Dairy Goat Farms Research Articles

Sosialisasi Manajemen Kesehatan Kambing Perah serta Pengaruhnya terhadap Kualitas Susu pada Peternak Kambing Perah di Kecamatan Ampelgading dan Tirtoyudo Kabupaten Malang

Goat's milk is a food of animal origin that is easily damaged and requires handling after the milking process. Ampelgading and Tirtoyudo sub-districts are areas in Malang Regency where some of the population are dairy goat breeders. This community service aims to provide socialization and education on good animal health management so that it can improve the quality of goat milk. The activity began with collecting farmer data and analyzing the situation of dairy goat farming. The socialization method was carried out by conducting focus group discussions about knowledge of animal health management and checking the quality of goat milk. Milk composition testing uses Lactoscan, while organoleptic testing is based on Indonesian National Standard 01-2346-2006 concerning organoleptic and sensory testing instructions. The results of community service show that the quality of dairy goat milk in Ampelgading and Tirtoyudo Districts is premium based on the Thailand Agriculture Standard 2008. The results of the organoleptic test of goat milk have remained the same based on SNI 3141-1-2011 regarding the quality of fresh milk. The results of this goat milk quality test can be used as a basis for farmers to improve livestock management and milking. Through this activity, farmers can implement good livestock health management so that the quality of goat milk and the selling price increase. This activity will encourage young farmers to be more interested in becoming dairy goat breeders who have high economic prospects and contribute to increasing goat milk productivity. Apart from that, this activity can improve the welfare of farmers by improving the quality of goat milk with higher selling power.

Hygienic-sanitary quality in family farm goat milk production

Dairy goat farming became on a profitable activity for small and medium family producers. Thus, goat milk constitutes excellent culture media for the development of undesirable, spoiling and pathogenic microorganisms. Thus, the present study evaluated the microbiological quality of goat milk and dairy derivatives, in order to provide family farmers support and encouragement to adoption of food safety in production chain. A total of 25 samples were evaluated, including refrigerated raw goat milk, goat cheese with or without spices and goat milk caramel. Microbiological analyzes included mesophilic and psychrotrophic bacteria, total coliforms and Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, yeast and molds enumeration and Salmonella spp detection. Mesophilic and psychrotrophic bacteria, total coliforms and fungi enumerations of most goat milk and cheese samples presented values above the limit established by Brazilian legislation. In only five samples Staphylococcus aureus were detected, being four of goat milk and one of cheese, and most of the isolates were susceptible to antimicrobials of animal and human use. All samples were absent to Salmonella spp.. Goat milk caramel was the best microbiological profile product.

Milk Lipid Regulation in Dairy Goats: A Comprehensive Review.

The growth, development, and milk production traits of dairy goats, which are important sources of high-quality animal protein, are significantly influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. It is imperative to identify key genetic loci that govern economically valuable traits in order to enhance breeding programs. Despite advancements in genomic technologies, there are still gaps in knowledge regarding the interplay between genetic factors and environmental influences, particularly in relation to the regulation of milk production and quality. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to synthesize advancements in the genetic and environmental factors affecting milk production and quality in dairy goats and identify key regulatory mechanisms. This review summarizes the recent progress on the identification of genes associated with milk production traits using whole-genome resequencing, the use of transcriptomic profiling to identify genes linked to milk production, the exploration of regulatory mechanisms of lipid metabolism in goat mammary epithelial cells, and the evaluation of the influence of nutritional factors on milk quality. A comprehensive understanding of these interactions is essential for enhancing breeding strategies and ensuring the sustainability of dairy goat farming. Future research should incorporate multi-omics approaches to unravel the intricate regulatory processes governing milk production and adapt practices to meet global demand while upholding economic and environmental sustainability.

