Danish Farms Research Articles

A registry-based comparative analysis of antibiotic usage reporting for adult cattle on Danish dairy farms

BackgroundAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant global health concern, necessitating the monitoring of antimicrobial usage (AMU). However, there is a lack of consensus on the standardized collection and reporting of AMU data in the veterinary field. In Denmark, the Danish Cattle Database (DCDB) contains treatment information on animal level, which allows counting of number of treatments carried out, used daily doses (UDD). The Danish VetStat database (VetStat) contains information on veterinary medicinal prescriptions at farm level and uses fixed standard doses of each product to calculate number of daily treatments, animal daily doses (ADD). This study aimed to compare two different numerators, UDD and ADD, used to describe AMU on Danish cattle farms, and estimate their correlation.ResultsRoutinely collected registry data from conventional dairy farms in Denmark for 2019 were used, including a total of 2,197 conventional dairy farms. The data from VetStat and the DCDB were aggregated and analysed, and treatment frequencies (TF) were calculated for both UDD and ADD, adjusting for farm size. Spearman correlation analysis and Bland–Altman plots were employed to assess the relationship and agreement between TF for ADD and UDD, respectively.The results showed a high correlation between TF for ADD and UDD for most prescription groups, i.e., groups used to categorise antibiotics based on target organs. An exception is found for the Udder prescription group, where a systematic underreporting of UDD compared to ADD was observed. This discrepancy may be due to combination treatments, and potential missing or grouped registrations in the DCDB.ConclusionsOur UDD and ADD comparison yields valuable insights on farm-level AMU. We observe strong correlations between UDD and ADD, except for udder treatments, where some farms report only 1/3 UDD compared to ADD, indicating potential underreporting. Further investigations are needed to understand the factors contributing to these patterns and to ensure the accuracy and completeness of recorded information. Standardizing AMU data collection and reporting remains crucial to tackle the global challenge of AMR effectively.

Meeting ethological needs – Effects of straw and roughage on attractiveness of outdoor run and behaviour of organic fattening pigs

Organic pigs must have permanent access to an open-air space, which typically consists of a barren concrete outdoor run. One way to improve the attractiveness of the outdoor run for pigs and facilitate the establishment of functional zones is through allocation of rooting or roughage materials in this pen area. Accordingly, we investigated the effects of straw (rooting material) and maize silage (roughage) provided under a roof in a concrete-floored outdoor run on the behaviour of organic fattening pigs raised in large groups. In one typical Danish commercial farm, we compared three adjacent, similarly sized pens. Each pen contained an indoor area and an outdoor run. Each outdoor run was divided by a 1 m-high concrete wall into an unroofed area and an area covered by a roof, where substrate could be allocated. One pen received no material under the roof (control), the second pen received straw, and the third pen received maize silage. The study took place from June 2021 to July 2022 and involved 8 batches of pigs. The population size per pen at arrival was (average ± standard deviation) 384 ± 22 pigs, weighing 37 ± 4.8 kg. Pigs were sent to slaughter when their liveweight was approximately 115 kg, approximately 3 months after insertion. Based on footage, the number of pigs present in each area of the outdoor run, and of these the number of pigs in each body posture (lying; sitting; upright) and the number of pigs displaying activity behaviours when standing (exploring the ground; other behaviours than ground exploration) were instantaneously sampled at 10 min intervals from 09:00 h to 16:00 h on days 1, 7, 21, 35, 49, and 63 relative to the batch insertion. More pigs were seen in the roofed area of the outdoor run when either straw or roughage were allocated. Additionally, provision of straw induced more resting in the roofed area whereas allocation of roughage stimulated more ground exploration in the roofed area compared to control pens. Secondarily, pig's activity and outdoor run use were influenced by temporal effects (i.e., experimental day) and weather variations. Thirdly, a pilot study suggested that pigs compete for access to an enriched roofed area. Our study demonstrated the possibility of meeting the behavioural needs - and improving the welfare – of organics pigs housed indoors with access to outdoor run by providing roughage or bedding materials in a roofed area of the outdoor run.

