Mieke Van Eetvelde

Ghent University | UGhent · Department of Obstetrics, Reproduction and Herd Health

The concept of developmental programming suggests that environmental influences during pre-and early postnatal life that can have long-term effects on future health and performance. In dairy cattle, maternal body growth, age, parity and milk yield, as well as environmental factors during gestation, have the potential to create a suboptimal environm...

The concept of developmental programming suggests that environmental influences during pre- and early postnatal life that can have long-term effects on future health and performance. In dairy cattle, maternal body growth, age, parity and milk yield, as well as environmental factors during gestation, have the potential to create a suboptimal environ...

The anogenital distance (AGD) is considered a marker for prenatal androgen exposure and fertility in multiple species including humans. In dairy cattle, it is described as the length between the center of the anus and the clitoral base (AGDc). However, in other species, the distance from the center of the anus to the dorsal commissure of the vulva...

Telomere length is associated with longevity and survival in multiple species. In human population-based studies, multiple prenatal factors have been described to be associated with a newborn's telomere length. In the present study, we measured relative leukocyte telomere length in 210 Holstein Friesian heifers, within the first ten days of life. T...

Isoflavones represent a class of phytoestrogens present in plants. In dairy cows, dietary isoflavones have been shown to negatively affect reproductive performance. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have yet been conducted to determine if calves are pre- or neonatally confronted with isoflavones and their metabolites. In the present study, w...

Breed type and environmental factors such as breeding season may have a significant impact on neonatal morphometrics. We followed a total of 236 elective cesarean sections in Belgian Blue (BB) cows, from which neonatal calves were morphometrically assessed (in cm) within the first 72 h of delivery using a strictly standardized protocol. The effect...

Breed type and environmental factors such as breeding season may have a significant impact on neonatal weight loss calf size. We followed a total of 236 elective cesarean sections in Belgian Blue (BB) cattle, in which neonatal calves were morphometrically measured (in cm) in the first 72 hours after delivery of the child using a strictly standardiz...

Longevity is an important trait both from an economic and social perspective. Modern dairy cows are criticized for their short productive lifespan: only a minority of animals survives to a fourth lactation, implying that most cows are culled before reaching their maximal potential. In contrast, the population of 100 tonne cows (HT), reaching the th...

Transmission of bluetongue (BT) virus serotype 8 (BTV-8) via artificial insemination of contaminated frozen semen from naturally infected bulls was investigated in two independent experiments. Healthy, BT negative heifers were hormonally synchronized and artificially inseminated at oestrus. In total, six groups of three heifers received semen from...

Milk yield during first lactation is an important economical trait. Age at first calving (AFC) is considered an important predictor of subsequent milk yield. In addition, both season of birth, as well as season of calving, have been shown to influence milk production, with conflicting results. Finally, higher parity of the dam has been associated w...

Prenatal programming refers to the fact that insults during pre- and early postnatal life can have long-term consequences on the health and performance. In diary cattle, physiological conditions, such as maternal body growth, milk yield and parity, and environmental conditions during gestation can create a suboptimal environment for the developing...

In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that overconditioning in dairy cows at the end of the dry period leads to infiltration of fat and alterations of the insulin secretory capacity of the pancreas. Pregnant Holstein Friesian dairy cows were selected based on body condition score (BCS) at the start of the dry period. Body condition score v...

Vets often use key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate the actual performance status of a dairy herd. Basic knowledge of data analysis is necessary to interpret these KPIs correctly, but unfortunately vets often lack the training and knowledge required to do this. This article aims to make vets aware of common data interpretation errors and d...

In livestock breeding, the successful outcome is largely depending on the “periconception environment” which, in a narrow sense, refers to the genital tract, where gametogenesis and embryogenesis occur. During these early stages of development, gametes and embryos are known to be particularly sensitive to alterations in their microenvironment. Howe...

Contents As heifer rearing is a costly investment, dairy farmers have been stimulated to maximize early growth of their calves, mainly by enhanced liquid feeding. However, the long‐term effects of this “accelerated growth” are largely unknown. Studies recently performed at Ghent University indicate that in dairy cattle, certain maternal factors (su...

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is a lysosomal peroxidase enzyme mainly stored in the azurophilic granules of neutrophils playing an important role in innate immunity for first-line protection against microorganisms in many species including cattle. As such, determination of MPO has become of great interest for the diagnosis of infectious and inflammatory di...

The aim of the present research was to assess factors associated with first-lactation milk yield in dairy heifers, including maternal and environmental factors, factors related to the development of the heifer and factors related to its offspring such as gender of the calf. In addition, the potential underlying mechanism, in particular metabolic ad...

Scientific journals and popular press magazines are littered with articles in which the authors use data from dairy herd management software. Almost none of such papers include data cleaning and data quality assessment in their study design despite this being a very critical step during data mining. This paper presents 2 novel data cleaning methods...

The aim of the present study was to point at the limitations of glucose tolerance tests (GTT) to assess peripheral tissue insulin sensitivity in dairy heifers in different physiological states (pregnancy and lactation). Intravenous GTT were performed in 5 nonpregnant, nonlactating heifers, 5 heifers at the end of pregnancy (12–7 d before calving),...

In humans, there is evidence that metabolic diseases occurring in later life arise in utero as a result of programming of key endocrine systems during suboptimal intrauterine conditions. The process by which prenatal insults lead to permanent changes in tissue structure and function, and finally to low birthweight (BW), is known as developmental pr...

