Comparative evaluation of effect of legume type on feed intake among dairy cows fed maize (Zea mays) stover treated with groundnut (Arachis hypogea) and soybean (Glycine max) stover

This study evaluated the use of maize, groundnut and soybean stover in cattle feeding. The study assessed the value of upgrading the quality of crop residues. The study involved evaluation of palatability of maize stover improved using urea (U), chopped groundnut stover (cGS), chopped soybean stover (cSS), mineralized groundnut stover solution (mGS) and mineralized soybean stover solution (mSS). In the feeding trial, twelve (12) crossbred dairy cows in their second parity were used as experimental units. A 22 factorial experiment within a Completely Randomised Design (CRD) was used. Maize stover was chopped before being mixed with urea, chopped legume stover and mineralized legume stover solutions. The effect of supplementation using maize stover upgraded with U, cGS, cSS, mGS and mSS was studied for supplement intake levels. Urea Ensilage Treatment (UET) was used as the novel therapy in the study. Both legume type and processing method had influence on supplement intake of maize stover. Groundnut stover had significantly (p˂0.05) higher (0.99kg/day, se=0.04) effect on supplement intake of maize stover than soybean stover(0.83kg/day, se=0.04). The use of mineralized legume stover solution proved significant (p˂0.05) to the use of chopped legume stover in improving the intake of maize stover. Results have indicated that intake was highest (1.01kg/day, s.e=0.04) for mineralised groundnut stover solution and lowest (0.67kg/day, s.e=0.04) for Urea Ensiling Treatment.

Assessment of Cumulative Energy Needs for Chosen Technologies of Cattle Feeding in Barns with Conventional (CFS) and Automated Feeding Systems (AFS)

The increasing popularity of automated systems and the increased market share of producers of robotic feeding equipment for cows causes the need for a deeper study of energy demand in such technologies. This article provides an analysis of the inputs of energy accumulated in conventional (CFS) and automated feeding systems (AFS) for cattle. The aim of this is to determine the impact of robotic technologies for the preparation and feeding of fodder on the cumulative energy inputs. The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of machinery and the equipment applied to the cumulative energy intensity in cattle farming facilities. The cumulative energy consumption for four technologies of automated cattle feeding (AFS) was tested and compared to the energy consumption for six technologies with a conventional feeding system (CFS). The research involved nine cow barn facilities for dairy cows and one for beef cattle. An evaluation has been made for cattle farming structures (milk and meat production) with various mixing and feeding systems for feeds of various concentrations, and keeping system (tied system and free-stall). The cow barns differed in feed mixing, feeding machinery, and equipment. Measurements of live labor inputs and the consumption of electric and mechanical energy carriers were carried out, and the mass of various types of machines and devices with software was taken into account, which became the basis for calculating cumulative energy consumption for individual technologies. The obtained average of electric and mechanical energy inputs for robotic technologies of feeding fodder (AFS) was 0.60025 kWh∙day−1∙LU−1(where LU means Large Animal Unit 500 kg), and it was 39.3% lower than for conventional technologies (CFS) where it was 0.989052 kWh∙day−1∙LU−1. However, taking into account all components of cumulative energy consumption, the average for the group of robotic technologies (AFS) was higher by 35.18% than for conventional technologies (CFS).

Draft Genome Sequences of Two Strains of Enterococcus lactis Showing High Potential as Cattle Probiotic Supplements

Probiotic supplements are currently widely used in cattle feeding practices. However, knowledge regarding the genomic landscape of cattle probiotic microorganisms is relatively scarce and is based on analogies with human probiotics. Here, we report on the draft genome sequences of two Enterococcus lactis strains, VKPM B-4989 and VKPM B-4992, which were isolated from the rumen of a healthy calf and utilized as a probiotic additive.

Population-level analysis of antibiotic use and death rates in beef feedlots over ten years in three cattle-feeding regions of the United States

OBJECTIVE To assess antibiotic use and other factors associated with death rates in beef feedlots in 3 regions of the US over a 10-year period. SAMPLE Data for 186,297 lots (groups) of finished cattle marketed between 2010 and 2019 were obtained from a database representing feedlots in the central, high, and north plains of the US. PROCEDURES Descriptive statistics were generated. Generalized linear mixed models were used to estimate lot death rates for each region, sex (steer or heifer), and cattle origin (Mexico or the US) combination. Death rate was calculated as the (number of deaths/number of cattle placed in the lot) × 100. Lot antibiotic use (TotalActiveMG/KGOut) was calculated as the total milligrams of active antibiotics assigned to the lot per live weight (in kilograms) of cattle marketed from the lot. Rate ratios were calculated to evaluate the respective associations between lot death rate and characteristics of cattle and antibiotic use. RESULTS Mean death rate increased during the 10-year period, peaking in 2018. Mean number of days on feed also increased over time. Mean TotalActiveMG/KGOut was greatest in 2014 and 2015, lowest in 2017, and moderated in 2018 and 2019. Death rate was positively associated with the number of days on feed and had a nonlinear association with TotalActiveMG/KGOut. Feeding medicated feed articles mitigated death rate. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggested a balance between disease prevention and control in feedlots for cattle with various risk profiles. Additional data sources are needed to assess TotalActiveMG/KGOut across the cattle lifetime.

