scholarly journals Thermoregulatory and Feeding Behavior under Different Management and Heat Stress Conditions in Heifer Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in the Tropics

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1162
Author(s):  
Maykel Andrés Galloso-Hernández ◽  
Mildrey Soca-Pérez ◽  
Devon Dublin ◽  
Carlos Armando Alvarez-Díaz ◽  
Jesús Iglesias-Gómez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Feeding Behavior ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Bubalus Bubalis ◽  
Average Weight ◽  
System P ◽  
Tropical Conditions ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Intense Heat

In the wake of climate change and global warming, the production systems of water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) are receiving increasing attention in the tropics, where the silvopastoral systems can improve animal welfare and production conditions. The objective of this study was to characterize the behavior of heifer buffaloes in a silvopastoral system (SPS) with Leucaena leucocephala (600 trees/ha) and in a conventional system (CVS), under intense heat stress and moderate heat stress in Cuba. We observed nine animals, with an average weight of 167.9 kg at the beginning of the study, during the daylight period, from 6:00 to 18:00 h, at 10 min intervals, for 12 days. Activities recorded were grazing, ingestion of tree leaves, rumination, water intake, walking, lying, standing, sheltering in the shade of trees, and wallowing. Sheltering in the shade of trees and wallowing were collectively considered as thermoregulatory behavior (TB). TB was different in both systems and conditions of heat stress (p < 0.05), with 4.06 in CVS and 3.81 h in SPS in the intense heat stress period, while it was 2.91 and 1.08 h for SPS and CVS, respectively, during the moderate heat stress period. The wallowing activity showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in the intense heat stress season with 1.18 and 2.35 h for SPS and CVS, respectively. Time spent on feeding behavior was highest in the SPS system (p < 0.05). Longer times of thermoregulatory and feeding behavior indicate the importance of trees in animal welfare for this species in tropical conditions, thus supporting avoided deforestation and the replanting of trees in existing production systems and landscapes.

scholarly journals Seasonal Differences in Animal Welfare Assessment of Family Farming Dual-Purpose Cattle Raised under Tropical Conditions

Animals ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 125
Author(s):  
Adalinda Hernandez ◽  
Charlotte Berg ◽  
Rebecka Westin ◽  
Carlos Galina
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Family Farms ◽  
Family Farming ◽  
Dual Purpose ◽  
Tropical Conditions ◽  
Dual Purpose Cattle ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Mexican Tropics

Conditions on farms in the tropics can differ greatly depending on the season of the year. Characteristics such as disease prevalence, climate and availability of resources may not be constant all year around; however an acceptable level of animal welfare must be maintained throughout the year. Since it is neither practical nor economically feasible to perform several assessments per year, the purpose of this study was to define whether there were animal welfare issues at farms that were affected by the season to identify which season would present a greater risk to animal welfare, using a risk-based approach. Forty-five dual-purpose family farms in the Mexican tropics were assessed via the Welfare Quality® protocol. During the rainy season, 2.2% of the farms were classified as excellent, 57.8% as enhanced, 31.1% as acceptable and 8.9% as unclassified. In the dry season, 31.1% were classified as excellent, 68.9% as enhanced and none of the farms were categorized as acceptable or unclassified. Consequently, the season which presented the greatest risk to animal welfare of dual-purpose cattle raised under tropical conditions was the rainy season. However, there were management-related differences observed between the two seasons and the dry season also had some animal welfare threats. The fact that farms scored higher during the dry season is possibly the result of farmer awareness, leading to modification of their systems to provide animals with the necessary inputs to meet their production needs. If these modifications were not fulfilled, then welfare conditions might have been jeopardized.

scholarly journals Farm Animal Welfare and Handling in the Tropics: The Ethiopia Case

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Bimrew Asmare
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Production Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Ethical Basis

