Pre-Weaned Calf Rearing on Northern Irish Dairy Farms: Part 1. A Description of Calf Management and Housing Design

The first few months of life are of great importance to the longevity and lifetime performance of dairy cows. The nutrition, environment and healthcare management of heifer calves must be sufficient to minimise exposure to stress and disease and enable them to perform to their genetic potential. Lack of reporting of farm management practices in Northern Ireland (NI) makes it difficult to understand where issues impacting health, welfare and performance may occur in the rearing process. The objective of this study was to investigate housing design and management practices of calves on 66 dairy farms across NI over a 3-month period and also identify areas that may cause high risk of poor health and performance in dairy calves. An initial survey was used to detail housing and management practices, with two subsequent visits to each farm used to collect animal and housing-based measurements linked to hygiene management, animal health and performance. Large variations in key elements such as weaning criteria and method, calf grouping method used, nutritional feed plane, and routine hygiene management were identified. The specification of housing, in particular ventilation and stocking density, was highlighted as a potential limiting factor for calf health and performance. Lack of measurement of nutritional inputs, hygiene management practices and calf performance was observed. This poses a risk to farmers’ ability to ensure the effectiveness of key management strategies and recognise poor calf performance and health.

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Prevailing Housing and Healthcare Management Practices in Urban and Peri-Urban Dairy Farms of Navsari District, Gujarat State

THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY ◽

10.21887/ijvsbt.15.4.3 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (04) ◽

pp. 15-18

Author(s):

L. M. Rajpura ◽

AL Rathva

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Management Practices ◽

Foot And Mouth Disease ◽

Dairy Farms ◽

Healthcare Management ◽

Gujarat State ◽

Chi Square ◽

Double Row ◽

Dairy Animals ◽

Chi Square Test

Personal interviews collected the required information from a total of 40 dairy farms from urban and peri-urban areas in and around Navsari. Frequency distribution was made from collected data, and significance between two categories was tested by the Chi-square test. Data revealed that all farms provided housing round the year. The majority of the sheds had cement type of pillars and pucca floor. Gabled roof was more popular in peri-urban areas. The majority of the farms had animal shed away from human dwelling, east-west directional, a double row with head to head. The majority of the sheds had adequate light and good ventilation with drainage facility and manure pit located at an adjacent distance. The majority of farms (90%) practiced regular vaccination to their animals against foot and mouth disease and hemorrhagic Septicaemia disease. The majority (82.5%) of the respondents practiced deworming of their dairy animals regularly and also followed practices to control ectoparasites. However, only 37.5% of the farmers got their sick animals treated by veterinary officers, and 40% of farmers segregate disease affected animals. The study concluded that the majority of the farmers followed housing and health care management practices for improving the production potential and health of the dairy animals.

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Quantification of antibiotic resistance genes and mobile genetic elements in manure from dairy farms in California

10.21203/rs.3.rs-58804/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yi Wang ◽

Pramod Pandey ◽

Colleen Chiu ◽

Richard Jeannotte ◽

Sundaram Kuppu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antibiotic Resistance ◽

Resistance Genes ◽

Management Practices ◽

Animal Health ◽

Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽

Dairy Farms ◽

Mobile Genetic Elements ◽

Dairy Manure ◽

Manure Management ◽

Genetic Elements

Abstract Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are emerging environmental contaminants of concern to both human and animal health. Dairy manure is considered reservoir of ARGs. This study is focused on investigating prevalence of ARGs in California dairy farm manure under current common manure management. A total of 33 manure samples were collected from multiple manure treatment conditions: 1) flushed manure (FM), 2) fresh pile (FP), 3) compost pile (CP), 4) primary lagoon (PL), and 5) secondary lagoon (SL). After DNA extraction, all fecal samples were screened by PCR for the presence of 8 ARGs: four sulfonamide ARGs (sulI, sulII, sulIII, sulA), two tetracycline ARGs (tetW, tetO), two macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (MLSB) ARGs (ermB, ermF). Samples were also screened for two mobile genetic elements (MGEs) (intI1, tnpA), which are responsible for dissemination of ARGs. Quantitative PCR was then used to screen all samples for five ARGs (sulII, tetW, ermF, tnpA and intI1). Prevalence of genes varied among sample types, but all genes were detectable in different manure types. Results showed that liquid-solid separation, piling, and lagoon conditions had limited effects on reducing ARGs and MGEs, and the effect was only found significant on tetW (p = 0.01). Besides, network analysis indicated that sulII was associated with tnpA (p < 0.05), and Psychrobacter and Pseudomonas as opportunistic human pathogens, were potential ARG/MGE hosts (p < 0.05). This research indicated current manure management practices in California dairy farms has limited effects on reducing ARGs and MGEs. Improvement of manure management in dairy farms is thus important to mitigate dissemination of ARGs into the environment.

