Stephen LeBlanc

• BSc(Agr), DVM, DVSc
• Professor at University of Guelph

Our objective was to evaluate the effects of omega-3 fatty acids (n3 FA) supplementation on circulating metabolites and lactation performance. In a randomized controlled trial, cows (n = 104) were blocked by parity and BCS, and assigned randomly to 1 of 4 dietary treatments from 2 to 90 DIM: (1) UNSUP: unsupplemented control; (2) CaPO: calcium salt...

Our objective was to evaluate the effects of short- and long-term supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids (n3 FA) on ovarian and uterine biology. Healthy Holstein cows (n = 104) were assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments from 2 to 90 DIM: (1) UNSUP: unsupplemented control; (2) CaPO: calcium salts of palm oil (EnerGII; Virtus Nutrition) through 90 DI...

Improving the lives of animals in agricultural systems has primarily focused on minimizing negative experiences. Research is needed on the promotion of positive experiences (pleasure, enjoyment, play, choice, happiness) for animals and the role of veterinarians in their promotion. Our aims were to describe how Canadian bovine veterinarians and vete...

Our objective was to investigate associations of postpartum health with serum progesterone (P4) concentrations after first artificial insemination (AI), expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISG) in blood leukocytes, and serum pregnancy-associated glycopro-tein (PAG) during early pregnancy in dairy cows. In this observational study, Holstein c...

Our objective was to describe associations of post-partum health with pregnancy and pregnancy loss (P-LOSS) from d 19 to 40 after first postpartum artificial insemination (AI) in lactating Holstein cows. In 2 commercial dairy herds in Ontario, Canada, 468 Holstein cows were enrolled 21 ± 3 d before expected parturi-tion when body condition score (B...

Establishing accurate illness and treatment rates in dairy calves is crucial, yet calf health records are often incomplete. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate barriers for dairy farmers for recording calf illnesses and treatments on dairy farms in Ontario, Canada. An online survey was completed by a convenience sample of 88 Ontari...

The objective of this prospective observational study was to investigate associations of postpartum health with estrus detection (ED) by activity monitors and pregnancy outcomes in dairy cows. A total of 1,743 Holstein cows from 2 commercial dairy herds in Ontario, Canada were enrolled 3 wk before expected parturition and examined for health variab...

The aim of this study was to describe the factors that influence dairy cattle veterinarians´ antimicrobial prescribing, their attitudes toward reducing antimicrobial use (AMU) in the dairy industry, awareness of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and perceived barriers to improving antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) on Canadian dairy farms. We used quant...

A new line of thinking is emerging to link inflammation with calcium metabolism. Around parturition, dairy cows inevitably and perhaps necessarily experience some degree of systemic inflammation, but excessive or dysregulated inflammation likely contributes to inflammatory disease. Immune activa­tion decreases blood Ca, so greater extracellular Ca...

Farmer decisions on management practices have a broad impact across economic, environmental, and public health issues, and have been associated with farmers' basic human values (e.g., tradition, stimulation, and security). This knowledge can be useful to inform the implementation of research programs and voluntary policies. A cross-sectional study...

Our objective was to investigate the association between serum total Ca concentration (tCa) and postpartum systemic inflammation (SI) in dairy cows. We hypothesized that the tCa-SI association varies in the first 8 DIM. This exploratory analysis used data from a field trial in which cows were randomly assigned to receive oral Ca supplementation aft...

Our objective was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of omega-3 (n3) fatty acids (FA) on physiological responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge in early postpartum cows. Healthy cows were blocked by parity and BCS and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 top-dress treatments at 2 d in milk (DIM): 1) unsupplemented control received...

Our objectives were to investigate the changes in fatty acids (FA) composition in peripheral blood plasma and leukocytes (PBL) following an intravenous (IV) infusion of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in early postpartum cows. At 14 DIM, cows were blocked by parity and BCS and randomly assigned to one of 2 IV infusions: LPS at 0.0625 μg/ kg of BW diluted...

In brief Clinical and subclinical endometritis are different manifestations of reproductive tract inflammatory disease in dairy cows. This review addresses the genesis of clinical and subclinical endometritis considering metabolic stress, innate immune dysfunction, and shifts in the composition of the uterine microbiota in the postpartum period. A...