Assessment of the Lithuanian Pig Farming Sector via Prospective Farm Size

Scientists, politicians, and practitioners are debating the current structure of pig farms in Lithuania, as medium and small farms have almost disappeared over the past decade. The debated problem is whether the revitalization of medium and small pig farms would sustainably contribute to self-sufficiency in pork production. Therefore, this research aims to determine which farms in terms of size could offer the best prospect for Lithuania. In order to achieve this aim, the multicriteria evaluation method TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution) was used. The production and economic indicators of the Lithuanian pig farming sector in Lithuania and in the context of the selected EU countries of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Spain, France, Latvia, Netherlands, Austria, and Poland were analyzed. The main research period was 2004–2022. The multicriteria evaluation led to the conclusion that Danish pig farms were the best-managed. Large industrial farms were found to dominate in that country. Large pig farms (approximately two thousand sows) appeared as the best prospect in Lithuania: they took first place in the years examined (2016–2021). The criterion estimate of their assessed indicators was much higher than that of the medium (100 sows) and small (20 sows) farms. The main reasons are significantly higher labor productivity, lower cost, lower price, and better production indicators. Large pig farms generate relatively higher incomes and can meet the increasing environmental requirements and devote a larger part of the income to wages. Further research should consider the European Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy, which are of great importance to farms and policymakers.

Recording of culling reasons in Danish dairy cows

Culling in dairy cows has major impacts on production economy and animal welfare, and has been described and evaluated in many studies. Information about why a cow is culled (culling reason) may be useful for many different purposes. Still, the present study is the first to evaluate explanatory factors for recording of culling reasons. Danish dairy farmers are required to report the culling mode (slaughter, unassisted death, or euthanasia) to the Danish Cattle Database. Further, the reporting of one or two culling reasons – from a list of options – is possible but not mandatory. Data from 281,682 cows culled in Danish dairy herds in 2020 and 2021 were analyzed. The mean age at culling was 1,845 days, 83.3 % of the culled cows were slaughtered, 10.2 % died unassisted and 6.5 % were euthanized. In 66.8 % of the culled cows, the farmer had reported at least one culling reason. The most frequent culling reasons for slaughtered cows were milk production (29 % of all culling reasons reported), followed by reproduction (25 %), and udder health (16 %). For unassisted dead cows, metabolic/digestive disorders were most frequently reported (25 %), followed by unknown reasons (18 %), and udder health (15 %). For euthanized cows, accidents were most frequent (29 %), followed by locomotor disorders (18 %), and metabolic/digestive disorders (17 %). Culling mode, as well as culling reasons, differed by parity and breed. Results from a logistic regression model showed that the odds of at least one culling reason being reported was significantly higher in Jersey cows compared to other breeds. Compared to Holstein cows, the odds of a reason being reported was 2.5 times higher in Jersey cows. The odds increased with increasing parity of the cow. In herds with a high mean milk yield and a low somatic cell count, the odds of reporting a culling reason was higher than in herds with lower milk yield and higher somatic cell counts, and the odds of reporting a culling reason increased with an increasing number of disease treatments recorded per cow per year.

Comparison and interobserver reliability between a visual analog scale and the Wisconsin Calf Health Scoring Chart for detection of respiratory disease in dairy calves

