scholarly journals Design of Free Stalls for Dairy Herds: A Review

Ruminants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Frank van Eerdenburg ◽  
Lars Ruud
Keyword(s):  
Optimal Design ◽  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
High Impact ◽  
The Body ◽  
Dairy Herds ◽  
Productive Life ◽  
To Come ◽  
Available Information

Lying is an important behavior of dairy cattle. Cows should spend more than 50% of a day lying as it has a high impact on their milk yield and animal welfare. The design, size, and flooring properties of the free stalls influence the time cows spend lying, the way they lie down, and their rising movements. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the currently available information with the aim to assist farmers and advisors to come to an optimal design of the free stalls. The design of the free stalls should enable the cows to move and lie in positions as natural as possible. Cows should rest, with all parts of the body, on a clean, dry and soft bed, be able to stretch their front legs forward, lie on their sides with unobstructed space for their neck and head, and rest with their heads against their flanks without hindrance from a partition. When they stand, they should not be hindered by neck rails, partitions, or supports. A comfortable place for cows to lie down helps cows to stay healthy, improve welfare, and increase milk yield. Hence, the probability of a longer productive life for the cows increases and the number of replacements per year decreases.

Behavioural manifestations of dairy cattle in the pasture-based system

2012 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-80
Author(s):  
Jarmila Voříšková ◽  
Karel Beneš ◽  
Milan Kobes ◽  
Jan Pozdíšek
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
The Other ◽  
Dairy Herds ◽  
Mountainous Area ◽  
Slight Variation ◽  
Grazing Season ◽  
Holstein Breed ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Grazing Period

Abstract A pasture-based system for dairy cattle is not common due to the need for milking, despite the fact that this system provides the possibility of natural animal behaviour. Six behavioural observations were carried out during the grazing season in dairy herds bred in a mountainous area (700 m a. s. l.) The basic herd was comprised of 53 cows, mainly of the Holstein breed. From April to November the herd was located on pastures near the stables and milked twice a day in a tandem milking parlour. Feed ration was composed of pasture and concentrated feed in the stable. During the grazing season, there was a slight variation with a tendency to extend the grazing period to the autumn months. The cattle grazed the shortest time in May - 35.0% of the day or 8.4 hours. In the autumn months the grazing time increased by 2.2 and 2.6 hours respectively. Cows were resting the longest time period in May and June (8.9 and 9.1 h respectively). On the other hand, cows were resting for the shortest time in October (6.8 hours). During the grazing period the milk yield decreased from 20.4 kg in April to 14.4 kg in November.

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.

VARIABILITY OF POPULATION-GENETIC PARAMETERS OF EXTERIOROF COWS IN SUMY INTERBREED TYPE OF UKRAINIAN BLACK-AND-WHITE DAIRY CATTLE

2016 ◽  
Vol 52 ◽  
pp. 144-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. L. Khmelnyhcyy
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
The Body ◽  
Mass Selection ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Body Conformation ◽  
Chest Girth ◽  
Efficient Selection ◽  
Dairy Breed

The study of variability of population-genetics parameters of cows’ exterior was conducted on the livestock number of Sumy interbreed type of Ukrainian Black-and-White Dairy breed in the pedigree farm Pidlisnivskа branch of PJSC «Rise-Maksymko», Sumy district. The level of positive correlation coefficients and their reliability showed that milk yield of first-calf heifers in the experimental herd to the greatest extent depended on the height at withers (r = 0.458) and rump (r = 0.324), depth of chest (r = 0.375) latitudinal measurements of backside (r = 0.263-0.375), body length (r = 0.303) and chest girth (r = 0.388). With age, the relation between the measurements of body conformation and the amount of milk yield of first-calf heifers in this direction remains, but with a slight decrease of correlation coefficients that can be the result of natural growth of age variability of exterior traits under the influence of ontogenetic regularities of development and paratypical factors. Analysis of inheritance coefficients of the body conformation measurements of the estimated cows of Sumy innerbreed type of Ukrainian Black-and-White Dairy breed showed their genotypic variability, which varied within the recorded lactations. In the pedigree farm a sufficient, reliable according to Fisher criterion, level of inheritance coefficients was found, which would provide appropriate effectiveness of mass selection on the measurements of height at withers and rump, depth of chest, latitudinal measurements of backside which were different in the first and second lactations. Somewhat lower and less reliable levels of the inheritance coefficients of body measurements traits were obtained from cows according to the third lactation, which is explained, in a certain way, increasing age variability of the estimated traits. The level of correlation of the measurements with milk yield allows to perform indirect selection by type, and the figures of inheritance of the measurements confirm the possibility of efficient selection of dairy cattle at the age of the first lactation with the aim of improvement of exterior for the herd and breed.