Our objectives were to evaluate the effects of complete replacement of inorganic salts of trace minerals (STM) with organic trace minerals (OTM) in both pre- and postpartum diets on ovarian dynamics, estrous behavior measured by sensors, preimplantation conceptus development, and reproductive performance in dairy cows. Pregnant cows and heifers (n...

This paper reviews recent data and concepts on metritis, purulent vaginal discharge (PVD), and endometritis in dairy cows and the ways in which these diseases affect reproductive performance. Metritis is characterized by fetid discharge from the uterus, with or without fever. Purulent vaginal discharge describes exudate that is >50% pus that may be...

A multicenter observational study was conducted on early lactation Holstein cows (n = 261) from 32 herds from 3 regions (Australia, AU; California, CA; and Canada, CAN) to characterize their risk of acidosis into 3 groups (high, medium, or low) using a discriminant analysis model previously developed. Diets ranged from pasture supplemented with con...

Our objectives were to evaluate the effects of complete replacement of supplementary inorganic salts of trace minerals (ITM; Co, Cu, Mn, Zn sulfates and Na selenite) by organic trace minerals (OTM; Co, Cu, Mn, Zn proteinates and selenized yeast) in both pre- and postpartum diets on TM concentrations in body fluids and liver, antioxidant and inflamm...

Failure of a robust but well-regulated immune response may result in reproductive tract inflammatory disease, such as metritis, purulent vaginal discharge, or endometritis. Metritis is consistently associated with reduced diversity of the uterine microbiome. Similarly, purulent vaginal discharge at 4 to 6 wk postpartum is strongly associated with b...

We conducted a retrospective meta-analysis based on individual cow data to assess the associations of parity, level of production, and pasture-based or intensively fed systems with fertility. Our goal was to provide understandings of the role of parity in risks for removal and reproductive failure. Multilevel models were used to evaluate the fixed...

In the dairy industry, mate allocation is dependent on the producer’s breeding goals and the parents’ breeding values. The probability of pregnancy differs among sire-dam combinations, and the compatibility of a pair may vary due to the combination of gametic haplotypes. Under the hypothesis that incomplete incompatibility would reduce the odds of...

Pregnancy losses are a biological challenge and economically important in dairy herds. A meta-analysis was conducted to quantify losses in 4 periods from 19 to 90 d of pregnancy corresponding to the physiological development of gestation in dairy cows. A total of 19,723 diagnostic records from 46 studies were included. Pregnancy losses averaged 27%...

We conducted a retrospective meta-analysis based on individual cow data to assess the associations of parity, level of production, and pasture-based or intensively fed systems with fertility. Our goal was to provide understandings of the role of parity in risks for removal and reproductive failure. Multilevel models were used to evaluate the fixed...

Our objectives were to evaluate the effect of the form of supplementary trace minerals—inorganic salts (STM: Co, Cu, Mn, and Zn sulfates and Na selenite) or organic (OTM: Co, Cu, Mn, Zn proteinates, and selenized yeast)—fed at 100% of recommended levels in both pre- and postpartum diets on in vitro phagocytic activity of neutrophils, and in vivo Ig...

Data were obtained from studies in Australia, Canada, and the United States using individual cow data from 28,230 Holstein cows to evaluate associations between parity and disease. Our goal was to develop understanding of disease risks for cows of differing parity. We hypothesized that there would be increased risks of disease and changes in metabo...

The objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between management practices and antimicrobial use in heifer calves on Canadian dairy farms. Questionnaires on calf management practices , herd characteristics, and calf treatment records were administered on 147 dairy farms in 5 provinces during annual farm visits in a...

In the dairy industry, producers determine mate allocation by selecting future offspring with genetic potential aligning with their breeding goal. However, not all sire-dam combinations are equally fertile, influencing the mating outcome. Under Mendel's laws, alleles on the same locus should segregate independently and be equally transmitted to the...

Ketosis in dairy cattle is primarily diagnosed based on the concentrations of ketone bodies in the blood, milk, or urine. Cow-side tests using these fluids are available for rapid detection of elevated concentrations of ketone bodies. Although these tests have been extensively validated, the performance of different tests has not been compared over...

Body condition scoring (BCS) and body weight (BW) are observations associated with labile tissue reserves, health, and reproduction efficiency of dairy cows. The effect of parity (1 through to ≥5) and feeding system (pasture-based and TMR) on BCS and BW were evaluated utilizing raw data sets from 16 retrospective studies that totaled 24,807 Holstei...