175 GPS Tracking Collars and Accelerometers Provide Detailed Tracking of Foraging Behavior and Space Use in Grazing Steers in Bermudagrass and Tall Fescue Pasture

Previous research in feedlot studies has demonstrated that cattle feeding behavior is driven by internal metabolic processes and external environmental stimuli and serves as an indicator of animal health, nutritional status, and growth and feed quality and availability. However, technology has only recently allowed measurement of foraging behavior in grazing cattle. Objectives of this study were to measure frequency and duration of foraging bouts, meals, and total distance traveled during meals in grazing steers. The study was conducted as part of a larger grazing study on a 10-hectare Bermudagrass and Tall Fescue pasture, overseeded with Annual Ryegrass, located at the HH Leveck Animal Research Center, Mississippi State, MS. Using tri-axial accelerometers and GPS information from 10 crossbred steers, we examined foraging and meal bout frequency and duration and distance and speed traveled per meal for the period of March 2019. Observed animal behavior was used to train a randomforest model to predict foraging behavior, with model accuracy and sensitivity of 0.95 and 0.93, respectively. We found individual foraging bouts occurred on average 2,849 bouts per day and took on average 5.0 ± 1.8 min (range: 3–9 min), and that steers fed on average 205 ± 52.8 min/day (range: 120–270 min/day). Steers had an average of 9.5 ± 2.9 meals/day, that took on average, 89.3 ± 93.9 min/meal (range: 0.5–938.5 min/meal). Steers traveled an average of 412.4 ± 93.9 meters per meal, with an average foraging speed between 0 and 0.63 m/s. Traveling distance while foraging was positively correlated with meal length (0.83, P < 0.01) and foraging speed (0.70, P < 0.01). These results show that cattle grazing behavior can be accurately quantified in grazing cattle and warrants further research to examine associations between animal efficiency and performance, forage quality, and pasture management.

354 Awardee Talk: Midwest Cattle Feeding Over the Past 40 Years

The success of a cattle feeding region is dependent on many factors including resources and technology. Forty years ago, the once-dominant Midwest region had lost its competitive advantage in both areas. Today this industry has reinvented itself. This presentation reviews this journey and looks forward to new opportunities. There have been at least two disruptive technologies that affected cattle feeding, especially in this region over this time. The first is the convergence of microcomputer technology with the development of growth models based on the California Net Energy System. Decisions based on this new knowledge had a profound impact on feed conversion, growth and management. The second disruptive technology was the development of the ethanol industry and widespread availability of corn coproducts, especially high moisture corn coproducts. This development brought large quantities of a very high-quality feedstuff and inclusions in beef finishing diets became standard. Considerable research and education were needed to develop cost effective feeding programs with this new opportunity. Other changes have occurred across the cattle feeding industry over this time. Cattle size and carcass weights have continued a linear increase. Carcass quality and marbling has increased due to genetic selection, feeding endpoints and other factors. Improved growth technologies have continued to be developed and evaluated. Nutritional requirements of cattle for some nutrients have been fine-tuned but more work is needed. Disruptive technologies in the future may involve the convergence of precision livestock technology, smart sensors, artificial intelligence. Engineering developments and energy costs will affect the future of feed processing and delivery. Regardless of future technologies successful cattle feeding in the future will require access to feed resources, excellent nutrition and health management and strategies to manage risk.

Of herds and societies—Seasonal aspects of Vinča culture herding and land use practices revealed using sequential stable isotope analysis of animal teeth

Late Neolithic Vinča communities, spread over much of central and northern Balkans during the late sixth to mid-fifth millennium BC and characterised by unusually large and densely population centres, would have required highly organised food production systems. Zooarchaeological analysis indicates that domesticate livestock were herded, but little is known about the seasonal husbandry practices that helped ensure a steady supply of animal products to Vinča farming communities. Here, we present new stable carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotopic measurements of incremental bioapatite samples from the teeth of domesticated livestock and wild herbivore teeth from two late Neolithic Vinča culture sites: Vinča-Belo brdo and Stubline (Serbia). Our results show a low variation overall within sheep and goats in terms of pasture type that may have been composed of seasonal halophyte plant communities, which have higher δ13C values due to the saline rich growing environments. Cattle feeding strategies were more variable and provided with supplementary forage, such as cut branches or leafy hay, during winter. The sharp distinction in the management of cattle and sheep/goat may be associated with the development of herding strategies that sought to balance livestock feeding behaviours with available forage or, more provocatively, the emergence of household-based control over cattle–an animal that held a central economic and symbolic role in Vinča societies.