Pseudopregnancy in Murciano-Granadina dairy goats in Iran: prevalence, risk factors and treatment

This study was conducted in a large industrial Murciano-Granadina dairy goat farm, aiming to investigate prevalence, risk factors and cure rate of pseudopregnancy. Bred does (N = 1310) were examined by ultrasonography, around 40 days after exposure to bucks. The relationships between age, parity, milk production, season, and prevalence of pseudopregnancy were analyzed. In the second part of the study, two groups of affected does (n = 12) were treated by two intramuscular injections of cloprostenol sodium (100 µg per animal, i.m.) 11 days apart, or received the same treatment regimen together with procaine penicillin (20000 IU/kg) and dihydrostreptomycin (20 mg/kg) for three consecutive days, from the time of diagnosis. The prevalence of pseudopregnancy was 9%. The average age of the diseased goats was higher (P = 0.05) compared to non-affected does. The prevalence of pseudopregnancy varied between different age groups (P = 0.0003) and parities (P < 0.0001). A different prevalence of pseudopregnancy was found between different milk production groups (P < 0.0001). Comparing milk production between normal and diseased does showed tended significance, (P = 0.07). The prevalence of pseudopregnancy was similar in and out of the breeding season. Moreover, the cure rate in the first and second treatment group was 66.8% (8/12), and 75% (9/12), respectively (P = 0.6). In conclusion, despite higher prevalence of pseudopregnancy in certain ages and milk production groups, no significant trend by increasing age and milk production group was found. Moreover, adding antibiotic to prostaglandin treatment regimen, failed to significantly improve cure rate and post treatment pregnancy rate.

Profitability of dairy goat farms in Bulgaria

Abstract. The purpose of the present study was to establish the economic performance of dairy goat farms in Bulgaria by using the indicator profitability and the related indicators – total production, total revenues, total costs and profit per doe (before and after subsidy). Data for 2022 were provided by the owners of 8 farms within the survey and processed using a mathematical-statistical model and Excel program. The adopted production system was semi-intensive with indoor winter period and grazing (supplemented with cereals and hay) during most of the year. Profit before subsidies was found positive only for farm 5, and all other holdings were unprofitable based on the results of their own production. When subsidies were added, some of them reported a positive financial result, while others remained loss-making. Based on the results found within the study, it could be summarized that in the dairy sector the level of milk production is the leading factor for farm income. Оf great importance are also the sale of value-added dairy products, own feed production and optimization of labour costs. In most farms, subsidies (incl. for pastures) are extremely important for the viability of the farms. In addition, when analyzing the economic efficiency of dairy goats, an individual approach to farms is necessary. All elements of the production system, both biological and economic, should be taken into account in order to improve production and profits.

Associations of Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Dairy Goat Farmers in Greece with Biosecurity-Related Practices in the Farms.

Given the significance of goat farming in Greece, our study aimed to explore biosecurity conditions on goat farms and refers to an investigation performed on 119 farms countrywide in Greece. The objective of the present work was to evaluate and report on potential associations between the socio-demographic characteristics of goat farmers and practices that play a role in biosecurity on farms. Data were obtained during a large cross-sectional study performed across Greece in 119 goat herds. The socio-demographic characteristics of farmers, as well as 16 variables related to biosecurity, were recorded; these were practices or events that could potentially enhance or compromise biosecurity on farms. A score based on all the biosecurity-related variables was devised by assigning a '1' or '-1' mark for each variable recorded on a farm that could enhance or compromise, respectively, biosecurity. Among variables potentially enhancing biosecurity on farms, the application of disinfections on the farm and the maintenance of isolation for sick animals were practiced more frequently; among variables potentially compromising biosecurity on farms, the presence of hunters in the area around the farm and grazing practices for animals were recorded more frequently. The median overall score for biosecurity-related practices for all farms in the study was 1 (interquartile range: 2.5; minimum: -4; maximum: 5). Among socio-demographic characteristics, the presence of working staff on a farm was associated with five individual biosecurity-related practices and the length of farming experience with three individual biosecurity-related practices. In the multivariable analysis, female farmers (p = 0.007) and the presence of working staff on the farm (p = 0.025) emerged as the two significant socio-demographic characteristics with an association with the overall biosecurity level on farms. This knowledge can be useful when developing biosecurity programs on goat farms. Recognition of locally applied farm-level practices enhancing biosecurity could form a basis for farmers to apply more rigorous and effective relevant plans.