The issue of farm animal welfare has become increasingly of essence in many countries these days. Farm animal welfare concerns are expressed about the conditions in which farm animals are kept and management practices, particularly in systems where animals are kept in confinement for most of their lives, feed methods, health care, and expression of normal behaviors. The use of an ethical basis for animal welfare standards requires some generally accepted principles on how animals should be treated and used by humans. Animals have enormous capacity to feel a huge range of emotions, to learn from their experiences, to adapt to challenges, and to suffer when their needs are either ignored or disrespected. It is now time, in the evolution of the relationship between humans and animals, to move forward with this knowledge and take real action to improve the lives of farm animals. The use of behavioral principles should improve efficiency of livestock handling and reduce stress on animals. Changing public opinion about the importance of good animal welfare and applying legislative actions will be important in animal production systems especially in developing countries where the poor animal welfare is immense and production management is below substandards.

scholarly journals Selectivity of Leguminous Trees by Water Buffaloes in Semi-intensive Systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maykel Andrés Galloso-Hernández ◽  
Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez ◽  
Carlos Armando Alvarez-Díaz ◽  
Mildrey Soca-Perez ◽  
Devon Ronald Dublin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crude Protein ◽  
Moringa Oleifera ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Gliricidia Sepium ◽  
Bubalus Bubalis ◽  
Efficient Production ◽  
Water Buffaloes ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Different Levels

Water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) manifest different levels of selectivity for different pastures and forages. Knowledge of feed selectivity is important to facilitate the design of efficient production systems that take into account optimal animal welfare. In this study, the selectivity of nine 18-month old female water buffaloes for Leucaena leucocephala, Albizia lebbeck, Gliricidia sepium, and Moringa oleifera was evaluated. After 12 h of grazing Megathyrsus maximum, the animals were housed in individual shelters and 1.2 kg of leaves from each of the four tree species were offered to the animals simultaneously. The selectivity, measured as the intake of dry matter (DM), was highest for A. lebbeck (mean = 0.34 kgDM, SD = 0.05 kg), followed by L. leucocephala (mean = 0.30 kgDM, SD = 0.03 kg), M. oleifera (mean = 0.11 kgDM, SD = 0.05 kg), and G. sepium (mean = 0.10 kgDM, SD = 0.02 kg) (P &lt; 0.01). The crude protein intake was highest for A. lebbeck and L. leucocephala. Notably, the less selected leaves were those of G. sepium and M. oleifera. This study suggests that the inclusion of A. lebbeck and L. leucocephala in silvopastoral systems may increase both the consumption and well-being of water buffaloes in the tropics.

A simple design and operation for the anaerobic treatment of highly concentrated swine waste in the tropics

1995 ◽  
Vol 32 (12) ◽  
pp. 91-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Y. Yang ◽  
M. Kuroshima
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Process ◽  
Total Solid ◽  
Anaerobic Treatment ◽  
Solid Content ◽  
Total Solid Content ◽  
Treatment Processes ◽  
Tropical Conditions ◽  
Biological Reaction ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Small Producers

In order to develop a simple operation for an anaerobic treatment process for highly concentrated pig wastewater for small producers, a three-stage anaerobic treatment process was investigated. The system provided a series of mixing, homogenization, biological reaction and final stabilization of concentrated pig waste (total solid content of 8–10%). The process provided a stable operational performance, simple operational procedure and well stabilized sludge effluent. It was also found that the system is economically feasible in Hawaii. Compared to the other treatment processes for highly concentrated pig waste, this process is considered as an appropriate alternative for the application of the small producers in land limited and tropical conditions. Also, the present treatment system can be easily developed into a prefabricated package plant which can minimize the on-site labor and building costs.

scholarly journals Review: Impacts of shade on cattle well-being in the beef supply chain

