scholarly journals Evaluating Alternatives to Locomotion Scoring for Lameness Detection in Pasture-Based Dairy Cows in New Zealand: Infra-Red Thermography

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3473
Author(s):  
Chacha Wambura Werema ◽  
Linda Laven ◽  
Kristina Mueller ◽  
Richard Laven
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Infrared Camera ◽  
Roc Curves ◽  
Threshold Temperature ◽  
Link Function ◽  
Plantar Aspect ◽  
Infra Red ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Locomotion Score

Lameness in cattle is a complex condition with huge impacts on welfare, and its detection is challenging for the dairy industry. The present study aimed to evaluate the association between foot skin temperature (FST) measured using infrared thermography (IRT) and locomotion scoring (LS) in dairy cattle kept at pasture. Data were collected from a 940-cow dairy farm in New Zealand. Cows were observed at two consecutive afternoon milkings where LS was undertaken at the first milking (4-point scale (0–3), DairyNZ). The next day, cows were thermally imaged from the plantar aspect of the hind feet using a handheld T650sc forward-looking infrared camera (IRT). The association between FST and locomotion score was analysed using a generalised linear model with an identity link function and robust estimators. ROC curves were performed to determine optimal threshold temperature cut-off values by maximising sensitivity and specificity for detecting locomotion score ≥ 2. There was a linear association between individual locomotion scores and FST. For mean temperature (MT), each one-unit locomotion score increase was associated with a 0.944 °C rise in MT. Using MT at a cut-off point of 34.5 °C produced a sensitivity of 80.0% and a specificity of 92.4% for identifying cows with a locomotion score ≥ 2 (lame). Thus, IRT has a substantial potential to be used on-farm for lameness detection. However, automation of the process will likely be necessary for IRT to be used without interfering with farm operations.

Profitable and resilient pasture-based dairy farm businesses in New Zealand

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Neal ◽  
John R. Roche
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
International Studies ◽  
Strategic Choices ◽  
The Past ◽  
Farm Systems ◽  
Winter Grazing ◽  
Supplementary Feed ◽  
The Cost ◽  
On Farm

There have been several analyses of the economics of pastoral dairy farm systems in New Zealand using real farm data, as well as several relevant international studies. However, these analyses have often used a dataset with a limited number of years that do not reflect long-term exposure to volatility, or do not allow for regional differences, and often focus on imported feed without due attention to other important characteristics of profitable farms. Several prior analyses have failed to consider the importance of a business that is resilient to major risks. We re-examined the relevance of their conclusions for New Zealand dairy systems against 12 years of DairyBase data, focussing on two major regions, deriving key insights on relevant strategic choices for profitable and resilient businesses at a farm and, by extension, industry level. Within years and regions, the top quartile of observations was identified, on the basis of ranking by operating return on assets, as a proxy for farms achieving their potential, and compared with the remaining observations. Within geographical region, the greater profitability of the top quartile was associated with greater pasture and crop eaten, greater stocking rate and production per cow, and lesser operating expenses per hectare and per kilogram milksolids (MS), defined as fat plus protein. However, greater profitability was not associated with greater use of imported feed. Linear regression was used to determine that increases in total operating expenses were associated with increases in the costs of imported feed (including winter grazing and silage made on farm). On average, for every NZ$1 spent on imported feed, total costs increased by NZ$1.66 and NZ$1.53 for the Waikato and Canterbury–Marlborough regions, respectively. This is consistent with the international literature for temperate grazing systems and is likely the reason why profitability was not greater even if above-average responses to supplement were achieved on farm. Indeed, greater use of imported feed was positively associated with operating expenses per kilogram of MS, implying that the marginal cost of additional MS was greater than the cost of the base milk, and often higher than the value of the milk produced. If gross farm revenue per kilogram MS (which is largely made up of the milk price, with a lesser contribution from livestock sales) was greater than NZ$7.50 (which it was the case in only 3 of the past 12 years), farms could generate higher profit from more imported feed use; however, the reverse was true at lower milk prices. When milk prices are low, (i.e. gross farm revenue is less than NZ$6.50/kg MS, which occurred in half of the past 12 years), farmers are often under cashflow pressure. Therefore, farm systems that are less reliant on imported feed provide a better chance for farmers to meet financial commitments, although they fail to maximise profitability when the milk price is high (e.g. >NZ$7.50/kg MS). In conclusion, maximising pasture harvested, and minimising reliance on supplementary feed, and effective cost control (minimising expenditure) are the key factors that lead to profitable businesses that are also resilient to the low milk prices that occur in volatile markets.