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Quantification of antibiotic resistance genes and mobile genetic in dairy manure

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.12408 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. e12408

Author(s):

Yi Wang ◽

Pramod Pandey ◽

Colleen Chiu ◽

Richard Jeannotte ◽

Sundaram Kuppu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antibiotic Resistance ◽

Resistance Genes ◽

Management Practices ◽

Animal Health ◽

Dairy Farm ◽

Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽

Dairy Farms ◽

Dairy Manure ◽

Manure Management ◽

Human Pathogens

Background Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are considered to be emerging environmental contaminants of concern potentially posing risks to human and animal health, and this research studied the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in dairy manure. Methods This study is focused on investigating prevalence of ARGs in California dairy farm manure under current common different manure management. A total of 33 manure samples were collected from multiple manure treatment conditions: (1) flushed manure (FM), (2) fresh pile (FP), (3) compost pile (CP), (4) primary lagoon (PL), and (5) secondary lagoon (SL). After DNA extraction, all fecal samples were screened by PCR for the presence of eight ARGs: four sulfonamide ARGs (sulI, sulII, sulIII, sulA), two tetracycline ARGs (tetW, tetO), two macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (MLSB) ARGs (ermB, ermF). Samples were also screened for two mobile genetic elements (MGEs) (intI1, tnpA), which are responsible for dissemination of ARGs. Quantitative PCR was then used to screen all samples for five ARGs (sulII, tetW, ermF, tnpA and intI1). Results Prevalence of genes varied among sample types, but all genes were detectable in different manure types. Results showed that liquid-solid separation, piling, and lagoon conditions had limited effects on reducing ARGs and MGEs, and the effect was only found significant on tetW (p = 0.01). Besides, network analysis indicated that sulII was associated with tnpA (p < 0.05), and Psychrobacter and Pseudomonas as opportunistic human pathogens, were potential ARG/MGE hosts (p < 0.05). This research indicated current different manure management practices in California dairy farms has limited effects on reducing ARGs and MGEs. Improvement of different manure management in dairy farms is thus important to mitigate dissemination of ARGs into the environment.

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Comparative analysis of antioxidant and secondary metabolites contents in eight populations of Medicago ciliaris L.

Journal of Animal & Plant Sciences ◽

10.35759/janmplsci.v41-3.7 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 41.3 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Abidi Sourour ◽

Jabri Cheima ◽

Souissi Amir ◽

Ferchichi Marwa ◽

Zoghlami-Khélil Aziza

Keyword(s):

Secondary Metabolites ◽

Animal Health ◽

Antioxidant Compounds ◽

Limiting Factor ◽

Chlorophylls A And B ◽

Medicago Ciliaris ◽

Animal Feeding ◽

And Performance ◽

First Time

1 ABSTRACT To identify the suitable genetic resources of forage legumes for animal feeding, the characterization of their chemical and biochemical composition is crucial since forage quality is a limiting factor which affects animal health and performance and consequently human health. In this context, this study carried out for the first time the analyses of the antioxidant compounds and the secondary metabolites (total phenols and tannins and saponins) in whole fresh biomass, flowers and stems of eight populations of Medicago ciliaris L (echinus Medicago) collected in different bioclimatic areas of north Tunisia. The analysis of variance showed significant differences between populations for all parameters (P<0.05) except for anthocyanins (P>0.05). Significant correlations were found between carotenoids and chlorophylls a and b (r= 0.59, n=48; P<0.0001) and between lycopene and β-carotene (r=0.81, n=48; P<0.0001). Multivariate analysis showed that populations 306 and 326 had the highest contents of chlorophyll a and carotenoids while Pop3 had the highest content of lycopene, β-carotenes, saponines and total tannins. These populations will be integrated in a breeding program for quality improvement of forage and will serve for grazing of pods and straw in summer and grazing of green biomass in winter and spring accordingly to their richness in antioxidant compounds.