Respiratory disease is an ongoing challenge for calves in the dairy sector with a relatively high prevalence and impact on welfare and economics. Applying scoring protocols for detecting respiratory disease requires that they are easily implemented, consistent between observers and fast to use in daily management. This study was conducted in one Danish dairy farm from September 2020 through January 2021. The study included 126 heifer calves enrolled in the age of 17 to 24 d. All calves were observed every second day for a period of 46 d. At each visit all calves were scored with a new Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Wisconsin Calf Health Scoring Chart (WCHSC). We calculated agreement between the 2 scoring systems based on conditional probability to score higher or lower than a cut-off in the VAS compared with a specified cut-off in WCHSC used as reference test. A generalized mixed effects regression model was performed to develop a model that could estimate the prevalence of respiratory disease and the overall agreement between the 2 scoring systems. The overall agreement between the VAS and WCHSC was 89.6%. The second part of the study assessed inter-observer reliability between 2 experienced observers and between an experienced observer and veterinary students. The inter-observer reliability was calculated by intra-class correlation coefficient and was 0.58 between experienced observers and was 0.34 between an experienced observer and veterinary students indicating a moderate to poor reliability between the observers. It was possible to use VAS as an alternative clinical scoring method, which primarily focuses on the general condition of the individual calf rather than specific categories of clinical signs. Our study set up lacked a comparison to other diagnostic tools i.e., thoracic ultrasound to confirm the findings which should be considered in future studies when exploring VAS as a screening tool for detection of respiratory disease in dairy calves.

43 (P3-8). Prevalence of neonatal bacterial diarrhea agents in Danish and Swedish farms

43 (P3-8). Prevalence of neonatal bacterial diarrhea agents in Danish and Swedish farms

Investigations into SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses on mink farms in France late in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Soon after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, the Betacoronavirus SARS-CoV-2 infection of several mink farms breeding American minks (Neovison vison) for fur was detected in various European countries. The risk of a new reservoir being formed and of a reverse zoonosis from minks quickly became a major concern. The aim of this study was to investigate the four French mink farms to see whether SARS-CoV-2 was circulating there in late 2020. The investigations took place during the slaughtering period, thus facilitating different types of sampling (swabs and blood). On one of the four mink farms, 96.6% of serum samples were positive when tested with a SARS-CoV-2 ELISA coated with purified N protein recombinant antigen, and 54 out of 162 (33%) pharyngo-tracheal swabs were positive by RT-qPCR. The genetic variability among 12 SARS-CoV-2 genomes sequenced from this farm indicated the co-circulation of several lineages at the time of sampling. All the SARS-CoV-2 genomes detected were nested within the 20A clade (Nextclade), together with SARS-CoV-2 genomes from humans sampled during the same period. The percentage of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity by ELISA varied between 0.3 and 1.1% on the other three farms. Interestingly, among these three farms, 11 pharyngo-tracheal swabs and 3 fecal pools from two farms were positive by end-point RT-PCR for an Alphacoronavirus very similar to a mink coronavirus sequence observed on Danish farms in 2015. In addition, a mink Caliciviridae was identified on one of the two farms positive for Alphacoronavirus. The clinical impact of these inapparent viral infections is not known. The co-infection of SARS-CoV-2 with other viruses on mink farms could help explain the diversity of clinical symptoms noted on different infected farms in Europe. In addition, the co-circulation of an Alphacoronavirus and SARS-CoV-2 on a mink farm would potentially increase the risk of viral recombination between alpha and betacoronaviruses as already suggested in wild and domestic animals, as well as in humans.

Shaping cow-calf contact systems: Farmers' motivations and considerations behind a range of different cow-calf contact systems

Most dairy farms rear calves artificially by separating the newly born calf from the dam and feeding the calf milk from a bucket. However, the general public and scientific community have begun to question the effects of artificial rearing on animal welfare. Research so far has focused mainly on dam-calf contact, where each cow takes care of her own calf. However, previous studies show that Danish and other European farmers are using and showing interest in a variety of different cow-calf contact (CCC) systems. In the present study, we used qualitative research methods to explore the perspectives of Danish farmers who either had or had tried to establish a version of a CCC system. Farmers were asked about their motivation for establishing the system, what had shaped the system to its current form, and how they perceived the calves to benefit from the system. Practical considerations was the theme most commonly brought up and related to both why farmers chose to have CCC in the first place and in what way they had chosen to organize their CCC system. Practical considerations included a sense of ease, flexibility, and a more natural and therefore rational approach. The economy was also a repeated theme, but although the economy to a large degree shapes the type of CCC chosen (dam-calf contact or foster cow contact), it was rarely mentioned in relation to choosing a CCC system in the first place. Ethical considerations were a strong motivator for farmers with dam-calf contact systems, although less so for farmers with foster cow contact. The farm's image as seen by the consumer was an important motivation for farmers with many on-farm visitors, and with the farm's image in the eyes of the farming community potentially also influencing farmers. Farmers generally perceived the calves to benefit from the care of the cow and no difference was seen in the importance attributed to care, between farmers choosing dam-calf contact and foster cow systems.

