The Workshop on “Biology of Lactation in Farm Animals” (BOLFA) is jointly organized by the University of Bern, European Federation of Animal Science (EAAP) and the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS). In 2024 BOLFA will be held together with the International Congress on Farm Animal Endocrinology (ICFAE) at the University of Bern, Switzerland, as satellites of the annual EAAP meeting in Florence, Italy. The meetings in Bern take place from August 28-30, 2024. Current topics of lactation and endocrine systems in farm animal species will be discussed during the 3-day conference. The EAAP meeting in Florence starts on September 1.

Wednesday, 28th August 2024

07:30 Registration open
08:15 Opening & Welcome
Session 1: Importance of milk for gut microbiome and human health

08:30 The convergent evolution of adult human milk consumption Jay Stock (CA)
09:15 Innovation towards a dairy-based platform for effective, next-generation prebiotics and probiotics David Mills (US)
10:00 The importance of dairy foods for human health Connie Weaver (US)

10:45 Coffee Break
Session 2: Mammary gland – technology interactions in dairy and non-dairy species

11:15 Milking research and practice: a 60-year learning curve Graeme Mein (AU)
11:45 Bimodal milk flow in dairy cows – diagnosis, risk factors, possible effects, and opportunities Matthias Wieland (US)
12:30 Effects of liner compression and vacuum on milking performance and teat condition Douglas Reinemann (US)

13:15 Lunch Break
14:15 Milking time testing as tool to detect udder health risk factors Morten Rasmussen (DK)
15:00 Interactions between the effect of milking machine settings on milking duration and cow milk flow-rates John Upton (IE)
15:45 Coffee Break
16:15 Producing piglets in a free farrowing system Alex Grahofer (CH)
17:00 Pros and cons of cow-calf-contact systems in dairy farming - can we use established indicators? Kerstin Barth (DE)

Thursday, 29th August 2024

07:30 Registration open
Session 3: Transition from pregnancy to lactation

08:15 Placental contribution to the endocrinology of gestation and parturition Karl Klisch (CH)
09:00 Hormonal control of the mammary blood-milk barrier integrity Kerst Stelwagen (NZ)
09:45 The history of research into nutrient transfer from mother to neonate Chris Knight (UK)

10:30 Coffee Break
Session 4: Regulation of lactation and milk secretion
11:00 Hormonal and nutritional regulations of lactation persistency in dairy ruminants Marion Boutinaud (FR)
11:45 Local and systemic control of milk secretion Pierre Lacasse (CA)

12:30 Lunch Break
13:30 Prolactin and heat stress: focus on domestic ruminants Frank Dunshea (AU)
14:15 Exercise and lactation in horses: What do we know? Sarah Reed (US)
15:00 Poster exhibition & Come Together young scientists and invited speakers
19:00 Conference BBQ dinner (Gurten mountain Bern)

Friday, 30th August 2024

08:00 Registration open
Session 5: Endocrine regulation of development, growth, and disturbances in metabolism

09:00 Nutritional and endocrine regulation of muscle growth in neonatal swine Teresa Davis (US)
09:45 Obesity in horses and donkeys - when do we talk about metabolic syndrome? Lucia Unger (CH)

10:30 Coffee Break
Young scientist oral presentations
11:00 The effect of dietary energy source on lactating sow energy metabolism and nitrogen retention Nicole Gregory (CA)
11:15 Colostrum intake of piglets in relation to birth order Jackeline Hornstra (NL)
11:30 Acute endotoxinemia inhibits luteinizing hormone and decreases hypothalamic kisspeptin in adult cows Allison Renwick (US)

Session 6: Endocrine regulation of reproduction
11:45 Local and systemic regulation of endocrine and innate immune system by sperm and embryo toward early pregnancy in cattle Akio Miyamoto (JP)
12:30 Lunch Break
13:30 Somatotropic axis and follicular dynamics Matt Lucy (US)
14:15 Role of the innate immune system in the postpartal uterine disease complex in modern high yielding dairy cows Geert Opsomer (BE)
15:00 Concluding Remarks