Dairy goat doe-kid rearing systems: Farmers' motivations and a description of practices, benefits, and drawbacks

In French dairy goat systems, kids are generally separated from their mother does shortly after birth. The main drivers of this practice are related to health-especially the prevention of the Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Virus (CAEV) transmission-and economics. However, the separation of young ruminants from their does is being increasingly questioned by society and has raised concerns about the satisfaction of their behavioral needs. Some farmers choose to leave their female kids with their does. The aims of this study were to understand their motivations for leaving kids with their does, to describe how kids are reared in this case and how farmers perceive different aspects of the impacts of this practice. Individual semi-structured interviews were carried out with 40 farmers who had implemented the kids-with-does practice for at least one year. Compared with the national database describing the French population of dairy goat farmers, the characteristics of the interviewed farmers differed from those of the general population. They were younger and had done longer studies. Their farms were smaller, mainly with rare breeds and milk was mainly processed on-farm under an organic certification system. They chose to implement this practice for different reasons: ethical considerations, improving integration of kids within the herd, saving time and increasing comfort at work or improving the kids' growth, welfare, and health. The doe-kid rearing contact practices varied greatly between farms, with some kids staying with their does from a period of 45 d to never being separated; furthermore, some kids remained with their does all day, while others remained together part of the day or for a limited time, and daily contact evolved over time. Overall, farmers were satisfied as the benefits quoted were coherent with their motivations to implement this rearing practice. Most have decided to continue the practice, though usually with changes. However, as 40% of them had only 3 years or less of experience of doe-kid rearing, some had not sufficient hindsight into long-term issues such as the transmission of CAEV. It is crucial to tackle challenges associated with this practice, i.e., potentially wild kids, health issues, and economic consequences stemming from a reduction in marketable milk.

Evaluation of inter-observer reliability in the case of trichotomous and four-level animal-based welfare indicators with two observers

This study focuses on assessing inter-observer reliability (IOR) between two observers in the case of trichotomous and four-level animal-based welfare indicators assessed at individual level. The Body Condition Score (BCS) and Knee calluses (KNC) were chosen as trichotomous indicators; data were collected in fourteen intensively managed dairy goat farms in Italy (ITF1 to ITF7) and Portugal (PTF1 to PTF7) and in extensively managed dairy goat farms exploiting three alpine pastures (AP1, AP2 and AP3) in Italy. The Ear posture (EP) and Eye white (EW) were chosen as four-level indicators; data were collected in three intensively managed dairy cattle farms (F1, F2 and F3) in Italy. The performance of the most documented agreement indices was compared. In the case of trichotomous indicators, Scott’s π, Cohen’s K, Cohen’s K C, Cohen’s weighted K and Krippendorff’s α were affected by the paradox effect: when the concordance rate (P0) was high, they sometimes gave very low or even negative values (e.g. P0(BCS-ITF3) = 74%; Scott’s π = 0.05; Cohen’s K = 0.09; Krippendorff’s α = 0.06; P0(BCS-AP3) = 74%; Scott’s π = −0.12; Cohen’s K = Krippendorff’s α = −0.11). Bangdiwala’s B, Gwet’s γ(AC1) and Quatto’s weighted S were not affected by this phenomenon and provided values very close to P0 (e.g. P0(KNC-PTF1) = 88%; Bangdiwala’s B = Gwet’s γ(AC1) = 0.85; P0(BCS-AP1) = 82%; Bangdiwala’s B = Gwet’s γ(AC1) = 0.79). In the case of four-level indicators, Cohen’s K and Krippendorff’s α were not affected by the paradox behaviour. However, Cohen’s K C in some cases exceeded the observed P0 (e.g. P0(EP-F3) = 78%; Cohen’s K C = 1). Gwet’s γ(AC1) showed the best results for four-level indicators (e.g. P0(EP-F1) = 88%; Gwet’s γ(AC1) = 0.86), followed by Quatto’s S and Holley and Guilford’s G (e.g. P0(EP-F1) = 88%; Quatto’s S = Holley and Guilford’s G = 0.84). To evaluate IOR between two observers, Bangdiwala’s B, Gwet’s γ(AC1) and Quatto’s weighted S are suggested for trichotomous indicators, while Gwet’s γ(AC1), Quatto’s S and Holley and Guilford’s G are suggested for four-level indicators.

