scholarly journals Dairy Cows Activity under Heat Stress: A Case Study in Spain

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2305
Author(s):  
Adrián Ramón-Moragues ◽  
Patricia Carulla ◽  
Carlos Mínguez ◽  
Arantxa Villagrá ◽  
Fernando Estellés
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Animal Behavior ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Stress Conditions ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Precision Livestock Farming ◽  
Activity Sensors

Heat stress plays a role in livestock production in warm climates. Heat stress conditions impair animal welfare and compromise the productive and reproductive performance of dairy cattle. Under heat stress conditions, dairy cattle modify their behavior. Thus, the assessment of behavior alterations can be an indicator of environmental or physiological anomalies. Moreover, precision livestock farming allows for the individual and constant monitoring of animal behavior, arising as a tool to assess animal welfare. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of heat stress on the behavior of dairy cows using activity sensors. The study was carried out in Tinajeros (Albacete, Spain) during the summer of 2020. Activity sensors were installed in 40 cows registering 6 different behaviors. Environmental conditions (temperature and humidity) were also monitored. Hourly data was calculated for both animal behavior and environmental conditions. Temperature and Heat Index (THI) was calculated for each hour. The accumulated THI during the previous 24 h period was determined for each hour, and the hours were statistically classified in quartiles according to the accumulated THI. Two groups were defined as Q4 for no stress and Q1 for heat stress. The results showed that animal behavior was altered under heat stress conditions. Increasing THI produces an increase in general activity, changes in feeding patterns and a decrease in rumination and resting behaviors, which is detrimental to animal welfare. Daily behavioral patterns were also affected. Under heat stress conditions, a reduction in resting behavior during the warmest hours and in rumination during the night was observed. In conclusion, heat stress affected all behaviors recorded as well as the daily patterns of the cows. Precision livestock farming sensors and the modelling of daily patterns were useful tools for monitoring animal behavior and detecting changes due to heat stress.

scholarly journals Heat stress risk in European dairy cattle husbandry under different climate change scenarios – uncertainties and potential impacts

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Hempel ◽  
Christoph Menz ◽  
Severino Pinto ◽  
Elena Galán ◽  
David Janke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Heat Stress ◽  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Stress Conditions ◽  
Gas Concentration ◽  
Cattle Husbandry

Abstract. In the last decades, an exceptional global warming trend was observed. Along with the temperature increase, modifications in the humidity and wind regime amplify the regional and local impacts on livestock husbandry. Direct impacts include the occurrence of climatic stress conditions. In Europe, cows are economically highly relevant and are mainly kept in naturally ventilated buildings that are most susceptible to climate change. The high-yielding cows are particularly vulnerable to heat stress. Modifications in housing management are the main measures taken to improve the ability of livestock to cope with these conditions. Measures are, however, typically taken in direct reaction to uncomfortable conditions instead of in anticipation of a long term risk for climatic stress. Moreover, measures that balance welfare, environmental and economic issues are barely investigated in the context of climate change and are thus almost not available for commercial farms. Quantitative analysis of the climate change impacts on the animal welfare and linked economic and environmental factors are rare. Therefore, we used a numerical modeling approach to estimate the future heat stress risk in such dairy cattle husbandry systems. The indoor climate was monitored inside three reference barns in Central Europe and in the Mediterranean region. An artificial neuronal network (ANN) was trained to relate the outdoor weather conditions provided by official meteorological weather stations to the measured indoor microclimate. Subsequently, this ANN model was driven by an ensemble of regional climate model projections with three different greenhouse gas concentration scenarios. For the evaluation of the heat stress risk, we considered the amount and duration of heat stress events. Based on the changes of the heat stress events various economic and environmental impacts were estimated. We found that the impacts of the projected increase of heat stress risk vary dependent on the region respectively the barn, the climate model and the assumed greenhouse gas concentration. There was an overall increasing trend in number and duration of heat stress events. At the end of the century, the number of annual stress events can be expected to increase by up to 2000 hours while the average duration of the events increases by up to 22 h compared to the end of the last century. This implies strong impacts on economics, environment and animal welfare and an urgent need for mid-term adaptation strategies. We anticipated that up to one tenth of all hours of a year respectively one third of all days will be classified as critical heat stress conditions. Due to heat stress, milk yield may decrease by about 3.5 % relative to the present European milk yield and farmers may expect financial losses in the summer season of about 6.6 % of their monthly income. In addition, an increasing demand for emission reduction measures must be expected, as an emission increase of about 16 Gg ammonia and 0.1 Gg methane per year can be expected under the anticipated heat stress conditions. The cattle respiration rate increases by up to 60 % and the standing time may be prolonged by 1 h. This promotes health issues and increases the probability of medical treatments. The various impacts imply feedback loops in the climate system which are presently underexplored. Hence, future in-depth studies on the different impacts and adaptation options at different stress levels are highly recommended.

scholarly journals Heat stress risk in European dairy cattle husbandry under different climate change scenarios – uncertainties and potential impacts

