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Association between stall surface and some animal welfare measurements in freestall dairy herds using recycled manure solids for bedding
Abstract
The objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between stall surface and some animal welfare measurements in upper Midwest US dairy operations using recycled manure solids as bedding material. The study included 34 dairy operations with herd sizes ranging from 130 to 3,700 lactating cows. Forty-five percent of the herds had mattresses and 55% had deep-bedded stalls. Farms were visited once between July and October 2009. At the time of visit, at least 50% of the cows in each lactating pen were scored for locomotion, hygiene, and hock lesions. On-farm herd records were collected for the entire year and used to investigate mortality, culling, milk production, and mastitis incidence. Stall surface was associated with lameness and hock lesion prevalence. Lameness prevalence (locomotion score ≥3 on a 1 to 5 scale) was lower in deep-bedded freestalls (14.4%) than freestalls with mattresses (19.8%). Severe lameness prevalence (locomotion score ≥4) was also lower for cows housed in deep-bedded freestalls (3.6%) than for cows housed in freestalls with mattresses (5.9%). In addition, the prevalence of hock lesions (hock lesion scores ≥2 on a 1 to 3 scale, with 1=no lesion, 2=hair loss or mild lesion, and 3=swelling or severe lesion) and severe hock lesions (hock lesion score=3) was lower in herds with deep-bedded freestalls (49.4%; 6.4%) than in herds with mattresses (67.3%; 13.2%). Herd turnover rates were not associated with stall surface; however, the percentage of removals due to voluntary (low milk production, disposition, and dairy) and involuntary (death, illness, injury, and reproductive) reasons was different between deep-bedded and mattress-based freestalls. Voluntary removals averaged 16% of all herd removals in deep-bedded herds, whereas in mattress herds, these removals were 8%. Other welfare measurements such as cow hygiene, mortality rate, mastitis incidence, and milk production were not associated with stall surface.
... Moreover, deep fermented manure bedding was more effective in protecting cattle from joint injury and less risk of cattle limb and hoof disease [24]. Research showed that the use of deep recycled manure bedding in free-stall barns reduced the prevalence of lameness and joint wear, and it can improve body hygiene in dairy cattle [25]. ...
... Cattle body hygiene is one of the important animal welfare indexes and it is influenced by several factors, the type of bedding being one of the key factors [21]. Previous studies have shown that cows raised on the deep sand bedding had better hygiene than those in the regular straw bedding [28]; both used recycled cow manure as bedding material, and cattle in the deep bedding group had better body hygiene than the shallow bedding group, but the difference was not significant [25]. Guarín et al. [39] compared the effect of four bedding materials (new sand, recycled sand, deep-bedded manure solids and shallow-bedded manure solids over foam core mattresses) on udder cleanliness of cows. ...
... It has been shown that cows raised on rubber mats have lower levels of joint damage compared to concrete floors [13]. Similarly, less hock injury and joint wear and healthier limbs and hooves have been reported in pastures with deep sand or deep recycled manure bedding [25,40]. Barrientos et al. [41] surveyed 79 farms, and cows with bedding depths of at least 10 cm had healthier hoof limbs. ...
Different bedding materials have important effects on the behavioristics, production performance and welfare of buffalo. This study aimed to compare the effects of two bedding materials on lying behavior, production performance and animal welfare of dairy buffaloes. More than 40 multiparous lactating buffaloes were randomly divided into two groups, which were raised on fermented manure bedding (FMB) and chaff bedding (CB). The results showed that the application of FMB improved the lying behavior of buffaloes, the average daily lying time (ADLT) of buffaloes in FMB increased by 58 min compared to those in CB, with a significant difference (p < 0.05); the average daily standing time (ADST) decreased by 30 min, with a significant difference (p < 0.05); and the buffalo comfort index (BCI) increased, but the difference was not significant (p > 0.05). The average daily milk yield of buffaloes in FMB increased by 5.78% compared to buffaloes in CB. The application of FMB improved the hygiene of buffaloes. The locomotion score and hock lesion score were not significantly different between the two groups and all buffaloes did not show moderate and severe lameness. The price of FMB was calculated to be 46% of CB, which greatly reduced the cost of bedding material. In summary, FMB has significantly improved the lying behavior, production performance and welfare of buffaloes and significantly reduce the cost of bedding material.
... The increasing demand for bedding materials, especially sawdust and wheat straw, leads to the rising cost of conventional bedding materials [6]. Due to the increasing cost of common bedding materials, there is a growing preference for recycled manure solids as bedding materials [7]. The recycled manure solids tend to be used as bedding materials to form deep bedding and shallow bedding [8]. ...
... Deep bedding such as sand bedding may provide better lying comfort for lame cows than an unbedded rubber surface [23]. The use of deep-bedded manure solids in a free-stall barn reduces the incidence of lameness and hock abrasions [7]. Barrientos et al. [24] surveyed 76 farms and found that bedding depth of at least 10 cm reduced the risk of hock injury. ...
... The use of comfortable soft bedding with adequate materials in the barn provided a quality environment for cattle's rest and growth [7]. Holstein heifers (225-400 kg) raised on soft rubber mats increased their average daily gain by 9.09% compared with those raised on concrete floors [11]. ...
Providing clean, comfortable bedding is essential for the growth and welfare of bulls. This study was aimed to investigate the effects of bedding thickness on growth performance, behavior, and welfare of bulls as well as gases concentration in the barn. Thirty-six healthy Simmental bulls (7–9 months old) were randomly divided into three groups and raised on 0 cm (concrete floor, CF), 15 cm (shallow fermented bedding, SFB), and 30 cm (deep fermented bedding, DFB) fermented manure bedding. The results showed that the DFB group exhibited the optimal ADG (average daily gain), F/G (ratio of feed to gain), hoof health, body hygiene, and lying time, followed by the SFB group and the CF group (p < 0.05). As for the barn gas environment, the contents of ammonia and carbon dioxide were the lowest in the DFB group, followed by the SFB group, and they were the highest in the CF group at the same time points (p < 0.01). In summary, fermented manure bedding significantly improves the growth performances, behavior, and welfare of bulls as well as gases concentration, and the improvement effect achieved by deep fermented bedding is more obvious than by shallow fermented bedding.
... Ranjbar et al. (2016) report that the average daily rainfall is a risk factor associated with the prevalence of lameness (odds ratio: 1.06; 95% confidence interval: 1.02 to 1.09) [23]. (2) Sand shows a 5 to 21.5% prevalence of lameness [33]. This surface usually maintains its dry condition, but it generates peak loads at the hooves. ...
... Sand appears to be the best natural alternative housing surface next to grass, as it presents excellent results in navigation and acceptable ranges in movement capacity ( Figure 4C). Accordingly, the prevalence of lameness, from 5% to 21.5%, is nearly as low as grass [33,36,61,[68][69][70]. Nevertheless, it presents the inconvenience of causing a higher metabolic cost for movement. ...
... The alteration on movement parameters that this surface generates, given its high abrasion and the discomfort it causes to the animal, makes the use of this surface in free housing of dairy cows not recommended. This situation is confirmed with a high prevalence of lameness, which fluctuates between 13.3% and 40.9% [33,35,36], Figure 4A. ...
Lameness is a painful clinical condition of the bovine locomotor system that results in alterations of movement. Together with mastitis and infertility, lameness is the main welfare, health, and production problem found in intensive dairy farms worldwide. The clinical assessment of lameness results in an imprecise diagnosis and delayed intervention. Hence, the current approach to the problem is palliative rather than preventive. The five main surfaces used in free housing systems in dairy farms are two natural (grass and sand) and three artificial (rubber, asphalt, and concrete). Each surface presents a different risk potential for lameness, with grass carrying the lowest threat. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the flooring type influences on cows’ movement capabilities, using all the available information relating to kinematics, kinetics, behavior, and posture in free-housed dairy cows. Inspired by a refurbished movement ecology concept, we conducted a literature review, taking into account kinematics, kinetics, behavior, and posture parameters by reference to the main surfaces used in free housing systems for dairy cows. We built an integrative analysis of functional ranges (IAFuR), which provides a combined welfare status diagram for the optimal (i.e., within the upper and lower limit) functional ranges for movement (i.e., posture, kinematics, and kinetics), navigation (i.e., behavior), and recovery capacities (i.e., metabolic cost). Our analysis confirms grass’ outstanding clinical performance, as well as for all of the movement parameters measured. Grass boosts pedal joint homeostasis; provides reliable, safe, and costless locomotion; promotes longer resting times. Sand is the best natural alternative surface, but it presents an elevated metabolic cost. Rubber is an acceptable artificial alternative surface, but it is important to consider the mechanical and design properties. Asphalt and concrete surfaces are the most harmful because of the high traffic abrasiveness and loading impact. Furthermore, IAFuR can be used to consider other qualitative and quantitative parameters and to provide recommendations on material properties and the design of any surface, so as to move towards a more grass-like feel. We also suggest the implementation of a decision-making pathway to facilitate the interpretation of movement data in a more comprehensive way, in order to promote consistent, adaptable, timely, and adequate management decisions.
... This may indicate that the conditions on a commercial farm may not be ideal for all dairy cows. Several reasons for culling, like mastitis and lameness [14][15][16][17], are free stall related. On one hand, farmers want to ensure that their cows are well cared for, but on the other hand, they are faced with economic challenges. ...
... Drum composting reduces the number of E. coli bacteria. Further drying by blowing air reduces the moisture content, but has no influence on the number of bacteria [17,110]. The bacterial counts in the bedding are reflected in those on Ruminants 2021, 1 8 the teat ends and bulk milk [58,61]. ...
... It is, therefore, important to monitor the hygienic status and ventilation very closely. So far, no reports have been published about a higher incidence of mastitis or somatic cell count [17,110,116]. Advantages are the availability, and thus the use of thick layers in the stalls (>30 cm), which increases lying times, cow comfort, and welfare [89,110,115]. Disadvantages may be the high number of bacteria present in the bedding, and use in humid climates and/or poorly ventilated barns could lead to a high moisture content in bedding [58,61] as well as high air humidity. ...
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.
... Aspects of housing and management such as cubicle type or pasture access could also have strong effects on animal welfare in dairy cattle. Deep-bedded cubicles have positive effects on locomotion (Husfeldt and Endres, 2012) and integument alterations (Brenninkmeyer et al., 2013). Pasture access during the summer period is beneficial regarding integument alterations (Haskell et al., 2006) and lameness (Wagner et al., 2018;Armbrecht et al., 2019). ...
... Dairy farms with deep-bedded cubicles were characterized by shorter lying down durations compared to dairy farms equipped with rubber mats. Conceivably, high amounts of bedding material provide soft lying areas and make the lying down process more comfortable (Husfeldt and Endres, 2012 (van Gastelen et al., 2011). Contrastingly, no relationship between bedding type and lying down duration was observed in Switzerland (Wechsler et al., 2000). ...
... Similarly, Plesch and Knierim (2012) observed 8.1% less cows with soiled teats in deep-bedded cubicles compared with rubber mats. Contrastingly, comparable cubicle hygiene scores were found for deep-bedded cubicles (2.49 ± 0.03) and rubber mats (2.53 ± 0.05) by Husfeldt and Endres (2012). Lying surfaces of deep-bedded cubicles are often restricted by curbs, in order to maintain the bedding material within the cubicles (Plesch and Knierim, 2012). ...
Cubicle characteristics such as cubicle dimensions or management factors such as cow-to-cubicle ratio could affect health and behaviour of dairy cows. The objective of this study was to estimate effects of cubicle characteristics on animal welfare indicators in dairy cattle. A total of 64 loose housing farms in Germany were assessed once during the winter housing period by one experienced assessor. Nearly 15% of the dairy cows had access to pasture during summer months for <6 h/day, whereas 85% were zero-grazing farms. Selected animal welfare indicators (duration of the lying down process, collisions of cows with cubicles, cows lying outside cubicles, cow cleanliness, integument alterations, lameness and subclinical mastitis incidence) of the Welfare Quality® protocol and cubicle characteristics such as cow-to-cubicle ratio and cubicle dimensions were recorded. Data were statistically analysed using a multiple linear regression approach. Pasture access and cubicle type were considered as potential influencing factors. Wider cubicles positively affected the proportion of dairy cows with dirty flanks (−18.5% per 10 cm increase) but increased the number of cows with severe integument alterations (+8.9% per 10 cm increase). Larger lying areas reduced the percentage of cows with dirty udders (−2.9% per 10 cm ² increase). Longer distances from neck rail to curb were associated with higher prevalence of cows with dirty flanks (+3.1% per 10 cm increase) and subclinical mastitis incidence (+1.2% per 10 cm increase). With increasing neck rail height, the duration of the lying down process (−0.1 s per 10% increase), the percentages of cows with dirty legs (−8.4% per 10 cm increase), dirty udders (−7.0% per 10 cm increase) and severe lameness (−3.0% per 10 cm increase) decreased. Compared with rubber mat-equipped cubicles, deep-bedded cubicles showed a reduction in the lying down duration (−0.8 s), percentages of cows with dirty legs (−34.2%), dirty udders (−30.5%) and lesions and swellings (−13.1%). Compared with farms that did not provide any summer grazing, pasture access was associated with an increase of cows with severe lameness (+5.6%). Contrastingly, the number of cows with subclinical mastitis incidence was lower when cows had access to pasture in summer (−5.4%). Findings of the present study indicate several associations between cubicle characteristics and animal welfare in dairy cattle. Bedding type was found as the most influencing factor in terms of health and behaviour. Results of this study are valuable for farmers to identify the optimal cubicle design and improve the animal welfare level.
... Only few studies have investigated associations between housing and management factors and indicators relating to different aspects of dairy cattle welfare simultaneously (e.g. Husfeldt and Endres, 2012). In the current study, we consider four indicators included in the Welfare Quality protocol for dairy cattle (2009) relating to three aspects of animal welfare: prevalence of lameness, lesions or swellings (related to health), dirty hindquarters (housing), and average frequency of displacements (behavior). ...
... The negative association between prevalence of lameness and the use of soft mats or mattresses, or deep bedding in stalls and pasturing was consistent with other studies (e.g. Husfeldt and Endres, 2012;Chapinal et al., 2013). Similar to the positive association between the prevalence of lameness and an open biosecurity status of a herd in our study, Frankena et al. (1991) and Holzhauer et al. (2008) showed a higher risk of lameness and sole ulcers for herds purchasing heifers. ...
... The negative association between the prevalence of lesions or swellings and the use of soft mats or mattresses, or deep bedding in stalls and pasturing was consistent with results of other studies (e.g. Fulwider et al., 2007;Lombard et al., 2010;Husfeldt and Endres, 2012;Burow et al., 2013;Brenninkmeyer et al., in press). To our knowledge, there are no other studies that found associations between prevalence of lesions or swellings and light intensity in the barn, or days in milk when the maximum amount of concentrates is fed. ...