Short Communication: Investigation of mecA-positive and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in dairy goat with subclinical mastitis from traditional farms in Banyuwangi, Indonesia

Abstract. Praja RN, Edila R, Yudhana A, Saputro AL, Hamonangan JM, Praja SS. 2024. Short Communication: Investigation of mecA-positive and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in dairy goat with subclinical mastitis from traditional farms in Banyuwangi, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 25: 1638-1643. Raw milk has the potential to transmit bacteria resistant to antibiotics and serve as a medium for the development of food-borne illnesses. Staphylococcus aureus is a harmful bacterium that can infect host cells and carry antibiotic-resistant genes. This study aims to investigate the occurrence of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) which contains mecA coding gene from raw goat milk in Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia. 150 raw milk samples were collected from five goat farms in Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia. S. aureus was isolated using selective media, and antibiotic susceptibility testing was conducted using the Mueller-Hinton agar diffusion method. MRSA was confirmed using the oxacillin and cefotaxime resistance screen agar test, with the presence of mecA genes identified through polymerase chain reaction. The results show that the prevalence of S. aureus was 30.6%. Of the 46 S. aureus isolates, 28 (60.87%) were categorized as MRSA. The mecA gene was observed in 9 (32.14%) MRSA isolates. The presence of MRSA in raw goat milk poses a significant public health threat, as bacteria carrying the mecA gene for antimicrobial resistance can spread through animal products like raw milk. Enhanced hygiene and sanitation protocols in dairy goat farms are essential prevention measures that must be strictly implemented.

Total bacterial count and somatic cell count in bulk and individual goat milk around kidding: Two longitudinal observational studies

Total bacterial count (TBC) and somatic cell count (SCC) are important quality parameters in goat milk. Exceeding the bulk milk TBC (BMTBC) thresholds leads to price penalties for Dutch dairy goat farmers. Controlling these milk quality parameters can be challenging, especially around kidding. First, we describe the variation and the peaks around kidding of TBC and SCC in census data on Dutch bulk milk over the last 22 years. Second, to explore causes of these elevations, we studied the variation of TBC and SCC in individual goat milk from 3 weeks before to 5 weeks after kidding and their association with systemic response markers interferon-γ (IFN-γ), calprotectin, β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), body condition score (BCS) and fecal consistency. We visited 4 Dutch dairy goat farms weekly for 10 to 16 weeks around kidding. Some of the goats had been dried off, other goats were milked continuously throughout pregnancy. A total of 1,886 milk samples from 141 goats were collected for automated flowcytometric quantification of TBC and SCC measurement. IFN-γ, calprotectin and BHB were determined twice in blood of the same goats, most samples were collected after kidding. The BCS and fecal consistency were scored visually before and after kidding. We found a strong correlation between TBC and SCC (Spearman's rho = 0.87) around kidding. Furthermore, in the third week before kidding, the average TBC (5.67 log10 cfu/mL) and SCC (6.70 log10 cells/mL) were significantly higher compared with the fifth week after kidding, where the average TBC decreased to 4.20 log10 cfu/mL and the average SCC decreased to 5.92 log10 cells/mL. In multivariable linear regression models, farm and stage of lactation were significantly associated with TBC and SCC, but none of the systemic response markers correlated with TBC or SCC. In conclusion, TBC and SCC in dairy goats were high in late lactation and decreased shortly after parturition. For SCC, the dilution effect might have caused the decrease, but this was not plausible for TBC. Moreover, the excretion of bacteria and cells in goat milk was not associated with the selected systemic response markers that were chosen as a read out for general immunity status, intestinal health and metabolic diseases. Therefore, we assume that the TBC increase before kidding and the decrease after parturition is caused by other systemic, possibly hormonal, processes. To reduce BMTBC and BMSCC, it would be advisable to keep milk of goats with highest numbers of bacteria and cells in their milk out of the bulk milk during end lactation. Further studies are needed to investigate the effects of withholding this end lactation milk from the bulk tank.