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 859-884 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Hempel ◽  
Christoph Menz ◽  
Severino Pinto ◽  
Elena Galán ◽  
David Janke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Heat Stress ◽  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Stress Conditions ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Climatic Stress ◽  
Cattle Husbandry

Abstract. In the last decades, a global warming trend was observed. Along with the temperature increase, modifications in the humidity and wind regime amplify the regional and local impacts on livestock husbandry. Direct impacts include the occurrence of climatic stress conditions. In Europe, cows are economically highly relevant and are mainly kept in naturally ventilated buildings that are most susceptible to climate change. The high-yielding cows are particularly vulnerable to heat stress. Modifications in housing management are the main measures taken to improve the ability of livestock to cope with these conditions. Measures are typically taken in direct reaction to uncomfortable conditions instead of in anticipation of a long-term risk for climatic stress. Measures that balance welfare, environmental and economic issues are barely investigated in the context of climate change and are thus almost not available for commercial farms. Quantitative analysis of the climate change impacts on animal welfare and linked economic and environmental factors is rare. Therefore, we used a numerical modeling approach to estimate the future heat stress risk in such dairy cattle husbandry systems. The indoor climate was monitored inside three reference barns in central Europe and the Mediterranean regions. An artificial neuronal network (ANN) was trained to relate the outdoor weather conditions provided by official meteorological weather stations to the measured indoor microclimate. Subsequently, this ANN model was driven by an ensemble of regional climate model projections with three different greenhouse gas concentration scenarios. For the evaluation of the heat stress risk, we considered the number and duration of heat stress events. Based on the changes in the heat stress events, various economic and environmental impacts were estimated. The impacts of the projected increase in heat stress risk varied among the barns due to different locations and designs as well as the anticipated climate change (considering different climate models and future greenhouse gas concentrations). There was an overall increasing trend in number and duration of heat stress events. At the end of the century, the number of annual stress events can be expected to increase by up to 2000, while the average duration of the events increases by up to 22 h compared to the end of the last century. This implies strong impacts on economics, environment and animal welfare and an urgent need for mid-term adaptation strategies. We anticipated that up to one-tenth of all hours of a year, correspondingly one-third of all days, will be classified as critical heat stress conditions. Due to heat stress, milk yield may decrease by about 2.8 % relative to the present European milk yield, and farmers may expect financial losses in the summer season of about 5.4 % of their monthly income. In addition, an increasing demand for emission reduction measures must be expected, as an emission increase of about 16 Gg of ammonia and 0.1 Gg of methane per year can be expected under the anticipated heat stress conditions. The cattle respiration rate increases by up to 60 %, and the standing time may be prolonged by 1 h. This causes health issues and increases the probability of medical treatments. The various impacts imply feedback loops in the climate system which are presently underexplored. Hence, future in-depth studies on the different impacts and adaptation options at different stress levels are highly recommended.

scholarly journals Recent Advances on Early Detection of Heat Strain in Dairy Cows Using Animal-Based Indicators: A Review

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 980
Author(s):  
Hang Shu ◽  
Wensheng Wang ◽  
Leifeng Guo ◽  
Jérôme Bindelle
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Early Detection ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Time Measurement ◽  
Heat Strain ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Real Time Measurement

In pursuit of precision livestock farming, the real-time measurement for heat strain-related data has been more and more valued. Efforts have been made recently to use more sensitive physiological indicators with the hope to better inform decision-making in heat abatement in dairy farms. To get an insight into the early detection of heat strain in dairy cows, the present review focuses on the recent efforts developing early detection methods of heat strain in dairy cows based on body temperatures and respiratory dynamics. For every candidate animal-based indicator, state-of-the-art measurement methods and existing thresholds were summarized. Body surface temperature and respiration rate were concluded to be the best early indicators of heat strain due to their high feasibility of measurement and sensitivity to heat stress. Future studies should customize heat strain thresholds according to different internal and external factors that have an impact on the sensitivity to heat stress. Wearable devices are most promising to achieve real-time measurement in practical dairy farms. Combined with internet of things technologies, a comprehensive strategy based on both animal- and environment-based indicators is expected to increase the precision of early detection of heat strain in dairy cows.

Daily rumination time of lactating dairy cows under heat stress conditions

2020 ◽  
Vol 88 ◽  
pp. 102484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theresa Müschner-Siemens ◽  
Gundula Hoffmann ◽  
Christian Ammon ◽  
Thomas Amon
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Stress Conditions ◽  
Lactating Dairy Cows

scholarly journals Welfare Quality® for dairy cows: towards a sensor-based assessment

2020 ◽  
Vol 87 (S1) ◽  
pp. 28-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Maroto Molina ◽  
Carlos C. Pérez Marín ◽  
Laura Molina Moreno ◽  
Estrella I. Agüera Buendía ◽  
Dolores C. Pérez Marín
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Sensor Data ◽  
Objective Data ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Precision Livestock Farming ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Social Concerns ◽  
Welfare Quality

