The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of dietary supplementation of a seaweed-originated product (SOP) on milk productivity, milk quality and health of milking cows under Vietnam weather conditions at the dairy farm of One Member Dairy and Beef Joint Stock Company HCMC, Vietnam from October 2019 to February 2020. A total of 40 Holstein Friesian crossbred cows were randomly allotted into 2 treatments in a randomized complete block design. The 2 dietary treatments included (1) cows fed a basal ration without SOP supplementation (control) and (2) control plus 70 g SOP/cow per day (about 0.35% dry matter intake/day). Parity, days in milk, body weight, and milk yield of cows in both treatments were almost equal (P > 0.05). The results showed that the average milk yield of cows over the experimental period was not different between the two treatments (P > 0.05), but the lactation stability curve was better in SOP group. The SOP supplementation also did not improve milk quality indicators (fat, protein, solids not fat, lactose, somatic cell count) as compared with the control (P > 0.05). The blood ketone level of cows in the control group was higher than that of cows in the SOP group (P < 0.05), although there were no differences in the blood levels of AST, ALT, protein, glucose, cholesterol, cortisol (P > 0.05). The SOP supplementation did not affect BW, body condition score, and locomotion score as well as the prevalences of lameness and digestive diseases (P > 0.05). Briefly, these results suggest that the dietary SOP addition of 70 g/cow per day appears not to improve milk productivity, milk quality and health of milking cows.

The objective of this study was to assess the current situation of beef cattle production in households in some districts of Lam Dong province. Ninety household beef cattle farms (HBCFs) were chosen from Cat Tien, Don Duong and Duc Trong districts (10 households/commune and 3 communes/district) to perform the survey using pre-printed questionnaires and direct interviews on a cross-section study model and the Participatory Rural Appraisal method. Results showed that beef cattle husbandry householders have an extensive experience in beef farming with 36.7% having 11 - 15 years of experience (P < 0.01), although their educational levels were low, with 31.1% at the primary level (P < 0.01). There were 7.3 cattle/household in the total number of herd and and a beef cattle group of 4.7 cattle. Most households operated a husbandry scale from 1 - 5 cattle/household comprising 60.00% of the total herd (P < 0.01) and 69.32% of the beef cattle group (P < 0.01). High-yielding breeds dominated the current beef production systems in HBCFs, in which BBB cross-breeds accounted for 57.95% and 76.84% of households and total cattle, respectively; Charolais cross-breed accounted for 25.00 and 12.6%, respectively (P < 0.01). There was a high level (92.22%) of husbandry and management method as tied stall form (P < 0.01). Additionally, 76,14% of HBCFs applied fattening procedure for beef cattle before selling to abattoirs (P < 0.01), but artificial insemination application in HBCFs was just 48.86% (P = 0.763). The average daily gain of the beef herd for whole husbandry and fattening periods reached 580.3 and 696.4 g/day, respectively. Briefly, these results suggest that there are some limitations in beef cattle production on household farms for developing sustainably high-yielding beef cattle farming in Lam Dong. Therefore, there should be more application of scientific advancements to improve the present situation.

The objective of this study was to investigate uterine microbiota in postpartum dairy cows and barn environment by quantitative PCR and to evaluate the correlation between the microbiota in the uterus and barn environment. The study was carried out in 2 seasons of the year: summer (June to August 2017) and winter (October 2017 to March 2018) on Holstein dairy cow farm, Okayama Livestock Research Institute, Japan. A total of 116 samples, including 68 uterine and fecal samples, were collected from 9 cows in summer and 8 cows in winter, at 1 and 2 months after calving. Additionally, 48 samples of barn environment including airborne dust, bedding, feed and water samples were collected 6 times throughout each season. The quantative PCR results showed significant differences (P < 0.05) in the uterine and fecal microbiota of dairy cows at 1 and 2 months after calving. In summer, total bacteria at 2 months postpartum were higher than those at 1 month after calving, while total bacteria were the same in winter (P > 0.05). Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes in uterus and feces between 1 and 2 months after calving were not significantly different in both summer and winter (P > 0.05). The populations of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and total bacteria were found to be highest in bedding compared to those in feed, airborne dust, and water from the barn environment (P < 0.05). Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and total bacteria in uterus were closely related with those in bedding in summer, however they had the negative correlation with the microbiota of barn environment in winter, especially with fecal microbiota.

