Manure Removal Research Articles

Path planning of manure-robot cleaners using grid-based reinforcement learning

The use of a robot cleaner for manure removal improves housing conditions for dairy cows in the face of labor shortages. However, current robot cleaners follow programmed fixed routes without considering the dynamic behaviors of cows. This cleaning approach is less efficient and leads to more cow-robot encounters or collisions, thus affecting animal welfare. To address these issues, this paper (1) developed heatmap models for cow locations and defecation behaviors; (2) proposed a dynamic path planning approach for the manure robot cleaner using Grid-based Reinforcement Learning; (3) incorporated cow location information and defecation behavior into the path planning process; (4) compared the performance of the proposed approach with two different cleaning methods: the current fixed programmed cleaning in practice and the ideal path produced by simulated annealing for traveling salesman problem. The simulations mimic the situation in a barn at Dairy Campus of Wageningen Livestock Research located in Leeuwarden (the Netherlands). Obviously, the best performance was achieved when the route was executed without cows present, resulting in no cow-robot collision. However, with cows present, the proposed dynamic path planning strategy achieved a 67.6% reduction in cow-robot encounters while maintaining 85.4% of the cleaning performance compared to the current programmed fixed routes. Compared to the ideal path produced by simulated annealing for traveling salesman problem, the proposed dynamic path planning approach achieved 5% better cleaning performance, at the cost of 25% more cow-robot encounters due to its longer working path. We conclude the proposed grid-based Reinforcement Learning solution for manure robots in barns cleaned most efficient with the least interference with cow traffic.

Relationships between soil test phosphorus and county-level agricultural surplus phosphorus.

National nutrient inventories provide surplus phosphorus (P) estimates derived from county-scale mass balance calculations using P inputs from manure and fertilizer sales and P outputs from crop yield data. Although bioavailable P and surplus P are often correlated at the field scale, few studies have investigated the relationship between measured soil P concentrations of large-scale soil testing programs and inventory-based surplus P estimates. In this study, we assessed the relationship between national surplus P data from the NuGIS dataset and laboratory-measured soil test phosphorus (STP) at the county scale for Arkansas, North Carolina, and Oklahoma. For optimal periods of surplus P aggregation, surplus P was positively correlated with STP based on both Pearson (Arkansas: r=0.65, North Carolina: r=0.45, Oklahoma: r=0.52) and Spearman correlation coefficients (Arkansas: ρ=0.57, North Carolina: ρ=0.28, and Oklahoma: ρ=0.66). Based on Pearson correlations, the optimal surplus P aggregation periods were 10, 30, and 4 years for AR, NC, and OK, respectively. On average, STP was more strongly correlated with surplus P than with individual P inventory components (fertilizer, manure, and crop removal), except in North Carolina. In Arkansas and North Carolina, manure P was positively correlated with STP, and fertilizer P was negatively correlated with STP. Altogether, results suggest that surplus P moderately correlates with STP concentrations, but aggregation period and location-specific factors influence the strength of the relationship.

Ammonia Emissions and Building-Related Mitigation Strategies in Dairy Barns: A Review

In this systematic review, the PRISMA method was applied to examine publications from the last two decades that have investigated the noxious gaseous emissions from dairy barns. The aim was to analyse the outcomes from literature studies estimating the quantities of polluting gases produced in dairy barns, with a specific focus on ammonia (NH3) emissions. Various studies, among those reviewed, have used mixed effects models, mass balance approaches and dispersion methods, revealing significant variability due to different experimental protocols and environmental contexts. Key challenges include the lack of standardised measurement techniques and the limited geographical coverage of research, particularly in climatically extreme regions. This review also explores proposed methods to reduce the associated effects through mitigation strategies. Estimation of NH3 emissions is significantly influenced by the complex interactions between several factors; including animal management practices, such as controlling animal behavioural activities; manure management, like utilising practices for floor manure removal; the type of structure housing the animals, whether it is naturally or mechanically ventilated; and environmental conditions, such as the effects of temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, and ventilation rate on NH3 release in the barn. These influential components have been considered by researchers and targeted mitigation strategies have been identified. Despite growing attention to the issue, gaps in the scientific literature were identified and discussed, particularly regarding the analysis of mitigation strategies and their long-term impacts (i.e., environmental, economic and productivity-wise). The purpose of this review is to help improve research into sustainable agricultural practices and technological innovations, which are fundamental to reducing NH3 emissions and improving air quality in agricultural environments.