... Only in a few studies associations between housing and management factors and indicators relating to different aspects of dairy cattle welfare have been considered simultaneously (e.g. Burow et al., 2012;Husfeldt and Endres, 2012;Coignard et al., 2013). In the present study, we considered four indicators included in the Welfare Quality protocol for dairy cattle (2009) relating to three aspects of animal welfare: prevalence of lameness (relating to health), prevalence of lesions or swellings (health), prevalence of dirty hindquarters (cleanliness), and average frequency of displacements (behavior). ...
... Estimated prevalence (%) P-value Odds ratio 95% CI of odds ratio P-value pairwise comparison (e.g. Haskell et al., 2006;Hernandez-Mendo et al., 2007;Dippel et al., 2009;Burow et al., 2012;Husfeldt and Endres, 2012;Chapinal et al., 2013). Studies have reported a higher prevalence of lame cows in herds with mattresses compared to deep bedding (e.g. ...
... The negative association between the prevalence of lesions or swellings and the use of soft mats or mattresses, or deep bedding in stalls and pasturing was consistent with results of other studies (e.g. Weary and Taszkun, 2000;Haskell et al., 2006;Fulwider et al., 2007;Lombard et al., 2010;Husfeldt and Endres, 2012;Brenninkmeyer et al., 2013;Burow et al., 2013). To our knowledge, there are no other studies that have found associations between prevalence of lesions or swellings and light intensity in the barn, or DIM when the maximum amount of concentrates is fed. ...
... The main critical points of South Tyrolean dairy farms referred to firm lying surface and/or absence of litter, low water pressure of the drinkers in TS, the presence of a cow trainer in TS and the absence of an infirmary box (Table 7). Several studies have shown the impact of lying surface and the management of the cubicles on skin alterations, hock lesions and locomotion (Hernandez-Mendo et al. 2007;Husfeldt and Endres 2012;Brenninkmeyer et al. 2013;Katzenberger et al. 2020) and thus, directly affects animal welfare. For example, Husfeldt and Endres (2012) compared mattresses and deep-bedding boxes, which both represent soft materials, and showed that the latter performed significantly better on the above-mentioned health indicators. ...
... Several studies have shown the impact of lying surface and the management of the cubicles on skin alterations, hock lesions and locomotion (Hernandez-Mendo et al. 2007;Husfeldt and Endres 2012;Brenninkmeyer et al. 2013;Katzenberger et al. 2020) and thus, directly affects animal welfare. For example, Husfeldt and Endres (2012) compared mattresses and deep-bedding boxes, which both represent soft materials, and showed that the latter performed significantly better on the above-mentioned health indicators. In our study some farms used hard surfaces for lying areas like concrete, tiles, or wood, which is rather responsible for leg injuries than mattresses (Fulwider et al. 2007) and hence even more detrimental. ...
The challenges facing the health sector and the agri-food industry have become increasingly complex over the years. Animal welfare, drug consumption, the use of the slaughterhouse as an epidemiological observatory and biosecurity, as well as the health risks associated with it, are increasingly interconnected, making an integrated approach necessary. Hence the European Commission developed regulations to ensure a certain standard for animal welfare in livestock husbandry, which led the Animal Health and Veterinary Drugs Directorate of the Italian Ministry of Health to design an integrated system called Classyfarm, aimed at categorising farming according to risk. The aim of our study was to consider the protocol of the Classyfarm system for evaluating the present situation in South Tyrolean dairy farming (1) and discuss the practical implementation of this new system in small-scale mountain dairy farming (2) which largely differs from large dairy enterprises in the lowlands. The results provide important insights about farm structure and management. However, in terms of animal welfare the questionnaire of Classyfarm is not able to properly differentiate and therefore results need to be considered with caution. Similarly, the section about biosafety is hardly applicable for small-scale mountain farms due to limited herd size and building capacity. Therefore, authors underline the necessity of developing a further differentiated questionnaire for the Classyfarm system, which considers the peculiarities of small-scale mountain dairy farming and allow proper conclusions regarding sanitary risk for public health unless the long-term aim is that such structure will stop producing which will have significant effects on many other sectors in the region, e.g. tourism. HIGHLIGHTS � The section for Biosafety in the present Classyfarm protocol is hardly applicable to small-scale mountain dairy farms. � Results of animal-based measures do not offer differentiated insights in the present situation. � The present benchmarks for some animal-based measurements like mortality are not applicable for small scale-farms as they provide misleading information. ARTICLE HISTORY
... Management of hock lesions is challenging and it was demonstrated that usage of deep-bedding systems results in a decrease of hock lesions prevalence (14,22). Others also demonstrated that bedding depth, by mitigating the impact of abrasive or hard stall base on cows, may play a more important role for the cow welfare than the bedding type itself (2). ...
... Due to its large availability once a farm is equipped, RMS is of great interest since it could be used in large amount in stalls, including deep-bedded stalls. However, RMS is considerably less dense than sand, another common bedding type used in deep bedding system (14). Therefore, when it will be used, RMS will tend to be compressed more easily than sand, which may expose the rear curb of the stalls and cause an increase in hock lesions prevalence. ...
The use of recycled manure solids (RMS) as bedding for dairy cows has become more popular over the last decade. Once producers own the RMS producing equipment, they are not restricted in the amount of bedding they can use in stalls, due to its large availability and low production costs. Thus, they are usually able to provide a soft lying area for their cows. Nevertheless, the potential positive impact of RMS on cows' hygiene and odds of hock lesions is not clearly demonstrated. Objectives of this research were, therefore, to compare RMS-bedded cows' hygiene level and odds of hock lesions to straw-bedded cows (comparative group). To achieve this, an observational cross-sectional study was conducted in 27 RMS- and 61 straw-bedded herds. During the farm visit, 30 cows per herd were scored for hygiene of three body regions (udder, lower legs and flank/upper legs) using a score ranging from 1 to 4 (1 being the cleanest and 4 the dirtiest). In addition, both hocks were scored (0 to 3) to evaluate the presence of lesions (0 when there was no lesion and 3 when a swelling protrusion > 2.5 cm was present). Continuation-ratio models were used to compute the odds of having a given score to the odds of having a lower score. Recycled manure solids usage was associated with lower odds of having an udder hygiene score ≥3 [odds ratio (OR): 0.43; 95% CI: 0.20, 0.95] and of having a score of 4 (OR: 0.29; 95% CI: 0.09, 0.93). It was also associated, compared to straw, with cleaner lower legs. We observed lower odds of having a score ≥2 (OR: 0.45; 95% CI: 0.21, 0.98), ≥3 (OR: 0.16; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.66), or a score of 4 (OR: 0.07; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.40) in RMS-bedded herds. No statistically significant association could be highlighted between RMS usage and flank/upper legs hygiene. Furthermore, we did not observe any statistically significant associations between bedding type (RMS vs. straw) and odds of hock lesions. In conclusion, cows bedded with RMS had generally cleaner udders and cleaner lower legs than straw-bedded ones. No association was found between bedding type and odds of hock lesions.
... Si, du point de vue du confort animal, le sable semble incontestablement une solution de choix comme revêtement du sol des logettes, il faut savoir qu'il provoque, par son caractère abrasif, une dégradation accélérée de l'équipement de manutention des effluents (Husfeldt et Endres 2012) ainsi que du matériel des logettes (Andreasen et Forkman 2012). La manutention de fumiers (transfert, stockage, épandage) chargés de sable nécessite des équipements spécialement conçus, ceux servant à la manutention des fumiers à litière organique étant difficilement adaptables (Milklait 2013). ...
... Aux Etats-Unis,Husfeldt et Endres (2012) ont réalisé une étude au sein de 34 exploitations laitières équipées de logettes dont le sol était recouvert soit d'une litière de fumier solide recyclé (22,1 cm d'épaisseur), soit de matelas eux-mêmes recouverts de fumier recyclé d'une épaisseur moyenne de 9,1 cm. Au sein de ces deux groupes, les fréquences de boiteries ont été respectivement de 14 et 20% et celles de lésions des jarrets de 49 et 63%. ...
Réalisant un bon compromis entre les besoins des animaux et ceux des éleveurs, la stabulation libre à logettes s’est imposée comme une des principales modalités d’hébergement des vaches laitières. Les recommandations relatives à sa mise en place et à sa gestion font cependant toujours l’objet de révisions. Une attention particulière est actuellement accordée à l’amélioration des conditions de confort de la vache. Le confort de la vache couchée peut être évalué par le temps passé en position couchée, la fréquence des changements de position et la facilité avec laquelle les vaches se couchent et se lèvent. Le confort de couchage est principalement lié à la souplesse du sol, aux dimensions des logettes et à la façon de les délimiter tant latéralement qu’à l’avant. Un sol suffisamment souple peut être assuré soit par des matelas multicouches, soit par des litières épaisses. Les matelas doivent être recouverts d’un matériau de litière absorbant l’humidité en surface et contribuant à garantir la propreté du sol et de la mamelle. Pour atteindre ces objectifs, la nature du matériau (paille, sciure, sable, chaux…) apparaît moins importante que la fréquence de renouvellement. Les logettes « creuses », dont le sol est recouvert d’une couche épaisse (± 20 cm) de litière, semblent globalement mieux appréciées par les vaches que celles équipées de matelas et leur utilisation est associée à une moindre fréquence de lésions au niveau des membres ainsi que de boiteries. Le sable apparaît comme un matériau de premier choix pour assurer le confort des animaux. Néanmoins, l’entretien des logettes creuses demande un surcroît de travail et la manutention de sable comme matériau de litière nécessite des équipements spécifiques. Les recommandations relatives aux dimensions des logettes entrent dans une fourchette de valeurs assez étendue car devant être adaptées au gabarit des animaux et intégrer la recherche de conditions optimisant la propreté du bâti. Les modèles de séparations latérales sont à évaluer quant à leur efficacité à contraindre l’animal à ne pas déborder sur les emplacements voisins tout en évitant qu’il ne se blesse ou ne soit gêné lors du lever et du coucher. Enfin, le dispositif limitant l’avancement dans la logette sera jugé sur son efficacité à dégager l’espace nécessaire pour permettre à l’animal de projeter sans contrainte la tête vers l’avant lors du relevé.
... In another study, Barberg et al. [14] compared welfare, performance and udder health before and after changing the housing system in the same dairy barn. More recently, Husfeldt and Endres [15] assessed associations between different stall bedding materials and some animal welfare measurements in 34 dairy farms where 45% of the herds had mattresses and 55% had deep-bedded stalls. However, although some studies have started to compare composted beddings with other systems and beddings, we still lack data for comparisons among the three type of housing systems discussed on this paper obtained on the same farm and over the same time period. ...
... Effectively, Barberg et al. [14] reported that cows housed in compost bedded pack barns had fewer hock lesions when compared with data from other studies for freestall housing [27]. Similarly, van Gastelen et al. [28] and Husfeldt and Endres [15] noted a decreasing percentage of cows with healthy hocks with the hardness of the bedded surface. ...
Three loose housing systems for lactating cows (compost bedded pack, CBP; conventional bedded pack, BP; and freestalls, FS) were assessed on one farm in terms of cow behavior and welfare. An on-farm welfare assessment based on the Welfare Quality protocols was used four times every three months on 757 cows. Video recordings taken twice over four days were used to assess behavior patterns at resting areas. Cows in CBP and BP were dirtier than those in FS (p < 0.0001). Fewer integument alterations were recorded for CBP and BP than FS (p < 0.001). Cows in BP were quicker to lie down and stand up compared to those in CBP or FS (p < 0.001). Percentages of cows needing more attempts before rising were higher for FS (p < 0.01). However, a higher frequency of kneeling was observed in CBP (p = 0.033). A lower percentage of cows lying in the resting area was recorded for FS (56%) than CBP or BP (97 or 84%, respectively, p < 0.05). Overall, in this study, cows kept in bedded pack barns were dirtier but had fewer integument alterations and spent more time lying down in the resting area than cows housed in freestalls.
... Unfortunately, freestalls are commonly known to cause skin lesions on the hocks of dairy cattle (Mowbray et al., 2003). Skin lesions develop on dairy cow hocks when the hocks come into frequent, abrasive contact with their lying surface (Husfeldt and Endres, 2012). Hock lesions may occur when the weight of the animal places pressure on the hock, reducing blood flow to the area causing lesions (Spector, 1994, O'Sullivan et al., 1997. ...
... Unfortunately, freestall barns are commonly known to cause skin lesions on dairy cattle hocks (Mowbray et al., 2003). Skin lesions develop on dairy cows hocks when hocks come into frequent, abrasive contact with their lying surface (Husfeldt and Endres, 2012). To minimize hock lesions and knee injuries, a stall surface must be non-abrasive and compressible (Fulwider and Palmer, 2004a). ...
The objectives of this research were to compare lying time, milk yield, rumination time, hock score, stall cleanliness, and stall temperature for 97 cows (Holsteins (n = 71), Jerseys (n = 10), and crossbreds (n = 16)) housed on Dual Chamber Cow Waterbeds™ (DCCW, Advanced Comfort Technology, Reedsburg, WI) or conventional rubber mattresses (MAT). This study was conducted at the University of Kentucky Coldstream Research Dairy Farm from January 18, 2012 to May 3, 2013. Lying times were longer (P < 0.01) for cows housed on the DCCW (10:32 ± 0:13) compared to cows housed on the MAT (9:47 ± 0:15). Milk yield was not different (P ≥ 0.05) between cows housed on the DCCW or MAT. Rumination times were greater (P = 0.03) for cows housed on MAT (6:44 ± 0:08) compared to cows housed on DCCW (6:29 ± 0:08). Hock scores were lesser (P = 0.02) for cows housed on DCCW (1.86 ± 0.03) compared to cows housed on MAT (1.97 ± 0.04). Stall cleanliness was not different (P ≥ 0.05) between the DCCW and the MAT. The DCCW stall temperature was warmer (P < 0.01) (13.29 ± 0.21 ⁰C) than the MAT (10.52 ± 0.21 ⁰C).
... Si, du point de vue du confort animal, le sable semble incontestablement une solution de choix comme revêtement du sol des logettes, il faut savoir qu'il provoque, par son caractère abrasif, une dégradation accélérée de l'équipement de manutention des effluents (Husfeldt et Endres 2012) ainsi que du matériel des logettes (Andreasen et Forkman 2012). La manutention de fumiers (transfert, stockage, épandage) chargés de sable nécessite des équipements spécialement conçus, ceux servant à la manutention des fumiers à litière organique étant difficilement adaptables (Milklait 2013). ...
... Aux Etats-Unis,Husfeldt et Endres (2012) ont réalisé une étude au sein de 34 exploitations laitières équipées de logettes dont le sol était recouvert soit d'une litière de fumier solide recyclé (22,1 cm d'épaisseur), soit de matelas eux-mêmes recouverts de fumier recyclé d'une épaisseur moyenne de 9,1 cm. Au sein de ces deux groupes, les fréquences de boiteries ont été respectivement de 14 et 20% et celles de lésions des jarrets de 49 et 63%. ...