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Characteristics and Use of Separated Manure Solids (following anaerobic digestion) For Dairy Freestall Bedding, and Effects on Animal Health and Performance in Three Iowa Dairy Herds

10.31274/ans_air-180814-47 ◽

2008 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Leo L. Timms

Keyword(s):

Anaerobic Digestion ◽

Animal Health ◽

Dairy Herds ◽

And Performance

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Differences in Strategy, Quality Management Practices and Performance Reporting Systems Between ISO Accredited and Non-ISO Accredited Companies

SSRN Electronic Journal ◽

10.2139/ssrn.36928 ◽

1997 ◽

Author(s):

Yuen Teen Mak ◽

Shirley A. Carr ◽

Jane Needham

Keyword(s):

Quality Management ◽

Management Practices ◽

Quality Management Practices ◽

Performance Reporting ◽

Reporting Systems ◽

And Performance

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Responses of Branch Number and Yield Component of Soybean Cultivars Tested in Different Planting Densities

Agriculture ◽

10.3390/agriculture11010069 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 69

Author(s):

Cailong Xu ◽

Ruidong Li ◽

Wenwen Song ◽

Tingting Wu ◽

Shi Sun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Key Management ◽

Management Practices ◽

Yield Component ◽

Planting Density ◽

Yield Potential ◽

High Yield ◽

Branch Number ◽

Soybean Yield ◽

Soybean Cultivars ◽

Pod Number

Increasing planting density is one of the key management practices to enhance soybean yield. A 2-yr field experiment was conducted in 2018 and 2019 including six planting densities and two soybean cultivars to determine the effects of planting density on branch number and yield, and analyze the contribution of branches to yield. The yield of ZZXA12938 was 4389 kg ha−1, which was significantly higher than that of ZH13 (+22.4%). In combination with planting year and cultivar, the soybean yield increased significantly by 16.2%, 31.4%, 41.4%, and 46.7% for every increase in density of 45,000 plants ha−1. Yield will not increase when planting density exceeds 315,000 plants ha−1. A correlation analysis showed that pod number per plant increased with the increased branch number, while pod number per unit area decreased; thus, soybean yield decreased. With the increase of branch number, the branch contribution to yield increased first, and then plateaued. ZH13 could produce a high yield under a lower planting density due to more branches, while ZZXA12938 had a higher yield potential under a higher planting density due to the smaller branch number and higher tolerance to close planting. Therefore, seed yield can be increased by selecting cultivars with a little branching capacity under moderately close planting.

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395 Impact of pig mortality on U.S. pig producers

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skaa278.340 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽

pp. 184-185

Author(s):

Caleb M Shull

Keyword(s):

Feed Efficiency ◽

Management Practices ◽

Production Systems ◽

Research Priorities ◽

Functional Approach ◽

Production Cycle ◽

Limiting Factor ◽

Significant Challenge ◽

The Relationship ◽

Positive Step

Abstract Swine producers in the U.S. face a significant challenge. On top of the ever-changing market dynamics that lead to wide swings in profitability or loss, is an underlying issue of pig mortality that the industry must address. While significant improvements in total piglets born per litter have been achieved over the last 10 years, pig mortality has seen no improvement or has worsened (Figure 1). When expressed as a percentage of piglets born (excluding mummies), a total of 7.9% were recorded as stillborn and 13.4% died prior to weaning in 2019. Assuming a typical mortality range of 7–10% from weaning to harvest, a typical U.S. producer could expect to lose around 27–30% of all piglets born. In addition, the average producer had around 12% annual sow mortality (Figure 1). Litter size and post-weaning growth rate and feed efficiency will always factor heavily into research priorities due to the economic impact associated with those traits; however, the opportunity to drive value through reduction in pig losses across the production cycle is staggering. In defense of the industry, improving pig survival is not an easy task for a number of reasons. The sample size (i.e., number of pigs) required to do mortality research correctly is often a limiting factor for many production systems. Furthermore, a cross-functional approach is likely required to make significant improvements in mortality. Specifically, the relationship between genetics, health, and management practices warrant consideration. Recent collaboration across the industry to improve mortality is a positive step forward and this collaboration should continue moving forward.

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