JDS communications最新文献

{"title":"Evaluating the impact of milk sample-based pregnancy test procedures on milk production and daily time budgets of dairy cows","authors":"Sushil Paudyal ,&nbsp;Juan M. Piñeiro ,&nbsp;Artur Grando Pilati ,&nbsp;Douglas Dauscheck ,&nbsp;Bhuwan Shrestha ,&nbsp;Rajesh Neupane","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0815","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0815","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Prolonged restraint of dairy cows during pregnancy diagnosis in headlocks can elicit stress responses, potentially compromising animal welfare and productivity. Sample-based pregnancy testing (SBPT) utilizing milk samples obtained at the milking parlor eliminates the necessity for prolonged headlock restraint. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of implementing SBPT procedures in commercial dairy farms by assessing milk production and daily time budgets of cows compared with traditional pregnancy testing methods. An experiment was conducted at a USDA-certified organic dairy farm using a repeated crossover design with treatment (TRT: SBPT) and control (CON: transrectal ultrasound) groups in 3 pens over 6 periods. Cows in the TRT group were subjected to IDEXX milk SBPT in the milking parlor, whereas those in the CON group underwent transrectal ultrasound in headlocks for pregnancy diagnosis by a trained veterinarian. Daily milk yield from individual cows was recorded by inline milk meters, and lying behaviors and step counts were recorded using leg-based accelerometers. On the day of the pregnancy test, TRT cows exhibited a 0.45 kg higher milk yield compared with CON cows. Milk yield increased by 1.13 kg on the day after testing and by 0.53 kg per day weekly average in TRT cows. The TRT cows displayed higher daily step counts and lying bout frequencies, but shorter lying bout durations on testing days, although total lying time did not differ significantly between groups. These results suggest that SBPT procedures may facilitate reduced restraint time, leading to improved milk production and altered daily time budgets, thereby potentially reducing prolonged headlock-induced stress for a short term.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"6 6","pages":"Pages 803-807"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145371313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Raw milk from individual teats with an optimal teat-end score has lower spore levels compared with teats with a suboptimal teat-end score","authors":"Aljoša Trmčić,&nbsp;Rachel L. Evanowski,&nbsp;Sriya Sunil,&nbsp;Martin Wiedmann,&nbsp;Nicole H. Martin","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0802","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0802","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Udder health in dairy cows is routinely monitored (for example, through determination of SCC) to help identify and control mastitis and other infectious diseases. Another parameter used to both assess udder health and milking machine performance is the teat-end condition, typically assessed at the herd level using a 4-point scoring system. Recently, the teat-end score has been suggested as a factor associated with the levels of bacterial spores in raw milk. Spores of cold-tolerant sporeforming bacteria present in raw milk can survive pasteurization and contribute to the spoilage of fluid milk. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine whether the condition of individual teat-ends (specifically, optimal versus suboptimal teat-end scores) affects the spore levels in raw milk obtained from these teats. A total of 102 raw milk samples were collected from 102 individual teats from cows on a single dairy farm, and tested for mesophilic spores, with 51 samples each from teats scored as either 1 (optimal) or 4 (suboptimal). A significantly lower mesophilic spore count was found in the raw milk samples collected from teats with a teat-end score of 1 compared with samples collected from teats with score of 4. The observed difference in mesophilic spore counts suggests that maintaining optimal teat-end condition through good udder health and milking machine management may help reduce spore levels in raw milk. Although the observed difference in mesophilic spore counts is expected to result in minimal improvement of fluid milk shelf-life and other quality parameters, interventions targeting teat-end status or farm management practices that aim to improve the same can still be an important incremental contributor to the overall improvement of these parameters as part of a comprehensive, multipronged approach to raw milk quality management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"6 6","pages":"Pages 733-737"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145371237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ruminal utilization of nitrogen derived from 15N-labeled faba beans in vitro","authors":"S.E. Räisänen ,&nbsp;Þ.H. Sigurðardóttir ,&nbsp;A. Halmemies-Beauchet-Filleau ,&nbsp;O. Pitkänen ,&nbsp;A. Honkanen ,&nbsp;T. Kokkonen ,&nbsp;F.L. Stoddard ,&nbsp;A. Simojoki ,&nbsp;E. Sahlstedt ,&nbsp;K.T. Rinne-Garmston ,&nbsp;A. Vanhatalo","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0791","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0791","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of this short-term in vitro study was to characterize and evaluate ruminal utilization of N fractions of faba bean protein. Faba bean seeds were grown using a ¹⁵N-enriched N-fertilizer and fractionated into insoluble N (INSN), NDIN, NPN, and soluble protein N (SPN). Unfractionated