio and higher propionate proportion of total VFA compared with CTRL post-weaning. At both culling timepoints, ANP and MRF had thicker <i>stratum basale, stratum spinosum</i> and <i>stratum granulosum</i> in their rumen papillae compared with CTRL. The inclusion of ANP and ANP + MRF could favourably alter rumen fermentation and increase the metabolic and absorptive capacity of papillae in transition stage dairy calves but no consistent effects of treatment on calf growth or feed efficiency were observed in this trial.</p>","PeriodicalId":15615,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Research","volume":" ","pages":"442-449"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148251943","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Building a context-sensitive sustainability indicator system for smallholder dairy farming: a Delphi-based integration of expert consensus and stakeholder insights in Central Java.","authors":"Prianto Budi Saptono, Gustofan Mahmud, Ismail Khozen","doi":"10.1017/S0022029926102301","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0022029926102301","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The dairy cattle sector in Boyolali Regency, Central Java, plays a strategic role in food provision and local employment. However, it faces multiple challenges, including climate change, low generational renewal among farmers and limited policy support. These conditions indicate a need for a systematic and measurable reformulation of sustainability strategies. Therefore, this study aims to develop a comprehensive and relevant set of sustainability indicators for the dairy cattle sector based on consensus among experts and stakeholders. To achieve this objective, the Delphi method was employed, involving 19 panellists from diverse backgrounds. Two Delphi rounds were conducted. In the first round, indicators compiled from the literature were screened and evaluated through questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussions. In the second round, consensus on the selected indicators was assessed using a quantitative approach. The results identify 62 sustainability indicators grouped into 5 dimensions: economic (13 indicators), environmental (10), social (15), governance (3) and animal welfare (21). Five indicators were classified as highly relevant: intergenerational business sustainability, access to marketing partnership and information, protection of productive female cattle, health screening of breeding stock upon purchase and biosecurity control through livestock movement monitoring. In addition, 29 indicators (47%) achieved full consensus among all panellists. These findings provide a strong conceptual and empirical foundation for implementing sustainability strategies at the farm level, as well as for informing more targeted policy formulation by both local and national governments.</p>","PeriodicalId":15615,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Research","volume":" ","pages":"372-396"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148042643","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}