Association of Animal Health Indicators with Welfare Status in Frieswal Cattle at Organized Dairy Herd

A linear mixed model and chi-squared tests were used to estimate the effects of the dietary inclusion of herbal choline at 0.071 % of the diet in the entire dairy herd (target dose of 17 g/d in lactating cows) using data from six years in a commercial farm. The feed plant additive (BioCholine) was included in the premix spanning three years (2016-2018) feeding 442 cows average per year and information was compared with the three previous years (2013 – 2015; 424 cows average per year). Energy corrected milk in the period 2016-2018 was increased by 1.57% (p<0.001) compared to years 2013-2016 (36.36 vs. 35.80 kg/d). Fertility in cows during first lactation was improved (P<0.01) with the feed plant additive (45.33 vs. 37.0%). The period feeding herbal choline (2016-2018) showed a reduction (p<0.0001) in abortions (15.65 to 7.29%) and clinical (p<0.005; 12.59 to 6.95%) and subclinical mastitis (p<0.05; 8.65 to 5.22%) and in respiratory disorders (p<0.10; 12.42 to 8.56%) whereas hypocalcaemia incidence was increased (p<0.01) from 1.73 to 6.22%. Total herd replacement was reduced during the years 2016-2018 by 5.73% (p<0.05) without effects in mortality. Inclusion of the plant feed additives containing conjugates of choline improved milk yield, fertility in first lactation cows and important health indicators which help to reduced herd replacement.

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Reducing the incidence of acute puerperal metritis in primiparous cows by application of pegbovigrastim in a Holstein dairy herd

Veterinární Medicína ◽

10.17221/2/2018-vetmed ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 63 (No. 4) ◽

pp. 151-160 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M. Freick ◽

M. Zenker ◽

O. Passarge ◽

J. Weber

Keyword(s):

Milk Fat ◽

Animal Health ◽

Dairy Herd ◽

Neutrophil Function ◽

Milk Composition ◽

Clinical Mastitis ◽

Polymorphonuclear Neutrophil ◽

Control Group ◽

Relative Reduction ◽

Beneficial Effects

In dairy cows, immunosuppression occurs frequently during the periparturient period and is characterised by transient neutropenia and impaired polymorphonuclear neutrophil function. As a consequence, postpartum cows are more susceptible to production-related diseases such as mastitis, retained foetal membranes and metritis. Recently, it has been shown that a double injection with recombinant bovine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor covalently bound to polyethylene glycol (PEG rbG-CSF) increased polymorphonuclear neutrophil number and the exocytosis of myeloperoxidase by stimulating polymorphonuclear neutrophil, which also played a role in innate uterine immune defence. The aim of this randomised clinical study was to investigate the effects of two periparturient PEG rbG-CSF injections (IMR; Imrestor<sup>TM</sup>, Elanco Animal Health, Bad Homburg/Germany) on the incidence of acute puerperal metritis, number of antibiotic doses required for treatment of acute puerperal metritis as well as parameters of milking performance (i.e., milk yield, milk fat, milk protein, and somatic cell count on the first dairy herd improvement test day) in primiparous cows within a dairy herd with an elevated incidence of acute puerperal metritis. In total, 169 heavily pregnant heifers were randomly assigned to the treatment group (IMR: n = 82) who received 15 mg PEG rbG-CSF subcutaneously 10 ± 3 days before the anticipated calving date and within 24 hours after calving, or to the untreated control group (Co: n = 87). In total, data from 157 animals (IMR: n = 75, Co: n = 82) were analysed. Administration of PEG rbG-CSF reduced the incidence of acute puerperal metritis in primiparous cows significantly (IMR: 22.7%, Co: 43.9%, P = 0.003; relative reduction: 48.3%). Moreover, the number of antibiotic doses per calving required for treatment of acute puerperal metritis was significantly lower in the pegbovigastrim group (IMR: 0.32 ± 0.66, Co: 0.59 ± 0.75, P = 0.005). No significant differences regarding incidence of clinical mastitis, milk production or milk composition were observed. These results suggest that further research should be performed to identify herd- and animal-specific factors that can be predictors of the beneficial effects of pegbovigrastim in preventing uterine diseases.