Genetic parameters for feed intake and body weight in dairy cattle using high-throughput 3-dimensional cameras in Danish commercial farms

Recording complex phenotypes on a large scale is becoming possible with the incorporation of recently developed new technologies. One of these new technologies is the use of 3D cameras on commercial farms to measure feed intake and body weight (BW) daily. Residual feed intake (RFI) has been proposed as a proxy for feed efficiency in several species, including cattle, pigs, and poultry. Dry matter intake and BW records are required to calculate RFI, and the use of this new technology will help increase the number of individual records more efficiently. The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters (including genetic correlations) for DMI and BW obtained by 3D cameras from 6,000 cows in commercial farms from the breeds Danish Holstein, Jersey, and Nordic Red. Additionally, heritabilities per parity and genetic correlations among parities were estimated for DMI and BW in the 3 breeds. Data included 158k weekly records of DMI and BW obtained between 2019 and 2022 on 17 commercial farms. Estimated heritability for DMI ranged from 0.17 to 0.25, whereas for BW they ranged from 0.44 to 0.58. The genetic correlations between DMI and BW were moderately positive (0.58-0.65). Genetic correlations among parities in both traits were highly correlated in the 3 breeds, except for DMI between first parity and late parities in Holstein where they were down to 0.62. Based on these results, we conclude that DMI and BW phenotypes measured by 3D cameras are heritable for the 3 dairy breeds and their heritabilities are comparable to those obtained by traditional methods (scales and feed bins). The high heritabilities and correlations of 3D measurements with the true trait in previous studies demonstrate the potential of this new technology for measuring feed intake and body weight in real-time. In conclusion, 3D camera technology has the potential to become a valuable tool for automatic and continuous recording of feed intake and body weight on commercial farms.

LCA to evaluate the environmental opportunity cost of biological performances in finfish farming

PurposeMortality and suboptimal biological performance are a widespread problem in finfish farming. The associated losses constitute an environmental opportunity cost that needs to be thoroughly assessed to prioritize actions aiming at reducing the environmental impacts of finfish aquaculture. We here propose and demonstrate the use of a new parameterized and consequential LCA model of sea-trout production designed to assess the environmental opportunity costs of suboptimal biological performances, considering distinct mortalities and biological feed conversion ratios (FCRs) along the rearing process.MethodsPrimary data was collected in Danish and Italian farms to reconstitute the whole production process for sea-reared trouts. The level of detail allowed us to divide this production into seven different growth stages for which mortality and biological FCR can be assessed and modified. Excretion and valorization of fish sludge were modeled with a calibrated mass-balance model. Together with fish sludge, dead fish was modeled as valorized by anaerobic digestion. The foreground system was linked to the consequential version of ecoinvent 3.8 for which the embedded uncertainty was considered in Monte Carlo simulations. The model was used to assess the current environmental opportunity costs and evaluate the effect of losses happening at different timings along the rearing process.Results and discussionResults showed a low environmental opportunity cost for the current mortality rate of 5% as suppressing this mortality decreased impacts by 3.5 to 5% across impact categories. Decreasing the biological FCR decreased the environmental impacts proportionally. The timing of the losses was shown to greatly influence the environmental opportunity cost, and the same mortality rate happening in the late stages had substantially more impact than in the first stages. The valorization of the dead fish showed a negligible contribution to the reduction of impacts in the current system but showed a substantial contribution in the case of higher mortalities, such as observed for other farms and foreseen in the future.ConclusionThe model demonstrated that assessing an opportunity cost by multiplying the lost biomass by a unique impact factor constitutes an oversimplification neglecting the losses timing and the fact that fish biomass is not a marketable product. Even though the current environmental opportunity cost for losses appeared neglectable, suboptimal biological FCR should be tackled. The model and approach can be used to project trout farming within future disease regimes and assess the trade-offs regarding fish health issues and new treatments and practices.