scholarly journals Evaluation of two potential on-farm measures for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from an average dairy farm on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand

2002 ◽  
pp. 159-165
Author(s):  
C.A.M. De Klein ◽  
S.F. Ledgard ◽  
H. Clark
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
West Coast ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
The West ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
On Farm

Agriculture contributes about 60% of New Zealand's total greenhouse gas emissions. Management practices for reducing these emissions will be required to meet our future international commitments. This paper presents estimates of two practical on-farm measures for reducing total greenhouse gas emissions from an average dairy farm on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand: 1) the incorporation of cereal silage into the diet, and 2) the strategic use of a stand-off pad in winter. Total calculated greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by about 14% if fertiliser N-boosted pasture was replaced with bought-in cereal silage grown off-farm. The estimated reduction in emissions was due to reductions in nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide emissions, whereas methane emissions were not significantly affected by this management practice. Reduced methane emissions required an increase in per animal production and a corresponding decrease in stocking rate. The use of a stand-off pad during winter did not significantly affect total greenhouse gas emissions using current inventory calculations. However, recent research suggests that it may reduce emissions by 3 to 8%, when accounting for the seasonal variation in N2O emissions and reduced fertiliser N requirements due to reduced pasture damage. A preliminary assessment of the economic implications of the cereal silage option suggested the cost of using cereal silage is likely to be higher than any savings that could be accrued from carbon credits obtained from reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, the costs associated with building and using a stand-off pad are likely to be off-set against a potential increase in pasture production, and carbon credits obtained from a reduction in greenhouse gas emission would represent a net cost saving. Keywords: carbon dioxide, cereal silage, dairying, methane, mitigation options, nitrous oxide, stand-off pad

scholarly journals Flood Impacts on Dairy Farms in the Bay of Plenty Region, New Zealand

Climate ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Ryan Paulik ◽  
Kate Crowley ◽  
Nicholas A. Cradock-Henry ◽  
Thomas M. Wilson ◽  
Ame McSporran
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Flood Hazard ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Flood Damage ◽  
Water Flooding ◽  
Farm Level ◽  
Changing Climate ◽  
Response And Recovery ◽  
On Farm

Flood damage assessments provide critical information for flood hazard mitigation under changing climate conditions. Recent efforts to improve and systemise damage assessments have focused primarily on urban environments with few examples for primary industries such as dairy. This paper explores the adverse consequences of flooding on dairy farms in the Bay of Plenty region, New Zealand. Ex-tropical Cyclone Debbie in April 2017 caused prolonged riverine and surface water flooding on over 3500 hectares of dairy farmland. The event provided an opportunity to develop and apply a participatory approach for collecting information about on-farm flood damage, and both response and recovery actions implemented by dairy farmers. Semi-structured interviews and transect walks with farmers revealed a range of direct and indirect damages to production and capital assets, influenced by duration of inundation, silt deposition and seasonality. Results highlight the need to identify on-farm and off-farm asset interdependencies of dairy farm systems to estimate long-term socio-economic consequences at farm-level. Enhancing dairy farm flood resilience in a changing climate will rely on farm-level response and recovery plans, proactively supported by emergency management agencies, farm service suppliers and support agencies.

Addressing on-farm management to enhance pasture productivity and persistence

2013 ◽  
pp. 241-244
Author(s):  
W.N. Reynolds
Keyword(s):  
Management Strategies ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Pasture Management ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Operating Profit ◽  
The North ◽  
The Cost ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Attention To Detail

Following the 2007/08 drought, we experienced poor pasture production and persistence on our dairy farm in north Waikato, leading to decreased milksolids production and a greater reliance on bought-in feed. It is estimated that the cost of this to our farming operation was about $1300 per hectare per year in lost operating profit. While climate and black beetle were factors, they did not explain everything, and other factors were also involved. In the last 3 years we have changed our management strategies to better withstand dry summers, the catalyst for which was becoming the DairyNZ Pasture Improvement Focus Farm for the north Waikato. The major changes we made were to reduce stocking rate, actively manage pastures in summer to reduce over-grazing, and pay more attention to detail in our pasture renewal programme. To date the result has been a reduced need for pasture renewal, a lift in whole farm performance and increased profitability. Keywords: Focus farm, over-grazing, pasture management, pasture persistence, profitability

scholarly journals Ewe Wastage in New Zealand Commercial Flocks: Extent, Timing, Association with Hogget Reproductive Outcomes and BCS