Contents This article reports on a study of gross placental morphology of 282 expelled placentas from 89 primi‐ and 193 multiparous Holstein dams immediately after calving and examines associations with environmental factors such as typical herd features and season of calving, and maternal factors such as age at calving, level of milk yield at conc...

Objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of subclinical endometritis (SCE) and its effect on the pregnancy outcome in nulliparous dairy heifers. A total of 496 endometrial cytology samples were taken during artificial insemination (AI) from 339 Holstein-Friesian heifers by means of cytotape. Cytotape consisted of a 1.5 cm piece of pap...

The objectives of the present study were to assess the prevalence of cytological endometritis (CYTO) at the time of artificial insemination (AI) and its effect on pregnancy outcomes in nulliparous dairy heifers. In total, 512 endometrial cytology samples were taken during AI from 351 nulliparous Holstein-Friesian heifers using cytotape (a 1.5-cm pi...

The scoring of the body condition at specific time points during the lactation cycle has proven to be essential in the nutritional management of modern dairy herds. The 'Thunder Measure (TM) Vet Device' has recently been developed by Ingenera SA, Switzerland to accurately and objectively measure the body condition score (BCS) of dairy cows in the f...

The scoring of the body condition at specific time points during the lactation cycle has proven to be essential in the nutritional management of modern dairy herds. The 'Thunder Measure (TM) Vet Device' has recently been developed by Ingenera SA, Switzerland to accurately and objectively measure the body condition score (BCS) of dairy cows in the f...

Prenatal development is known to be extremely sensitive to maternal and environmental challenges. In this study, we hypothesize that body growth and lactation during gestation in cattle reduce nutrient availability for the pregnant uterus, with consequences for placental development. Fetal membranes of 16 growing heifers and 27 fully grown cows of...

The aim of the present research was to describe characteristics of adipose tissue lipolysis in dairy cows with a variable body condition score (BCS). Ten clinically healthy Holstein Friesian cows were selected based on BCS and euthanized 10 to 13 d before the expected parturition date. Immediately after euthanasia, adipose tissue samples were colle...

In neonatal calves, the ingestion of colostrum is imperative for preventing infectious diseases. Investigations into the transfer of passive immunity of cattle have primarily focused on the importance of colostral immunoglobulins, with a recent increase in focus on understanding the role of colostral leukocytes. The main objective of the present st...

The objective of the present retrospective cohort study was to evaluate potential associations between environmental factors and dam characteristics, including level of milk production during gestation, and insulin traits in newborn Holstein calves. Birth weight and gestational age of the calves at delivery were determined. On the next day, heart g...

The objective of the present research was to determine the insulin response of the glucose and fatty acid metabolism in dry dairy cows with a variable body condition score (BCS). Ten pregnant Holstein Friesian dairy cows (upcoming parity 2 to 5) were selected based on BCS at the beginning of the study (2 mo before expected parturition date). During...

In the present study, the effect was investigated of administering an oral electrolyte solution (Glutellac(R)) to newborn Belgian blue calves on their vitality, the acid-balance in the blood, and their passive immunity. Twenty newborn calves were incorporated in the study, of which ten were administered a placebo and ten were administered Glutellac...

In the present study, the effect was investigated of administering an oral electrolyte solution (Glutellac(R)) to newborn Belgian blue calves on their vitality, the acid-balance in the blood, and their passive immunity. Twenty newborn calves were incorporated in the study, of which ten were administered a placebo and ten were administered Glutellac...

The objective of the present study was to evaluate environmental and dam factors associated with birth size of Holstein calves. Data of 1,594 births from dairy herds in Belgium and Germany were analyzed in a retrospective cross-sectional study. Immediately after birth, the birth weight of the calves was measured. On the next day, the heart girth (H...

The objective of the present study was to determine factors that are associated with the birth size of Holstein calves. A retrospective cross-sectional study was set up, and data of 1594 calf births from four dairy herds in Belgium and one in Germany were analyzed. Of the variables offered to the offspring birth weight (BW) model in heifers, calf g...

The objective of the present study was to determine factors that are associated with the birth size of Holstein calves. A retrospective cross-sectional study was set up, and data of 1594 calf births from four dairy herds in Belgium and one in Germany were analyzed. Of the variables offered to the offspring birth weight (BW) model in heifers, calf g...

Particularly in ruminant species, conclusive evidence has been accrued that environmental influences to which gametes or embryos are exposed to before, during and after conception (i.e. the periconception period) can in-duce epigenetic changes in the genome. Such epigenetic changes may adversely affect the future health, development, productivity a...

Newborn calves (40 males and 38 females) of Holstein heifers (n = 28) and cows (n = 50) were used to evaluate the association between their body size and pancreatic b-cell function. The calves were weighed and specific body sizes were measured in the morning of their 3rd day of life following an overnight fast. At the same time an intravenous gluco...

The aim of the present study was to examine the correlation between the subcutaneous and intra-abdominal fat deposits in dairy cows and, furthermore, to determine how these fat deposits can be accurately measured in the living cow using methods applicable in the field. In 74 dairy cows, the amount of subcutaneous fat was measured just before slaugh...

The aim of the present study was to examine the correlation between the subcutaneous and intra-abdominal fat deposits in dairy cows and, furthermore, to determine how these fat deposits can be accurately measured in the living cow using methods applicable in the field. In 74 dairy cows, the amount of subcutaneous fat was measured just before slaugh...