The dairy industry is moving toward selecting animals with better fertility to decrease the economic losses linked to reproductive issues. The reproductive tract size and position score (SPS) was recently developed in physiological studies as an indicator of pregnancy rate and the number of services to conception. Cows are scored as SPS 1, 2, or 3...

Clinical trials are a valuable study design for evaluating interventions when it is ethical and feasible for investigators to randomly allocate study animals to intervention groups. Researchers may choose to evaluate the comparative efficacy of intervention groups for their effect on outcomes that are relevant to the specific objectives of their tr...

Our objectives were to evaluate the effects of complete replacement of supplementary inorganic salts of trace minerals (STM) by organic trace minerals (OTM) in both pre- and postpartum diets on feeding behavior, ruminal fermentation, rumination activity, energy metabolism, and lactation performance in dairy cows. Pregnant cows and heifers (n = 273)...

Pregnancy diagnosis using pregnancy-associated glycoprotein (PAG) ELISA technology in blood or milk samples is validated from 28 d after insemination in dairy cows. The objective of this study was to estimate the sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of a commercial milk PAG-based ELISA in Holstein dairy cows between 23 and 27 d after insemination....

The objective of this scoping review was to describe the literature on the characteristics and management practices of colostrum feeding and their associations with the level of transfer of passive immunity (TPI) in dairy calves. Observational and experimental studies were searched in 5 electronic databases and 3 conference proceedings. Two reviewe...

Research allows for the discovery of new knowledge and is integral to evidence-based decision-making. However, research is only useful if it is available. The aim of this study was to explore publication and accessibility of full-text reports for controlled trials (experimental studies) conducted in dairy cattle. We determined the proportion of con...

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an important challenge in public health. Ensuring rational antimicrobial use (AMU) on farms is one of the key components of antimicrobial stewardship. We aimed to describe a sample of Canadian dairy farmers’ personal factors for AMUand their AMR risk perception, and to associate these factors with their attitude to...

Group housing of preweaning dairy calves is increasing in popularity throughout the dairy industry. However, it can be more difficult to individually monitor calves to identify disease in these group systems. Automated milk feeders (AMF) not only provide producers with the opportunity to increase the milk allowance offered to preweaning calves but...

The objectives of this study were to i) describe E. coli and Salmonella isolates; ⅱ) investigate the temporal trends in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles; and iii) evaluate the impact of season and age on these AMR profiles from diagnostic and post-mortem samples in Ontario calves  2 months old submitted from 2007 to 2020 to the Animal Healt...

This randomized controlled trial investigated the effects of temporarily reducing milking frequency (MF) on the resolution of ketosis and milk production in dairy cows in early lactation. To detect ketosis [blood β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) ≥1.2 mmol/L], Holstein cows were screened daily from 3 to 16 d in milk using a cow-side meter. Cows diagnosed wit...

Antimicrobials should be used prudently in farm animals to prevent the development of resistant bacteria in both humans and animals. The objective of this study was to investigate Canadian dairy producers' practices for antimicrobial use in the treatment of disease in preweaning dairy calves. In-person questionnaires were administered to 144 dairy...

In the dairy industry, mate allocation is mainly based on the parents’ breeding values and inbreeding coefficients aiming to achieve the producer’s breeding goal. With artificial insemination, the portfolio of sires to choose from is large and the quality of the semen doses is standardized. However, not all sire-dam matings are equally likely to pr...

As part of broader actions to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR), health authorities have promoted the reduction of antimicrobial use (AMU) in food animals. Farmers' attitudes and receptivity to reduction of AMU appear to be variable and context specific. Our research objectives were to gain insight into Canadian dairy farmers' attitudes toward...

The adoption of automated milk feeders and group housing of preweaning dairy calves has become more common in Canada; however, disease detection in group-housed calves remains a challenge. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess whether feeding behavior data collected from a single point in time could be used to aid in the detection of...

The objective of this randomized, double-blind, controlled trial was to evaluate the effect of pegbovigrastim (pegylated recombinant bovine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor) on early-lactation disease, milk yield, and reproduction on commercial dairy farms. A total of 1,607 Holstein cows from 6 farms in Ontario and Québec, Canada, were randoml...

