JDS communications最新文献

{"title":"In vitro evaluation of forages and feedstuffs from Kenya’s semi-intensive zero-grazing dairy system","authors":"Edward H. Cabezas-Garcia,&nbsp;Yang Li,&nbsp;Daniel Korir,&nbsp;Jesse K. Gakige,&nbsp;Stefan Muetzel,&nbsp;César S. Pinares-Patiño,&nbsp;Vibeke Lind,&nbsp;Mutian Niu,&nbsp;Claudia Arndt","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-1005","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-1005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluated 9 alternative forages at a realistic 12% of dietary DM within semi-intensive zero-grazing Kenyan dairy cow on in vitro gas production and rumen fermentation parameters. Incubation substrates contained a common basal feed mixture plus either <em>Lolium multiflorum</em> (control treatment) or <em>Medicago sativa</em>, <em>Vicia sativa</em>, <em>Desmodium intortum</em>, <em>Calliandra calothyrsus</em>, <em>Leucaena leucocephala</em>, <em>Sesbania sesban</em>, <em>Tradescantia zebrina</em>, <em>Cichorium intybus</em>, or <em>Ipomoea batatas</em>. Methane production was analyzed with mixed models and its marginal relationships with tannins fractions and nutritional composition with generalized additive models. Results showed that <em>Calliandra calothyrsus</em> and <em>Leucaena leucocephala</em> decreased methane production by 10% to 13% without impairing total gas, digestibility, major VFA profiles, or estimated metabolizable energy. <em>Desmodium uncinatum</em> and <em>Tradescantia zebrina</em> slightly shifted fermentation toward higher propionate, branched-chain VFA, and ammonia, as well as lower pH, whereas <em>Vicia sativa</em> reduced total VFA concentration. Condensed tannins and starch were negatively, and organic matter digestibility positively, associated with methane production. The inclusion level of <em>Calliandra calothyrsus</em> and <em>Leucaena leucocephala</em> legumes tested here demonstrates promising potential for practical incorporation into semi-intensive zero-grazing dairy cattle diets to mitigate enteric methane in Kenyan dairy systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"7 5","pages":"Pages 563-568"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148859370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of brachytic2 mutation in corn silage on performance, apparent total-tract digestibility, and greenhouse gas emissions of lactating Holsteins fed 2 concentrations of dietary neutral detergent fiber","authors":"E. Sarmikasoglou,&nbsp;R.E. Barber,&nbsp;T. Dietz,&nbsp;D. Hammer,&nbsp;M.J. VandeHaar","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2026-1033","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2026-1033","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Corn hybrids carrying the <em>brachytic2</em> (<em>br2</em>) mutation have reduced plant height and improved plant standability. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of feeding corn silage (CS) from <em>br2</em> corn with CS from conventional tall corn on feed intake, productivity, total-tract nutrient digestibility, and greenhouse gas emissions of Holstein cows fed diets with high or low dietary NDF. Twenty primiparous and 20 multiparous Holstein cows (76 ± 31 DIM, 46 ± 9.0 kg milk/d, 658 ± 83 kg BW) were enrolled in a randomized complete block design with a 14-d pretreatment period in which all cows were fed a common diet and a 42-d period in which cows were fed 1 of 4 diets. Experimental diets contained <em>br2</em> or tall CS at 2 dietary NDF contents (25% and 30%). Low-NDF diets had 17% CP, 32% starch, and 17% forage NDF (forNDF); high-NDF diets had 18% CP, 23% starch, and 24% forNDF. Data were analyzed using PROC GLIMMIX of SAS 9.4. Contrasts were used to determine the effect of CS hybrid, the effect of NDF content, and their respective interaction. Cows fed <em>br2</em> CS had greater DMI (27.5 vs. 26.5 kg), ECM (44.6 vs. 42.9 kg/d), and protein yield (1.38 vs. 1.33 kg/d) than did cows fed tall CS. Cows fed low-NDF diets had greater DMI (25.9 vs. 28.2 kg), yields of milk (42.6 vs. 45.5 kg/d), and protein (1.28 vs. 1.42 kg/d), but lower ECM/DMI (1.73 vs. 1.64) than cows fed high-NDF diets. The apparent total-tract digestibilities of NDF and CP were greater for diets with <em>br2</em> than tall CS, and high-NDF diets had greater total-tract digestibilities of NDF, starch, and CP than low-NDF diets. Lastly, CH₄ output (520 vs. 460 g/d), CH₄/DMI (20.1 vs. 17.0 g/kg), and CH₄/ECM (11.5 vs. 10.1 g/kg) were greater for cows fed high NDF than low NDF but not altered by corn hybrid. We observed no interactions of hybrid × fiber content, except for DMI, where the increase in DMI from feeding <em>br2</em> compared with tall CS was greater in the high-silage, high-NDF diets. In conclusion, <em>br2</em> CS increased productivity of lactating cows compared with CS from a tall hybrid of similar NDF and starch content.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"7 5","pages":"Pages 581-585"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148859688","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bioavailability of rumen-protected L-methionine supplement in lactating dairy cows","authors":"Rafael A. Menezes,&nbsp;Nancy L. Whitehouse,&nbsp;Dani O'Bryan","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2026-1016","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2026-1016","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rumen-protected AA are largely used to supply the MP in dairy diets. Rumen-protected methionine (RP-Met) supplements differ in their proportion of the biologically active L-form isomer and in their bioavailability. Based on the plasma free AA dose-response approach, we determined the bioavailability of L-Met60 (LipoAktiv L-methionine 60), a rumen-protected L-Met supplement, and evaluated its effects on