ground ¹⁵N-labeled faba bean seeds (FB) were used as a reference treatment. Batches of the N fractions and FB were incubated for 10 h in an automatic Gas Endeavor in vitro batch-culture system with 3 replicated incubations. Purified mono-, di-, and polysaccharides were used as an energy source. The ratio of buffer to rumen fluid, obtained from 2 rumen-cannulated cows, was 2:1. The incubation medium was sampled at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, and 10 h after the start of incubation. Subsequently, the incubation medium was separated into low- (i.e., feed and protozoa) and high-speed centrifugate (i.e., bacterial) N pools and ammonia-N pool, and ¹⁵N enrichment of each pool was measured. Due to low gas and VFA production, data for NPN fraction were not included in the dataset. The faba bean seeds contained (% of CP) 54% SPN, 18% NPN, 17% NDIN, 10% true protein soluble in neutral detergent, and 2% ADIN. At the end of incubation, the recovery of ¹⁵N in the ammonia-N pool was greatest for FB (12%) and SPN (7%) compared with the INSN (2%) and NDIN (0.06%) fractions. The recovery of ¹⁵N in the bacterial-N pool was numerically greatest for the FB treatment (15%), followed by INSN and SPN (6%), and was lowest for the NDIN treatment (0.75%). In line with our hypothesis, ruminal metabolism of N differed between the N fractions of faba bean being greatest for the SPN fraction, and minimal for the NDIN. Future studies should confirm the findings from this short-term in vitro batch-culture study, and further investigate the degradation and ruminal utilization of faba bean soluble N and its contribution to MP supply in dairy cows fed diets with varying protein and energy contents.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"6 6","pages":"Pages 750-754"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145371239","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of flow-responsive milking on milking performance of an automatic milking installation","authors":"D.J. Reinemann ,&nbsp;C.O. Paulrud ,&nbsp;Johan ter Weele","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0819","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0819","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The objective of this study was to compare a quarter-level vacuum-control system that maintains teat-end vacuum during milking to a similar system with conventional vacuum-control technology for which teat-end vacuum is reduced as milk flowrate increases. A study was performed on a pen of cows that had free access to one automatic milking system with conventional vacuum control and another automatic milking system with flow-responsive vacuum. The study ran for 111 d, during which time the pen contained between 120 and 128 cows that had free access to either milking station, producing a dataset with more than 32,000 milkings. The conventional control system maintained the receiver vacuum at 46 kPa, with a resulting vacuum drop at the teat end proportional to milk flowrate, while the flow-responsive treatment maintained a short-milk-tube vacuum at 45 kPa for the entire milking process. The milk removal rate was 12% greater for the flow-responsive system compared with the conventional vacuum system when measured over the milking station occupancy time and when measured by the milking time (first teat cup attached to last teat cup removed). The quarter-level milk removal rate was 16% higher for the flow-responsive treatment. The milk yield per milking compared with the expected milk yield, based on milk production rate and time since last milking, was 102 g higher at the udder level and 22 g higher at the quarter level in the flow-responsive system than in the conventional vacuum-control system, indicating more complete milking.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"6 6","pages":"Pages 773-775"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145371242","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Needle-free injection device for administration of cloprostenol to induce luteolysis in lactating dairy cows","authors":"Alyssa Leslie ,&nbsp;Victor E. Gomez-Leon ,&nbsp;Michael D. Kleinhenz ,&nbsp;Mikaela Weeder ,&nbsp;Ian Batey ,&nbsp;Kennedy Kats ,&nbsp;Bailey Fritz ,&nbsp;Misty Bear ,&nbsp;Scott Nordstrom ,&nbsp;Serena Schotanus ,&nbsp;Andrew Curtis ,&nbsp;Santiago Paez Hurtado ,&nbsp;Andreia Ferreira ,&nbsp;Johann Coetzee","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0820","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0820","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using a needle-free injection system for the intramuscular delivery of cloprostenol in lactating dairy cows. Twenty-six lactating Holstein dairy cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: (1) a single needle-free injection of 2 mL (0.5 mg) cloprostenol i.m. (NFI-PG; n = 10); (2) a single conventional needle injection of 2 mL (0.5 mg) cloprostenol i.m. (NDL-PG; n = 10); or (3) a needle-free injection of 2 mL physiological saline i.m. (CNTL, n = 6). Outcome measurements included corpus luteum (CL) size and blood flow via ovarian ultrasound, as well as progesterone (P4) and plasma cortisol (CORT) concentrations, all assessed at predetermined time points. Data were analyzed using a mixed model with the cow as the experimental unit, and fixed effects of group, day, and the group-by-day interaction. No significant differences were observed in P4 and CL outcome measures between the NFI-PG and NDL-PG groups. Both NFI-PG and NDL-PG cows exhibited similar decreases in P4 across all time points. In contrast, no significant changes in P4 concentrations and CL measures