Poster presentations

Session 1: Importance of milk for gut microbiome and human health
S1_P01 Effect of feeding docosahexaenoic acid to sows on milk composition and microbiota of sows and piglets T. Sønderby Bruun and A. Varmløse Strathe (DK)

Session 2: Mammary gland – technology interactions in dairy and non-dairy species
S2_P01 Management practices and farmer perceptions on milkability in dam-calf contact rearing in Switzerland J. Rell, C. Nanchen, P. Savary, C. Buchli, and C. Rufener (CH)
S2_P02 Effect of cow-calf contact on udder emptying in the robotic milking unit in dairy cows S. Ferneborg, S. Almlöf, and S. Agenäs (NO, SE)
S2_P03 Investigations into the effects of altering the c-phase of pulsation D. J. Reinemann (US)
S2_P04 Improved machine milking efficiency without additional load on teat tissue through increased pulsation ratio in rear quarters P. Fürst, M. Affentranger, K. Kakoulis, C. O. Paulrud, and R. Bruckmaier (CH)

 

Session 3: Transition from pregnancy to lactation
S3_P01 Possible factors associated with colostrum quality and excellent transfer of passive immunity in calves: the reality in different European farms A. Fernandez-Novo, I. Kolkman, M. Driesse, M. Yarnall, M. Cerviño, F.J. Dieguez, and S. Astiz (DE, ES, NL)
S3_P02 Serum osteocalcin and CTX-I concentrations in transition dairy cows. S. van der Drift, A. Koopmans, L. Kroon, R. Grotentraast, and M. Holstege (NL)
S3_P03 Characterization of prepartum serum and mammary secretion immunoglobulin G concentration and its association with colostrum immunoglobulin G yield in Holstein cattle A. J. Fischer-Tlustos, K. Klein, C. McQuaig, J. Petrou, J. P. Cant, and M. A. Steele (CA)
S3_P04 Colostrum intake of piglets in relation to birth order J. Hornstra, I. Puts, E. M. A. M. Bruininx, B. Kemp, and N. M. Soede (NL)

Poster presentations

Session 4: Regulation of lactation and milk secretion
S4_P01 Study of the molecular mechanisms involved in the induction of milk lipolysis in dairy cows subjected to feed restriction M. Boutinaud, A. Rau, P. Poton, A. Vitorino Carvalho, J. Lecardonnel, L. Bernard, C. Hurtaud, and C. Cebo (FR)
S4_P02 The effect of dietary energy source on lactating sow energy metabolism and nitrogen retention N. Gregory and L.-A. Huber (CA)
S4_P03 Mastitis induces proteomic cargo changes in a subpopulation of CD81 extracellular vesicles in milk M. D. Saenz-de-Juano, G. Silvestrelli, V. Krivitsky, A. Krivitsky, S. Sander, J.-C. Leroux, J. Dengjel, and S. E. Ulbrich (CH)

Session 5: Endocrine regulation of development, growth, and disturbances in metabolism
S5_P01 Litter independent effects of colostrum intake on piglet growth and survival P. Langendijk and H. van Hees (NL)
S5_P02 Consequences of extended suckling in cow-calf contact systems for growth and fat deposition of calves C. L. van Zyl, E. A. M. Bokkers, H. K. Eriksson, B. Kemp, S. Agenäs, and A. T. M. van Knegsel (NL, SE)
S5_P03 Serum osteocalcin and ALP concentrations in replacement heifers S. van der Drift, A. Koopmans, R. Grotentraast, and M. Holstege (NL)
S5_P04 Effect of energy content of high-protein milk replacer on dry matter intake and growth performance of Holstein calves in summer and winter R. Fukami, N. Kobayashi, K. Murayama, Y. Inabu, M. Oba, and T. Sugino (JP)
S5_P05 Effects of calving interval and periconception conditions of dairy cows on development and metabolism of their offspring in early life Y. Wang, A. Ipema, R. Goselink, E. Burgers, J. Gross, R. Bruckmaier, B. Kemp, and A. van Knegsel (CH, NL)
S5_P06 Effects of calving interval and periconception conditions of dairy cows on milk performance and metabolism of their offspring in later life Y. Wang, A. Ipema, R. Goselink, E. Burgers, J. Gross, R. Bruckmaier, B. Kemp, and A. van Knegsel (CH, NL)
S5_P07 Metabolic and endocrine responses to different carbohydrates in milk fed calves G. Bierlein, R. M. Bruckmaier, and J. J. Gross (CH)