plasma AA profile. Ten multiparous Holstein cows in mid lactation were used in a replicated 5 × 5 Latin square design with 7-d experimental periods. All treatments used L-Met60, with doses and routes of administration as follows: 0 (control), 18 (18IL), or 36 (36IL) g/d supplied by continuous abomasal infusion, and 18 (18FL) or 36 (36FL) g/d as a fed supplement mixed in the TMR. Abomasal infusion was delivered continuously and uniformly into the abomasum via rumen cannula using a peristaltic pump, whereas fed L-Met60 was consumed before each meal. Milk and blood samples were collected during the last 3 d of the covariate and the experimental periods. No treatment effects were observed for animal performance, except for a discrete increase of 0.06 percentage units in milk protein for 36IL. Infused and fed L-Met60 supplementation did not affect plasma metabolites, but altered plasma Met, cystine, cystathionine and allocystathionine, glutamine, taurine, and total sulfur AA (TSAA). These changes, especially for taurine and glutamine, might be explained by a higher activation of the transsulfuration pathway. Plasma TSAA increased linearly with both routes of administration; however, the regression analysis showed steeper slope for abomasal infusion than for the fed supplementation. Based on this response, the relative bioavailability of L-Met60 was calculated as 43.4 ± 2.5% (TSAA, % of [total AA − TSAA]).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"7 5","pages":"Pages 596-600"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148859375","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nasopharyngeal microbiome and resistome profiles in dairy calves fed milk replacer with low-level β-lactams","authors":"Grazielle Cioletti,&nbsp;Sophia Kenney,&nbsp;Ernest Hovingh,&nbsp;Hayley Springer,&nbsp;Bradd J. Haley,&nbsp;Erika Ganda","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0994","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0994","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Feeding waste milk (WM) to preweaning dairy calves is a common management practice that offers economic benefits but may influence the microbiome and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) due to the presence of antibiotic residues. The objective of this study was to describe longitudinal patterns in the nasopharyngeal microbiome and AMR gene profiles of dairy calves fed either nonsupplemented milk replacer or milk replacer supplemented with low-level β-lactam antibiotics to simulate WM exposure during the preweaning period. Using shotgun metagenomic sequencing, we profiled the nasopharyngeal microbiome and resistome of 11 Holstein bull calves fed milk replacer with (MR+A; n = 6) or without (MR; n = 5) low levels of β-lactam antibiotics. Antibiotic concentrations were selected to reflect residue levels reported in WM. Deep nasopharyngeal swabs were collected every 2 wk from 1 to 15 wk of age; samples from wk 3 and 15 were excluded due to elevated contaminant burden, resulting in 6 retained time points. No significant differences in microbial α-diversity, β-diversity, or community structure were detected by dietary treatment or sampling age. Tetracycline, macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin, aminoglycoside, metal, acid, and biocide resistance classes were among the most prominent, with descriptive differences in z-score patterns between groups but no significant differences detected. Larger-scale studies are needed to evaluate the long-term effects of WM feeding on respiratory health and AMR dynamics in dairy calves.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"7 5","pages":"Pages 670-677"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148859124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of a method for determining cheese-to-cheese stickiness in commercial cheese slice samples","authors":"Andrew Crumpley,&nbsp;Md Asaduzzaman,&nbsp;Hadi Eshpari,&nbsp;Prateek Sharma","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0901","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0901","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aimed to develop a practical tack testing method to measure the stickiness of commercial sliced cheese samples. When comparing instrumental variation, no significant differences were observed in tack force and tack energy measurement between the texture analyzer and the rheometer, confirming the suitability of the texture analyzer for routine measurement. A contact force of 10 N and contact time of 60 s were found suitable for measurement of cheese stickiness. The probe material surface types (aluminum vs. acrylic) did not show significant differences in terms of the tendency of the cheese to stick to the probe. A novel cheese-to-cheese setup for testing stickiness was developed which successfully differentiated between Cheddar and mozzarella cheese for their distinctive sticky behavior. This method presents a standardized approach for determining stickiness, which could enhance quality control and formulation strategies within the cheese industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"7 5","pages":"Pages 553-556"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148859371","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Monitoring of the sialylation and polysialylation status of sheep milk during early lactation","authors":"Lisa Isernhagen,&nbsp;Kaja Helffenstein,&nbsp;Anna Seidel,&nbsp;Bjoern Kuhla,&nbsp;Sebastian P. Galuska","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2026-1050","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2026-1050","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The beneficial properties of sialylated biomolecules in milk are important for the optimal development of offspring. However, when assessing risk factors in