Determination of Growth and Survival Rates of Saanen Kid in UniSZA Dairy Goat Farm

Determination of Growth and Survival Rates of Saanen Kid in UniSZA Dairy Goat Farm

A SURVEY OF ANTHELMINTIC EFFICACY IN DAIRY GOAT FARMS IN SOUTH-EAST FRANCE

Goat’s milk production is an important activity in France. Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) remain a main threat for grazing goats, usually controlled using anthelmintic drugs (AH). However, 1) eprinomectin (EPN) is the sole molecule yet available without withdrawal time for milk in France; 2) nematodes AH resistances increase dramatically. First, a survey was performed on 13 farms in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (AURA) region to evaluate the efficacy of 2 AH authorized for dairy goats: a benzimidazole (BZ) and a macrocyclic lactone (EPN pour-on). Fecal Egg Count Reduction Tests (FECRT) were carried out using 3 groups of 10 goats per farm: a control group, one treated with BZ (oxfendazole) and one treated with EPN. The results indicate a resistance to BZ in 11 out of 13 farms (84.6%) and a lack of efficacy for EPN pour-on in at least 10 farms (76.9%). Secondly, EPN was given orally or subcutaneously in 4 farms of the previous trial showing a lack of efficacy to EPN pour-on. A resistance to EPN was confirmed in 3 out of 4 farms. Although based on a few farms, these results confirm the high prevalence of resistance of GIN to BZ in dairy goat farms. They also highlight a high level of resistance to EPN and the lack of efficacy of EPN when used pour-on. Given the level of resistance to marketed drugs, there is an urgent need to explore alternative options to AH to prepare integrated, sustainable control of GIN.

Productivity and milk quality of Saanen and Anglo- Nubian breeds of goats under the conditions of the Lower Volga region

Prospects for the development of dairy goat farming and goat milk production in many countries of the world, including Russia, are directly related to the dietary and healing properties of the product. An urgent problem is the comparative assessment of the adaptive and productive traits of dairy goats of imported selection under various ecological and climatic conditions of Russia, including the conditions of the sharp continental climate of the Lower Volga region. The purpose of the work was to give a comparative assessment of the eff ectiveness of breeding lactating goats of Saanen and AngloNubian breeds of imported selection under the conditions of the sharp continental climate of the Lower Volga region. The object of research was imported dairy goats. Two groups of female goats of Saanen and Anglo-Nubian breeds of the fi rst lactation of 10 heads in each were formed, taking into account their live weight, age of insemination and origin. The duration of the scientific and farm experiment was 210 days.Consistently high milk yield was found in goats of Saanen breed compared with the milk yield of their herdmates of Anglo-Nubian breed. The signifi cant diff erence in milk yield in favor of Saanen goats by months ranged from 13,24 to 16,51 % (p &lt; 0,05). In general, during lactation the superiority of Saanen goats over their Anglo-Nubian herdmates in terms of milk yield was 61,2 kg or 15,75 %. A comparative analysis of quality indicators revealed a significant superiority of milk from goats of Anglo-Nubian breed such as in the mass fraction of fat by 1,48 abs.% (p &lt; 0,05), in the mass fraction of protein by 0,24 abs.% (p &lt; 0,05), in terms of milk fat yield by 3,15 kg (p &lt; 0,05). It was found as a result that in the production of milk from goats of Anglo-Nubian breed, the level of profitability of milk with basic fat content (3,5 %) was higher by 27,78 abs.% compared with herdmates of Saanen breed.