Poster presentations

Session 6: Endocrine regulation of reproduction
S6_P01 Effect of feeding glycemic diets to sows in the weaning-to-estrus interval on development of follicles and embryos and piglet birth weight M. F. Fenner, E. Østrup, T. Sønderby Bruun, and A. Varmløse Strathe (DK)
S6_P02 Acute endotoxinemia inhibits luteinizing hormone and decreases hypothalamic kisspeptin in adult cows A. Renwick, B. Whitlock, C. Nestor, A. Esteller-Vico, and L. Amelse (US)

Session 7: Free communications
S7_P01 Somatic cell count in milk of goats under Slovakian dairy practice V. Tančin, B. Gancarová, K. Tvarožková, L. Mačuhová, M. Uhrinčať, M. Oravcová, and M. Vršková (SK)
S7_P02 Subclinical mastitis and antimicrobial suspentibility of Staphylococcus spp. isolated from two Slovakian goat farms B. Gancárová , K. Tvarožková, L. Mačuhová, M. Uhrinčať, M. Vršková, and V. Tančin (SK)
S7_P03 The effect of entry order into milking parlour and stadium of lactation on milk yield and milk composition L. Mačuhová , M. Uhrinčať, M. Vršková, K. Tvarožková, J. Mačuhová, M. Oravcová, and V. Tančin (DE, SK)
S7_P04 Inventory of abdominal adipose depots in Dutch dairy cows at slaughter A. Koopmans, M. Gonggrijp, S. van der Drift, and L. Heres (NL)

S7_P05 Improving IgG determination in goat colostrum using colour, trought Artificial intelligence M. Betancor-Sánchez, N. Castro, A. Morales-delaNuez, L. E. Hernández-Castellano, M. González-Cabrera, and A. Argüello (ES)
S7_P06 Differing planes of nutrition alter serum amino acid composition in nonpregnant, multiparous beef cows on day 3 of the estrous cycle R. M. Swanson, T. L. Neville, K. L. McCarthy, C. J. Kassetas, P. P. Borowicz, M. S. Crouse, L. P. Reynolds, C. R. Dahlen, and J. S. Caton (US)
S7_P07 Variation of somatic cell count in Slovak dairy sheep M. Oravcová, M. Vršková, and V. Tančin (SK)
S7_P08 Pathogens of mastitis in suspected mastitis in dairy cows in Slovakia D. Tančinová, K. Tvarožková, B. Gancárová, M. Árvayová, Ľ. Černek, and V. Tančin (SK)
S7_P09 The effect of somatic cell counts and month on the milk yield and its composition during year in dairy sheep M. Vršková, M. Oravcová, L. Mačuhová, M. Uhrinčať, and V. Tančin (SK)
S7_P10 Somatic cell count before drying off and after calving in antibiotic treated cows by drying off J. Mačuhová, T. Filo, L. Mačuhová, M. Uhrinčať, and V. Tančin (DE, SK)

Poster presentations

S7_P11 Udder health status, occurrence and antibiotic resistance of pathogens from ewe’s milk from one dairy farm in Slovakia K. Tvarožková, V. Tančin, B. Gacárová, L. Mačuhová, M. Uhrinčať, and M. Vršková (SK)
S7_P12 Virtual fencing for managing lactating Holstein Friesian cows and its effect on animal welfare P. Fuchs, M. K. Schneider, C. M. Pauler, A. Confessore, C. Umstätter, and M. Probo (CH, DE)
S7_P13 Transcriptome based assignment of bovine milk somatic cell types M. Zorc, J. Levantic, S. Džeroski, and P. Dovč (SV)