Rice is a staple cereal consumed by much of the world’s population but has received relatively little attention as a potential feedstuff for the animal industries in many parts of the world. It may be because its price is relatively high and only a small amount of rice produced is traded (6.2%). India, Thailand and Vietnam play a major role in the world rice export market. Rice is characterized by its high starch content, low fat and dietary fiber content, and lower crude protein content in comparison to other cereals. Rice-based diets have a higher apparent digestibility of nutrients than corn-based diets. Complete replacement of corn with rice in weaned pig diets does not affect growth performance, but feed efficiency is improved when corn is replaced with brown rice. Heat processing of rice does not influence digestibility and growth performance of pigs. Due to rice’s high digestibility and low fiber content, pigs fed rice-based diets have lower concentrations of volatile fatty acids and viscosity of intestinal digesta compared to other cereal-based diets. Moreover, rice has been shown to have potential to ameliorate diarrhea, colonization of pathogens, severity of enteric bacterial diseases, and pig removals. The mechanism for this protective function is not fully understood, but it may be, to a certain extent, related to lower fiber content and high digestibility of rice and a so-called “rice factor”. In practice, when availability and cost of rice permits, pork producers can benefit from the use of rice-based diets for piglets.

Background/Objectives: Campylobacter spp. are leading causes of foodborne gastroenteritis, and small-scale poultry farms are important reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This study investigated the prevalence of Campylobacter spp., AMR profiles, virulence genes, and associated risk factors of Campylobacter isolates in small-scale chicken farms in southern Thailand. Methods: Cloacal swab samples were collected from 10 randomly selected birds at three time points across 12 farms. Isolates were identified by multiplex PCR. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by agar dilution. Resistance-associated genes (gyrA, 23S rRNA A2075G/A2074C, cmeABC, tet(O)) and virulence genes (flaA, flhA, cadF, cdtABC) were detected using PCR. Risk factors were analyzed using logistic regression. Results: Of 358 cloacal samples, 151 were positive for Campylobacter spp. (overall weighted prevalence: 53.56%). A total of 153 isolates were recovered from positive samples of 142 C. jejuni (weighted prevalence: 50.04%) and positive samples of 11 C. coli (crude prevalence: 3.07%), as two samples contained mixed infections of both species. For C. jejuni, weighted resistance was high for CIP (91.44%), NAL (90.10%), and TET (64.22%), while erythromycin resistance was absent (0.00%), and MDR was low (0.70%). For C. coli, resistance reported as crude proportions was 81.82% for CIP, 72.73% for NAL, 45.45% for TET, 0.00% for ERY, and 9.09% for MDR. The gyrA Thr-86-Ile mutation was associated with quinolone and fluoroquinolone resistance, and the A2074C mutation with tylosin resistance. The cmeABC operon was found in all isolates. The cdt virulence cluster was present in all C. jejuni, but largely absent in C. coli. Multivariable modelling showed that prevalence was associated with larger flock size, inadequate manure management, and overall antimicrobial use, whereas AMR was associated with farm location, owner age, and specifically tetracycline use. Conclusions: High prevalence and molecular diversity of Campylobacter highlight the need for improved antimicrobial stewardship and biosecurity in small-scale poultry systems.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the current situation of feeds and daily rations in household beef cattle farms (HBCFs) in some districts of Lam Dong province (LD), Vietnam. Ninety HBCFs were chosen from Cat Tien, Don Duong and Duc Trong districts (10 households/commune and 03 communes/district) to implement the survey by pre-printed questionnaires and direct interview as a cross-sectional study model through Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) method. The results showed that straw (96.67%) and elephant grass (82.22%) was the two most used kinds of roughage in HBCFs (P < 0.001), while complete feed (52.22%) and rice bran (32.22%) were the most commonly used concentrates (P < 0.001). The average grassland area in HBCFs was 1,443 m2/household and there has been no difference among districts in LD (P > 0.05). Daily diets in HBCFs consisted of a diverse combination of roughage (elephant grass, natural grass, silage, straw and other agricultural by-products) and concentrates (complete feed, rice bran, maize bran and by-products) with an estimated roughage: concentrate ratio of 74.84:25.14 (P < 0.01). Total mixed ration (TMR) feeding method is currently not applied in HBCFs and farmers feed beef and cows by their own estimation without specific nutritional criteria. Additionally, feed storage conditions were generally inadequate and the handling of spoiled/moldy feeds is needed more attention.