Pain Assessment in Goat Kids: Focus on Disbudding.

Farm animals are routinely subjected to painful husbandry procedures for various purposes. Goat kids are disbudded to improve goat welfare and to ensure safety of other livestock, farm personnel, attending veterinarians and for various other production and managemental procedures. Disbudding is commonly performed on dairy goat farms, in kids under 3 weeks of age. Many scientific studies reported physiological and behavioural changes indicating pain and distress following disbudding, and this can be a significant cause of welfare compromise in goat kids. Recognition and measurement of pain is important to treat and/or manage pain and distress following painful procedures. This review focuses on pain assessment in goat kids following disbudding, using both physiological and behavioural measures. As only a limited information is available on the topic of interest, relevant studies in other young farm animals have also been discussed to compare the status quo in goat kids.

Epidemiological Studies of Subclinical Mastitis in Dairy Goats in Lumajang Regency, East Java, Indonesia

Subclinical mastitis is an economically important disease in dairy goat farming. Lumajang is a center for dairy goats in East Java. However, routine examination of subclinical mastitis for screening tests has no data. This study aimed to provide prevalence data and identification factors that influenced subclinical mastitis. Therefore, this study was carried out as part of the national surveillance program. The research design is a cross-sectional study with simple random sampling. Samples came from 19 farms with a total individual sample of 224 dairy goats. Detection of subclinical mastitis using an undirect test with the California Mastitis Test (CMT). Identification of management factors and characteristics that can influence subclinical mastitis in dairy goat farms using a structured questionnaire. The results showed that the prevalence of subclinical mastitis in Lumajang District was 36.2%. There was a significant difference in subclinical mastitis in each village (p&lt;0.05). The highest prevalence of subclinical mastitis was in Kandangtepus village. A farmer's characteristic factor that significantly influences subclinical mastitis is the farmer's experience. The aspect of livestock management that significantly affects subclinical mastitis is structured work management. Subclinical mastitis was prevalent in dairy goats in Lumajang District and requires prevention efforts. Prevention approach through education for farmers to increase knowledge, attitude, and socialization to improve livestock management.

Is the Familiar Human Approach Test a valid method for evaluating the quality of human-goat relationship in pasture-based systems?

A study was carried out to validate the Familiar Human Approach Test (FHAT) for the evaluation of the human-animal relationship (HAR) in goats at pasture. The FHAT originally proposed for sheep (AWIN Welfare Assessment Protocol) was modified to be adapted to goats. The validation of this modified version of FHAT was carried out by checking its convergent validity with the Latency to the First Contact Test (Latency; expressed in seconds), which was already developed, validated, and included in the AWIN Welfare Assessment Protocol for Goats to evaluate HAR for dairy goats kept indoors. Eighteen dairy goat farms were included in this study. The FHAT was performed during the grazing season at pasture by familiar assessors (i.e., farmers), while external assessors evaluated the reaction of goats to the routine gathering of animals by the farmer. The Latency was performed both by unfamiliar and familiar assessors during autumn-winter indoor housing. Farms were classified into four classes, based on goats' reactions to farmers at pasture: 1. Avoidance (withdrawal of the whole flock from the farmer, n= 4); 2. Approach (at least one goat allows the farmer to approach and/or follows the farmer; no physical interaction, n= 7); 3. Contact (at least one goat voluntarily approaches the farmer; contact lasts ≤3 seconds, n= 3); and 4. Acceptance (at least one goat accepts to be touched by the farmer; contact lasts >3 seconds, n= 4). Latency time was compared among the four classes. Latency was higher in the classes without contact (Avoidance and Approach) when compared to the classes with contact (Contact and Acceptance) between humans and goats. However, the differences among the classes were significant in response to the presence of the familiar assessor only [familiar assessor (P=0.016): Avoidance: 164.3 ± 114.83 s, Approach: 115.6 ± 127.04 s, Contact: 48.0 ± 40.95 s, Acceptance: 7.8 ± 5.44 s; unfamiliar assessor (P=0.631): Avoidance: 161.5 ± 159.96 s, Approach: 144.6 ± 122.35 s, Contact: 77.3 ± 39.88 s, Acceptance: 61.0 ± 67.38 s]. The four classes were then merged depending on the absence (Avoidance+Approach) or presence (Contact+Acceptance) of physical interaction between goats and farmers. Again, Latency time was significantly (133.3 ± 119.34 s vs 25.0 ± 32.20 s; P=0.006) and not significantly (150.7 ± 129.34 s vs 68.0 ± 53.63 s; P=0.328) different when performed by the familiar and unfamiliar assessors, respectively. The strong correlation between Latency to the familiar and unfamiliar assessors suggests that goats generalize their response to humans based on HAR quality. Results support the use of FHAT for the evaluation of HAR in goats raised in pasture-based systems.