Three years of situated social learning and development of diverse cow-calf contact systems in Danish organic dairy farms

This study had 2 aims: first, to describe the intent of a learning process among farmers about cow-calf contact (CCC) systems using a so-called Stable School approach, where farmers advise farmers. The second aim was to identify the main themes that arose from the conversations held throughout the 21 meetings that focused on the topic of CCC. The meetings were hosted by 10 host farmers. In total, 32 farmers, farm managers, employees, and calf caregivers who collectively represented 16 farms participated. Characteristics of participating farms varied widely, including herd sizes, which ranged from 7 to 600 cows. At each of the 21 meetings, a written summary was recorded and uploaded to a common data storage site. Using an inductive approach, words, phrases, topics, and suggestions were coded into themes relevant to CCC systems and processes of learning and change. The longitudinal nature of this study allowed for the capturing of how farmers changed their views on how to care for the animals and the concept of keeping cows and calves together. A central theme was how they identified particular challenges associated with a CCC system, such as space requirements or pasture access, and then collectively identified potential solutions for implementing cow-calf contact on their farms, increasingly using experience from their own farms. In addition to raising questions regarding the practical aspects of implementing a CCC system, many participants also raised ethical questions, and many acknowledged their pleasure and joy in seeing the system work and the animals thriving (e.g., when calves were playing or seemed to learn very quickly from the cows). Steps that led to an increased understanding among farmers on this topic included developing a shared language, for instance, referring to the "sharing of milk with the calf" rather than the "loss of milk." Despite the diversity of farms represented by the participants, there was an overall acceptance that they were colleagues and thus were highly supportive of each other. Many participants viewed foster cow systems as a more feasible option for providing CCC than dam-rearing systems, but some also viewed the foster cow system as a stepping stone to their long-term goal of implementing a dam-rearing system. This study provided evidence that socially situated learning and communities of practice can facilitate learning by farmers interested in developing, implementing, and improving CCC systems in different dairy farming contexts.

O6 Milk fatty acid composition of cows fed forb-rich silage: results from three Danish organic farms

O6 Milk fatty acid composition of cows fed forb-rich silage: results from three Danish organic farms

Investments are more than money: Emerging investment rationales and farmers in the Danish agri-food system

Danish and European farming increasingly depends on external investments due to a surge in farmland prices, capital intensive production facilities and structural development. In response, the land market has been deregulated giving external investors access to ownership of Danish farmland. Based on farming systems theory, this article explores the impacts of this policy reform. We identify four emerging investment rationales: 1) family business, 2) investment object, 3) social and ecological finance and 4) value-chain cooperation. We argue that the emergence of these new investment rationales reflects a fundamental change in financial conditions; today investors are more involved in asset management and use a range of new devises, such as benchmarking tools, farm advisory boards and contracts, to observe the performance of farming systems and to allocate funding. However, changing conditions are also the result of an evolving agri-food sector, which has deliberately pursued a growth strategy characterised by capital intensive mergers and expansion, financed by external investments. For agri-food studies this implies that the boundaries of farming systems are broadened and the individual farmer cannot be the sole entrance to the analysis, but this financialization constitute a new reality that increasingly need to be considered.