AbstractThis Research Reflection addresses the possibilities for Welfare Quality® to evolve from an assessment method based on data gathered on punctual visits to the farm to an assessment method based on sensor data. This approach could provide continuous and objective data, while being less costly and time consuming. Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) technologies enabling the monitorisation of Welfare Quality® measures are reviewed and discussed. For those measures that cannot be assessed by current technologies, some options to be developed are proposed. Picturing future dairy farms, the need for multipurpose and non-invasive PLF technologies is stated, in order to avoid an excessive artificialisation of the production system. Social concerns regarding digitalisation are also discussed.

scholarly journals Towards Facial Expression Recognition for On-Farm Welfare Assessment in Pigs

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 847
Author(s):  
Mark F. Hansen ◽  
Emma M. Baxter ◽  
Kenneth M. D. Rutherford ◽  
Agnieszka Futro ◽  
Melvyn L. Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Welfare States ◽  
Automated System ◽  
Expression Recognition ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Precision Livestock Farming ◽  
Innovative Work ◽  
Leave One Out ◽  
On Farm

Animal welfare is not only an ethically important consideration in good animal husbandry but can also have a significant effect on an animal’s productivity. The aim of this paper was to show that a reduction in animal welfare, in the form of increased stress, can be identified in pigs from frontal images of the animals. We trained a convolutional neural network (CNN) using a leave-one-out design and showed that it is able to discriminate between stressed and unstressed pigs with an accuracy of >90% in unseen animals. Grad-CAM was used to identify the animal regions used, and these supported those used in manual assessments such as the Pig Grimace Scale. This innovative work paves the way for further work examining both positive and negative welfare states with the aim of developing an automated system that can be used in precision livestock farming to improve animal welfare.

scholarly journals Effect of Temperature-Humidity-Index on Milk Performances of Local Born Holstein Dairy Cows Under Saharan Climate

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 24-36
Author(s):  
Lazoumi Ouarfli ◽  
Abdelmadjid Chehma
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Effect Of Temperature ◽  
Significant Drop ◽  
Temperature Humidity Index ◽  
Lactation Length ◽  
Humidity Index ◽  
Milking Frequency

Abstract The objective is to study the effect of heat stress on milk yield (MY) relative to milking records (n=18178) of native Holsteins (n=187), in the region of Ghardaia, according to periods of HS, using the temperature-humidity index (THI). With THI >72 during 07 months in the study area, which significantly (P<0.001) decrease the MY (-15.5% corresponding to 21.73 kg). Also, calving periods led to a significant drop (P < 0.001) in overall MY (7030.35 kg) of the order of (-14.6%), and over the lactation length (353.43 d), which explains 41% of the variations in MY. In addition, the non-significant effect (P=0.212) of the lactation range on the increase in MY, moreover, the lactation length shows a non-significant (P = 0.108) decrease (-4.68%) during heat stress (HS). Furthermore, the significant effect (P <0.001) of the interaction (Milking frequency × THI) on MY, when THI variates from < 74 to > 84, with regression of (-16.82% and -08.82%) of the MF (2X and 3X), respectively. Again, the NH cow is less sensitive to hyperthermia, so THI explains only 2% of the variation in MY levels. Thus, NH in arid regions have the ability to acclimatize to Saharan environmental conditions.

scholarly journals Deltamethrin Application on Pre-Weaned Calves Improves Feed Consumption, Stress and Fatigue Status under Heat Stress Conditions

Pathogens ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Konstantinos V. Arsenopoulos ◽  
Eleftherios Triantafillou ◽  
Athanasios I. Gelasakis ◽  
Elias Papadopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Serum Cortisol ◽  
Stress Conditions ◽  
Dairy Calves ◽  
Feed Consumption ◽  
Biochemical Traits ◽  
Stress Indicator ◽  
Holstein Breed ◽  
Cattle Herds

Fly infestation remains a universal problem for dairy cattle herds, affecting the animals’ health and welfare status. Pre-weaned dairy calves are significantly challenged by the direct and indirect consequences of severe fly infestation, heat-stress and their interaction, which contribute to a stressful and fatiguing environment. Among several physiological, behavioral, clinical and biochemical traits, serum cortisol (SC) and creatine kinase (CK) levels, as well as feed consumption can be used as valid indicators of potential stressful and fatiguing conditions and, therefore, can be efficiently used for stress analysis studies. Hence, the objective of the study was to assess the fly-repellency effect of deltamethrin on pre-weaned dairy calves exposed to heat stress conditions, as well as its association with SC, CK concentrations and feed consumption. Two commercial dairy cattle herds of the Holstein breed in Central Macedonia (Greece) were involved in the study during summer months and under heat stress conditions. Deltamethrin administration resulted in (i) a decreased fly population (100% Musca domestica) landing on pre-weaned dairy calves, (ii) a reduced SC (stress indicator) and CK (fatigue indicator) concentration, and (iii) an increased consumption of feedstuff in deltamethrin treated animals compared to the untreated ones.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document