Interactive Dairy Goat Image Segmentation for Precision Livestock Farming.

Semantic segmentation and instance segmentation based on deep learning play a significant role in intelligent dairy goat farming. However, these algorithms require a large amount of pixel-level dairy goat image annotations for model training. At present, users mainly use Labelme for pixel-level annotation of images, which makes it quite inefficient and time-consuming to obtain a high-quality annotation result. To reduce the annotation workload of dairy goat images, we propose a novel interactive segmentation model called UA-MHFF-DeepLabv3+, which employs layer-by-layer multi-head feature fusion (MHFF) and upsampling attention (UA) to improve the segmentation accuracy of the DeepLabv3+ on object boundaries and small objects. Experimental results show that our proposed model achieved state-of-the-art segmentation accuracy on the validation set of DGImgs compared with four previous state-of-the-art interactive segmentation models, and obtained 1.87 and 4.11 on mNoC@85 and mNoC@90, which are significantly lower than the best performance of the previous models of 3 and 5. Furthermore, to promote the implementation of our proposed algorithm, we design and develop a dairy goat image-annotation system named DGAnnotation for pixel-level annotation of dairy goat images. After the test, we found that it just takes 7.12 s to annotate a dairy goat instance with our developed DGAnnotation, which is five times faster than Labelme.

Prevalence and incidence rate of clinical lameness in three New Zealand dairy goat farms

ABSTRACT Clinical lameness has an impact on animal welfare and profitability in different livestock industries. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence and incidence rate of clinical lameness within New Zealand dairy goat farms. Up to 3246 goats on three dairy goat farms were observed 4–5 times over one year. Data on locomotion scores and animal information were collected between June 2019 and June 2020. A 5-point (0–4) locomotion scoring scale was used, where scores 3 and 4 were classified as clinical lameness. The average herd-level prevalence of clinical lameness for farms A, B, and C were 23, 12, and 10%, respectively. The annual incidence rate of clinical lameness for farms A, B, and C were 104, 56, and 55 cases per 100 goat-years, respectively. Lameness appears to be a significant welfare issue, with incidence varying between farms and between goats. Investigating both farm-level and goat-level factors is required to understand the epidemiology of lameness and design evidence-based control and prevention measures. Further investigation should be undertaken to identify variables affecting the goat's odds of becoming clinically lame. This study sets the foundation for future study of lameness in commercial dairy goat farms nationally and internationally.