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The Analysis of Production and Culling Rate With Regard to the Profitability in a Dairy Herd

Advanced Research in Life Sciences ◽

10.1515/arls-2017-0008 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 48-52

Author(s):

József Horváth ◽

Zsanett Tóth ◽

Edit Mikó

Keyword(s):

Milk Production ◽

Reproductive Performance ◽

Metabolic Disorders ◽

Animal Health ◽

Dairy Herd ◽

Farm Management ◽

Production Costs ◽

Cattle Farm ◽

High Level ◽

Production Losses

Abstract As milk prices move away from production costs, dairy farms are under increased pressure to find ways to protect profitability on the farm. Producers have some problems that they can improve. Improve the milk production, produce more milk to sell focused on quality (reduce the amount of high level of somatic cell count). The deterioration of animal health status (lameness, mastitis and different metabolic disorders) can have a serious impact on cow productivity, causing pain and discomfort, production losses and might result in a decision to cull the animal. Improving herd reproductive performance is an important aspect of profitable farm management. The aim of this work is to analyse milk production, reasons of culling and culling rate in different lactation on a dairy cattle farm.

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Molecular epidemiology and extended-spectrum β-lactamases production of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from three dairy herds

Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira ◽

10.1590/s0100-736x2013000700005 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 33 (7) ◽

pp. 855-859 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Diego B. Nóbrega ◽

Marcos V.S. Guiduce ◽

Felipe F. Guimarães ◽

Danilo F. Riboli ◽

Maria L.R.S. Cunha ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Klebsiella Pneumoniae ◽

Animal Health ◽

Dairy Herd ◽

Dairy Farms ◽

Dairy Herds ◽

M Gene ◽

Waiting Room ◽

Extended Spectrum ◽

Bulk Tank ◽

Cattle Herds

The objectives of this study were to isolate Klebsiella pneumoniae from different sources in three dairy cattle herds, to use the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to measure genotypic similarities between isolates within a dairy herd, to verify the production of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) by the double-disk synergy test (DDST), and to use the PCR to detect the main ESBLs subgroups genes. Three dairy farms were selected based on previous mastitis outbreaks caused by K. pneumoniae. Milk samples were collected from lactating cows and from the bulk tank. Swabs were performed in different locations, including milking parlors, waiting room, soil, animal's hind limbs and rectum. K. pneumoniae was isolated from 27 cases of intramammary infections (IMI) and from 41 swabs. For farm A isolates from IMI and bulk tank were considered of the same PGFE subtype. One isolate from a bulk tank, three from IMI cases and four from environmental samples were positive in the DDST test. All eight DDST positive isolates harbored the bla shv gene, one harbored the bla tem gene, and three harbored the bla ctx-m gene, including the bulk tank isolate. Our study confirms that ESBL producing bacteria is present in different locations in dairy farms, and may be responsible for IMI. The detection of ESBLs on dairy herds could be a major concern for both public and animal health.

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A Machine Vision-Based Method for Monitoring Scene-Interactive Behaviors of Dairy Calf

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10020190 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 190 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Yangyang Guo ◽

Dongjian He ◽

Lilong Chai

Keyword(s):

Machine Vision ◽

Animal Health ◽

Health Indicators ◽

Success Rates ◽

Dairy Calf ◽

Computer Languages ◽

Video Information ◽

Animal Behaviors ◽

Interactive Behaviors ◽

Recognition Success

Requirements for animal and dairy products are increasing gradually in emerging economic bodies. However, it is critical and challenging to maintain the health and welfare of the increasing population of dairy cattle, especially the dairy calf (up to 20% mortality in China). Animal behaviors reflect considerable information and are used to estimate animal health and welfare. In recent years, machine vision-based methods have been applied to monitor animal behaviors worldwide. Collected image or video information containing animal behaviors can be analyzed with computer languages to estimate animal welfare or health indicators. In this proposed study, a new deep learning method (i.e., an integration of background-subtraction and inter-frame difference) was developed for automatically recognizing dairy calf scene-interactive behaviors (e.g., entering or leaving the resting area, and stationary and turning behaviors in the inlet and outlet area of the resting area) based on computer vision-based technology. Results show that the recognition success rates for the calf’s science-interactive behaviors of pen entering, pen leaving, staying (standing or laying static behavior), and turning were 94.38%, 92.86%, 96.85%, and 93.51%, respectively. The recognition success rates for feeding and drinking were 79.69% and 81.73%, respectively. This newly developed method provides a basis for inventing evaluation tools to monitor calves’ health and welfare on dairy farms.