Validation of a Commercial Collar-Based Sensor for Monitoring Eating and Ruminating Behaviour of Dairy Cows

The use of sensor technologies to monitor cows’ behavior is becoming commonplace in the context of dairy production. This study aimed at validating a commercial collar-based sensor system, the AFICollar® (Afimilk, Kibbutz Afikim, Israel), designed to monitor dairy cattle feeding and ruminating behavior. Additionally, the performances of two versions of the software for behavior classification, the current software AFIfarm® 5.4 and the updated version AFIfarm® 5.5, were compared. The study involved twenty Holstein-Friesian cows fitted with the collars. To evaluate the sensor performance under different feeding scenarios, the animals were divided into four groups and fed three different types of feed (total mixed ration, long hay, animals allowed to graze). Recordings of hourly rumination and feeding time produced by the sensor were compared with visual observation by scan sampling at 1 minute intervals using Spearman correlation, concordance correlation coefficient (CCC), Bland–Altman plots and linear mixed models for assessing the precision and accuracy of the system. The analyses confirmed that the updated software version V5.5 produced better detection performance than the current V5.4. The updated software version produced high correlations between visual observations and data recorded by the sensor for both feeding (r = 0.85, CCC = 0.86) and rumination (r = 0.83, CCC = 0.86). However, the limits of agreement for both behaviors remained quite wide (feeding: −19.60 min/h, 17.46 min/h; rumination: −15.80 min/h, 15.00 min/h). Type of feed did not produce significant effects on the agreement between visual observations and sensor recordings. Overall, the results indicate that the system can provide farmers with adequately accurate data on feeding and rumination time, and can be used to support herd management decisions. Despite all this, the precision of the system remained relatively limited, and should be improved with further developments in the classification algorithm.

Zoomorphic Images of the BII Stage Trypillia Settlements in the Middle Buh River Region

Widely known in Trypillia archaeological culture various zoomorphic images clearly represent multisided spiritual world of farmers of Eneolithic period, in particular the spread of domestic animals cult. While retaining common features of zoomorphism throughout the whole range of Trypillia, from the early to later stages, there are certain distinctive features for each region and time of existence. Their study allows us to understand the peculiarities of formation and development of the animal image, manners and styles of its performance. It is important to study the embodiments of the animal image in various types of archaeological materials of Trypillia settlements of the Middle Buh River region at BII stage (plastics, pottery, dwelling models) and determine the territorial and temporal features in comparison with other areas of the Trypillia spread. At the settlements of Voroshylivka, Sosny, Selyshche, Nemyriv and Karolina, the most found plastic items are statuettes of domestic animals, which were made in realistic or stylistic manners. Small and medium-sized figurines, which are classified as bovidae/ovis, dominate here. They had paired legs, small horns and a tail. Sometimes an udder or a penis was imitated, indicating the sex of the animal (cow, bull). Of particular interest are the statuettes and zoomorphic bowls, which had cross holes in their coupled legs. It is possible that they were supplemented with wheels and used in rituals as movable figurines. Common are zoomorphic bowls on four legs with a horned head and a tail on rims, as well as peculiar oval or rectangular bowls on four legs, reminiscent of cattle feeding troughs. They were painted in a zoomorphic ornament, resembling the spine or fur of an animal. It is important to note that no “dog”, “deer” or “bird” ornaments, known in other regions of the Trypillia culture, have been found on the tableware of the Middle Buh local group. There are also zoomorphic features on the cooking ware. The pots had four legs on the bottoms, and small horned heads were stuck on the rims. The zoomorphism can be traced on a well-known dwelling model from Voroshylivka, where the roof timbers above the front and back walls are designed like the horns of a domestic animal. Considering that the model had four high legs, it is reasonable to assume that it could have been used in rituals honoring the dwelling and livestock. The comprehensive analysis of zoomorphic images from the settlements of the Trypillia BII stage of the Middle Buh local group showed some regional differences as well as general trends in the development of ideological views of the ancient agricultural population of the Right-Bank Ukraine. The image of animals, especially cattle, deeply penetrated into consciousness of the holders of Trypillia culture, and the cult of the horned bull became one of the leading in their ideology.