Treatment of mild to moderate clinical bovine mastitis caused by gram-positive bacteria: A noninferiority randomized trial of local penicillin treatment alone or combined with systemic treatment

Bovine mastitis is one of the most important diseases in modern dairy farming, as it leads to reduced welfare and milk production and increased need for antibiotic use. Clinical mastitis in Denmark is most often treated with a combination of local and systemic treatment with penicillin. The objective of this randomized clinical trial was to assess whether worse results could be expected with local intramammary treatment with penicillin compared with a combination of local and systemic treatment with penicillin in terms of the bacteriological cure of mild and moderate clinical mastitis cases caused by gram-positive bacteria. We carried out a noninferiority trial with a noninferiority margin set to a relative reduction in bacteriological cure of 15% between these 2 treatment groups to assess the effect of reducing the total antibiotic use by a factor of 16 for each treated case. Clinical mastitis cases from 12 Danish dairy farms were considered for enrollment. On-farm selection of gram-positive cases was carried out by the farm personnel within the first 24 h after a clinical mastitis case was detected. A single farm used bacterial culture results from the on-farm veterinarian, whereas the other 11 farms were provided with an on-farm test to distinguish gram-positive bacteria from gram-negative or samples without bacterial growth. Cases with suspected gram-positive bacteria were allocated to a treatment group: either local or combination. Bacteriological cure was assessed based on the bacterial species identified in the milk sample from the clinical mastitis case and 2 follow-up samples collected approximately 2 and 3 wk after ended treatment. Identification of bacteria was carried out using MALDI-TOF on bacterial culture growth. Noninferiority was assessed using unadjusted cure rates and adjusted cure rates from a multivariable mixed logistic regression model. Of the 1,972 clinical mastitis cases registered, 345 (18%) met all criteria for inclusion (full data). The data set was further reduced to 265 cases for the multivariable analysis to include only complete registrations. Streptococcus uberis was the most commonly isolated pathogen. Noninferiority was demonstrated for both unadjusted and adjusted cure rates. The unadjusted cure rates were 76.8% and 83.1% for the local and combined treatments, respectively (full data). The pathogen and somatic cell count before the clinical case had an effect on the efficacy of treatment; thus efficient treatment protocols should be herd- and case-specific. The effect of pathogen and somatic cell count on treatment efficacy was similar irrespective of the treatment protocol. We conclude that bacteriological cure of local penicillin treatment for mild and moderate clinical mastitis cases was noninferior to the combination of local and systemic treatment using a 15% noninferiority margin. This suggests that a potential 16-fold reduction in antimicrobial use per mastitis treatment can be achieved with no adverse effect on cure rate.

Three Wind Farm Developments, Three Different Planning Difficulties: Cases from Denmark

The aim of this paper is to provide a new perspective on the conditions for the multiple dimensions of concerns and to understand why some wind power projects run smoothly, while others lead to unexpected outcomes due to local resistance. The paper considers three Danish wind farm developments with different planning difficulties, from “smooth” to intensified resistance and conflicts between local communities and the planning authority. To better understand the different planning pathways, we use a research framework where social acceptance is viewed from a conflict management theory perspective, with a focus on the uniqueness and different dimensions of conflicts. The paper discusses how the framing of the planning system considers specific types of tangible concerns, while more intangible concerns are neglected, and how this leads to escalating conflicts. The paper is concluded with several policy recommendations on how to avoid conflicts and how authorities and politicians should reflect on their own agency in provoking conflicts, which can be avoided by proactively involving affected communities at early stages.

Lesions and pathogens found in pigs that died during the nursery period in five Danish farms