This narrative literature review summarizes findings regarding the associations of clinical and subclinical hypocalcemia with postpartum health, reproduction, and milk production. To better understand the effects of hypocalcemia, we reviewed clinical and subclinical presentations of the condition and the dynamics of blood Ca concentration in the ea...

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of feeding negative dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) dry cow diets on postpartum health. Cows from 4 commercial dairy farms in Ontario, Canada, were enrolled in a pen-level controlled trial from November 2017 to April 2019. Close-up pens (1 per farm), with cows 3 wk before expected calving...

Our objective was to assess the effects of feeding negative dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) prepartum diets on milk production, reproductive performance, and culling. Cows from 4 commercial farms in Ontario, Canada were enrolled in a pen-level controlled trial from November 2017 to April 2019. Close-up pens (1 per farm) with cows 3 wk before...

This study evaluated the effects of treatment with meloxicam (a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug), parity, and blood progesterone concentration on the dynamics of the uterine microbiota of 16 clinically healthy postpartum dairy cows. Seven primiparous and 9 multiparous postpartum Holstein cows either received meloxicam (0.5 mg/kg SC, n = 7 cows...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the associations of serum markers for systemic inflammation, liver, mineral, and energy status, and blood neutrophil counts with the function of circulating neutrophils in postpartum dairy cows. Blood samples were collected from 21 healthy Holstein cows at 5, 10, 14, and 21 d postpartum. Serum samples wer...

Our objective was to validate a point-of-care handheld blood total calcium analyzer (Ca meter, CM; TD-5220 Vet Ca2+, TaiDoc, New Taipei, Taiwan) to estimate circulating Ca concentrations in postpartum dairy cows. Whole blood was collected from 251 multiparous cows between 1 and 4 d in milk from 2 commercial dairy herds in Ontario, Canada. Blood tot...

Pregnancy failure in dairy cattle appears to be attributable to losses during embryogenesis, mainly within the first month. Models have estimated that pregnancies lost after day 30 of fertilization cost producers US $550/cow. The reasons for these losses are not well understood, and the transcriptome profile of the reproductive tract during the est...

Several studies have demonstrated that the intensity of estrous expression is associated with ovulation, ovarian and uterine function, and fertility, and is dependent on social hierarchy and the housing system used. Data from recent studies involving spontaneous and induced estrus have shown that a greater relative increase and longer estrus (captu...

Our objectives were to describe and compare the uterine bacterial composition of postpartum Holstein cows diagnosed as healthy (n = 8), subclinical endometritis (SCE; n = 8), or clinical endometritis (CE; n = 5) in the fifth week postpartum. We did metagenomic analyses of 16S rRNA gene sequences from endometrial cytobrush samples at 10, 21, and 35...

This study compares serum markers for systemic inflammation, and liver, mineral, and energy status in samples obtained −7, 1, 3, 5, 7, 14 ± 1, 21 ± 1, and 35 d relative to calving from healthy dairy cows (no diagnosis of dystocia, retained placenta, metritis, displaced abomasum, clinical mastitis, or other clinical disease) and those diagnosed with...

This study evaluated the effects of treatment with meloxicam (a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug), parity, and blood progesterone concentration on the dynamics of the uterine microbiome of clinically healthy postpartum dairy cows. Seven primiparous and 9 multiparous postpartum Holstein cows received meloxicam (0.5 mg/kg SC, n = 7 cows) once dai...

Our objectives were to assess the effects of a diet with a negative dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) before calving on phagocytosis (Pc) and oxidative burst (OB) function of circulating neutrophils, and to determine the associations of serum ionized (iCa) and total calcium (tCa) concentrations with Pc and OB in transition dairy cows. We hypot...

Systemic inflammation (SI) is increasingly studied in several species because it may be central in many metabolic disturbances and be a risk factor for clinical disease. This proof-of-concept study evaluated the effects of the anti-inflammatory drug meloxicam on markers of SI and energy metabolism, polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) function, and e...

Aspects of neutrophil function are diminished or dysregulated in dairy cows in the weeks just before and after calving, which appears to be an important contributor to the occurrence of retained placenta, mastitis, metritis and endometritis. The timing and mechanisms by which specific elements of neutrophil function are impaired are only partially...