Cubicle housing offers a good compromise between the needs of the animals and those of the breeders; it is one of the main housing systems for dairy cows. The recommendations relative to the design and management of cubicle housing are, however, always subject to revision. Special attention is now being given to the improvement of animal comfort, particularly with regards to the lying cow. In this context, the level of comfort is estimated by the duration of the lying time, the frequency of the lying bouts and the ease with which cows are able to get up and lie down. The level of cow comfort is in direct relation to the softness of the floor, to the cubicle dimensions, and to the design of the lateral and frontal partitions. A soft floor can be assured through the use of either multilayer mattresses or a thick litter. Mattresses must be covered with a litter material that absorbs surface moisture and helps to ensure the cleanliness of the stall and udder. To achieve these objectives, the nature of the litter material (straw, sawdust, sand, lime, etc.) appears to be less important than the frequency of renewal. Cubicle floors covered with a thick layer (20 cm) of litter seem generally better appreciated by the cows than those equipped with mattresses, and their use is associated with a lower frequency of leg injuries as well as lameness. Sand appears to be a top-grade material for ensuring animal comfort. Nevertheless, the maintenance of a thick layer of litter demands an extra daily labor requirement and the handling of sand as a litter material requires specific equipment. There is a wide range of recommendations on cubicle dimensions due to differences in cow size and the need to take into account the cleanliness of the floor. Lateral partitions must be evaluated for their effectiveness in constraining the animal from spilling out into the neighboring cubicles while at the same time avoiding both injury and difficulties experienced by the cow in getting up and lying down. Finally, frontal partitions must be evaluated regarding their effectiveness in providing sufficient space to allow the cow to thrust its head forward as it stands up.
... Recycled manure solids (RMS) are also used as bedding material. Currently, the data suggest that herds bedded on RMS have a lower prevalence and fewer severe hock lesions than herds using mattresses (Husfeldt and Endres, 2012). The comparison to sand is less clear; Husfeldt and Endres (2012) found that the prevalence of hock lesions was higher on RMS, but Nuss and Weidmann (2013) reported that a manure pack covered with straw was associated with a lower prevalence of lesions. ...
... Currently, the data suggest that herds bedded on RMS have a lower prevalence and fewer severe hock lesions than herds using mattresses (Husfeldt and Endres, 2012). The comparison to sand is less clear; Husfeldt and Endres (2012) found that the prevalence of hock lesions was higher on RMS, but Nuss and Weidmann (2013) reported that a manure pack covered with straw was associated with a lower prevalence of lesions. ...
... In order to address this situation and to better understand the needs of livestock for better welfare and productivity, several studies have addressed problem of discomfort in dairy farms by relying on measures taken on animal's environment such as the length of stalls and cubicles (Husfeldtand & Endres, 2012;Cazin, Nicks, & Dufrasne, 2014) and other based on measurements taken directly on the animal which really and objectively reflect its state of well-being (De Boyer des Roches et al., 2014). ...
The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and degree of discomfort in dairy cows and the risk factors associated by taking into account six animal welfare indicators included in the Welfare Quality® Protocol (WQ®): lying time, lying outside lying area, collision and cleanliness assessed on three body areas: udder, hindquarters and hind limbs. These indicators were carried out on 1,200 dairy cows belonging to 100 dairy farms in the province of Algiers, which 53% were kept in permanent tie stalls and 47% in partial tie stalls. Observation results showed a low average overall score of comfort (40.8 ± 10.62). This was mainly related to a long lying time (5.9s ± 0.89) of which 41.0% of the farms surveyed exceeded the alert threshold (>6.3s) and 39.0% the alarm threshold (>5.2s), a very high degree of dirtiness in udder (62.6%±21.9), hind quarters (60.6%±21.5) and hind limbs (60.6±21.4). As a result, the majority of farms exceeded the alert thresholds: 100.0% (udder), 86.0% (hindquarters) and 63.0% (hind limbs). Highly significant correlations were observed between the different aspects of comfort assessed (p < 0.0001). To reconcile dairy cows’ welfare and productivity, it is essential to improve their comfort.
... With the increasingly limited resources in the future, manure management will become important, and recycling resources such as dung has potential. As the cost of bedding materials increases, a growing number of farms tend to use TD as bedding to improve the performance of dairy cows (Husfeldt and Endres, 2012). This material exhibits multiple advantages for cows such as increased comfort, reduced hock lesions, and improved cleanliness of dairy cows (Bradley et al., 2018). ...
Bedding materials are important for suckling buffalo calves. Treated dung has been used as a bedding material for dairy cows but the lack of an appropriate safety assessment limits its application. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of treated dung (TD) as a bedding material for suckling calves by comparing TD with rice husk (RH) and rice straw (RS) bedding materials. The TD was prepared through high-temperature composting by Bacillus subtilis. Thirty-three newborn suckling buffalo calves (Bubalus bubalis, 40.06 ± 5.79 kg) were randomly divided into 3 bedding material groups (TD, RH, and RS) and bedded with 1 of the 3 bedding materials for 60 d. We compared cost, moisture content, bacterial counts, and microbial composition of the 3 bedding materials, and investigated growth performance, health status, behavior, rumen fermentation, and blood parameters of bedded calves. The results showed that TD contained the fewest gram-negative bacteria and coliforms on d 1 and 30 and the lowest relative abundance of Staphylococcus throughout the experiment. The RH and TD bedding materials had the lowest cost. Calves in the TD and RS groups showed a higher dry matter intake, and final body weight and average daily gain in the TD and RS groups tended to be higher than in the RH group. Calves in the TD and RS groups had a lower disease incidence (diarrhea and fever), fewer antibiotic treatments, and lower fecal score than calves in the RH group. Higher contents of IgG, IgA, and IgM were observed in calves of the TD and RS groups than in calves of the RH group on d 10, indicating higher immune ability in TD and RS groups. Furthermore, TD bedding increased the butyric acid content in the calf's rumen, whereas RS bedding increased the acetate content, which might be attributed to the longer time and higher frequency of eating bedding material in the RS group. Considering all of the above indicators, we concluded that TD is the optimal bedding material for calves based on economics, bacterial count, microbial diversity, growth performance, and health status. Our findings provide a valuable reference for bedding material choice and calf farming.
... Las vacas lecheras pueden destinar entre 8-16 h/d para el descanso, lo que hace relevante la calidad de la superficie a la que puedan acceder. (21,22) Por lo tanto, es importante proporcionar una superficie limpia, seca y cómoda para que las vacas descansen (23) Además, una cama mal manejada puede afectar la limpieza (15,24) y el comportamiento de los animales (4) , como así también su salud. (6,25,26) En los sistemas de compost, las virutas de madera y el aserrín son los materiales más empleados; sin embargo, también se utilizan paja y astillas de madera. ...
... Las vacas lecheras pueden destinar entre 8-16 h/d para el descanso, lo que hace relevante la calidad de la superficie a la que puedan acceder. (21,22) Por lo tanto, es importante proporcionar una superficie limpia, seca y cómoda para que las vacas descansen (23) Además, una cama mal manejada puede afectar la limpieza (15,24) y el comportamiento de los animales (4) , como así también su salud. (6,25,26) En los sistemas de compost, las virutas de madera y el aserrín son los materiales más empleados; sin embargo, también se utilizan paja y astillas de madera. ...
Confined milk production systems can present several critical
points with respect to animal welfare, which does not imply that they
cannot be resolved. Housing dairy cattle in compost barns, with proper
design and management, has been shown to improve cow health
and longevity and, consequently, their productive performance. Based
on the results carried out worldwide, the compost barn systems represent
a friendly housing alternative with the well-being of the animals
compared to other confinement systems. However, the number of investigations
on the welfare of dairy cattle in these systems in Argentina
and in the world is still scarce, so it would be advisable to add regional
studies to be able to precede in terms of the real and potential impact
on dairy cows.
... CM on farms using RMS was not yet confirmed in the scientific literature. Moreover, only one study have described CM incidence in a large number of farms using RMS bedding (10). Finally, pathogen-specific CM incidence was never reported on RMS farms. ...
Bedding can affect mammary health of dairy cows. The objectives of this study were to evaluate clinical mastitis incidence in cows housed on recycled manure solids bedding and, more specifically, to determine which pathogens were involved. We followed 26 recycled manure solids farms and 60 straw-bedded farms as a comparative group during 1 year (2018–2019). For each episode of clinical mastitis, defined as a visual alteration of the milk, with or without local or systemic signs of infection, producers sampled aseptically the affected quarter, provided some details about the animal, and sent the sample to the research team at the Université de Montréal. We received and analyzed 1,144 milk samples. The samples were cultured according to the National Mastitis Council guidelines and the different colony phenotypes were subsequently identified with mass spectrometry. In 54.6% of CM cases, a single phenotype of bacteria was cultured (pure culture), while two different phenotypes were found in 16.8% of the samples (mixed culture), and no growth was observed in 14.4% of the samples. Samples with three or more phenotypes were considered contaminated and were not included in the pathogen-specific analyses (14.3% of the submitted samples). The most frequently identified bacterial species in pure and mixed culture in farms using recycled manure solids were Streptococcus uberis (16.0%), Escherichia coli (13.8%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (13.2%), Streptococcus dysgalactiae (6.2%), and Staphylococcus aureus (3.4%). In straw farms, the most frequent species were S. aureus (16.6%), S. uberis (11.0%), E. coli (9.1%), S. dysgalactiae (8.0%), and K. pneumoniae (1.1%). The incidence of clinical mastitis (all cases together) was not higher in recycled manure solids farms (14.0 cases/100 cow-year; 95% CI: 8.3–23.7) compared with straw-bedded farms (16.3 cases/100 cow-year; 95% CI: 9.0–29.6). However, K. pneumoniae clinical mastitis episodes were 7.0 (95% CI: 2.0–24.6) times more frequent in recycled manure solids farms than in straw farms. Adjusted least square means estimates were 1.6 K. pneumoniae clinical mastitis cases/100 cow-year (95% CI: 0.8–3.4) in recycled manure solids farms vs. 0.2 cases/100 cow-year (95% CI: 0.1–0.6) in straw-bedded farms. Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical mastitis is in general severe. Producers interested in this bedding alternative need to be aware of this risk.
... Legowiska boksów, a także powierzchnie korytarzy spacerowych obór są ważnymi czynnikami ryzyka kulawizn. Badania wskazują, że w oborach z boksami legowiskowymi wyłożonymi materacami obserwowano wyższą częstość występowania kulawizn niż w oborach, w których w boksach legowiskowych stosowano piasek lub głęboką ściółkę (37,71). Najnowsze badania europejskie związane z zarządzaniem wskaźnikami dobrostanu w tym kulawiznami w oborach krów mlecznych (45,54,139,144), wykazują, że częstość występowania kulawizn była niższa w stadach krów, w których stosowano materace kauczukowe i głęboką ściółkę w porównaniu z podłogami betonowymi. ...
The purpose of this review was to present the effect of selection of cows for increased milk and meat yields on the animal welfare status in advanced cattle production systems during the last two decades. Numerous health problems are due to housing systems characterized by the lack of pastures and runs, litterless floors, animal congestion limiting cows’ movement, feeding on roughage, social conflicts and bad management. The most frequent causes of culling are lameness, mastitis and reproductive disorders in dairy and beef cattle, which reduce cows’ longevity and result in economic losses in animal husbandry. In addition, lameness and mastitis cause severe pain, exposing cows to suffering and thus reducing their welfare, which is currently unacceptable to consumers. Animal welfare in cattle production should be ensured not only for legal and ethical reasons, but also because it is essential for the good health of the animals, making it possible to limit the use of antibiotics, which are a threat to food safety and public health.
... Although such huge amounts of animal manure exert stress on agricultural production and ecological environment protection, they also bring important opportunities for resource transformation and utilization. Animal manure resources are mainly utilized in the form of fertilizer, energy, and materials, and their transformation approaches include aerobic composting [2], biochar preparation [3], livestock bedding [4], direct combustion, biogas fermentation [5], etc. Such utilization and transformation are closely related to animal manure raw materials' composition characteristics. ...
PurposeThis study compared characteristics of different animal manure and examined non-parametric multivariate analysis tools’ suitability for their data mining. This can provide data and methodology support for scientific research and utilization of animal manure raw materials’ characteristics.Methods
Distribution profile testing, statistical calculation, and Spearman correlation analysis—using characteristics of 788 animal manure samples of layer, broiler, pig, dairy, and beef, with fertilizer nutrient compositions, proximate compositions, ultimate compositions, and calorific values—were conducted. Latent associations between different animal manure types’ characteristics were examined through five non-parametric multivariate analyses.ResultsAll samples’ physicochemical characteristics samples showed different non-normal distributions except potassium. Volatile matter (VM), fixed carbon (FC), ash, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and higher/lower heating value (HHV/LHV) were correlated, and nitrogen was positively correlated with phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur. Non-parametric principal component analysis (PCA), non-parametric exploratory factor analysis (EFA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) obtained similar results: VM, FC, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, HHV, and LHV had associated attributes (“energy utilization”); phosphorus, potassium, ash, nitrogen, and sulfur had intrinsic associated attributes (“fertilizer utilization”).Conclusions
Animal manure characteristics should be mined and analyzed using non-parametric statistical analysis methods. Non-parametric PCA, non-parametric EFA, HCA, and NMDS are suitable for this purpose.Graphic Abstract
... Dairy cows can spend approximately 8−16 h/d lying down, which makes the quality of the surface important [4]. Previous studies have shown that increasing lying times are beneficial for milk production [5]; hence, it is important to provide a reasonably clean, dry, and comfortable surface for cows to rest on [6]. ...
The bedding materials used in dairy cow housing systems are extremely important for animal welfare and performance. A wide range of materials can be used as bedding for dairy cattle, but their physical properties must be analysed to evaluate their potential. In the present study, the physical properties of various bedding materials for dairy cattle were investigated, and different fuzzy clustering algorithms were employed to cluster these materials based on their physical properties. A total of 51 different bedding materials from various places in Europe were collected and tested. Physical analyses were carried out for the following parameters: bulk density (BD), water holding capacity (WHC), air-filled porosity (AFP), global density (GD), container capacity (CC), total effective porosity (TEP), saturated humidity (SH), humidity (H), and average particle size (APS). These data were analysed by principal components analysis (PCA) to reduce the amount of data and, subsequently, by fuzzy clustering analysis. Three clustering algorithms were tested: k-means (KM), fuzzy c-means (FCM) and Gustafson–Kessel (GK) algorithms. Furthermore, different numbers of clusters (2−8) were evaluated and subsequently compared using five validation indexes. The GK clustering algorithm with eight clusters fit better regarding the division of materials according to their properties. From this clustering analysis, it was possible to understand how the physical properties of the bedding materials may influence their behaviour. Among the materials that fit better as bedding materials for dairy cows, Posidonia oceanica (Cluster 6) can be considered an alternative material.