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lily N Edwards-Callaway ◽  
M Caitlin Cramer ◽  
Caitlin N Cadaret ◽  
Elizabeth J Bigler ◽  
Terry E Engle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Heat Stress ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Ambient Temperatures ◽  
Stress Susceptibility ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Shade is a mechanism to reduce heat load providing cattle with an environment supportive of their welfare needs. Although heat stress has been extensively reviewed, researched, and addressed in dairy production systems, it has not been investigated in the same manner in the beef cattle supply chain. Like all animals, beef cattle are susceptible to heat stress if they are unable to dissipate heat during times of elevated ambient temperatures. There are many factors that impact heat stress susceptibility in beef cattle throughout the different supply chain sectors, many of which relate to the production system, i.e. availability of shade, microclimate of environment, and nutrition management. The results from studies evaluating the effects of shade on production and welfare are difficult to compare due to variation in structural design, construction materials used, height, shape, and area of shade provided. Additionally, depending on operation location, shade may or may not be beneficial during all times of the year, which can influence the decision to make shade a permanent part of management systems. Shade has been shown to lessen the physiologic response of cattle to heat stress. Shaded cattle exhibit lower respiration rates, body temperatures, and panting scores compared to un-shaded cattle in weather that increases the risk of heat stress. Results from studies investigating the provision of shade indicate that cattle seek shade in hot weather. The impact of shade on behavioral patterns is inconsistent in the current body of research, some studies indicating shade provision impacts behavior and other studies reporting no difference between shaded and un-shaded groups. Analysis of performance and carcass characteristics across feedlot studies demonstrated that shaded cattle had increased ADG, improved feed efficiency, HCW, and dressing percentage when compared to cattle without shade. Despite the documented benefits of shade, current industry statistics, although severely limited in scope, indicate low shade implementation rates in feedlots and data in other supply chain sectors do not exist. Industry guidelines and third party on-farm certification programs articulate the critical need for protection from extreme weather but are not consistent in providing specific recommendations and requirements. Future efforts should include: updated economic analyses of cost versus benefit of shade implementation, exploration of producer perspectives and needs relative to shade, consideration of shade impacts in the cow-calf and slaughter plant segments of the supply chain, and integration of indicators of affective (mental) state and preference in research studies to enhance the holistic assessment of cattle welfare.

scholarly journals Effect of monensin sodium associative to virginiamycin and/or essential oils on the performance of feedlot finished steers

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 261
Author(s):  
Julio Cezar Heker Junior ◽  
Mikael Neumann ◽  
Robson Kyoshi Ueno ◽  
Margarete Kimie Falbo ◽  
Sandra Galbeiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Essential Oil ◽  
Essential Oils ◽  
Feeding Behavior ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Average Daily Gain ◽  
Carcass Characteristics ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Average Weight ◽  
Apparent Digestibility ◽  
Fat Thickness

The objective of this study was to evaluate the associative effect of monensin sodium to virginiamycin and/or essential oils on performance, consumption of nutrients and dry matter, apparent digestibility, feeding behavior and carcass characteristics of feedlot finished steers. The experiment lasted 106 days with 10 days of adaptation and 96-day trial, and had 32 crosses angus steers, average age 12 months and average weight of 376 kg, divided into 16 stalls, the weighing took place every 21 days and at the end of the experiment. The treatments consisted of the combination of the following additives to the diet included: Monensin sodium, 200 mg day-1 (MO); Monensin sodium, a dose of 200 mg day-1 + essential oil dose of 1.5g day-1 (MO+EO); Monensin sodium, a dose of 200 mg day-1 + virginiamycin, 200 mg day-1 (MO+VI); Monensin sodium, 200 mg day-1 + essential oil dose of 1.5g day-1 + virginiamycin day, 200 mg day-1 (MO+EO+VI), each treatment had four repetitions, where each repetitions consisted of a bay with two animals. The MO+VI association in relation to MO only increase in average daily gain (ADG) of 24.44%, 22.35%, 21.10% and 17.31% in weighing 42, 63, 84 and 96 days, similar the combination of MO+EO+VI which provided an improvement of 21.94%, 13.59%, 15.45% and 14.75% respectively in the same weightings. The daily carcass gain and carcass overall gain were higher in associations MO+VI and MO+EO+VI and provided an average gain of 16.67 kg more compared to MO and MO+EO. In the parameters feed efficiency, dry matter intake and nutrient expressed in kg day-1 and percentage of live weight were not observed differences (P > 0.05) between treatments. Data on apparent digestibility, feeding behavior and carcass characteristics did not show statistical difference between treatment, except for fat thickness which was higher when associated with any of the additives to the MO, and farm weight was higher in associations containing VI. Associating MO+VI or MO+EO+VI proved to be best in this work compared to MO+EO or only MO in the diets of steers in termination.