Considerable research has focused on identifying risk factors for intramammary infections, yet mastitis remains a pervasive disease on dairy farms. Increasingly, researchers are appreciating the role of dairy producer mindset in determining management style and thus udder health status of the herd. The objective of this study was to explore the att...

When sampling cows to monitoring NEB in the peripartum, there is twice the probability of detecting animals with values ~0.4 mmol/L if they are sampled one hour before the first feed offer.

There is a high risk of clinical or subclinical reproductive tract disease in the postpartum period in dairy cows. An integrated process of adaptive events should occur synchronously, including a robust but well-regulated immune response in the uterus. Failure of this process may result in reproductive tract inflammatory disease. Up to half of post...

We provide an overview of methods used to analyze reproductive records in different production systems, highlighting the similarities and differences in approach needed. Implicit to our approach is a deep understanding of the epidemiology of reproductive management. The essential data, challenges of temporal effects, herd size and calving distribut...

A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to determine the efficacy of selective dry-cow antimicrobial therapy compared to blanket therapy (all quarters/all cows). Controlled trials were eligible if any of the following were assessed: incidence of clinical mastitis during the first 30 DIM, frequency of intramammary infection (IMI) at cal...

A systematic review and network meta-analysis were conducted to assess the relative efficacy of internal or external teat sealants given at dry-off in dairy cattle. Controlled trials were eligible if they assessed the use of internal or external teat sealants, with or without concurrent antimicrobial therapy, compared to no treatment or an alternat...

A systematic review and network meta-analysis were conducted to assess the relative efficacy of antimicrobial therapy given to dairy cows at dry-off. Eligible studies were controlled trials assessing the use of antimicrobials compared to no treatment or an alternative treatment, and assessed one or more of the following outcomes: incidence of intra...

Hypocalcemia and impaired immune function are recognized risk factors for clinical disease in the transition period of dairy cows. At the onset of lactation, calcium homeostasis is disrupted by redirection of calcium for colostrum production, which triggers a substantial decrease in the blood calcium concentration for 1 to 4 days. Blood calcium con...

Most dairy cows experience a transient decrease in feed intake in the 1 to 2 wk before calving, which has been associated with systemic inflammation (SI), indicated by increased blood haptoglobin (Hp) concentration. We aimed to characterize the association between prepartum decrease in feed intake and the onset of SI and, if present, the ability of...

Conventional assays of polymorphonuclear cell (PMN, neutrophil) function such as oxidative burst (OB) and phagocytosis (PC) are widely used to evaluate innate immunity in the transition period of dairy cows. Oxidative burst is commonly evaluated by measuring PMN median fluorescence intensity (MFI) involving the release of reactive oxygen species af...

Male calves are purchased from the dairy industry in North America to produce red meat. The price paid for male calves varies widely, and it is unclear which variables influence the price paid for each calf. The objective of this study was to assess how the health traits of calves at the time of arrival and demographic variables affect the breakeve...

Discussion and incorporation of best practices for animal welfare have been increasing in research, and in commercial operations, including through welfare assessment initiatives. The aim of this study was to explore dairy farmers' perceptions about being approached and receiving advice about animal welfare (i.e., lameness, hock injuries, and disbu...

Reproducibility is an essential element of the scientific process, and it requires clear and complete reporting of study design, conduct, and analysis. In the human and animal health literature, incomplete reporting is associated with biased effect estimates. Moreover, incomplete reporting precludes knowledge synthesis and undervalues the resources...

The objective of the present study was to assess the relationship between individual cow milk yield and fertility, accounting for the contextual effect of the herd. A dataset including 657,968 lactations from 677 dairy herds located in Buenos Aires province, Argentina from 2001 to 2012 was used. The odds of pregnancy by 100 DIMwere assessed by a mu...

Postpartum uterine disease due to poor uterine involution continues to be a significant factor that contributes to poor reproductive efficiency in dairy cattle. Therapy that increases the frequency, duration and strength of uterine contractions in the postpartum period might enhance uterine involution, resulting in improved reproductive performance...

This study aimed to evaluate the association between individual and multiple metabolic diseases (MD and MD+) diagnosed during the transition period (±3 wk relative to calving) and the probability of pregnancy until 210 days in milk (DIM) in Holstein-Friesian dairy cows. Disease and reproductive data from a dairy herd with 1946 calvings (n=542 primi...