were observed in the CNTL group. Thus, the CNTL cows exhibited significantly higher P4 concentrations from 8 to 92 h compared with the NFI-PG and NDL-PG groups. Regression of CL, as indicated by a decrease in CL volume, blood flow, and P4 concentrations, was observed following both NDL-PG and NFI-PG injections, but not in the CNTL group. The NFI-PG cows had significantly lower CORT levels throughout the entire time period compared with both CNTL and NDL-PG cows. In conclusion, the use of a needle-free injection system for cloprostenol delivery resulted in similar outcomes to conventional needle injections, with comparable decreases in P4 and CL measures in lactating dairy cows and lower CORT concentrations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"6 6","pages":"Pages 827-831"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145371318","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Feeding of high-quality hay modulates hepatic lipid and energy metabolism in weaned dairy calves","authors":"Barbara U. Metzler-Zebeli ,&nbsp;Arife Sener-Aydemir ,&nbsp;Georg Terler ,&nbsp;Qendrim Zebeli","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0793","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0793","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The present study aimed to investigate the effects of feeding different hay qualities with or without concentrate supplementation on the mRNA expression of genes related to hepatic lipid and glucose metabolism and cellular energy status in weaned calves. Holstein Friesian calves (5 per dietary group) were fed 4 solid diets: (1) 100% medium-quality hay (MQH; 9.4 MJ of ME, 149 g CP, 522 g NDF/kg of DM); (2) 100% high-quality hay (HQH; 11.2 MJ of ME, 210 g CP, 455 g NDF/kg of DM); (3) 30% medium-quality hay + 70% starter concentrate (MQHC); and (4) 30% high-quality hay + 70% starter concentrate (HQHC). Calves were slaughtered at 100 ± 4 d of age and an average BW of 128.8 ± 19.8 kg. Liver tissue was collected, snap-frozen in liquid N₂, and used in the mRNA expression experiment. The trend for lower mRNA expression of AMP-kinase with HQH compared with MQH indicated higher energetic status of hepatocytes with HQH, which probably triggered the increased mRNA expression of enzymes responsible for lipogenesis and cholesterogenesis. The greater hepatic availability of propionate with the hay-concentrate diets may have upregulated the mRNA expression of AMP-kinase by triggering gluconeogenesis. Both HQH and concentrate supplementation downregulated genes related to nutrient catabolism, such as fatty acid oxidation or amino acid breakdown. In conclusion, results demonstrate the importance of the type of solid feed for the energetic state and respective signaling in hepatocytes of weaned calves.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"6 5","pages":"Pages 700-704"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144914084","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The relative milk production of dairy cattle in tropical Costa Rica that are heterozygous and homozygous for the SLICK1 allele","authors":"E.G. Donkersloot ,&nbsp;A.M. Winkelman ,&nbsp;I.L. Leathwick ,&nbsp;J.A. Arias ,&nbsp;J. Manuel-Sanchez ,&nbsp;R.J. Spelman ,&nbsp;S.R. Davis","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0810","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0810","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>SLICK1 is an allelic variant of the prolactin receptor (<em>PRLR</em>) that is found in Senepol beef cattle. The presence of a single copy of this allele produces a short hair coat and confers heat tolerance. We aimed to determine the effect of 2 copies of this allele on milking performance of dairy cattle. Data were obtained from a commercial dairy farm in Costa Rica where crossbreeding of the dairy herd with Senepol had been undertaken for more than 15 yr. Random regression modeling was used to generate lactation curves for individual cattle. Homozygous SLICK1 cows produced 9% more milk (356 L), predominantly over the first 200 d of a 305-d lactation. Milk production of wild-type cattle in the same herd was much lower than SLICK1 carriers, but the number of cows in this group was too low (n = 13) to provide a conclusive assessment of milking performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"6 5","pages":"Pages 710-713"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144914088","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using automated activity monitoring to detect resumption of cyclicity in early lactation—Meta-analysis","authors":"S. Borchardt ,&nbsp;T.A. Burnett ,&nbsp;T.C. Bruinjé ,&nbsp;A.M.L. Madureira","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0785","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0785","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of automated activity monitoring (AAM) in detecting estrous expression and ovulatory status in cows during the voluntary waiting period (VWP). A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar using specific search terms. Inclusion criteria focused on studies that assessed estrous expression within the VWP using modern AAM systems alongside blood progesterone (P4) measurements. Four manuscripts involving 2,198 cows were included. Data extraction was performed by a single investigator and validated by a coauthor. The analysis considered estrous expression and ovulatory status determined through serial blood P4 measurements. Cows were classified based on P4 concentrations and estrus alerts into true positive, false positive, true negative, and false negative categories. Statistical analyses