The effects of an inactivated vaccine against Staphylococcus spp. on udder health in primiparous dairy goats: A randomized controlled trial

Staphylococci are the primary pathogens causing clinical and subclinical mastitis in dairy goats. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluates the impact of vaccination with VIMCO® (Hipra, Girona, Spain) on clinical mastitis (CM), gangrenous mastitis (GM), the occurrence of udder asymmetry, somatic cell count (SCC), total bacterial count (TBC) and 10-day average milk yield (10dMY) in primiparous goats. The RCT was performed on a commercial dairy goat farm with 3000 mainly Saanen goats from February to April 2022. A group of 350 pregnant primiparous goats (12 – 16 months of age) was randomly divided into a control group and a vaccinated group. The goats were followed from kidding until on average 72 days in milk (DIM). At on average 20 DIM, all primiparous goats were mixed into a group with 1600 non-vaccinated adult goats. At the first milking after kidding (T = 0), all primiparous goats were scored for clinical mastitis and udder asymmetry. After that, udder asymmetry was scored on T1 (on average 12 DIM) and T2 (on average 62 DIM). Gangrenous mastitis cases were recorded from the start of complete vaccination and during the entire trial period. In addition, individual daily milk yield was recorded automatically by the milking system, and somatic cell count (SCC) was determined once at T2. The prevalence of CM was significantly higher in the control group (5.6%) than in the vaccinated group (0.6%). There was a significantly higher prevalence of udder asymmetry in the control group (7.8%) compared to the vaccinated group (1.2%) at T0 and during the entire study period (16% in control group versus 7.6% in the vaccinated group). Dried-up udder halves and GM were rare and did not differ significantly between both groups. Also, the SCC measurement and the milk yield did not differ between the vaccinated and the control group. Altogether, we show that the VIMCO® vaccine prevents clinical signs of mastitis at the first milking after kidding and udder asymmetry during the first three months after kidding in primiparous goats. Therefore, the vaccine may contribute to udder health control. Effects on SCC, milk yield, the prevalence of dried-up udder glands and GM remain to be demonstrated.

Associations between serum gamma-globulin concentration, enzyme activities, growth and survival in preweaning Alpine goat kids

Colostral immunity is crucial for young ruminants, but the individual factors that may affect passive transfer status and its effects on preweaning growth performance have not been widely investigated in goats. The methods to quantify immunoglobulins G can be expensive. Colostrum enzymes, though, pass the intestinal barrier and might be suitable as markers of passive transfer status, as demonstrated in other ruminant species. This study aimed to investigate the effect of sex, litter size, dam parity, and birth body weight on passive transfer status and the relationship between gamma-globulin concentration (GG) and pre-weaning growth performance in Alpine goat kids. The association between serum GG, serum total protein concentration and serum activity of colostrum enzymes including γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was examined for their use as predictors of passive transfer status in neonatal goat kids. Sixty-six Alpine goat kids (39 males, 27 females), born to 28 does at one dairy goat farm during two delivery seasons, were enrolled. Kids nursed their dams in group housing until weaned at 50 days of age. Blood samples were collected 24 h after birth. Body weights (BW) were taken at birth and weaning. Serum enzyme activities and total protein concentration were measured using a clinical biochemical analyser. Serum GG was determined by gel electrophoresis. Statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism (v. 8.2.1). No significant differences in serum GG between males and females, singlets and twins, multiparous’ and primiparous’ kids were found. No association was detected between birth BW and GG. Serum GG was strongly and significantly associated with TP (R2 =0.85; p 0.0001) and moderately associated with GGT (R2 =0.47; p 0.0001). No correlation was found with ALP, AST, and LDH. Although partial failure of passive transfer (FPT) was diagnosed in 23% of kids, no effects on morbidity (3%), mortality (0%) and pre-weaning growth performance were observed. Our results confirm that serum total proteins can be used to indirectly estimate immunoglobulin concentration. Contrarily, passive transfer status can be predicted with little success by measuring the activity of serum GGT. It is not advisable to use ALP, AST and LDH as indicators of passive transfer status. Finally, FTP is not necessarily associated with the health and preweaning growth performance of Alpine goat kids reared in non-intensive breeding systems that follow good farming practices.