food, the bioactivity of one sialic acid, <em>N</em>-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc), is taken into account because Neu5Gc is supposed to induce proinflammatory responses and even cancer in humans. For these reasons, we determined the concentrations of the 2 main sialic acids found in mammals—Neu5Gc and <em>N</em>-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac)—in sheep milk during lactation. In addition, we examined the milk for polysialic acid (polySia), a bioactive Neu5Ac polymer. As previously observed in dairy cows, the levels of Neu5Ac, Neu5Gc and polySia decrease rapidly during the first days of lactation. However, in comparison to bovine milk, sheep milk contained significantly higher concentrations of Neu5Gc during lactation. Because of the different bioactivities of the analyzed sialic acids in mammals, the obtained results are important for human nutrition and feeding sheep offspring.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"7 5","pages":"Pages 547-552"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148859373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing the reproducibility of Fourier-transform mid-infrared–derived biomarker clusters across lactations and their direct prediction from milk spectra","authors":"S. Franceschini,&nbsp;S. Czaplicki,&nbsp;N. Nickmilder,&nbsp;J. Leblois,&nbsp;C. Grelet,&nbsp;N. Gengler,&nbsp;H. Soyeurt","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2026-1060","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2026-1060","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fourier-transform mid-infrared (FT-MIR) spectroscopy is a powerful tool to predict fine milk composition but also indirect traits such as cow health at a large scale. Previously, an unsupervised learning approach applied to primiparous Holstein cows identified a cluster associated with negative energy balance and elevated concentrations of blood BHB and milk acetone, which are recognized indicators of metabolic disruptions. This study extended the methodology to multiparous cows, representing a broader variability. A hierarchical clustering pipeline was applied to over 1,712,417 records from primiparous and multiparous Holsteins, using 27 FT-MIR–based predictions, SCS, and milk yield. The approach was repeated 5 times for 4 different datasets: first, second, and third lactations, and a merged dataset for a total of 20 iterations. Across those iterations, the metabolic cluster was consistently found, and 2 partial least square discriminant analysis prediction models were estimated for each iteration using either the predictions or directly the spectra. The correlations between these predictions of all the models were between 0.82 and 1, suggesting that the models are similar. The cluster previously associated with udder health conditions was not consistently found across repetitions. To ensure transferability and facilitate the deployment of the results, a final model based on FT-MIR was estimated, presenting good performance with an accuracy in validation of 0.92. Those results prove that the metabolic cluster is extendable to other lactations and predictable directly from milk FT-MIR spectra.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"7 5","pages":"Pages 652-657"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148859691","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enteric methane emissions and mitigation strategies within pasture-based dairy systems","authors":"Jane Kay,&nbsp;Konagh Garrett,&nbsp;Kirsty Verhoek,&nbsp;Lisanne Koning,&nbsp;Camila Muñoz,&nbsp;Cecile Martin,&nbsp;Ben Lahart","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0980","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0980","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Enteric methane is the dominant GHG emitted from pasture-based dairy systems, defined for this review as dairy systems in which grazed pasture makes up the majority of feed intake. This review summarizes the main drivers of methane emissions and the mitigation options available in these systems. Evidence indicates that cows offered high-nutritive-value perennial ryegrass pasture, characterized by high OM digestibility and ME, and moderate NDF content, have lower methane conversion factors (CH₄ as a percentage of gross energy intake) and methane yields (g CH₄/kg DMI) than values currently used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and national inventories. Potential methane mitigation strategies for these pasture-based systems fall into 3 broad categories: technological interventions (such as feed additives or vaccines), genetics, and nutritional approaches. Some mitigations show promise; however, their effectiveness under grazing conditions is often limited by delivery constraints, variable responses, and uncertainty around cost, persistence, and whole-farm impacts such as economics and GHG life cycle assessment outcomes. Overall, evidence indicates that well-managed pasture-based dairy systems have lower baseline methane emissions than current inventory estimates. However, beyond this lower baseline, no mitigation strategies have yet demonstrated cost-effective, scalable, and consistent emissions reductions across these systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"7 ","pages":"Pages 46-54"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148694648","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reproductive performance of grazing dairy cows genetically divergent in genetic merit for feed intake","authors":"M. Williams,&nbsp;D.P. Berry","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0955","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0955","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Feed-related costs represent one of the largest variable costs in dairy herds, and, consequently, many countries now include explicit measures of feed intake or feed efficiency in their dairy total merit indexes. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of research investigating the effects on reproductive performance from genetic divergence on feed intake and feed efficiency within the framework of a total merit index. Given that the repercussions of compromised reproductive performance in pasture-based dairy systems are severe, the objective of the present study was to characterize the reproductive performance of grazing dairy cows stratified on their EBV for energy intake. After edits, 14,451 net energy intake (NEI) records from 5,060 lactations on 2,521 cows were available from 5 separate Irish research farms; reproductive records were available for 2,508 of these cows across 9,788 lactations. The cows were a mixture of Holstein-Friesian, Jersey, Montbéliarde, Norwegian Red, and their crosses. Estimated breeding values for NEI and NEI adjusted for energy sinks (NEI_adj) were derived using phenotypic data from 2 reference datasets based on a selection of years or a selection of farms; this approach was chosen to reflect practical genetic evaluation scenarios where EBVs are estimated from historical data or data from a limited number of farms but applied to animals born in the future or in different herds. Cows in the test datasets based on year of calving or herd were individually stratified, within experimental treatment by year and season of calving, into 4 strata based on their within-breed EBV for NEI, as well as separately for NEI_adj. Subsequently, predicted marginal means for calving interval, interval from calving to first service, and number of services were estimated within each EBV stratum of the test datasets using linear mixed models; logistic regression models were used to generate predicted probability estimates for a series of pregnancy and submission binary traits. In both test dataset scenarios (by year of recording and by farm), differences between NEI and NEI_adj EBV strata were observed for calving interval, interval from calving to first service, 21-d submission rate, and 21-d calving rate. After correcting for multiple testing, however, differences among the strata remained for only 1 of the submission traits; in the test dataset of farm, cows with higher NEI_adj EBVs were more likely to be served within 21 d of the breeding season, provided they had calved at least 30 d earlier. The findings of the present study suggest that, within the genetic variability present in the studied population, selection for NEI or NEI_adj would, in the short term at least, likely have minimal influence on the reproductive performance of grazing dairy cows, with the possible exception of submission rate.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"7 ","pages":"Pages 189-193"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148694686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Agrivoltaic systems in a tropical region: Influence on thermal environment, vaginal temperature, and behavior of dairy heifers","authors":"Elen Kaline Sartori,&nbsp;Maria José Hötzel,&nbsp;Karolini Tenffen De-Sousa,&nbsp;Teresa Cristina Alves,&nbsp;Matheus Deniz","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0971","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0971","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aimed to evaluate the influence of different agrivoltaic system configurations on the thermal environment, vaginal temperature, and behavior of dairy heifers raised on pasture in a tropical climate. The study was carried out between July and August 2025, covering the winter season in the Southern Hemisphere. Microclimatic variables were measured, and the black globe-humidity index (BGHI) was calculated to determine thermal comfort. Additionally, vaginal temperature and behavior of 21 dairy heifers were measured in a crossover experimental design and compared among 3 treatments: an agrivoltaic system with panels installed in a vertical position (AGRIver), an agrivoltaic system with panels installed in a horizontal position (AGRIhor), and an open pasture system (OPS). All data were analyzed by mixed generalized linear models, and the results are presented using as estimated marginal means (emmeans ± SE). Both agrivoltaic systems (AGRIver and AGRIhor) showed lower values for the microclimatic variables and BGHI compared with the OPS, except for relative humidity. Treatments did not influence the heifers' vaginal temperature (AGRIver: 38.5°C ± 0.046°C; AGRIhor: 38.67°C ± 0.045°C; OPS: 38.71°C ± 0.046°C). Animals were observed more frequently standing ruminating in the OPS, and were observed most frequently lying in the agrivoltaic systems (AGRIver: lying rumination; AGRIhor: lying idle). Heifers visited the water trough more frequently in the AGRIhor system (emmeans ± SE; 20.2 ± 4.35 events/h) and tended to visit it less frequently in the AGRIver system (14.7 ± 3.19 events/h) compared with the OPS (16.5 ± 3.57 events/h). In OPS, heifers engaged more frequently in affiliative behaviors (3.92 ± 0.40 events/h) compared with agrivoltaic systems (AGRIver: 2.91 ± 0.32 events/h; AGRIhor: 3.15 ± 0.34 events/h). Furthermore, heifers interacted more frequently with photovoltaic panel structures in AGRIhor (4.02 ± 0.91 events/h) than in AGRIver (2.41 ± 0.56 events/h). In conclusion, agrivoltaic systems provided a better thermal environment for dairy heifers and influenced lying behaviors (rumination and idle) compared with the open pasture. Additionally, heifers used the photovoltaic panel structures as environmental enrichment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"7 ","pages":"Pages 236-241"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148694689","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}