were conducted using MedCalc, incorporating 7 experimental groups from the selected manuscripts. The pooled proportion of ovulatory cows with P4 ≥1 ng/mL by 49 DIM (in most studies) was 79.8% (95% CI: 74.9%–84.3%), with significant heterogeneity (I² = 86.1%). The proportion of cows with estrous expression detected by AAM by 60 DIM (in most studies) was 64.0% (95% CI: 48.3%–78.3%), also showing significant heterogeneity (I² = 98.1%). Sensitivity and specificity of AAM systems to identify ovulatory cows were 70.3% (95% CI: 55.1%–83.4%) and 60.0% (95% CI: 42.5%–76.3%), respectively, both with significant heterogeneity. Positive predictive value was 88.1% (95% CI: 84.9%–91.0%), and negative predictive value was 35.3% (95% CI: 26.3%–44.7%), indicating variability among experimental groups. The findings suggest that although AAM systems show promise in confirming ovulation in early lactation, the lack of estrus detection by AAM does not confirm anovulatory status. The heterogeneity in the data suggests there might be inconsistencies in the precision or configuration of the AAM systems across farms and studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"6 5","pages":"Pages 705-709"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144914087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ruminal and postruminal absorption of copper, manganese, and zinc of nonlactating and nonpregnant Holstein cows fed sulfate trace minerals above recommendations","authors":"M. Duplessis ,&nbsp;D.R. Ouellet ,&nbsp;I. Royer ,&nbsp;R.M. Petri","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0780","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0780","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The objective of this study was to evaluate ruminal and postruminal apparent absorption of Cu, Mn, and Zn with rations containing 2 different concentrations of sulfate Co, Mn, and Zn supplements in nonlactating, nonpregnant Holstein cows. Four multiparous cows with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were used in a double 2 × 2 crossover design. Cows were assigned to the following treatments: (1) mineral supplement providing concentrations of Co, Mn, and Zn at 0.10, 16.7, and 60.8 mg/kg DM, respectively (CON) and (2) mineral supplement providing high concentrations of Co, Mn, and Zn at 0.63, 96.3, and 139.7 mg/kg DM, respectively (HTM). After 20 d of diet adaptation, ruminal, duodenal, and fecal samples were collected during 5 consecutive days to represent every 2 h of the day. Diets and orts were collected daily. All samples were analyzed for Cu, Mn, and Zn concentrations. Two markers (chromic oxide and indigestible NDF) were used to evaluate duodenal digesta outflow and feces output. Dry matter intake was similar between treatments (averaged 17.7 kg/d) and DM digestibility tended to be lower by 3% for HTM than CON cows. Regardless of the marker used, the interpretation of results for ruminal, postruminal, and total apparent absorption remained similar. Ruminal and postruminal absorption of Cu, Mn, and Zn did not differ between treatments. Total apparent absorption of Cu was lower for HTM than CON cows, but no treatment effect was noted for Mn and Zn. Zinc was absorbed both before and after the duodenum cannula. This article gives a useful insight on the potential site of absorption of sulfate Cu, Mn, and Zn in nonlactating and nonpregnant Holstein cows under a nonrestrictive supply of trace minerals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"6 5","pages":"Pages 649-653"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144912374","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A respirometry system designed for small ruminants","authors":"C.S. Silva,&nbsp;J. Diavão,&nbsp;E.F. Motta,&nbsp;A.S. Silva,&nbsp;R.G. Tonucci,&nbsp;T.R. Tomich,&nbsp;F.S. Machado,&nbsp;M.M. Campos","doi":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0755","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jdsc.2025-0755","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This technical note describes a small ruminant respiration chamber system designed to accurately quantify the production of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄). The system consists of 3 open-circuit respiration chambers, flow meters, gas analyzers, and an accessible environmental control system. To validate its performance, gas recovery tests were conducted by injecting CO₂ and CH₄ at 4 constant flow rates: 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, and 1.6 standard liters per minute (SLPM) for CO₂, and 0.16, 0.20, 0.24, and 0.28 SLPM for CH₄. Each injection level was tested across the 3 chambers. The average percentage recoveries for CO₂ and CH₄ were 97.8% ± 1.46% for chamber 1, 101.1% ± 1.49% for chamber 2, and 104.1% ± 1.98% for chamber 3 and 98.7% ± 0.97% for chamber 1, 99.4% ± 2.06% for chamber 2, and 101.6% ± 2.90% for chamber 3, respectively, demonstrating the system's accuracy in quantifying livestock GHG emissions from small ruminants, such as young cattle, goats, and sheep. Therefore, this system represents a viable methodology for nutritional and environmental studies with small ruminants. Future studies conducted in this facility can contribute to a better understanding of the dynamic and flow of GHG emissions in small ruminants and target measures to increase the sustainability of small ruminant production systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94061,"journal":{"name":"JDS communications","volume":"6 5","pages":"Pages 669-674"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144914031","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}