The comparative performance of tropical crossbred and local shorthorn beef cattle on native pasture at Katherine, NT

1967 ◽  
Vol 7 (26) ◽  
pp. 217 ◽  
Author(s):  
MJT Norman
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Body Temperature ◽  
Peanut Meal ◽  
Average Weight ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Comparative Performance ◽  
Native Pasture ◽  
Weight Gains ◽  
Adaptation To Heat ◽  
Dressing Percentage

The liveweight performance and carcase characteristics of Brahman x Hereford, Africander x Hereford and Africander x Shorthorn F, crossbred spayed heifers were compared with those of local Shorthorn spayed heifers on native pasture at Katherine, N.T., between 1962 and 1965. The breed groups were divided for planes of winter nutrition, viz., with and without 2 lb a day of peanut meal from early June until the start of the wet season. Without supplement, the average weight gains of B x H, A x H, A x S, and Shorthorn cattle between June 1962 and May 1965 were 0.49, 0.37, 0.36, and 0.23 lb a day respectively. With supplement, cattle reached slaughter weight a year earlier ; the average weight gains of B x H, A x H, and Shorthorn cattle between June 1962 and May 1964 were 0.61, 0.63, and 0.50 lb a day respectively. (There was no A x S supplemented group). Without supplement, the dressing percentage and estimated proportion of fat of B x H cattle was higher and the estimated proportion of muscle and bone lower than those of other breeds. With supplement, there were no significant differences in dressing percentage or carcase composition between breeds. Measurements made of thermoregulatory attributes indicated that the local Shorthorn cattle, through body temperature control, showed adaptation to heat stress.

Characterisation of smallholder dairy production systems using animal welfare and milk quality

2012 ◽  
Vol 44 (7) ◽  
pp. 1429-1435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bettie S. Kawonga ◽  
Mizeck G. G. Chagunda ◽  
Timothy N. Gondwe ◽  
Sera R. Gondwe ◽  
James W. Banda
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Milk Quality ◽  
Dairy Production ◽  
Smallholder Dairy ◽  
Smallholder Dairy Production

Invited review: Importance of animal health and welfare for the stability of the three pillars of sustainability of livestock systems

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 208-214
Author(s):  
P. Chemineau
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Population Increase ◽  
Strong Interactions ◽  
Essential Components ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Livestock Systems

The future livestock systems at the world level will have to produce more in the perspective of the population increase in the next 30 years, whereas reducing their environmental footprint and addressing societal concerns. In that perspective, we may wonder if animal health and animal welfare, which are two essential components of production systems, may play an important role in the stability of the three pillars of sustainability of the livestock systems. We already know that objectives driven by economy, environment and society may modify animal welfare and animal health, but is the reverse true? The answer is yes and in 11 cases out of 12 of the matrix health-welfare×3 pillars of sustainability×positive or negative change, we have many examples indicating that animal health and animal welfare are able to modify, positively or negatively, the three pillars of sustainability. Moreover, we also have good examples of strong interactions between health and welfare. These elements play in favour of an holistic approach at the farm level and of a multicriterial definition of what could be the sustainable systems of animal production in the future which will respect animal welfare and maintain a good animal health.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document