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Health monitoring of finishing pigs by secondary data use – a longitudinal analysis

Porcine Health Management ◽

10.1186/s40813-021-00197-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Julia Grosse-Kleimann ◽

Heiko Plate ◽

Henning Meyer ◽

Hubert Gerhardy ◽

Corinna Elisabeth Heucke ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Status ◽

Animal Welfare ◽

Animal Health ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Data Use ◽

Secondary Data ◽

Health Indicators ◽

Production Performance ◽

Production Data ◽

Finishing Pigs

Abstract Background In Germany, animal welfare has become an increasingly important issue. Since 2006, German legislation demands self-monitoring of animal welfare by farmers, but there is a lack of prescribed indicators for governmental monitoring. Since recording of the health status through examinations on individual farms requires many resources, secondary data use is obvious. Therefore, this study deals with the overall evaluation and utilization of existing production data from the German pork production. Performance data and information on antibiotic usage and meat inspection were used for a benchmarking system of animal health in finishing pigs. Results Seven health scores and one total score were evaluated for 184 finishing pig herds on semi-annual basis between July 2017 and June 2019, based on the health indicators mortality, average daily gain, feed conversion ratio, treatment frequency, respiratory lesions, exterior lesions and animal management. In preparation, the selected health indicators were brought to the same scale and skewed data were transformed to build scores (MOR, ADG, FCR, TF, RESP, EXT and MANG). A differentiated analysis was carried out for three classes of initial body weight regarding to farmers’ fattening management strategies. Conclusions The present study shows that existing production data of German finishing pigs are usable for welfare monitoring. However, preparatory editing steps are crucial. The total score can only be an estimate of health status because partly bad or good performance could be disguised. It has also been demonstrated, that relative benchmarking is suitable for depicting temporary fluctuations in the investigated collective.

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Occurrence of Cephenemyia stimulator larvae in male roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L.) in the Lublin Upland, Poland, and their impact on particular animal health indicators

Journal of Veterinary Research ◽

10.2478/jvetres-2021-0038 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Marian Flis ◽

Bogusław Rataj ◽

Eugeniusz R. Grela

Keyword(s):

Roe Deer ◽

Animal Health ◽

Age Groups ◽

Habitat Type ◽

Capreolus Capreolus ◽

Health Indicators ◽

Parasite Prevalence ◽

Mean Value ◽

The Individual ◽

Individual Condition

Abstract Introduction The aim of the study was to carry out epizootic assessment of male roe deer to detect the presence of Cephenemyia stimulator larvae and determine the influence of the parasite on the carcass and antler weight in animals living in different habitats. Material and Methods The investigations were based on post-mortem analysis of Cephenemyia stimulator infestations of the nasal passages and throat of 177 male roe deer culled between May 11 and September 30, 2020 in hunting districts of the Lublin region in Poland. The individual quality of the animals was assessed by weighing the gutted carcasses after cooling, and the antlers were weighed after dissection and their total weight was determined. Results The parasite prevalence ranged from18 to 48% according to habitat type, with a mean value of 33%. The highest prevalence was detected in bucks living in grassland ecosystems. The presence of the parasites exerted influence on the individual condition of the animals, which was reflected in reduced carcass and antler weight. The differences were found both in young individuals and in somatically fully developed animals, but they were not statistically significant in all age groups. Conclusion Although the parasitic infestations impaired the individual condition traits, their parametric values in most cases were not lower than those reported from other regions of Poland. Despite the Cephenemyia stimulator infestation, male roe deer from the Lublin region are characterised by high carcass and antler weight.

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Key factors for increasing farmer participation in markets: evidence from the Malian dairy sector

Revue d’élevage et de médecine vétérinaire des pays tropicaux ◽

10.19182/remvt.36331 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 74 (2) ◽

pp. 93-103

Author(s):

Ryan Vroegindewey ◽

Robert B. Richardson ◽

Véronique Thériault

Keyword(s):

Dairy Products ◽

Animal Health ◽

Dairy Herd ◽

Herd Size ◽

Policy Implications ◽

Milk Supply ◽

Water Feed ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

Policies And Programs ◽

Female Headed Households

Substantial growth in Malian milk supply is necessary to meet rising demand for dairy products while also improving the livelihoods of milk producers and strengthening the competitiveness of the Malian dairy sector against imports. We applied a Cragg two-tiered model to a nationally representative dataset of dairy farming households to examine factors influencing market participation decisions. Four key findings and corresponding policy implications emerged. Firstly, dairy herd size was positively associated with market entry and milk sales. Improving the dissemination of higher-yielding improved breeds, to which less than 10% of households had access, should result in an increase in milk supply. Secondly, herd access to water, feed, and veterinary care also had the positive effect of increased milk supply, highlighting the importance of increased investment in animal health and nutrition. Thirdly, female-headed households were more likely to enter milk markets and they sold greater volumes than male-headed households. Because women typically face inequitable access to productive resources, gender-responsive policies and programs in the dairy sector should help to stimulate milk supply. Fourthly, an increase in milk price was associated with an increase in milk sales. This provides evidence that Malian milk producers are responsive to price incentives, while underlining the importance of incorporating dairy products into existing market information systems.