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 779
Author(s):  
Kate J. Flay ◽  
Anne L. Ridler ◽  
Chris W. R. Compton ◽  
Paul R. Kenyon
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Key Management ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Survival Models ◽  
Reproductive Outcomes ◽  
Increase Risk ◽  
Interval Censored ◽  
Mortality Incidence ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
On Farm

Ewe wastage is the combination of on-farm mortality and premature culling. Internationally, there is limited research on actual wastage incidence and causes in commercial sheep flocks. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that reports both lifetime wastage and detailed annual wastage in a sample of commercial New Zealand flocks. This study utilized data collected from 13,142 ewes from four cohorts on three commercial New Zealand farms (Farm A 2010-born, Farm A 2011-born, Farm B, Farm C), during the period 2011–2017, as they aged from replacement hoggets to 6-year-old ewes (Farm A and Farm B) or 3-year-old ewes (Farm C). Data collection visits occurred at three or four key management times each year, namely pre-mating, pregnancy diagnosis, pre-lambing and weaning. At each visit, body condition score (BCS) was assessed and any ewes that were culled or had died on farm were recorded. As this was a lifetime study, each ewe was assigned an outcome and corresponding ‘exit age’. By the end of the study, all ewes that had exited their respective flocks, were classified as either prematurely culled, or dead/missing, or if still in the flock, as censored, and either the exact date or interval in which they exited the flock was recorded. Semi-parametric competing risk (premature culling vs. dead/missing), interval-censored survival models were developed to: 1. describe the association between hogget reproductive outcomes and risk of subsequent wastage, and 2. assess pre-mating BCS as a predictor of wastage in that production year. Of the 13,142 enrolled ewes, 50.4% exited their respective flocks due to premature culling and 40.0% due to on-farm dead/missing, giving a total of 90.4% that exited due to wastage. Annual mortality incidence ranged from 3.5 to 40.2%. As a hogget, wastage incidence ranged from 7.6 to 45.4%. Pregnancy or rearing a lamb as a hogget did not increase risk of subsequent wastage. In all years, pre-mating BCS was a predictor of ewe wastage, with odds of wastage lower with increasing BCS. Therefore, farmers should focus on improving pre-mating BCS to 3.5/5.0 by assessing ewe BCS at weaning, allowing poorer-BCS ewes to be managed to gain BCS before re-breeding.

scholarly journals The Carbon Footprint of Energy Consumption in Pastoral and Barn Dairy Farming Systems: A Case Study from Canterbury, New Zealand

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (17) ◽  
pp. 4809 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hafiz Muhammad Abrar Ilyas ◽  
Majeed Safa ◽  
Alison Bailey ◽  
Sara Rauf ◽  
Marvin Pangborn
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Dairy Farming ◽  
Carbon Footprints ◽  
Energy Inputs ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Feed Supplements ◽  
Dairy Systems ◽  
Milk Solids ◽  
On Farm

Dairy farming is constantly evolving to more intensive systems of management, which involve more consumption of energy inputs. The consumption of these energy inputs in dairy farming contributes to climate change both with on-farm emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels, and by off-farm emissions due to production of farm inputs (such as fertilizer, feed supplements). The main purpose of this research study was to evaluate energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, the carbon footprint, of pastoral and barn dairy systems located in Canterbury, New Zealand. The carbon footprints were estimated based on direct and indirect energy sources. The study results showed that, on average, the carbon footprints of pastoral and barn dairy systems were 2857 kgCO2 ha−1 and 3379 kgCO2 ha−1, respectively. For the production of one tonne of milk solids, the carbon footprint was 1920 kgCO2 tMS−1 and 2129 kgCO2 tMS−1, respectively. The carbon emission difference between the two systems indicates that the barn system has 18% and 11% higher carbon footprint than the pastoral system, both per hectare of farm area and per tonne of milk solids, respectively. The greater carbon footprint of the barn system was due to more use of imported feed supplements, machinery usage and fossil fuel (diesel and petrol) consumption for on-farm activities.