BackgroundDiagnosing and treatment of diseases in pigs are important to maintain animal welfare, food safety and productivity. At the same time antimicrobial resistance is increasing, and therefore, antibiotic treatment should be reserved for individuals with a bacterial infection. The aim of the study was to investigate gross and histological lesions and related pathogens in pigs that died during the nursery period in five Danish farms. In addition, high throughput, real-time qPCR monitoring of specific porcine pathogens in fecal sock and oral fluid samples were carried out to investigate the between-farm and between-batch variation in the occurrence of pathogens.ResultsTwenty-five batches of nursery pigs from five intensive, indoor herds were followed from weaning (approximately four weeks) to the end of nursery (seven to eight weeks post weaning). Gross and histological evaluation of 238 dead and 30 euthanized pigs showed the highest prevalence of lesions in the skin, respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, and joints. Gross and histological diagnoses of lung and joint lesions agreed in 46.5% and 62.2% of selected pigs, respectively. Bacteriological detection of Escherichia coli, Streptococcus suis or Staphylococcus aureus infections in joints, lungs and livers was confirmed as genuine infection on immunohistochemical staining in 11 out of 70 tissue sections. The real-time qPCR analysis of pooled samples showed that most pathogens detected in feces and in oral fluid in general followed the same shedding patterns in consecutive batches within herds.ConclusionsGross assessment should be supplemented with a histopathological assessment especially when diagnosing lesions in the lungs and joints. Moreover, microbiological detection of pathogens should optimally be followed up by in situ identification to confirm causality. Furthermore, routine necropsies can reveal gastric lesions that may warrant a change in management. Real-time qPCR testing of fecal sock samples and oral fluid samples may be used to monitor the infections in the individual herd and testing one batch seems to have a good predictive value for subsequent batches within a herd. Overall, optimal diagnostic protocols will provide a more substantiated prescription of antibiotics.

Lowering antibiotic usage and phasing out pharmaceutical zinc oxide in Danish pig herds: Pig farmers’ and veterinarians’ experiences and perceptions

The usage of antibiotics in pig production is much debated due to the risk for antimicrobial resistance where routine usage is necessary to protect animal welfare. Denmark has a relatively low usage of antibiotics in pigs. Thus, the Danish context provides critical insight on how to achieve a lower usage of antibiotics in pigs, and experiences from Danish farmers and veterinarians are useful when debating possibilities for reduction. In this study, we conducted semi-structured interviews with ten pig farmers and six pig veterinarians in Denmark to examine how they perceived animal welfare to be affected in herds where the usage of antibiotics or pZnO had been reduced. The study aimed to explore dilemmas and difficulties in relation to protection of animal welfare while having a low usage of medicine. The interviews were conducted in spring 2022, thus, prior to the ban on pZnO in June 2022. We found that the participants in the study had many positive experiences with achieving a lowered need for antibiotics and pZnO. By upgrading on feeding and management and focusing on prevention of diseases, many herds had succeeded in lowering the usage of medicine with no harmful effect on animal welfare. Many years of strict regulatory measures was highlighted as a major reason for this success, but other contextual factors such as production within the “Pure Pork” concept, which provides an economic reward for pigs raised without use of antibiotics, were also acknowledged to play a positive role. The study illustrated how antibiotics are an integrated part of everyday practice in pig herds. Systemic conditions like difficult employee situations, breeding for high prolificacy and bad economy came forward as major explanations for usage of antibiotics. The study also pointed out how antibiotics were sometimes used routinely and thereby highlighted how reductions should still be achievable. Examples were systematic injections to all piglets at birth and to sows post farrowing. In some cases, routine use was explained by having many employees in the pig herds with no education in how to take care for pigs or how to recognize disease. Avoiding pen or batchwise medication of weaners and thereby avoid treatment of healthy animals was a point of controversy, putting spotlight on grey zones and challenges between productivity and animal welfare.

The quantitative effect of antimicrobial usage in Danish pig farms on the abundance of antimicrobial resistance genes in slaughter pigs.