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.

Skin structure and milk production of British dairy cattle

1964 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Nay ◽  
D. McEwan Jenkinson
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Hair Follicle ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Dairy Herds ◽  
Progeny Testing ◽  
Extensive Investigation ◽  
Skin Structure

SummaryThe possibility of using a skin measurement as an index of potential milkproducing capacity in cattle was re-examined. Skin specimens were obtained by biopsy from 7 dairy herds, and each of 5 anatomical measurements was correlated with (1) milk yield and (2) butterfat percentage.Only one of the pooled within-herd relationships was statistically significant. This relationship indicated that within the breeds studied, cows with the least hair follicle depth would be expected to give the highest milk yield. It is suggested that a more extensive investigation of this relationship might yield results of practical value in assessing milk-producing capacity and in progeny testing.

Performance profile of cows of ural type at different level of milk productivity

2020 ◽  
pp. 22-28
Author(s):  
O. Leshonok ◽  
V. Gridin
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Type ◽  
Milk Productivity ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Effi Ciency ◽  
Dairy Cattle Breeding ◽  
White Breed ◽  
And Performance

One of the tasks of selection and breeding work with dairy cattle is to assess the body type of cows in breeding herds. Body type plays an important role in the effi ciency of the use of animals in dairy cattle breeding only harmoniously developed cows when creating optimal conditions for housing and feeding, can show high milk productivity as well as they are less prone to the risks of premature culling for non-selective reasons. The selection of fi rst-calf heifers of Ural type of Black-and-White breed with milk productivity above 7000 kg of milk in breeding organizations of the Sverdlovsk region has been carried out. Materials on 2150 cows with average milk yield of 8622 kg of milk with the content of fat in milk of 3,90 % and protein – 3,20 % have been presented. With an increase in milk yield in fi rst-calf heifers there is a statistically signifi cant improvement in constitutional and performance features. Heifers have good parameters for the development of the body in height, which vary from 7,7 to 8,5 points, strong enough and deep body (fortress: 4,7–5,3 points; depth: 5,7–7,5 points), with well-defi ned milk forms (5,4–6,8 points). The udder of animals is characterized by a bath-shaped form (attachment density: 5,1–5,3 points; length of the front parts: 5,1–6,3 points) and an expressed escutcheon (width: 5,0–6,0 points; height: 7,8–8,3 points; central ligament: 4,9–5,3 points). For obtaining animals of dairy direction productivity with milk yield 7000 kg milk and more should make selection on the next parts of performance: rump high ≥ 7,0 points (from 145 centimeters); the depth of breast ≥ 6,0 points (not less 83 centimeters), length front share udder ≥ 5,0 points (from 21 centimeters), width rear share udder ≥ 5,0 points (not less 16 centimeters), express of dairy forms, central ligament ≥ 5,0 points.

scholarly journals Welfare Assessment of Dairy Cows in Small Farms in Bangladesh

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 394
Author(s):  
M. Ariful Islam ◽  
Arvind Sharma ◽  
S. Ahsan ◽  
S. Mazumdar ◽  
K.C Rudra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
The Body ◽  
Small Farms ◽  
Welfare Assessment ◽  
Assessment Protocol