... Solid surfaces such as concrete (Rushen et al., 2007) and compact rubber mats and mattresses (Wechsler et al., 2000;Kielland et al., 2010) are associated with the presence of hock and knee injuries.Incontrast,the bedswitha thickbedding ofmanureorsand,areassociatedwithfewerand less severe hock injuries (Weary and Taszkun, 2000;Lombard et al., 2010;Husfeldt and Endres, 2012) compared to objects with poor bedding on concretebeds,rubbermatsormattresses. Keil et al. (2006)foundthatbedswithstrawbeddinginSwiss farmshaveshownthe bestresultsintermsofhock lesions. ...
The aim of the study was to investigate the risk factors for formation of hock lesions in dairy cattle farms with different housing system. The study included 508 Black‑and‑white Holstein‑type cows from 14 dairy farms in different regions of Bulgaria. On cows a hock lesion assessment (scale 1 to 3) and body condition scoring (scale 1 to 5) were made. From the total number of cows, 231 cows (45.5 %) with score of 2 and 3 were reported, which clinical manifestation was from loss of hairs on the hock joint surface to swellings and wounds. A statistically significant effect of lactation period, body condition scores (BCS) and housing system on the hock assessment score was found. The least square means (LSM) for hock assessment score increased with the advancing of lactation period from 1.22 in cows to 60 days in milk (DIM) to 1.52 in cows after 120 DIM. The percentage of cows with BCS 3 and 3.5 was lower 1.5 to 2 times compared to cows with BCS 1.5. With the lowest mean hock assessment score (1.14), were the cows housed free group on a thick bedding. Tie‑stall housing system occupied an intermediate position with respect to hock assessment, only 1.4 % of cows were with a score of 3. The highest percentage of cows with varying degrees of hock lesions were reported in free‑stall housing system with using of rubber mats for stall floors, 75.5 % of the cows were with hock lesion assessment score 2 and 3. This percentage was slightly lower when small amounts of straw were placed on the rubber mats.
... We show here that deep bedded cubicles or straw yards were associated with lower prevalence of lameness. This finding is supported by work undertaken by Ito et al., Husfeldt and Endres,and Chapinal et al. (33,37,38). Deep bedding is thought to be a more comfortable lying surface; this in turn increases the lying times of the cows (37,39), reduces the time spent standing on hard wet surfaces (40), and ultimately reduces the risk of lameness. ...
Lameness is one of the most pressing issues within the dairy industry; it has severe economic implications while causing a serious impact on animal welfare. A study conducted approximately 10 years ago found the within farm lameness prevalence in the UK to be 36.8%. Our objective here is to provide an update on within farm lameness prevalence in the UK, and to provide further evidence on farm level risk factors. A convenience sample of 61 dairy farms were recruited across England and Wales from September 2015 to December 2016. A single farm visit was made and the milking herd was mobility scored, as the cows exited the milking parlor after morning, afternoon, or evening milking. Information regarding the farm and management system was then collected using a short interview with the farmer followed by collection of various subjective and objective measurements of the environment. The same, trained researcher performed all animal and facility-based measures on all visits. A series of univariable analyses were conducted to evaluate the association between various risk factors and herd lameness prevalence (logit transformed). A multivariable linear regression model was then fitted. The median number of milking cows per herd was 193, ranging from 74 to 1,519 cows. The mean within farm lameness prevalence was 31.6%, ranging from 5.8 to 65.4%. In total, 14,700 cows were mobility scored with 4,145 cows found to be lame (28.2%). A number of risk factors were associated with lameness at the univariable analysis level. Categorical risk factors retained in the final model were: resting area type, collecting yard groove spacing width, whether farms were undertaking the 60- to 100-day post calving claw trimming and the frequency of footbathing in the winter. The amount of concentrates fed in the milking parlors or out of parlor feeders was also associated with lameness prevalence. The results of this study have provided an update on the UK herd lameness prevalence and have confirmed the importance of cow comfort and footbathing frequency. The association between early lactation claw trimming and reduced lameness prevalence is, to the best of our knowledge, reported for the first time.
... Insufficient bedding in both tie-stalls and free-stalls can increase the prevalence of teat damage, lower milk yield and reduce the longevity of the cows (Buenger et al., 2001;Rudd et al., 2010). Several large-scale epidemiological studies in North America have convincingly shown that absence of deep bedding in freestalls is a major risk factor for increased lameness as well as lesions to the hocks and knees (Husfeldt and Endres, 2012;Barrientos et al., 2013;Chapinal et al., 2013;Zaffino Heyerhoff et al., 2014;Solano et al., 2015) (Fig. 6). However, the relationship between lameness and uncomfortable stalls is complex. ...
... A lot of farmers, not only in Slovakia, reported an improvement in the cleanliness of cows and a benefit to the condition of hocks (Husfeldt and Endres, 2012b). Their reports on changes in lying time were equally split between improvement and no change. ...
The aim of this experiment was to analyse the influence of climatic factors on the thermal performance of separated liquid manure. The samples of organic bedding were collected from the lying area of dairy housing and preparatory store. The measurement of properties of recycled manure solids (RMS) was carried out in laboratory conditions. Samples were examined with determining the temperature effect on the thermal conductivity λ of ’dry‘ separated liquid manure (with a dry matter content of 60%) and ’wet‘ liquid manure (with a dry matter content of 26%), in air temperatures ranging from 0 °C to 40 °C. Subsequently, the thermal resistance of three selected types of cows lying structures was calculated for winter and summer boundary values. Based on the results of thermal conductivity and thermal resistance, it was observed that dry separated liquid manure as an alternative bedding has, in low temperature (up to 5 °C), the most suitable thermal performance if it is maintained in a dry condition (with a dry matter content of 60%). With increasing temperature (above 20 °C) and increasing humidity of bedding (below 26%), thermo-technical properties get worse; however, when comparing the thermal resistance of the cow bed structure with sandwich mattresses with a 50 mm layer of organic bedding and the deep cubicle filled with 200 mm of organic bedding, the thermal resistance of floor structure decreases by 7.6% or 18.4%, respectively. With a proper handling of the recycled organic bedding, it is possible to use its economic advantages.
... Stall and alley surfaces are associated with lameness risk as well. Studies in Wisconsin and in upper Midwest US dairies have shown that farms using mattress-based stalls have a higher prevalence of lameness than farms using sand-based stalls [3,11] or deep bedded stalls [12,13]. A recent European study associated housing and management with welfare indicators, including lameness [14]. ...
The main objectives of this prospective cohort study were a) to describe lameness prevalence at drying off in large high producing New York State herds based on visual locomotion score (VLS) and identify potential cow and herd level risk factors, and b) to develop a model that will predict the probability of a cow developing claw horn disruption lesions (CHDL) in the subsequent lactation using cow level variables collected at drying off and/or available from farm management software. Data were collected from 23 large commercial dairy farms located in upstate New York. A total of 7,687 dry cows, that were less than 265 days in gestation, were enrolled in the study. Farms were visited between May 2012 and March 2013, and cows were assessed for body condition score (BCS) and VLS. Data on the CHDL events recorded by the farm employees were extracted from the Dairy-Comp 305 database, as well as information regarding the studied cows’ health events, milk production, and reproductive records throughout the previous and subsequent lactation period. Univariable analyses and mixed multivariable logistic regression models were used to analyse the data at the cow level. The overall average prevalence of lameness (VLS > 2) at drying off was 14%. Lactation group, previous CHDL, mature equivalent 305-d milk yield (ME305), season, BCS at drying off and sire PTA for strength were all significantly associated with lameness at the drying off (cow-level). Lameness at drying off was associated with CHDL incidence in the subsequent lactation, as well as lactation group, previous CHDL and ME305. These risk factors for CHDL in the subsequent lactation were included in our predictive model and adjusted predicted probabilities for CHDL were calculated for all studied cows. ROC analysis identified an optimum cut-off point for these probabilities and using this cut-off point we could predict CHDL incidence in the subsequent lactation with an overall specificity of 75% and sensitivity of 59%. Using this approach, we would have detected 33% of the studied population as being at risk, eventually identifying 59% of future CHDL cases. Our predictive model could help dairy producers focusing their efforts on CHDL reduction by implementing aggressive preventive measures for high risk cows.
... Moreover lack of routine detection of SM (Busato et al., 2000), large herd size (Kivaria et al., 2004;Romain et al., 2000), water scarcity, residual suckling, dirty floor embedded with algae, delay in manure removal, no use of disinfectant may have aggravated the condition. Poor management and compromised animal welfare affect the productivity of farms (Costa et al., 2013;Husfeldt et al., 2012). Good management (Sarkar et al., 2013), herbal therapy (Fang et l., 1993), dry-cow therapy and teat dipping can markedly reduce the incidence of SM. a ...
A total of 560 lactating cows belonging to Bangladesh Agricultural University dairy farm (n = 59): Local Zebu (L), Local × Friesian (L × F), Local × Jersey (L × J), Local × Red Chittagong Cattle (L × RCC), Local × Sahiwal (L × SL), Red Chittagong Cattle (RCC); and Central Cattle Breeding Station and Dairy Farm (n = 501): Local Zebu, L × F, SL × F, Sahiwal and Australian Friesian Sahiwal (AFS) were selected to measure prevalence of subclinical mastitis (SM). The California Mastitis Test was done and the prevalence of SM was 68% on cow basis and 57% on quarter basis. The prevalence rate was significantly higher in L × F (87%, P < 0.05), SL × F (88%, P < 0.05), L × J (100%, P < 0.01), AFS (89%, P< 0.05) and SL (100%, P < 0.01). The local Zebu (31%) and RCC (28%) were least susceptible to SM. SM was significantly higher in multiparous (P < 0.05) and older cows (P < 0.05). The front quarters were more prone to SM than the rear. Factors such as breed, age, parity and management may have been responsible for high prevalence of SM in both farms. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bvet.v30i2.18257 Bangl. vet . 2013. Vol. 30, No. 2, 70-77
... The mean numbers of alterations per location and cow as well as the median herd prevalence values found confirm that the most affected body parts are in the focus of recent research (e.g. Kielland et al., 2009;Husfeldt and Endres, 2012;Burow et al., 2013). Highest values, especially for W and S, were found at the carpal and tarsal joints and the calcanei. ...
In this study, a data set of 2922 lactating dairy cows in a sample of 64 conventional and organic dairy farms with Holstein Friesian cows in Germany and 31 conventional dairy farms with the dual purpose breed Fleckvieh in Austria was used to screen for correlations between the occurrences of different integument alterations. All cows were housed in cubicle systems. Alterations were classified as hairless areas (H), scabs or wounds (W) or swellings (S) and assessed at 15 locations of the cows' body. Highest median farm prevalences were found at the joints of the legs, which are already commonly included in studies on integumentary alterations: median farm prevalence was 83% for S and 48% for H at the carpal joints, followed by H (38%) and S (20%) at the lateral tarsal joints and H at the lateral calcanei (20%). Additional body parts with notable median prevalences for H were the hip bones (13%), pin bones (12%) and sacrum (11%). Three cluster models, with 2, 5 and 14 clusters, were built by hierarchical clustering of prevalences of the 30 most relevant alteration location combinations. Clustering revealed that location overruled type of lesion in most cases. Occasionally, clusters represented body segments significantly distant from each other, for example the carpal joints and lateral and dorsal calcanei. However, some neighbouring areas such as the medial and lateral hock area should be analysed separately from each other for causal analysis as they formed distinct clusters.
... Moreover lack of routine detection of SM (Busato et al., 2000), large herd size (Kivaria et al., 2004;Romain et al., 2000), water scarcity, residual suckling, dirty floor embedded with algae, delay in manure removal, no use of disinfectant may have aggravated the condition. Poor management and compromised animal welfare affect the productivity of farms (Costa et al., 2013;Husfeldt et al., 2012). Good management (Sarkar et al., 2013), herbal therapy (Fang et l., 1993), dry-cow therapy and teat dipping can markedly reduce the incidence of SM. a ...
Abstract
A total of 560 lactating cows belonging to Bangladesh Agricultural University dairy farm (n = 59) : Loc al Zebu ( L), Local × Fr iesian (L × F), Local × Jersey (L × J), Local × Red Chittagong Cattle (L × RCC), Local × Sahiwal (L × SL), Red Chittagong Cattle (RCC); and Central Cattle Breeding Station and Dairy Farm (n = 5 01): Local Zebu, L × F, S L × F, Sahiwal and Australian Friesian Sahiwal (AFS) were selected to measure prevalence of subclinical mastitis (SM). The California Mastitis Test was done and the prevalence of SM was 6 8% on cow basis and 57% on quarter basis. The prevalence rate was significantly higher in L × F (87%, P < 0.05), SL × F (88%, P < 0.05), L × J (100%, P < 0.01), AFS (89%, P<0.05) and SL (100%, P < 0.01). The local Zebu (31%) and RCC (28%) were least susceptible to SM. SM was significantly higher in multiparous (P < 0.05) and older cows (P < 0.05). The front quarters were more prone to SM than the rear. Factors such as breed, age, parity and management may have been responsible for high prevalence of SM in both farms.
... The prevalence of hock injuries was very similar for deep-bedded barns with sand and manure (overall prevalence: 31 vs. 28% for manure and sand bedding, respectively; prevalence of severe hock injuries: 2% in both cases) despite the different properties of these 2 materials (i.e., inorganic vs. organic, different water content, and so on). Previous studies have found a lower prevalence of hock injuries on farms using deepbedded sand (Weary and Taszkun, 2000;Fulwider et al., 2007;Barrientos et al., 2013), manure (Husfeldt and Endres, 2012), deep layers of sawdust (e.g., ≥4 cm of sawdust compared with mattresses with ≈1 cm of primarily sawdust; Weary and Taszkun, 2000), and straw [e.g., straw yards (Haskell et al., 2006;Rutherford et al., 2008); deep layers of straw or straw-dung (Brenninkmeyer et al., 2013)]. These results indicate that deep bedding has a protective effect when paired with well-managed bedding materials. ...