Research has long established the connection between antimicrobial use (AMU) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in production animals, and shown that the ceasing of AMU reduces AMR. Our previous study of Danish slaughter-pig production found a quantitative relationship between lifetime AMU and abundance of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). This study aimed to generate further quantitative knowledge on how changes in AMU in farms influence the abundance of ARGs both with immediate effect and over time. The study included 83 farms that were visited from 1 to 5 times. From each visit, a pooled faecal sample was produced. The abundance of ARGs was obtained by metagenomics. We used two-level linear mixed models for estimating the effect of AMU on the abundance of ARGs against six antimicrobial classes. The lifetime AMU of each batch was calculated from usage during their three rearing periods; as piglets, weaners and slaughter pigs (rearing pathway). AMU at farm level was estimated as the mean lifetime AMU of the sampled batches from each farm. At batch level, AMU was measured as the deviation between the batch-specific lifetime AMU and the general mean lifetime AMU at the farm. For peroral tetracycline and macrolide use there was a significant quantitative linear effect on the abundance of ARGs in batches within individual farms, indicating an immediate effect of changed AMU from batch to batch within farms. These estimated effects between batches within farms were approximately 1/2-1/3 of the effect estimated between farms. For all antimicrobial classes, the effect of the mean farm-level AMU and the abundance of ARGs present in the faeces of slaughter pigs was significant. This effect was identified only for peroral use, except for lincosamides, where the effect was for parenteral use. The results also indicated that the abundance of ARGs against a specific antimicrobial class also increased by the peroral usage of one or several other antimicrobial classes, except for ARGs against beta-lactams. These effects were generally lower than the AMU effect of the specific antimicrobial class. Overall, the farm peroral mean lifetime AMU affected the abundance of ARGs at antimicrobial class level and abundance of ARGs of other classes. However, the difference of AMU of the slaughter-pig batches affected only the abundance of ARGs at the same antimicrobial class level in the same antimicrobial class. The results do not exclude that parenteral usage of antimicrobials may have an effect on the abundance of ARGs.

Refining life cycle nutrient modeling in organic pig production. An analysis focusing on feeding strategies in organic Danish pig farming

Organic pig farming systems are associated with considerable ammonia losses, nitrate leaching in sow pasture concepts, and dependency on imported protein feed components, such as soybean cake. Furthermore, in environmental nutrient modeling approaches, there is a lack of data on emission factors and models that account for nutrient balances concerning organic production systems. Therefore, the present study aimed to analyze feeding strategies in organic pig farming by using refined nutrient modeling approaches.A cradle-to-farm-gate life cycle approach was used to analyze six feeding scenarios: reduced crude protein content in feed rations for sows (S1) and sows and fattening pigs (S3), alternative protein sources and reduced protein in feed rations for sows (S2) and sows and fattening pigs (S4), and reduced compound feed intake for sows (S5) and sows and fattening pigs (S6). Danish average production data were collected and specific data regarding organic production (N content in manure, emission factors for ammonia for the paddock and housing) were identified. Six sub-systems (paddocks with sows and piglets on grass-clover, weaners, fattening pigs, feed, manure, and manufacturing of inputs) were considered and balanced out. Five environmental impact categories, climate change (including soil carbon changes), eutrophication potential, acidification potential, abiotic depletion of fossil fuels, and land occupation, were assessed.It was found that the feeding strategies had considerably higher effects when including both sows and fattening pigs compared to only including sows. The highest reductions for most of the analyzed environmental impacts (13% for eutrophication and acidification, 11% for climate change, and 8% for land occupation) were estimated due to reduced amount of compound feed to both sows and fattening pigs (S6). For abiotic depletion of fossil fuels, a decrease of 33% was determined by the use of locally grown protein sources (S4), which decreased the contribution of transportation. In terms of methodological refinements, an approach for nutrient modeling at the paddock level, where crop rotation and associated effects were also considered, was identified. Furthermore, adapted emission factors for indoor housing with access to outdoor runs were suggested.

Unlawfully Authorised Projects under the Habitats Directive: Remediation at All Costs?

Abstract On 10 November 2022, the cjeu delivered its judgment in AquaPri concerning a Danish fish farm, which had been authorised in breach of the requirement to carry out an appropriate assessment laid down in Article 6(3) hd. The case provided the Court with an opportunity to clarify several important issues that may occur when the national authorities fail to carry out an appropriate assessment in line with this provision. In this annotation, we discuss the three main issues dealt with by the Court, namely (i) whether the renewal of existing permits falls under the concept of ‘project’ under Article 6(3) hd, (ii) the extent to which Member States must remedy the consequences of a failure to carry out an appropriate assessment, and (iii) the role of already conducted programme-based impact assessments in this regard.