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Welfare problems of horses

Naukovì dopovìdì Nacìonalʹnogo unìversitetu bìoresursiv ì prirodokoristuvannâ Ukraïni ◽

10.31548/dopovidi2021.02.011 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

V. V. Nedosekov ◽

◽

Y. P. Krytsia ◽

Keyword(s):

Animal Welfare ◽

Animal Health ◽

Health Indicators ◽

Animal Husbandry ◽

Legal Framework ◽

National Standard ◽

Horse Population ◽

Horse Farms ◽

Horse Owners ◽

Recommended Action

The article presents an analysis of the basic concepts of animal welfare, which is a prerequisite for quality and successful innovative animal husbandry. The horses welfare should be considered from the standpoint of the concept of the "five freedoms", which should be reflected in the lives of animals. The aim of the article is to analyze the state of the horses welfare and the prospects of development and implementation at the national and European levels. The analysis indicates the need to develop a system for assessing the welfare of horses and its implementation in Ukraine, while, taking into account objective and subjective indicators, the system for assessing the welfare of horses should include owners, veterinarians (horse care) and experts. To assess the welfare of sport horses, the Veterinary Regulations (BP) of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) must be used during the competition, which must be observed during the event. Methods for assessing the degree of welfare, characterize the condition of the animal in both external and internal indicators, but the dominant is stress, which through the nervous and endocrine systems adversely affect all parts of the immune system. In Ukraine, the horse population has tripled reduce in thirty years and continues to decline, but the analysis of horse welfare in Ukraine is either not conducted at all, or is sporadic and mainly aimed at assessing individual animal health indicators (assessment of body condition, lameness, etc.). Therefore, in Ukraine it is necessary to establish criteria and develop a system for assessing the welfare of horses, improving the legal framework and implementation in practice. A plan of recommended action for stakeholders (federations, veterinarians, horse owners, government services, etc.) was presented, and it was recommended to develop and implement criteria for assessing the welfare of horses that could be used to study animal welfare. We believe that the system of horse welfare assessment as a consulting tool is necessary for the standardization of survey and analysis of welfare, to develop measures to optimize the management of horses, which should be the main document of equestrian associations of Ukraine. In addition, legislation on the welfare of horses is crucial, but there is no legislation acts in the field of welfare. Undoubtedly, in combination with the welfare of horses, it is important to develop an algorithm for biosecurity in the horses management with an emphasis on the epizootology of diseases, vaccination conditions, disinfection and analysis of critical points of admission to animals, which should be the basis for the development of the National Standard for Welfare and Biosecurity at the level of horse farms in Ukraine.

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Internal Teat Sealant Administered at Drying off Reduces Intramammary Infections during the Dry and Early Lactation Periods of Dairy Cows

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10091522 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. 1522

Author(s):

Gustavo Freu ◽

Tiago Tomazi ◽

Camylla Pedrosa Monteiro ◽

Melina Melo Barcelos ◽

Bruna Gomes Alves ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mammary Gland ◽

Animal Health ◽

Health Indicators ◽

Subclinical Mastitis ◽

Clinical Mastitis ◽

Late Gestation ◽

Early Lactation ◽

Treatment Protocols ◽

Bacteriological Cure ◽

Intramammary Infections

The effect of an internal teat sealant (ITS) on subsequent infection of the mammary gland was evaluated on the following mammary gland health indicators: (a) bacteriological cure of preexisting intramammary infections at drying off, (b) risk of postpartum new intramammary infections (NIMI), (c) cure and risk of new cases of subclinical mastitis (SCM), and (d) risk of postpartum clinical mastitis (CM). A total of 553 cows during late gestation were randomly assigned into two treatment protocols at drying off: (a) Dry cow therapy with 0.25 g of intramammary anhydrous cefalonium (ADCT; Cepravin®, MSD Animal Health); or (b) ADCT combined with ITS (SDCT; 4 g bismuth subnitrate; Masti-Seal®, MSD Animal Health, São Paulo, Brazil). Mammary quarter (MQ) milk samples were collected for microbiological culture and somatic cell count (SCC) at drying off and early lactation, and data from 1756 MQ were used in the multivariate logistic regression. There was no effect on the risk of bacteriological cure, SCM cure, and new cases of postpartum SCM. Still, SDCT reduced the risk of CM up to 60 days postpartum (DPP), overall NIMI risk, and the NIMI caused by major pathogens compared to ADCT. Thus, the DCT combined with ITS at drying off is effective for preventing NIMI during the dry period and CM up to 60 DPP.

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