The objective was to investigate the association between herd-level management and facility design and the prevalence of lameness and hock injuries in high-producing dairy cows on commercial freestall farms in China. Housing and management measures, such as stall design, bedding type, and milking routine were collected for the high-producing pen in 34 farms in China. All cows in the pen were gait scored using a 5-point scale, and evaluated for hock injuries using a 3-point scale. Measures associated with the proportion of clinically (score ≥3) or severely (score ≥4) lame cows, and the proportion of cows having at least a minor hock injury (score ≥2) or severe injury (score = 3) at the univariable level were submitted to multivariable general linear models. The prevalence [mean ± SD (range)] of clinical and severe lameness were 31 ± 12 (7-51) and 10 ± 6% (0- 27%), respectively, and the prevalence of cows with at least a minor hock injury and with severe injuries was 40 ± 20 (6 - 95) and 5 ± 9% (0 - 50%), respectively. The prevalence of clinical lameness and severe lameness decreased with herd size (estimate = -0.35 ± 0.09% for a 100-cow increase for clinical lameness; estimate = 0.15 ± 0.06% for a 100-cow increase for severe lameness). Prevalence increased with barn age >9 yr (estimate = 12.73 ± 4.42% for clinical lameness; estimate = 5.79 ± 2.89% for severe lameness). These 2 variables combined explained 49% of the variation in clinical lameness and 30% of the variation in severe lameness. The prevalence of all hock injuries and severe hock injuries decreased with deep bedding (estimate = -20.90 ± 5.66% for all hock injuries; estimate = -3.65 ± 1.41% for severe hock injuries) and increased with barn age >9 yr (estimate = 16.68 ± 7.17% for all hock injuries; estimate = 6.95 ± 1.75% for severe injuries). These 2 variables explained 52 and 58% of the variation, respectively. In conclusion, large variation existed across farms in prevalence of lameness and hock injuries. Changes in housing and management may help control the prevalence of lameness and hock injuries in the emerging dairy industry in China.
It is well known that the bedding material commonly used in dairy cows’ barns have significant impact on animal health, and welfare as well. In addition, the exact identification of the bedding materials' properties which could affect dairy cows' health is extremely important. This study mainly aims to determine the microbiological properties of recycled bedding material from dairy cow manure, as well as the impact on somatic cell count, milk production and milk quality. Microbiological evaluation was focused on the pathogen microorganisms, especially Escherichia coli, Enterococcaceae, Enterobacteriaceae (Salmonella), Clostridiaceae, as well as on yeasts and filamentous fungi. The somatic cells count (SCC), which could indicate the presence of clinical or subclinical mastitis, was evaluated by fluorescent optical electronic method. Our study also dealt with the effect of recycled manure solids (RMS) on milk yield production and nutrition profile. The obtained results showed a significant (P<0.0001) decrease of pathogenic microorganisms in the RMS samples compared to the input material. The results also confirmed a positive effect on the number of somatic cells, which indicates a decrease in the incidence of mastitis on the farm. At the same time, a positive trend in the milk production during the year 2023, when the RMS bedding was used, was confirmed. The achieved results confirm the fact that the process of hygienic separation of cow manure on the experimental farm is set up correctly and it could be used in the conditions of normal practice.
The economic and social value of cattle, especially dairy cows, is continuously increasing and is defined by the number of lactations during the production period or the milk yield of the individual itself. A significant influence on dairy production of dairy cows has housing comfort and therefore maintaining the quality parameters of the dairy farm is essential. The decreasing availability and increasing costs of traditional underlining materials have increased interest in finding and using alternative materials for underlaying. In this review, we focus on the separated fraction of livestock manure, which, after hygienization, can be a suitable bedding material for dairy cows. We identify possible negative impacts and risks in the context of human or animal health. This article also identifies pathogenic microorganisms that can initiate inflammation of the mammary glands in dairy cows and thus reduce the quality of final food products. Farmers using recycled livestock manure as bedding, reduce the total amount of nutrients which become part of the manure stream due to no net addition of nutrients in the form of bedding, thus increasing potential compliance with environmental regulations.
This Scientific Opinion addresses a European Commission's mandate on the welfare of dairy cows as part of the Farm to Fork strategy. It includes three assessments carried out based on literature reviews and complemented by expert opinion. Assessment 1 describes the most prevalent housing systems for dairy cows in Europe: tie-stalls, cubicle housing, open-bedded systems and systems with access to an outdoor area. Per each system, the scientific opinion describes the distribution in the EU and assesses the main strengths, weaknesses and hazards potentially reducing the welfare of dairy cows. Assessment 2 addresses five welfare consequences as requested in the mandate: locomotory disorders (including lameness), mastitis, restriction of movement and resting problems, inability to perform comfort behaviour and metabolic disorders. Per each welfare consequence, a set of animal-based measures is suggested, a detailed analysis of the prevalence in different housing systems is provided, and subsequently, a comparison of the housing systems is given. Common and specific system-related hazards as well as management-related hazards and respective preventive measures are investigated. Assessment 3 includes an analysis of farm characteristics (e.g. milk yield, herd size) that could be used to classify the level of on-farm welfare. From the available scientific literature, it was not possible to derive relevant associations between available farm data and cow welfare. Therefore, an approach based on expert knowledge elicitation (EKE) was developed. The EKE resulted in the identification of five farm characteristics (more than one cow per cubicle at maximum stocking density, limited space for cows, inappropriate cubicle size, high on-farm mortality and farms with less than 2 months access to pasture). If one or more of these farm characteristics are present, it is recommended to conduct an assessment of cow welfare on the farm in question using animal-based measures for specified welfare consequences.
The true incidence of bovine abortion (42-260 days of gestation) is unknown because of under-reporting. This is particularly true of the first half of gestation, when most abortions occur. From research studies it is estimated that the animal-level incidence of abortion between day 45 and term is approximately 10%, being lower in suckler than in dairy cows. While wide variation exists in herd-level incidence, up to 30%, it is estimated that less than 5% of farmers report high (>5%) observed abortion rates. Given these figures, veterinary practitioners and farmers tend to use investigation thresholds close to these values, >5 and >3%, respectively. Most of the risk factors for abortion are animal-level factors (e.g. parity) but there are also herd-level factors (e.g. enterprise type). Of the many risk factors for bovine abortion, only a small number are modifiable. While the causes of bovine abortion are often classified as non-infectious or infectious, in reality this means diagnosis not reached (DNR) or infectious. Approximately 40% of abortions are diagnosed as infectious and the remaining 60% as DNR; DNR includes both infectious and non-infectious causes not diagnosed. Increasingly genetic causes are being diagnosed and changes to current national genetic selection indices may be warranted. Of the infectious causes, Neospora caninum is now the most commonly diagnosed abortifacient internationally, followed by Trueperella pyogenes, BVDv and fungi. Both national eradication programmes and effective vaccination programmes can reduce the burden of some infectious abortifacients but control of sporadic, non-infectious and Neospora-associated abortions remains challenging.
Interest in using recycled manure solids (RMS) as a bedding material for dairy cattle is increasing, but suitable information for Nordic housing conditions is scarce. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of RMS bedding on dairy cow welfare compared to peat bedding commonly used in Finland. We conducted a 2 × 3-month cross-over study with two groups of 24 lactating dairy cows, where first three months one group was housed with RMS-bedding and the other group with peat-bedding and then vice versa for the next three months. We followed integument alterations, cleanliness of the animals and udder health fortnightly. With RMS bedding cows had less severe integument alterations in tarsal joints (p=0.0031) and their udders were cleaner (p=0.0109) compared to peat. Somatic cell count did not differ between bedding materials, but link between RMS bedding and the small number of cases of clinical mastitis cannot be ruled out. Based on this study, RMS could provide an economical and renewable bedding source for Nordic dairy farms, with no major effects on animal welfare.
Aims:
The objective of this study was to investigate farmers' perception of lameness in comparison to the estimated prevalence of lameness in NSW pasture-based dairies to evaluate farmers' perceptions and approaches to detection, treatment and prevention of lameness.
Methods:
Across-sectional study was conducted on 62 pasture-based dairy farms across NSW, Australia. The prevalence of lameness in these farms was estimated using locomotion scoring (1-4 scale). A survey was also conducted, using a questionnaire and face-to-face interview, to explore farmers' perceived prevalence of lameness and approaches to treatment and prevention.
Results:
The prevalence of lameness estimated by farmers was 3.7 times less (mean: 5%; range 0% to 26%) than that determined by locomotion scoring (mean: 19.1%; range 5.0%-44.5%). Approaches to treatment included antimicrobial therapy, hoof inspection with or without application of wooden blocks. In 28% of the farms, the lame cows were managed by farmers or farm staff with no official training in treatment of lame cows. The mean interval from detection of lameness to examination of the affected hoof was almost 55 hours (range 2-720 hours). A very low percentage of farms kept lameness records or implemented lameness preventive strategies such as footbaths and prophylactic foot trimming.
Conclusions:
Farmers and farm managers were found to underestimate the prevalence of lameness which could be due to the low level of awareness and can contribute to subsequent lack of implementation of prophylactic procedures and preventive management strategies for lameness. These findings accentuate the need to improve farmers' ability to detect lame cows and to emphasise the importance of recording in order to facilitate the management of lameness in dairy herds.
Our objective was to compare the composition of bedding materials and manure, cow welfare and hygiene assessments, measures of milk production and quality, and incidence of mastitis during a 3-yr trial with lactating Holstein cows housed in a freestall barn containing 4 identical pens with 32 freestalls/pen. Bedding systems evaluated included deep-bedded organic manure solids (DBOS), shallow-bedded manure solids spread over mattresses (MAT), deep-bedded recycled sand (RSA), and deep-bedded new sand (NSA). The experiment was designed as a 4 × 4 Latin square with 4 bedding systems and 4 experimental periods, but was terminated after 3 yr following discussions with the consulting statistician; therefore, data were analyzed as an incomplete Latin square. A total of n = 734 mostly primiparous cows (n = 725 primiparous, n = 9 multiparous; 224 to 267 cows/yr) were enrolled in the trial. Before placement in freestalls, organic solids (OS) exhibited lower concentrations of dry matter (36.5 vs. 94.3%), and greater concentrations of volatile solids, C, N, NH 4 -N, P, water-extractable P, K, and S compared with RSA or NSA. Cow comfort index was greater for sand-bedded systems compared with those using OS (88.4 vs. 82.8%). Cows bedded in systems using OS (DBOS and MAT) exhibited greater mean hock scores (1 = no swelling, no hair loss; 2 = no swelling, bald area on hock) than those bedded in sand (1.25 vs. 1.04), but this effect was entirely associated with use of mattresses (MAT), which differed sharply from DBOS (1.42 vs. 1.07). Generally, hygiene scores for legs, flanks, and udders were numerically similar for DBOS, NSA, and RSA bedding systems, and differences between bedding systems were associated entirely with MAT, yielding detectable contrasts between MAT and DBOS for legs (2.94 vs. 2.20), flanks (2.34 vs. 1.68), and udders (1.83 vs. 1.38). No significant contrast comparing bedding systems was detected for measures of milk production or quality. Documented cases of clinical mastitis requiring treatment ranged from a low rate of 7.4 cases/yr for RSA to a high of 23.1 cases/yr for DBOS, based on a mean enrollment of 60.7 to 63.0 cows/treatment per yr. Cows bedded with OS exhibited a greater incidence of mastitis than those bedded with sand (19.0 vs. 8.4 cases/yr), but no differences were observed for comparisons within individual bedding-material types. Collectively, these results generally favored use of sand-bedding materials over systems using OS.
Recent trends in dairy farm structure in the United States have included a decreasing number of farms, although farm size has increased, especially the share of milk production from very large herds (>2,500 cows). The objectives of this observational study were to describe common management practices; to characterize labor and operational structure; to measure some aspects of animal health, including lameness, hock lesions, mortality, and mastitis incidence; and to summarize cost of production on farms with more than 2,500 cows in 4 states in the Upper Midwest of the United States. The study included 15 dairy farms in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and South Dakota. Farms were visited twice, once each year, and on-farm herd records were collected for those 2 yr. On-farm herd records were used to investigate mortality, culling, pregnancy rate, and clinical mastitis incidence. At least 1 high-producing pen of mature cows and 1 pen of fresh cows were scored for locomotion. Likewise, at least 1 pen of high-producing mature cows was scored for cleanliness and hock lesions. Median herd size was 3,975 cows (range = 2,606-13,266). Milk sold per employee was 1,120,745 kg and the number of cows per employee was 105. Eighty percent of the farms had Holstein cows, 13% had Jersey, and 7% had Jersey-Holstein crosses. All farms used artificial insemination as the sole form of breeding and 100% of the farms used hormonal synchronization or timed artificial insemination programs in their reproductive protocols; 21-d pregnancy rate was 21.7%. Median lameness prevalence was 18.3% and median severe lameness prevalence was 5.1%. Median hock lesion prevalence was 17.4% and median severe hock lesion prevalence was 1.9%; mortality rate was 7.4%. Clinical mastitis incidence was 62.5 cases per 100 cow-years. Feed costs accounted for approximately 53% of the total cost of producing milk, followed by labor at 11%, interest and depreciation expenses at 10%, and replacement costs at 9.5%. Herds in the top 50th percentile for profitability had a net income of $2.40 per hundredweight of milk sold compared with $0.95 per hundredweight for herds in the bottom 50th percentile. Although results of this study were helpful in understanding how large dairy systems operate in the Upper Midwest, more research is yet needed with a larger number of farms and wider variety of management practices to identify factors within these large farms that promote optimal animal health and profitability.
Cow comfort and flooring contribute to lameness incidence in dairy herds. The trigger factors for lameness can all be exacerbated by poor cow comfort. Reduced cow comfort influences lameness incidence by increasing the risk for development of new cases and the time it takes for a cow to recover. Reduction in resting time will increase the cow's exposure to hard flooring surfaces. Many factors are associated with lameness prevalence. Housing and management factors should be optimized to reduce lameness incidence on dairy farms.
The aim of this study was to analyse the change of the characteristics of different types of organic bedding in deepened stall base cubicles for dairy cows. The research was carried out in barn 1 using separated raw manure solids, in barn 2 using drum composted manure solids and for comparison a barn 3 was chosen, which used traditional straw as a bedding material. Dry matter of separated raw manure and drum composted recycled manure solids in sample 1 collected after 2-3 hours of bedding acclimatization in the stable were lower (P < 0.05) compared with sample 3 collected 2-3 hours before the new bedding was spread, but dry matter of straw in sample 1 was higher (P < 0.05) compared with sample 3. The values of the coefficient of thermal conductivity show that the bedding from recycled sludge slurry is a good insulant and absorbent. In addition, a determined increase of humidity at the end of the bedding interval does not cause dramatic changes of thermal performance.
This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of claw diseases in dairy cows housed on two different bedding systems: deep straw bedding and unsterilized recycled manure solids. On the farm (farm A) with the straw bedding, 403 and on the farm (farm B) with manure solid bedding, 226 dairy cows were examined. The prevalence of cows with one or more claw lesions on the farm with straw bedding and with manure solids were 37 % and 69 %, respectively (P < 0.001). In both bedding systems, two claw lesions dominated: digital dermatitis and inflammatory disorders of corium (white line diseases, toe ulcer, and sole ulcer). The prevalence of the digital dermatitis housed in deep-bedded freestalls and in freestalls with manure solids were 17.8 % and 53.1 % (P < 0.001), respectively. The prevalence of the white line diseases and toe ulcer were 12.1 % and 15.7 % on farm A and 3.88 % and 2.59 % on farm B, respectively (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of the sole ulcer between farms. These data indicate a relatively high prevalence of claw lesions on the studied dairy farms. Moreover, a long-term contact of claws with manure (boxes and corridors) on the farm with unsterilized recycled manure solids seems to be associated with a higher prevalence of digital dermatitis.