Disbudding is a common management procedure performed on dairy farms and, when done without pain mitigation, is viewed as a key welfare issue. Use of pain control has increased in recent years, but full adoption of anesthesia and analgesia by veterinarians or dairy producers has not been achieved. Part of the gap between primary research and applic...

The ability of automated activity monitoring (AAM) systems to detect estrus is influenced by multiple variables. The luteal phase (LP) preceding estrus has been shown to be important for hormones release, and behavior during estrus in ruminants, but its impact on activity as measured by AAM systems has not been studied. The objective of this study...

The objective of this prospective single cohort study was to determine the effect of health status at arrival on growth in milk-fed veal calves. Upon arrival at the veal facility, calves were evaluated using a standardized health scoring system and weighed, and the supplier of the calf was recorded. The calves were followed until slaughter, when th...

Social factors are important determinants of disease in humans and and laboratory animals, but less research has been done using farm animals. The objective of this study was to determine if an unpredictable and competitive social environment affects behavior and health during the transition period when dairy cows are at high risk of disease. Five...

Low total blood calcium concentration after calving has been demonstrated to be a risk factor for reduced neutrophil function. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether administration of an injectable calcium supplement product soon after calving increased neutrophil oxidative burst or phagocytosis capacity. Cows (n = 27) from 4 farms wer...

Udder edema (UE) is a common condition of cows around calving, but its effects are not well characterized. The objectives of this study were to determine the associations of UE with the incidence of health disorders and with milk yield and reproduction in dairy cows in early lactation. On 3 commercial farms, UE was scored weekly on 1,346 cows, on a...

The objectives were to determine the effects of a rumen-protected blend of B vitamins and choline (RPBC) on the incidence of health disorders, milk yield, and reproduction in early lactation and the effects on gene expression and liver fat infiltration. A randomized controlled trial in 3 commercial dairy herds (n = 1,346 cows with group as the expe...

The objective of this study was to assess the association between individual metabolic diseases (MD) and multiple MD (MD+) in the transition period (±3 wk relative to calving) and the culling risk in the first 120 d in milk (DIM) in Holstein-Friesian dairy cows. Health records from a transition management facility in Germany with 1,946 calvings wer...

Quantitative assessments of animal welfare are increasingly being used in the dairy industry. It is important to have good precision and accuracy within and among assessors. This study explored the effectiveness of a 3-d training workshop for animal-based measures (ABM) of welfare in dairy cows, in which 14 people were trained to evaluate 6 ABM, sp...

Automated milking systems (AMS) provide the capability of adjusting the amount of supplemental concentrate offered to cows based on parity, days in milk, and milk yield; in many situations, more supplement is provided to those cows with higher production demands. To determine associations of subclinical ketosis (SCK) and blood β-hydroxybutyrate (BH...

Injection of pegbovigrastim one week prior to, and soon after calving triggers a rapid increase in circulating neutrophil count • An additive increase follows the second injection at the time of calving • Most (~95%) additional neutrophils in circulation after treatment were mature segmented cells, indicating that the storage pool of neutrophils is...

Providing a sufficient quantity of high-quality colostrum to male and female calves soon after birth is critical to reduce the risk of disease and mortality. Practical tests have not been validated to determine failed passive transfer of immunity upon arrival at veal facilities. There are many challenges to validation, including the lack of informa...

Group housing of dairy calves with automated milk feeders (AMF) is increasingly being used, but the effect of introducing calves to the AMF at a very young age (<24 h) on calf performance, health, and welfare, as well as farm personnel labor requirements are unknown. The objective of this controlled trial was to investigate whether early (<24 h aft...

Previous research in various species has shown that granulocyte-colony stimulating factor stimulates the production and release of neutrophils from bone marrow. The objective of this study was to characterize the effects of polyethylene glycol-bound bovine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (pegbovigrastim; Imrestor, Elanco) on circulating leuko...

Dataset for the effects of pegbovigrastim on circulating leukocyte counts in periparturient dairy cattle. (CSV)

OBJECTIVE To estimate the cost of a case of retained fetal membranes (RFM) for dairy herds in the United States. DESIGN Deterministic computer-based spreadsheet analysis. SAMPLE Inputs from published studies and reports. PROCEDURES Economic losses attributable to RFM were direct (reduction in milk yield and longer interval until pregnancy) and indi...