Protocols for assessing the welfare of dairy cows in large scale intensive dairy systems in the developed world have been used extensively. Little attention has been paid to the use of similar welfare assessment protocols for small dairy enterprises in developing countries. We modified part of the standard assessment protocol and used it to assess aspects of the welfare of dairy cows in a field survey of 70 small farms in the Sirajgonj district of Bangladesh. Welfare indicators selected were mainly those of health and economic importance, such as lameness, lesions on the body and limbs, cleanliness levels, milk yield, and body condition. The study included physical examination of 700 cows and use of a structured questionnaire to collect data on health and management practices and farmers’ perspectives about animal welfare. Mean milk yield, averaged across farms, was 10.3 L/d (range 6.3–14.2) and body condition assessment indicated that cows were, on average, thin. Hygiene management was often poor, with soiling of body parts with faeces. The prevalence of lameness, at 4.3%, was less than has commonly been observed in larger, more intensive dairy farms, but body injuries were commonly detected at the carpal and hock joints (56 and 51% of cows, respectively). This suggests that floors and/or bedding to lie on were inadequate. Many farmers did not follow routine vaccination and deworming schedules (63% and 31%, respectively) and farmers were not generally aware of the concept of animal welfare. The study demonstrates some similar welfare issues to those that have been commonly identified in large, intensive units, but also some differences, in particular a failure to provide good floors, bedding, and basic health care.

scholarly journals Effect of Hoof Trimming on Milk Yield in Dairy Cows with Foot Disease

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murat Kibar ◽  
Tamer Çağlayan
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
The Body ◽  
Lactation Period ◽  
Bearing Surface ◽  
Lactation Stage ◽  
Claw Lesions ◽  
The Mean

Backround: Milk is produced at the cost of other metabolic processes in the body and high milk yield has been associated with lameness and claw lesions. Lameness has also been associated with a decrease in milk yield. In the past, claw disorders and lameness in dairy cattle have been an increasing problem of the modern dairy industry. Hoof trimming is performed to prevent hoof lesions and improve gait by correction and maintenance of the hoof symmetry and shape. Lameness caused by hoof disorders can be treated by correct hoof trimming. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that one-time claw trimming affect the milk production in dairy cattle with hoof disorders on commercial dairy farms.Materials, Methods & Results: Milk yield level was examined before and after claw trimming in dairy cattle. Eighteen Holstein dairy cows were examined on a commercial dairy farm. Calving number, calving time, lactation number, lactation stage, culling date and milk yield in liters were detected from farm recording system. All cows were visual signs of claw disorders or lameness. Their hooves had not been were trimmed for several years. Trimming technique included leveling the 2 claws, aiming for symmetric bulbs. The axial and abaxial walls were both intended to be parts of the bearing surface and the 2 claws were trimmed flat and balanced with each other. The caudal two-thirds of the axial sole of both claws were sloped toward the interdigital area. All of the cows checked for hoof diseases. The period of observation spanned 45 d, starting day of claw trimming. The observation period was the lactation when the claw trimming was performed. Milk yield was performed one day before and 10, 30, and 45 days after hoof trimming. Cows that were in the mid to late lactation period were selected for the study. The mean days in milk for the group was 221.8 (150-272 days) and the mean number of calvings was 2.8 times (range: 2-5 times) before trimming.Discussion: The shape of the lactation curve is influenced by herd factors such as management and nutrition and individual factors like genetics, parity, and disease. Discrepancies in the literature with regard to the effect of lameness and claw lesions on milk yield are partly the result of these complex influences. Daily milk production of cows in the current study averaged 21 L/d, so milk weight represented approximately 3% of a cow’s body weight per milking. In this study cows were 2 to 5th lactation. Most hoof diseases are accrued around the time of calving. Hoof diseases is becomed visible on the bearing surface of the sole after 2 to 3 months such as white-line disease, sole ulcer, and hemorrhages. We assessed milk yield as the one time claw trimming performed, so any possible healing effect of claw trimming could have led to an underestimation of any negative effects of bad claw health on milk production. Cows with painful claw lesions eat less, are more reluctant to move, and might consequently produce less milk than cows without claw lesions. The significant associations between most claw disorders and increased yield in this study do not prove direct relationships. At claw trimming, the average lactation stage in first parity was 148 DIM; 25% of the cows were before 74 DIM and 25% were later than 226 DIM. After the claw trimming between days 10-30 and 10-45 were determined differences in milk yield (P < 0.05;  P < 0.01). In conclusion, this study showed that one time hoof trimming during the lactation period changed the milk yield of the dairy cows with hoof diseases.