On modern dairy farms, environmental mastitis pathogens are usually the predominant cause of mastitis, and bedding often serves as a point of exposure to these organisms. The objective of this longitudinal study was to determine bacterial populations of 4 different bedding types [deep-bedded new sand (NES), deep-bedded recycled sand (RS), deep-bedded manure solids (DBMS), and shallow-bedded manure solids over foam core mattresses (SBMS)] and of teat skin swabs of primarily primiparous cows housed in a single facility over all 4 seasons. Samples of bedding were collected weekly (n = 49 wk) from pens that each contained 32 lactating dairy cows. Throughout the length of the same period, composite swabs of teat skin were collected weekly from all cows before and after premilking teat sanitation. Median numbers of streptococci and streptococci-like organisms (SSLO) were >8.6 × 106 cfu/g and >6.9 × 103 cfu/teat swab for all bedding types and teat swabs, respectively. Numbers of SSLO were greatest in samples of SBMS (2.1 × 108 cfu/g) and least in samples of NES (8.6 × 106 cfu/g), RS (1.3 × 107 cfu/g), and DBMS (1.7 × 107 cfu/g). Numbers of gram-negative bacteria in bedding (5.5 × 104 to 1.2 × 107 cfu/g) were fewer than numbers of SSLO (8.6 × 106 to 2.1 × 108 cfu/g). Numbers of coliform bacteria were greatest in samples of DBMS (2.2 × 106 cfu/g) and least in samples of NES (3.6 × 103 cfu/g). In general, the relative number of bacteria on teat skin corresponded to exposure in bedding. Numbers of gram-negative bacteria recovered from prepreparation teat swabs were greatest for cows bedded with DBMS (1.0 × 104 cfu/swab) and RS (2.5 × 103 cfu/swab) and least for cows bedded with NES (5.8 × 102 cfu/swab). Median numbers of coliform and Klebsiella spp. recovered from prepreparation teat swabs were below the limit of detection for all cows except those bedded with DBMS. Numbers of SSLO recovered from prepreparation teat swabs were least for cows bedded with DBMS (6.9 × 103 cfu/swab) and greatest for cows bedded with RS (5.1 × 104 cfu/swab) or SBMS (1.6 × 105 cfu/swab). The numbers of all types of measured bacteria (total gram-negative, coliforms, Klebsiella spp., SSLO) on postpreparation teat swabs were reduced by up to 2.6 logs from numbers of bacteria on prepreparation swabs, verifying effective preparation procedures. Significant correlations between bacterial counts of bedding samples and teat skin swabs were observed for several types of bacteria. As compared with other bedding types, the least amount of gram-negative bacteria were recovered from NES and may indicate that cows on NES have a reduced risk of exposure to pathogens that are typically a cause of clinical mastitis. In contrast, exposure to large numbers of SSLO was consistent across all bedding types and may indicate that risk of subclinical mastitis typically associated with streptococci is not as influenced by bedding type; however, significantly greater numbers of SSLO were found in SBMS than in other bedding types. These findings indicate that use of different bedding types results in exposure to different distributions of mastitis pathogens that may alter the proportion of etiologies of clinical mastitis, although the incidence rate of clinical mastitis did not differ among bedding types.
The objective of this study was to benchmark the prevalence of lameness, hock and knee injuries, and neck and back injuries among high-performance, freestall-housed dairy herds in Wisconsin. A random selection of 66 herds with 200 or more cows was derived from herds that clustered with high performance in year 2011 Dairy Herd Improvement records for milk production, udder health, reproduction, and other health parameters. Herds were surveyed to collect information about management, facilities, and well-being. Well-being measures were obtained through direct observation of the high-producing mature cow group, surveying 9,690 cows in total. Total herd size averaged (mean ± standard deviation) 851 ± 717 cows, ranging 203 to 2,966 cows, with an energy-corrected milk production of 40.1 ± 4.4 kg/cow per day. Prevalence of clinical lameness (5-point scale, locomotion score ≥3) and severe lameness (locomotion score ≥4) averaged 13.2 ± 7.3 and 2.5 ± 2.7%, respectively. The prevalence of all hock and knee injuries, including hair loss, swelling, and ulceration, was similar at 50.3 ± 28.3 and 53.0 ± 24.0%, respectively. Severe (swelling and ulceration) hock and knee injury prevalence were 12.2 ± 15.3 and 6.2 ± 5.5%, respectively. The prevalence of all neck injuries (including hair loss, swelling and ulceration) was 8.6 ± 16.3%; whereas the prevalence of swollen or abraded necks was low, averaging 2.0 ± 4.1%. Back injuries (proportion of cows with missing or abraded spinous processes, hooks, or pins) followed a similar trend with a low mean prevalence of 3.6 ± 3.4%. Overall, physical well-being characteristics of this selection of high-producing, freestall-housed dairy herds provide evidence that lameness and injury are not inevitable consequences of the confinement housing of large numbers of dairy cattle. In particular, lameness prevalence rivals that of lower-production grazing systems. However, hock and other injury risk remains a concern that can be addressed through a choice in stall surface type. Use of deep, loose bedding yielded significant advantages over a mat or mattress type surface in terms of lameness, hock and knee injury, and proportion of cows with dirty udders (distinct demarcated to confluent plaques of manure). The performance benchmarks achieved by these herds may be used to set standards by which similarly managed herds may be judged using welfare audit tools.
The objective of this observational study was to determine the association of exposure to selected bedding types with incidence of subclinical (SM) and clinical mastitis (CM) in primiparous Holstein dairy cows housed in identical pens at a single facility. At parturition, primiparous cows were randomly assigned to pens containing freestalls with 1 of 4 bedding materials: (1) deep-bedded new sand (NES, n = 27 cows), (2) deep-bedded recycled sand (RS, n = 25 cows), (3) deep-bedded manure solids (DBMS, n = 31 cows), and (4) shallow-bedded manure solids over foam-core mattresses (SBMS, n = 26 cows). For 12 mo, somatic cell counts of quarter milk samples were determined every 28 d and duplicate quarter milk samples were collected for microbiological analysis from all quarters with SM (defined as somatic cell count >200,000 cells/mL). During this period, duplicate quarter milk samples were also collected for microbial analysis from all cases of CM. For an additional 16 mo, cases of CM were recorded; however, no samples were collected. Quarter days at risk (62,980) were distributed among bedding types and most quarters were enrolled for >150 d. Of 135 cases of SM, 63% resulted in nonsignificant growth and 87% of recovered pathogens (n = 33) were identified as coagulase-negative staphylococci. The distribution of etiologies of pathogens recovered from cases of SM was associated with bedding type. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were recovered from 12, 38, 11, and 46% of quarters with SM from cows in pens containing NES, RS, DBMS, and SBMS, respectively. A result of nonsignificant growth was obtained for 81, 59, 89, and 46% of quarters with SM from cows in pens containing NES, RS, DBMS, and SBMS, respectively. Quarters of primiparous cows bedded with NES tended to have greater survival time to incidence of CM than quarters of primiparous cows bedded with RS or DBMS.
Material obtained from physical separation of slurry (recycled manure solids; RMS) has been used as bedding for dairy cows in dry climates in the US since the 1970s. Relatively recently, the technical ability to produce drier material has led to adoption of the practice in Europe under different climatic conditions. This review collates the evidence available on benefits and risks of using RMS bedding on dairy farms, with a European context in mind. There was less evidence than expected for anecdotal claims of improved cow comfort. Among animal health risks, only udder health has received appreciable attention. There are some circumstantial reports of difficulties of maintaining udder health on RMS, but no large scale or long term studies of effects on clinical and subclinical mastitis have been published. Existing reports do not give consistent evidence of inevitable problems, nor is there any information on clinical implications for other diseases. The scientific basis for guidelines on management of RMS bedding is limited. Decisions on optimum treatment and management may present conflicts between controls of different groups of organisms. There is no information on the influence that such 'recycling' of manure may have on pathogen virulence. The possibility of influence on genetic material conveying antimicrobial resistance is a concern, but little understood. Should UK or other non-US farmers adopt RMS, they are advised to do so with caution, apply the required strategies for risk mitigation, maintain strict hygiene of bed management and milking practices and closely monitor the effects on herd health.
Abstract Text:
The objective of this study was to quantify differences in microbial populations of four different bedding types used in dairy barns: 1) deep bedded new sand (NS), 2) deep bedded recycled sand (RS), 3) deep bedded organic solids (DBOS), and 4) shallow bedded organic solids on top of mattresses with foam cores (SBOS). Weekly composite bedding samples were systematically collected from selected locations within randomly selected stalls in each of four identical pens containing 32 freestalls and approximately 28 lactating cows during the 49 week study period. Microbial populations were determined by plating 10 μL inoculations of duplicate sets of serial dilutions (10-1 to 10-5) on three selective medias. Bacterial groups were quantified as: Gram-negative (total growth on MacConkey’s agar), coliforms (lactose positive colonies on MacConkey’s agar), Klebsiella (red to pink colonies on MacConkey inositol-carbenicillin agar), and Streptococci spp. (total growth on Edward’s modified medium agar). The relationship between bacterial populations and bedding type was analyzed in a repeated measures model using PROC MIXED (SAS 9.3). The model included effects of bedding type with sampling date repeated. Yi = α + β1 Xi1 + β2 Xi2 +ei where Yi is the log10 CFU count for bedding sample i from pen Xi1 and date Xi2.
Table. Bacteria isolated from different dairy cattle bedding types (Log10CFU/g)
Bedding material
Gram-negative
Coliform
Klebsiella
Streptococci spp.
NS
4.72a
3.59a
2.41a
6.88a
RS
5.25b
4.10b
3.19b
7.21b
SBOS
5.81c
4.08b
2.74ab
8.16c
DBOS
6.83d
5.70c
5.05c
7.08ab
a,b,c,dValues with different letters in the same column differ significantly (P ≤ 0.02).
Bacterial counts differed among bedding materials. Fewer bacteria were isolated from NS as compared to other bedding materials with the exception of Klebsiella in SBOS and Streptococci spp. in DBOS. More bacteria were isolated from DBOS compared with other bedding materials except for Streptococcispp. in sand bedding. Distribution of bacteria varies among bedding types. In general, NS had the fewest bacteria while DBOS contained the most bacteria.
Keywords: Bacteria, Bedding, Dairy
This cross-sectional study evaluated cow comfort measures in free stall dairies across the United States as part of the National Animal Health Monitoring System's Dairy 2007 study. The study was conducted in 17 states and evaluations were completed between March 5 and September 5, 2007. Assessors recorded hygiene and hock scores, number of cows housed in the pen, the number of cows standing with only the front feet in a stall, standing fully in a stall, and lying in a stall. Facility design measures included bedding type, bedding quantity, stall length and width, presence of a neck rail or brisket locator, and relevant distances from the rear and bed of the stall. Of the 491 operations that completed the cow comfort assessment, 297 had Holstein cows housed in free stalls and were included in this analysis. Negative binomial models were constructed to evaluate the following outcomes: the number of cows that were very dirty, had severe hock injuries, stood with front feet in the stall, stood with all feet in the stall, and were lying in the stall. Hygiene was better on farms that did not tail dock cows compared with those that did (5.7 vs. 8.8% were dirty) and on farms located in the study's west region compared with those located in the east region (5.2 vs. 9.7% were dirty). Severe hock injuries were less common on farms in the west than those in the east (0.5 vs. 4.1%). In addition, severe hock injuries were less common on farms that used dirt as a stall base or sand as bedding compared with farms that did not. A higher percentage of cows was standing with front feet in the stall at higher ambient temperatures (incidence rate ratio=1.016) and as time since feeding increased (incidence rate ratio=1.030). A lower percentage of cows were standing with front feet in the stall when the stalls were shorter and when there were fewer cows per stall. Standing fully in a stall was performed by a higher percentage of cows during the summer than during the spring (13.6 vs. 8.1%), when cows were provided free stalls with rubber mats or mattresses, and as the distance from the rear curb to neck rail increased. A higher percentage of cows were lying in a stall when sand bedding was used, when bedding was added more frequently, and during the spring months. Results of this national survey indicate that tail docking provides no benefit to cow hygiene and that stall base and bedding are key factors influencing hock injuries and stall usage on US free stall dairy farms.
We compared the prevalence and severity of skin lesions on the hocks of lactating dairy cows in southern British Columbia, comparing 20 farms using three common bedding surfaces: sawdust, sand, and geotextile mattresses. Skin lesions were scored at five positions on the hock. For each position we noted if the lesion showed inflammatory attributes, and then assigned a severity score. Of the 1752 lactating cows scored, 1267 cows (73%) had at least one hock lesion. Of those cows with lesions, 87% had lesions on both legs, 76% had lesions on more than one location on the hock, and 78% had a lesion of at least moderate severity (i.e., evidence of skin breakage or an area of hair loss >10 cm2). Lesions were most prevalent on farms that used geotextile mattresses (91% of cows) and least common on farms that used sand (24% of cows). Moreover, lesions on cows from farms using mattresses were more numerous and more severe than those on cows from sand-bedded farms. The prevalence and severity of lesions on farms using sawdust was intermediate. Lesions also varied in relation to location on the hock. For farms using geotextile mattresses, lesions were more common and more severe on the lateral surfaces of both the tuber calcis and the tarsal joint. On farms using sawdust, lesions were common on the dorsal surface of the tuber calcis and the lateral surfaces of both the tuber calcis and the tarsal joint. Lesions were rare on all five positions for cows from sand-bedded farms. Among the 10 farms sampled using sawdust, we found a significant negative relationship between the length of the stall and severity of lesions. For cows with lesions, the number and severity of lesions increased with age.
Dairy Herd Improvement Holstein herd summary records (n = 11,259) were obtained for the year ending 1998. Reasons cows reportedly left the herd based on termination codes were analyzed for the effect of region, herd size, and herd milk production level. Regions were: North, Midsouth, and South. Herd sizes were: small (25 to 99), low medium (100 to 149), high medium (150 to 299), and large (greater than or equal to 300 cows). Milk production levels were: low (less than 7258 kg), medium (7258 to 9072 kg), and high (greater than 9072 kg). The overall percentage of cows leaving the herd was higher in the Midsouth than the South and increased with herd size. Low producing herds reported a lower percentage of cows left than high producing herds. Herds in the South reported more cows leaving for reproduction, death, and low production and fewer leaving for mastitis. Herds in the North and Midsouth reported more cows leaving for injury/other and disease, respectively. Cows left herds for disease less frequently in the North. Large herds in the South had a higher percentage leaving for low production than any herd size group in the North. Small herds reported more cows leaving for reproduction and mastitis than high medium and low medium size herds. The percentage of cows leaving for feet and leg problems was lowest for small size herds. High producing herds reported more cows leaving for reproduction, mastitis, feet and legs and disease.
