EVALUATION OF BOVINE TEAT CONDITION IN COMMERCIAL DAIRY HERDS: 2. INFECTIOUS FACTORS AND INFECTIONS
Table 1 Teat conditions observable according to the cause of the problem. Machine induced Environmental Infectious Discoloration Chapping Pseudocowpox Oedema Mud sores Herpes mammillitis Congestion Suckling damage Cowpox Wedging Fly bites Papilloma Ringing Other abrasions and cuts Foot and Mouth Disease Hemorrhaging petechia Weather damage Vesicular Stomatitis Hemorrhaging larger Allergic reactions Ringworm [Hyperkeratosis] Photosensitization Staphylococcus aureus Chemical damage Streptococcus dysgalactiae Arcanobacterium pyogenes Fusiformis necrophorum
Milk flow pattern, somatic cell count and teat apex score in primiparous dairy cows at the beginning of lactation
Abstract The aim of the study was to investigate the relationships between milk flow traits, milk Somatic Cell Count (SCC) and teat apex score in primiparous cows during the first 120 days of lactation. A total of 82 primiparous Holstein cows were randomly selected in 6 herds characterized by different milking machines and management. The cows were monitored monthly during the first 120 days of lactation. Each month, milk flow curves of the whole udder of each primiparous cow were registered with continuous electronic milk flow meters (Lactocorder), quarter milk samples were aseptically collected, somatic cells were counted, and teat apex scores were assessed. Quarter milk samples were divided in two groups according to SCC: <200,000 and >200,000 cells/ml, respectively. At udder level each cow was classified as low SCC (LSCC) when all quarters had <200,000 cells/ml and high SCC (HSCC) in all other situations, separately for each control. Animals with at least one HSCC control during the first 120 days of lactation (n=33), compared to subjects always classified as LSCC cows (n=49), showed significantly higher average milk flow (2.32 vs 2.13 kg/min; P<0.05), peak milk flow (3.71 vs 3.14 kg/min; P<0.05), lower duration of plateau phase (2.33 vs 3.27 min; P<0.05), longer duration of increase phase (0.81 vs 0.66 min; P<0.05), and higher average SCC (4.07 vs 3.45 Log10 SCC; P<0.05). Moreover, primiparous cows with at least one HSCC control had a significant increase in peak milk flow during the first four months of lactation, while the other cows showed only a slight increase. Teat apex scores significantly increased in both groups of primiparous cows as lactation progressed but values in subjects always classified as LSCC animals were constantly lower with respect to cows with at least one HSCC control. The results obtained in this study support the relationship between SCC, teat apex score and milk flow traits.
Heritage Languages: In the 'Wild' and in the Classroom
Heritage speakers are people raised in a home where one language is spoken who subsequently switch to another dominant language. The version of the home language that they have not completely acquired – heritage language – has only recently been given the attention it deserves from linguists and language instructors. Despite the appearance of great variation among heritage speakers, they fall along a continuum based upon the speakers’ distance from the baseline language. Such a continuum-based model enables researchers and instructors to classify heritage speakers more accurately and readily. This article discusses the results of research on lower-proficiency speakers, identifying recurrent features of heritage languages in phonology, morphology, and syntax. Preliminary results indicate that different heritage languages share a number of structural similarities; this finding is important for the understanding of general processes involved in language acquisition. The article also presents implications of the main findings for language education and identifies areas needing further study.