МАТЕМАТИЧЕСКИЕ МОДЕЛИ ПРИ ОЦЕНКЕ ОСОБЕННОСТЕЙ ОБМЕНА ЭНЕРГИИ В ОРГАНИЗМЕ МОЛОЧНОГО СКОТА

2019 ◽  
pp. 32-37
Author(s):  
O.E. PRIVALO ◽  
M.G. CHABAEV ◽  
R.V. NEKRASOV ◽  
V.V. ANSIMOV ◽  
I.P. ZADNEPRYANSKY ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Balance ◽  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Physiological State ◽  
The Body ◽  
Net Energy ◽  
Industrial Complex ◽  
Source Information ◽  
Daily Milk Yield ◽  
Daily Milk

В условиях промышленного комплекса, крупногруппового беспривязного содержания молочного скота изучены с помощью математического моделирования особенности баланса энергии у коров в зависимости от суточного удоя, дней лактации и их физиологического состояния. Исходной информацией для построения моделей в виде производственных функций служили данные, снимаемые с головного компьютера информационной технологии управления стадом, позволившие получить модель, адекватно описывающую уровень потребления сухого вещества и поступление обменной энергии (ОЭ) для каждого животного, входящего в состав технологической группы. Использование величин поступления ОЭ с потребленным кормом и энергетической ценности суточного удоя в чистой энергии (ЧЭУДОЯ) позволило определить величину баланса чистой энергии (ЧЭбаланс) в организме, оценить потребность коровы в чистой энергии, при достигнутом суточном удое, и степень ее удовлетворения за счет конверсии ОЭ, поступающей с потребленным кормом.MATHEMATICAL MODELS FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF ENERGY EXCHANGE IN DAIRY CATTLE ORGANISMSВ условиях промышленного комплекса, крупногруппового беспривязного содержания молочного скота изучены с помощью математического моделирования особенности баланса энергии у коров в зависимости от суточного удоя, дней лактации и их физиологического состояния. Исходной информацией для построения моделей в виде производственных функций служили данные, снимаемые с головного компьютера информационной технологии управления стадом, позволившие получить модель, адекватно описывающую уровень потребления сухого вещества и поступление обменной энергии (ОЭ) для каждого животного, входящего в состав технологической группы. Использование величин поступления ОЭ с потребленным кормом и энергетической ценности суточного удоя в чистой энергии (ЧЭУДОЯ) позволило определить величину баланса чистой энергии (ЧЭбаланс) в организме, оценить потребность коровы в чистой энергии, при достигнутом суточном удое, и степень ее удовлетворения за счет конверсии ОЭ, поступающей с потребленным кормом.Special aspects of energy balance in cows depending on daily milk yield, lactation days, and their physiological state were researched under the conditions of an industrial complex of large group loose keeping of dairy cattle using mathematical modeling. Data obtained from the main computer of the information technology of flock management was used as the source information for model creation. It allowed creating a model which adequately describes the level of dry substance use and exchanged energy (EE) emergence for each animal which is part of the technological group. The use of values of EE emergence with feed consumed and the energy value of daily milk yield in net energy (NEyield) allowed determining the value of net energy balance (NEbalance) in the body, to assess the level on which the cow needs net energy with net milk yield achieved, and the level of its satisfaction due to the conversion of EE coming with feed consumed.

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