One important criterion in choosing appropriate housing systems for dairy cattle is that the freestall provides a comfortable surface for the cow. This paper describes two experiments testing the effects of commonly used lying surfaces on stall preference and stall usage by Holstein cows. In both experiments, 12 cows were housed individually in separate pens. Each pen contained three free stalls with a different surface: deep-bedded sawdust, deep-bedded sand, and a geotextile mattress covered with 2 to 3 cm of sawdust. The animals were restricted to each surface in turn, in a random order for either 2 (Experiment 1) or 3 d (Experiment 2). Both before and after this restriction phase, the animals were allowed access to all three surfaces, and preference was determined, based on lying times. Of the 12 cows used in Experiment 1, 10 preferred sawdust before and nine after the restriction phase. During the restriction phase, average lying times and number of lying events during the restriction phase were significantly lower for the sand-bedded stalls (P < or = 0.05), and standing times were higher on mattresses (P < or = 0.05), compared with sawdust. Although these cows had some experience with all three surfaces during the experiment, they had been housed in sawdust-bedded stalls during their previous lactation. Cows used in Experiment 2 had spent their previous lactation in sand bedded stalls. In this experiment, about half the cows preferred sand and half sawdust, after the restriction phase. During the restriction phase of experiment, lying times and number of lying events were lower, and standing times were higher when the animals were restricted to the mattresses compared to either sand or sawdust (P < or = 0.05). These results indicate that (1) free stall surface can affect both stall preferences and stall usage, and (2) mattresses are less preferred.
Indices of cow comfort are used widely by consultants in the dairy industry, with a general understanding that they are representative of lying behavior. This study examines the influence of stall base type (sand or a geotextile mattress filled with rubber crumbs) and time of measurement on 4 indices of comfort collected at hourly intervals in 12 herds, aligned by morning and afternoon milking. Stall base type significantly influenced all indices of comfort. For example, the least squares mean (SE) cow comfort index (proportion of cows touching a stall that are lying down) was 0.76 (0.015) in herds with mattresses compared with 0.86 (0.015) in herds with sand stalls. Significant hourly variation was also identified suggesting that timing of measurement is important. None of the indices of cow comfort derived from the high-yielding group pen was associated with the mean 24-h lying time of 10 sentinel cows whose time budgets were known in each herd. However, the cow comfort index was associated with the herd mean 24-h stall standing time, with the strongest relationships occurring 2 h before the morning and afternoon milking, when stall base type did not significantly influence the association. When measured at these times, we recommend use of the stall standing index (proportion of cows touching a stall that are standing), with values greater than 0.20 being associated with abnormally long herd mean stall standing times greater than 2 h/d.
To develop a simple system for scoring hygiene in dairy cattle and determine whether hygiene scores were associated with individual cow somatic cell scores (SCSs).
Observational study.
1,191 cows.
With the aid of a chart containing line drawings and descriptive text, hygiene scores ranging from 1 (clean) to 5 (dirty) were assigned for 5 body areas: tail head, thigh (lateral aspect), abdomen (ventral aspect), udder, and hind limbs (lower portion). To determine repeatability, hygiene scores were assigned to 75 cows twice by 4 experienced evaluators. To determine accuracy and ease of use, hygiene scores assigned by 14 college students to 23 cows were compared with scores assigned by 2 faculty members. To determine association with SCSs, hygiene scores were assigned to each of 1,093 cows by a single observer.
Mean correlation coefficients for hygiene scores assigned twice by 4 experienced evaluators were > or = 0.884, indicating high repeatability. Students indicated that the scoring system was easy to use, and mean correlation coefficient for student and faculty member scores was 0.804. Hygiene scores for the tail head, thigh (lateral aspect), and abdomen (ventral aspect) were not significantly associated with SCS. However, hygiene scores for the udder and hind limbs (lower portion) and udder-hind limb composite scores were significantly associated with SCS, with SCS increasing as scores increased.
Results suggest that the hygiene scoring system was repeatable, accurate, and easy to use. However, only hygiene scores for the udder and hind limbs and the udder-hind limb composite score were significantly associated with SCS.
Replacing cows on a dairy is a major cost of operation. There is a need for the industry to adopt a more standardized approach to reporting the rate at which cows exit from the dairy, and to reporting the reasons why cows are replaced and their destination as they exit the dairy. Herd turnover rate is recommended as the preferred term for characterizing the cows exiting a dairy, in preference to herd replacement rate, culling rate, or percent exiting, all of which have served as synonyms. Herd turnover rate should be calculated as the number of cows that exit in a defined period divided by the animal time at risk for the population being characterized. The terms voluntary and involuntary culling suffer from problems of definition and their use should be discouraged. Destination should be recorded for all cows that exit the dairy and opportunities to record one or more reasons for exiting should be provided by management systems. Comparing reported reasons between dairies requires considerable caution because of differences in case definitions and recording methods. Relying upon culling records to monitor disease has been and will always be an ineffective management strategy. Dairies are encouraged to record and monitor disease events and reproductive performance and use this information as the basis for management efforts aimed at reducing the need to replace cows.
A cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of clinical lameness in high-producing Holstein cows housed in 50 freestall barns in Minnesota during summer. Locomotion and body condition scoring were performed on a total of 5,626 cows in 53 high-production groups. Cow records were collected from the nearest Dairy Herd Improvement Association test date, and herd characteristics were collected at the time of the visit. The mean prevalence of clinical lameness (proportion of cows with locomotion score >or=3 on a 1-to-5 scale, where 1 = normal and 5 = severely lame), and its association with lactation number, month of lactation, body condition score, and type of stall surface were evaluated. The mean prevalence of clinical lameness was 24.6%, which was 3.1 times greater, on average, than the prevalence estimated by the herd managers on each farm. The prevalence of lameness in first-lactation cows was 12.8% and prevalence increased on average at a rate of 8 percentage units per lactation. There was no association between the mean prevalence of clinical lameness and month of lactation (for months 1 to 10). Underconditioned cows had a higher prevalence of clinical lameness than normal or overconditioned cows. The prevalence of lameness was lower in freestall herds with sand stalls (17.1%) than in freestall herds with mattress stall surfaces (27.9%). Data indicate that the best 10th percentile of dairy farms had a mean prevalence of lameness of 5.4% with only 1.47% of cows with locomotion score = 4 and no cows with locomotion score = 5.
The objective was to quantify the incidence of tarsal lesions and level of hygiene by stall bed type. Cows were scored on 100 dairies from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, Iowa, and New York in the fall and winter. Thirty-eight dairies used rubber-filled mattresses (RFM), 27 had sand beds, 29 had waterbeds, and 6 used compost packs (CPk). Stocking density, stall dimensions, bedding amount, bedding frequency, and type of bedding were recorded. One pen of early-lactation multiparous cows on each dairy was scored based on injury of the tarsal joints at the lateral and medial surfaces and tuber calcis at the dorsal, lateral, and medial surfaces. A tarsal score of 1 represented hair loss, 2 was moderate, and 3 indicated severe swelling. Differences between bed types in the percentages of cows with lesions were tested with one-way ANOVA by lesion severity and incidence, with farm as the experimental unit. Cows on sand beds or waterbeds had fewer lesion scores of 1, 2, and 3 than those on RFM. The percentages of score 1 were 54.6 +/- 4.4 (RFM), 22.5 +/- 4.7 (sand), and 29.8 +/- 4.3 (waterbed), whereas the percentages of score 2 were 14.0 +/- 1.4, 2.3 +/- 1.5, and 5.0 +/- 1.4, and of score 3 were 3.0 +/- 0.4, 0.2 +/- 0.4, and 0.4 +/- 0.4. Cows on CPk had no lesions. Hygiene scores ranged from 1 to 5, with 1 being clean and 5 soiled. The percentages of hygiene score 1 were 0 (compost), 0.4 (RFM), 0.4 (sand), and 0.4 (waterbeds); those with score 2 were 79.0, 84.0 +/- 0.01, 73.2 +/- 0.01, and 80.4 +/- 0.01; with score 3 were 20.3, 15.2 +/- 0.01, 23.8 +/- 0.01, and 18.6 +/- 0.01; with score 4 were 0.8, 0.005 +/- 0.001, 0.006 +/- 0.001, and 0.025 +/- 0.003; and with score 5 was 0 for all bed types. Cows on RFM and waterbeds had improved hygiene compared with cows on sand beds. There was no difference in somatic cell count (SCC) by bed type. The percentage of cows in fourth lactation or greater on waterbeds (19.8 +/- 1.8) was greater than those on RFM (13.3 +/- 1.6) or on sand (13.5 +/- 1.8). The percentage culled was lower for cows on waterbeds than on RFM (22.8 +/- 1.5 vs. 29.4 +/- 1.4). Score 3 tarsal lesions were correlated (r = 0.60) with SCC. The length of the sand bed was correlated with a greater percentage of mature cows. The SCC was correlated with the percentage of cows reported lame on the day of the visit (r = 0.45) and with neck rail height (r = -0.26). On dairies with RFM, severe lesions (r = 0.60), death losses (r = 0.52), and percentage of the herd reported lame on the day of the visit (r = 0.52) were all correlated with the SCC. Dairies with higher percentages of lesions had higher SCC, death losses, lameness, and culling rates. Adding bedding several times per week may reduce the incidence of lesions.
Incidence of clinical mastitis was studied in 274 herds grouped in three categories by bulk milk somatic cell count (SCC). Mean incidence rate of clinical mastitis was 0.278, 0.257, and 0.252 cases per 365 cow-days at risk in herds with low (< or = 150,000), medium (150,000 to 250,000), and high (250,000 to 400,000 cells/ml) bulk milk SCC, respectively. The incidence rate of clinical mastitis was not different among the three categories. Variance in the incidence of clinical mastitis among herds increased as bulk milk SCC decreased. Clinical mastitis caused by Gram-negative pathogens, such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., or Pseudomonas spp., occurred more often in herds with a low bulk milk SCC. Clinical mastitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, and Streptococcus agalactiae occurred more often in herds with a high bulk milk SCC. Systemic signs of illness caused by clinical mastitis occurred more often in herds with a low bulk milk SCC. Both overall culling rate and culling rate for clinical mastitis were not different among groups catergorized by bulk milk SCC. In herds with a high bulk milk SCC, however, more cows that produced milk with a high SCC were culled. In herds with a low bulk milk SCC, more cows were culled for teat lesions, milkability, udder shape, fertility, and character than were cows in herds with a high bulk milk SCC. In herds with a low bulk milk SCC, cows were also culled more for export and production reasons.
Dynamic programming was used to make optimum insemination and culling decisions for a dairy enterprise. Monthly costs and revenues for cows were cal- culated from milk and fat yields, calf values, feed costs, veterinary costs, housing and equipment costs, and in- terest. Cows were described in the dy- namic programming model by lactation number, month in lactation, milk pro- duction during the present and previous lactations, and time of conception. The model considered variation in milk yield, replacement heifer costs, carcass values, involuntary culling, genetic improvement, conception rates, semen costs, and interest. Prices and parameters were chosen to represent the Holstein popula- tion in the US. Optimum average yearly culling rate was about 25% (optimum average herd life was 47.8 mo) and the yearly annuity of net revenue for a replacement heifer over a 15-yr planning horizon was $443 in the base situation. Various average mature equivalent yields, replacement heifer prices, milk prices, and feed prices were used in a sensitivity analysis. The yearly annuity of net revenue was sensitive to changes in all these parameters. Milk yield, milk
Lameness poses a considerable problem in modern dairy farming. Several new developments (e.g., herd health plans) strive to help farmers improve the health and welfare of their herd. It was thus our aim to identify lameness risk factors common across regions, breeds, and farming systems for freestall-housed dairy cows. We analyzed data from 103 nonorganic and organic dairy farms in Germany and Austria that kept 24 to 145 Holstein Friesian or Fleckvieh cows in the milking herd (mean = 48). Data on housing, management, behavior, and lameness scores for a total of 3,514 cows were collected through direct observations and an interview. Mean lameness prevalence was 34% (range = 0-81%). Data were analyzed applying logistic regression with generalized estimating equations in a split-sample design. The final model contained 1 animal-based parameter and 3 risk factors related to lying as well as 1 nutritional animal-based parameter, while correcting for the significant confounders parity and data subset. Risk for lameness increased with decreasing lying comfort, that is, more frequent abnormal lying behavior, mats or mattresses used as a stall base compared with deep-bedded stall bases, the presence of head lunge impediments, or neck rail-curb diagonals that were too short. Cows in the lowest body condition quartile (1.25-2.50 for Holstein Friesian and 2.50-3.50 for Fleckvieh) had the highest risk of being lame. In cross-validation the model correctly classified 71 and 70% of observations in the model-building and validation samples, respectively. Only 2 out of 15 significant odds ratios (including contrasts) changed direction. They pertained to the 2 variables with the highest P-values in the model. In conclusion, lying comfort and nutrition are key risk areas for lameness in freestall-housed dairy cows. Abnormal lying behavior in particular proved to be a good predictor of lameness risk and should thus be included in on-farm protocols. The study is part of the European Commission's Welfare Quality project.
The objectives were to describe culling patterns and reasons for culling across lactation, estimate mortality and the proportion of cows leaving from 21 d before an expected calving date through 60 d in milk (DIM; CULL60) for Pennsylvania (PA) dairy herds, and to describe production measures for herds with high and low mortality and CULL60. Weekly culling frequencies and reasons for culling from 3 wk before a reported expected calving date through >or= 100 wk of lactation were calculated for all PA cows with at least 1 Dairy Herd Improvement test in 2005. It was estimated that at least 5.0% of PA dairy cows died in 2005, and that at least 7.6% were culled by 60 DIM. The majority of cows exiting the herd by 60 DIM either died (35.1%) or had a disposal code of injury/other (29.9%). A total of 137,951 test-day records from 20,864 cows in herds with high mortality (>8.0%) and CULL60 (>12.0%) and 136,906 test-day records from 12,993 cows in herds with low mortality (<1.4%) and CULL60 (<2.9%) were retained to describe differences among herds with high and low survival. Least squares means for weekly milk yield, fat and protein percentages, and somatic cell score (SCS) were estimated with a model that included fixed effects for herd environment (high or low survival) and week nested within herd environment and lactation; random effects were cow, herd-test-day, and error. Cows from herds with high mortality and CULL60 produced more milk in lactations 1 (+1.9 +/- 0.15 kg/d) and 2 (+0.9 +/- 0.16 kg/d), but less in lactations 4 (-0.7 +/- 0.22 kg/d), 5 (-1.4 +/- 0.29 kg/d), and >or= 6 (-0.7 +/- 0.32 kg/d) and had higher SCS (+0.24 +/- 0.02), more change in early-lactation fat percentage (-1.77% vs. -1.59%), and a greater frequency of fat-protein inversions (3.6 +/- 0.3%). There is an opportunity to manipulate management practices to reduce mortality and early-lactation culling rates, which will improve cow welfare and the efficiency of dairy production by capturing a greater proportion of potential lactation milk yield, increasing cow salvage values, and reducing replacement costs.
