This study led to four key findings: 1) farmers’ demographics and farm characteristics, 2) mobile phone usage, 3) a postpartum cow management knowledge test, and 4) the development of a Postcow mobile app as a learning tool. A total of 40 smallholder beef cattle farmers were selected for the study from October to November 2019. The results revealed that the farmers were 72.50 % males, and over half of the farmers were more than 50 years of age, 57.50 %, with primary school level being their highest education level at 65 %. It was also found that 47.50 % of the respondents had never searched for new knowledge from any sources about postpartum cow management. The responses indicated that all of the respondents used mobile phones with Android operation systems with access to the internet-enabled. The main reason for their use of mobile phones was to make and receive calls (57.14 %), and the most visited platform was Line (52.50 %). With regards to the downloading of any livestock apps, about 90 % of the respondents had never downloaded any before. The results of the farmers’ knowledge test demonstrated that the overall average score was 31.25 % of questions being answered correctly. In terms of mobile app development, the main features included a farmer knowledge test, cow production cycle, after calving management practices, feeding practices, general health care practices, and cow individual records and notifications. Our findings highlighted the need for more emphasis on making farmers aware of new technology for increased farm productivity performances. HIGHLIGHTS Mobile app making farmers aware of new technology for increased farm productivity performances The Postcow app was designed to enable farmers to gain knowledge about postpartum cow management practices All of the farmers have access to the internet and ready to obtain the new technology GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Egg yolk is a common cryoprotectant that can be used as a semen extender to protect the spermatozoa from damage during cryopreservation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of fresh and lyophilized egg yolk, as a Tris‐base extender, on the quality of cryopreserved goat semen. Semen from 10 rams of two different breeds (Boer and Saanen) was collected using an artificial vagina. Each ejaculate sample was divided into four equal aliquots, which contained 20% of the fresh egg yolk (a control group), and then 10%, 15%, and 20% of the lyophilized egg yolk as a Tris‐base extender. Sperm motility and kinetic parameters were determined using a computer‐assisted semen analyser. The results showed that the addition of 20% of the fresh egg yolk in Tris‐base extender exhibited significantly higher progressive motility, progressive fast motility, distance curve line, and beat‐cross frequency parameters in the post‐thaw Boer and Saanen goat sperm when compared with the addition of 10%, 15%, and 20% of the lyophilized egg yolk. The percentage of total motility and immotile parameters in the post‐thaw Boer and Saanen goat sperm were not significantly different between the control and 10%, 15% as well as 20% of the lyophilized egg yolk groups. Moreover, the percentage of viability parameter in the Boer and Saanen goat sperm was not significantly different between the control and 10% of the lyophilized egg yolk group but showed significant difference between the control group and 15% and 20% of the lyophilized egg yolk groups. Furthermore, the interaction between the two breeds was significantly different in terms of head activity and straightness parameter. In conclusion, the treatment with 20% of fresh egg yolk in Tris‐base extender is superior to the lyophilized egg yolk. However, an addition of 10% of the lyophilized egg yolk in Tris‐base extender presented the percentage of total motility and viability parameters showing no difference with 20% of fresh egg yolk. Therefore, 10% of the lyophilized egg yolk in Tris‐base extender provided detail of the lyophilized egg yolk protocol in cryopreserved goat semen as an example of an alternative extender to 20% of fresh egg yolk for situations where an animal's origin represents a microbiological risk.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of pulsation rate of the milking machine on the proteinous components and gelatinase activity in the mammary secretion for optimal tissue remodeling during the dry period in tropical dairy cows. Nine healthy primiparous Thai crossbred Holstein cows (75%HF) were milked with various pulsation rates (50, 60, and 70 cycles/min) one week after calving. The total protein contents of the secretions increased along the time course in 50 and 60 cycles/min groups but not in 70 cycles/min group and were not different among the 3 groups along the time course. Lactoferrin and BSA abundance of the 3 groups as well as γ-globulin in 50 and 70 cycles/min groups also increased in a time-dependent manner, in which only γ-globulin abundance in 60 cycles/min group 14 days before drying off and lactoferrin in 50 cycles/min group 14 days after drying off were significantly higher than those of the other 2 groups. In tissue remodeling by gelatinase activity analysis, 50 cycles/ min group showed dramatic increases of Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and MMP-2 activities after drying off, whereas 60 and 70 cycles/min groups had a significant but a smaller change (p<0.05) along the time course. Cows with 60 cycles/min exhibited dramatic increases of MMP-9 and MMP-2 activities than the other groups before drying off (p<0.05). The findings suggested that milking pulsation rate at 60 cycles/min resulted in higher activity of remodeling during mammary involution and thus may benefit the renewal and health of the udder in the long run.