Simplified methods for on-farm prediction of yield potential of grazed lucerne crops in New Zealand

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Derrick J. Moot ◽  
Xiumei Yang ◽  
Hung T. Ta ◽  
Hamish E. Brown ◽  
Edmar I. Teixeira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Yield Potential ◽  
On Farm

An Evaluation of Raw Milk Microorganisms as Markers of On-Farm Hygiene Practices Related to Milking

2005 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 764-772 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. L. HUTCHISON ◽  
D. J. I. THOMAS ◽  
A. MOORE ◽  
D. R. JACKSON ◽  
I. OHNSTAD
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Raw Milk ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Bacterial Indicator ◽  
Relative Standard ◽  
Bacillus Spp ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Milk Storage ◽  
Bacterial Groups

Dairy farm hygiene audits were undertaken at 24 farms during summer and winter and the results compared with transformed bacterial indicator levels in raw milk samples collected during each audit. The bacterial indicators measured were total viable counts, Escherichia coli, coliforms, Bacillus spp., Bifidobacteria spp., and Pseudomonas spp. The results of initial comparisons using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients showed presumptive relationships between some bacterial groups and the subjective quantitative audit scores. When investigated further using linear regression, the presumptive relationships were found to be influenced by external factors. Possible reasons for the low correlations between on-farm hygiene and bacterial indicator counts in raw milk were further investigated. Measurements of the uncertainty associated with the bacteriological results were undertaken and revealed geometric relative standard deviations that ranged from 0.019 to 1.05. Toward the higher end of this scale, the uncertainty associated with the laboratory estimations of bacterial numbers may have been large enough to blur hygiene score-marker bacteria relationships. The samples obtained from on-farm raw milk storage tanks were representative of the whole tank contents and not a significant source of error. Although total bacterial counts are widely acknowledged by the milk industry as not always giving a true measure of on-farm hygiene during milking, we were unable to find any marker bacteria that showed consistently higher correlations and were thus better suited as indicators of on-farm hygiene.

Tree Species for Recovering Nitrogen from Dairy-Farm Effluent in New Zealand

2001 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 1064-1070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon K.F. Roygard ◽  
Brent E. Clothier ◽  
Steve R. Green ◽  
Nanthi S. Bolan
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Dairy Farm

scholarly journals Still ‘dairy farm fever’? A Bayesian model for leptospirosis notification data in New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (175) ◽  
pp. 20200964
Author(s):  
Jackie Benschop ◽  
Shahista Nisa ◽  
Simon E. F. Spencer
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Public Health Surveillance ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Nucleic Acid Detection ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Occupational Groups ◽  
Specific Occupation ◽  
Health Surveillance Data ◽  
Notification Data ◽  
Important Evidence

Routinely collected public health surveillance data are often partially complete, yet remain a useful source by which to monitor incidence and track progress during disease intervention. In the 1970s, leptospirosis in New Zealand (NZ) was known as ‘dairy farm fever’ and the disease was frequently associated with serovars Hardjo and Pomona. To reduce infection, interventions such as vaccination of dairy cattle with these two serovars was implemented. These interventions have been associated with significant reduction in leptospirosis incidence, however, livestock-based occupations continue to predominate notifications. In recent years, diagnosis is increasingly made by nucleic acid detection which currently does not provide serovar information. Serovar information can assist in linking the recognized maintenance host, such as livestock and wildlife, to infecting serovars in human cases which can feed back into the design of intervention strategies. In this study, confirmed and probable leptospirosis notification data from 1 January 1999 to 31 December 2016 were used to build a model to impute the number of cases from different occupational groups based on serovar and month of occurrence. We imputed missing occupation and serovar data within a Bayesian framework assuming a Poisson process for the occurrence of notified cases. The dataset contained 1430 notified cases, of which 927 had a specific occupation (181 dairy farmers, 45 dry stock farmers, 454 meatworkers, 247 other) while the remaining 503 had non-specified occupations. Of the 1430 cases, 1036 had specified serovars (231 Ballum, 460 Hardjo, 249 Pomona, 96 Tarassovi) while the remaining 394 had an unknown serovar. Thus, 47% (674/1430) of observations had both a serovar and a specific occupation. The results show that although all occupations have some degree of under-reporting, dry stock farmers were most strongly affected and were inferred to contribute as many cases as dairy farmers to the burden of disease, despite dairy farmer being recorded much more frequently. Rather than discard records with some missingness, we have illustrated how mathematical modelling can be used to leverage information from these partially complete cases. Our finding provides important evidence for reassessing the current minimal use of animal vaccinations in dry stock. Improving the capture of specific farming type in case report forms is an important next step.

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