Management practices associated with bulk milk somatic cell counts (SCC) were studied for 201 dairy herds grouped into three categories according to bulk milk SCC. The cumulative production of fat-corrected milk over 305 d of lactation and category for bulk milk SCC were highly correlated; herds within the low category had the highest milk production. Differences in bulk milk SCC among the categories were well explained by the management practices studied. This correlation was not only true for the difference between the high (250,000 to 400,000) and low (< or = 150,000) categories for bulk milk SCC but also for the difference between the medium (150,000 to 250,000) and low categories and the high and medium categories. Management practices that are known to be important for herds in the high category for bulk milk SCC, such as dry cow treatment, milking technique, postmilking teat disinfection, and antibiotic treatment of clinical mastitis, were also found to be important in the explanation of the difference between herds in the medium and low categories for bulk milk SCC. More attention was paid to hygiene for herds in the low category than for herds in the medium or high category. Supplementation of the diet with minerals occurred more frequently for cows in the low category for bulk milk SCC than for cows in the medium and high categories.
A competitive environment forces the farmer constantly to adopt new and more-intensive production methods aiming at lowering costs and increasing yields. At debate is whether this intensification of production has an adverse impact on animal health and welfare. We investigated this issue by using cointegration analysis (a new tool used in time series analysis). We introduce cointegration analysis by applying the method in an epidemiological study of dairy-cow mortality. Two long-run epidemiological relations are identified:(i) a physiological relation (where increasing consumption of concentrates corresponded to increasing milk yield and mortality) and (ii) a physical relation (which illustrated that higher mortality was closely related to a higher growth rate of the average herd size, current investments in dairy farming, and higher milk yield). We concluded that a higher level of physiological stress due to higher yield and concentrate consumption has led to increased mortality. Furthermore, changes in the physical environment due to increased mechanisation and larger herd sizes have contributed to less attention per cow and increased mortality.
A cross-sectional survey of dairy farms with low bulk milk somatic cell counts was carried out to assess the level of clinical mastitis and to quantify risk factors associated with the incidence rate of clinical mastitis. Questionnaires were sent to 3009 milk operations with an annual mean bulk milk somatic cell count of less than 100,000 cells/ml during 1997. A response rate was 61%. The mean incidence of clinical mastitis reported was 22.8 cases per 100 cows/yr. Negative binomial regression models were used to assess statistically significant risk factors associated with the incidence of clinical mastitis. The incidence increased when farmers reported that they had straw yard housing for milking cows (compared with cubicle housing), mucked out the calving area less frequently than once per month, kept cows standing in a yard after milking, always practiced postmilking teat disinfection, had greater than 50% replacement rate, had some cows that leaked milk on entry to the parlor, had some cows that leaked milk at other times, and foremilked before cluster attachment. The incidence of clinical mastitis was lower on farms when the gathering yard used before milking was scraped at least twice a day, cows were offered feed after both milkings, rubber gloves were not worn during milking, teat liners were changed after 6000 milkings, and the average dry period was less than 40 d. The study has identified areas of the environment in which efforts to improve hygiene should be focused.
Our objective was to test the effects of two types of stall flooring and two tie stall designs on the behaviour of dairy cows. Using two cross-over designs, 16 lactating Holstein cows were housed for 3-week periods in each of four tie stalls to compare the effects of concrete versus mattress flooring, and a narrow versus a wide stall front opening. When cows were housed on a mattress flooring they increased their total lying time by 1.8h per day (51.0 versus 43.4% time per day). The duration of individual lying bouts was longer on concrete flooring (78 versus 62min) and the same was true for the duration of individual bouts of standing (80 versus 48min). On mattress flooring cows stood up and lay down more often than on concrete (28 versus 20 per day, respectively). On concrete cows spent more time standing without eating (35.2 versus 28.1% of sampling observations). Cows consistently made use of the additional space provided with the wide stall front opening, placing their head in the manger area during 70.6% of lying observations compared to only 43.4% of observations in the narrow stall front. However, measures of general activity were not significantly different for the two stall designs. Cows spent similar amounts of time eating and consumed similar quantities of feed in all four tie stalls. Our results suggest a lack of comfort may be apparent in reduced time spent lying and a subsequent increase in time spent standing without eating. A lower frequency of standing and lying and an increase in the bout duration of lying suggests that cows on concrete flooring have difficulty standing up and lying down.
Mastitis remains a major challenge to the worldwide dairy industry despite the widespread implementation of mastitis control strategies. The last forty years have seen a dramatic decrease in clinical mastitis incidence but this has been accompanied by a change in the relative and absolute importance of different pathogens. Escherichia coli and Streptococcus uberis are now the two most common causes of bovine mastitis and are an increasing problem in low somatic cell count herds. This paper reviews the changes in incidence and pattern of mastitis in the UK over the last four decades and discusses some of the possible explanations for these changes. It focuses in particular on apparent changes in the behaviour of E. coli and its ability to cause persistent intramammary infection; which may be as a result of bacterial adaptation or the unmasking of previously unrecognized patterns of pathogenesis. The prospects for novel approaches to mastitis control are discussed, as are the current and future challenges facing the industry.
A protocol was developed by consultation with experts on the welfare of cattle to use direct observations of cattle and an examination of farm records to assess welfare. Fifty-three dairy farms in England were visited and assessed during the winter of 2000/01. The findings were compiled and the results of the welfare measurements were examined by 50 experts who indicated at what level they considered that improvement was required. More than 75 per cent of them considered that 32 of the 53 farms needed to take action to reduce the incidence of mastitis, and that at least 42 of the farms needed to take action to reduce the prevalence of lameness, overgrown claws, swollen and ulcerated hocks, and injuries from the environment.
To determine the prevalence of lameness as a function of season (summer vs winter), housing type (free stalls vs tie stalls), and stall surface (sand vs any other surface) among lactating dairy cows in Wisconsin.
Epidemiologic survey.
3,621 lactating dairy cows in 30 herds.
Herds were visited once during the summer and once during the winter, and a locomotion score ranging from 1 (no gait abnormality) to 4 (severe lameness) was assigned to all lactating cows. Cows with a score of 3 or 4 were considered to be clinically lame.
Mean +/- SD herd lameness prevalence was 21.1 +/- 10.5% during the summer and 23.9 +/- 10.7% during the winter; these values were significantly different. During the winter, mean prevalence of lameness in free-stall herds with non-sand stall surfaces (33.7%) was significantly higher than prevalences in free-stall herds with sand stall surfaces (21.2%), tie-stall herds with non-sand stall surfaces (21.7%), and tie-stall herds with sand stall surfaces (12.1%).
Results suggest that the prevalence of lameness among dairy cattle in Wisconsin is higher than previously thought and that lameness prevalence is associated with season, housing type, and stall surface.
Mortality among Danish dairy cows was examined using data from the Danish Cattle Database (DCD) and a questionnaire survey. Mortality risk has increased from approximately 2% in 1990 to approximately 3.5% in 1999. The increased mortality was seen for all dairy breeds and all age groups. Mortality among older dairy cows (parity 3 and older) was approximately twice the mortality among younger cows. 30-40% of deaths were during the first 30 days of the lactation. Approximately, 58% of dead dairy cows had been euthanised. Replies from the questionnaire indicate that the proportion of euthanised cows has increased in the past 5 years. In 86% of all deaths (questionnaire survey) a primary reason could be identified; 25% were for locomotor disorders.
The objective of our study was to evaluate how the amount of sawdust bedding on mattresses affects dairy cattle behavior and preferences. Eleven nonlactating, multiparous cows were housed individually in pens with access to 3 free stalls. Each stall was fitted with a geotextile mattress covered with either 0, 1, or 7.5 kg of kiln-dried sawdust. The experiment began with 7 d of acclimatization to all 3 stalls. Cows were then allowed access to only 1 of the 3 stalls at a time, each for 3 d (restriction phase). At the end of this restriction phase, cows were allowed free access to all 3 stalls for 3 d (free-choice phase). Time spent lying and the number of lying bouts increased significantly with the amount of bedding, from 12.3 +/- 0.53 h lying and 8.5 +/- 0.62 bouts per 24 h on bare mattresses to 13.8 +/- 0.53 h lying and 10.0 +/- 0.62 bouts per 24 h on mattresses with 7.5 kg of sawdust. In addition, the animals spent less time standing with only the front hooves in the stalls when more sawdust was present. When allowed free access to all 3 options, all 11 animals spent a majority of their time lying and standing in the 7.5-kg option. In conclusion, cows preferred mattresses bedded with 7.5 kg of sawdust, on which they spent more time lying down and less time standing with only the front hooves in stalls. These results indicate that more sawdust bedding improves cow comfort in stalls with geotextile mattresses.
To explore how hoof pathologies affect dairy cattle gait, we studied cows with sole hemorrhages (n = 14), sole ulcers (n = 7), and those with no visible injuries (n = 17). Overall gait assessments, scored from video using a 1 to 5 numerical rating system (1 = sound, 5 = severely lame) and a continuous 100-unit visual analog scale, found cows having sole ulcers had poorer gait than healthy cows (mean +/- SEM: 4.0 +/- 0.13 vs. 3.1 +/- 0.08, and 59 +/- 3 vs. 46 +/- 2, respectively). Six gait attributes (back arch, head bob, tracking-up, joint flexion, asymmetric gait, and reluctance to bear weight) were also assessed using continuous 100-unit scales. Compared with healthy cows, those having sole ulcers walked with a more pronounced back arch (12 +/- 3 vs. 28 +/- 4), more jerky head movement (2 +/- 2 vs. 10 +/- 3), shortened strides (7 +/- 2 vs. 26 +/- 4), and more uneven weighting among the limbs (16 +/- 2 vs. 32 +/- 3). Of all measures, the numerical rating system most effectively discriminated healthy cows from those with sole ulcers (R2 = 0.73), classifying 92% of animals correctly. No differences were detected among cows with and without sole hemorrhages. Intra- and interobserver reliabilities were reasonable for all measures (R2 > or = 0.64) except joint flexion and asymmetric gait. In summary, subjective assessments of dairy cattle gait provide valid and reliable approaches to identifying cattle with sole ulcers.
The factors affecting the mortality of cows in Danish dairy herds were investigated by analysing data from 6839 herds. The mean risk of mortality during the first 100 days of lactation was 2.5 per cent. The risk of mortality increased with increasing herd size (odds ratio [OR] 1.05 for an increase in herd size of 50 cows), with the proportion of purchased cows (OR 1.05 for an increase in the proportion of purchased cows of 0.1), and with increases in the somatic cell count (OR 1.16 for an increase in average weighted mean somatic cell count of 100,000 cells/ml). The risk decreased with increasing average milk yield per cow (OR 0.93 for an increase in mean yield per cow-year of 1000 kg). The risk was lower in free-stall barns with deep litter (OR 0.79) than in barns with cubicles (OR 1) or tie-stalls (OR 1.04). Herds with Danish Holstein (OR 1) or Danish Jersey (OR 0.93) cows as the predominant breed had a higher risk of mortality than herds of the Danish red dairy breed (OR 0.67). The risk of mortality was lower in organic herds (OR 1) than in conventional herds (OR 1.17), and lower in herds that grazed pasture during the summer (OR 0.78).
Culling patterns in the Upper Midwest and Northeast regions were examined from Dairy Herd Improvement records from 1993 through 1999. There were 7,087,699 individual cow lactation observations of which 1,458,936 were complete. A probit regression model was used to determine how individual cow and herd characteristics affected the likelihood of a cow being culled. The model predicted whether individual cows were culled each month. With a combination of observable cow and herd characteristics, as well as variables to capture state, year, and farm effects, the model was able to explain, with a 79.5 and 79.9% accuracy rate, individual cow cull decisions in the Upper Midwest and Northeast regions, respectively. Summer (- 11.5% in the Upper Midwest; - 6.4% in the Northeast) and fall (- 18.7% in the Upper Midwest; - 7.9% in the Northeast) calving vs. spring calving, higher than average milk production (- 1.7% per hundredweight in the Upper Midwest; - 0.5% in the Northeast), higher than average protein content (- 0.2% per additional percentage milk protein in the Upper Midwest; - 0.1% in the Northeast), higher milk production persistency (- 2.1% per additional percent persistent in the Upper Midwest; - 1.8% in the Northeast), and expansion (during the early years following the expansion) were associated with a reduced likelihood of a cow being culled. Lower than average fat content (0.04% per additional percentage butterfat in the Upper Midwest; 0.02% in the Northeast), and higher than average somatic cell count (8.8% for each unit increase in somatic cell count score in the Upper Midwest; 7.8% in the Northeast) were associated with an increased likelihood of a cow being culled. The study results are useful in describing patterns of culling and relating them to cow, herd, geographic, and time variables and can act as a benchmark for producers.
No nationwide studies of the incidence rate of clinical mastitis (IRCM) have been conducted in Canada. Because the IRCM and distribution of mastitis-causing bacteria may show substantial geographic variation, the primary objective of this study was to determine regional pathogen-specific IRCM on Canadian dairy farms. Additionally, the association of pathogen-specific IRCM with bulk milk somatic cell count (BMSCC) and barn type were determined. In total, 106 dairy farms in 10 provinces of Canada participated in the study for a period of 1 yr. Participating producers recorded 3,149 cases of clinical mastitis. The most frequently isolated mastitis pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus uberis, and coagulase-negative staphylococci. Overall mean and median IRCM were 23.0 and 16.7 cases per 100 cow-years in the selected herds, respectively, with a range from 0.7 to 97.4 per herd. No association between BMSCC and overall IRCM was found, but E. coli and culture-negative IRCM were highest and Staph. aureus IRCM was lowest in low and medium BMSCC herds. Staphylococcus aureus, Strep. uberis, and Streptococcus dysgalactiae IRCM were lowest in the Western provinces. Staphylococcus aureus and Strep. dysgalactiae IRCM were highest in Québec. Cows in tie-stalls had higher incidences of Staph. aureus, Strep. uberis, coagulase-negative staphylococci, and other streptococcal IRCM compared with those in free-stalls, whereas cows in free stalls had higher Klebsiella spp. and E. coli IRCM than those in tie-stall barns. The focus of mastitis prevention and control programs should differ between regions and should be tailored to farms based on housing type and BMSCC.