No-tillage with total green manure incorporation: A better strategy to higher maize yield and nitrogen uptake in arid irrigation areas

The efficacy of integrating green manure in arid irrigation regions to enhance maize yield and nitrogen (N) uptake efficiency has been extensively explored. However, limited research has delineated the contribution of green manure N versus soil N on crop N utilization efficiency. This study integrated field experiments with micro-plot experiments to examine green manure (common vetch) management practices for achieving high maize yield and N uptake. In a micro-plot experiment, 15N technology was utilized to label green manure crops. Five treatments were applied in the research methodology: conventional tillage without green manure as the control (CT); tillage with total green manure incorporation (TG); no-tillage with total green manure mulching (NTG); tillage with only root incorporation (T); and no-tillage with removal of above-ground green manure (NT). The results in the micro-plot experiment were the same in the field, and both demonstrated that the utilization of green manure led to a substantial increase in maize yield and nitrogen uptake efficiency (NUPE) compared to conventional tillage (CT). In particular, under NTG, N uptake by maize from green manure was higher than NT and T, accounting for 59.1% of maize N uptake. Furthermore, the application of NTG boosted the NUPE of soil N in maize to 50.7%, which is higher than TG by 5.5%. Meanwhile, it decreased the proportion of soil N in the maize. The difference between NTG and TG was primarily shown in the maize grains. For N transport in the soil, NTG decreased N loss while increasing soil N retention. Also, it facilitated the mineralization of soil organic N before the flowering stage. In conclusion, the adoption of no-tillage with total green manure mulching not only increased N uptake both from green manure and the soil but also decreased the proportion of soil-derived N in maize.

Effects of mimicking manure removal strategies on ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions in sow pen scale models

With growing concerns about air pollution and global warming effects, the emissions of NH3 and greenhouse gases (GHGs) have become significant issues in the pig production industry. In order to discover whether optimizing manure removal strategies could alter the manure decomposition process and benefit the reduction of gas emissions, a scale model approach was used to quantify the gas emissions under controlled conditions. This study compared the gas emission reduction potential of two classic manure removal systems (scraper and pull-plug system) in three manure removal strategies: scraper-I (retaining manure for 24 h), scraper-II (retaining manure for 8 and 16 h) and pull-plug (retaining manure for 44 days). Fresh urine and faeces collected from a gestation sow house were applied to the scale models and then removed through the manure removal systems. The concentrations of gases (NH3, CH4, CO2, and N2O) within the scale model and removed slurry samples were collected and analysed (pH, electric conductivity, dry matter, total nitrogen, total ammonium nitrogen and total carbon). The results showed that emissions of CH4, CO2, and N2O from scraper-I were on average 54%, 56% and 25% lower than those from scraper-II, and 71%, 67% and 6% lower than those from pull-plug treatment, respectively. The GHGs emission rates (as CO2-equivalents) of scraper-I and scraper-II were 52% and 26.3% lower than that of pull-plug treatment respectively (P < 0.01). The emissions of NH3 displayed a temporary peak during each application of urine and removal of manure. In pull-plug treatment, the concentrations of NH3, CH4, and CO2 exponentially increased between Day 39 and Day 41. The nitrogen content, both total nitrogen and total ammonium nitrogen, within the slurry under the scraper system exhibited lower values compared to those from the pull-plug system. Conversely, the total carbon content was higher in the former system. Caution is warranted in extrapolating results to full-scale pig housing, given study limitations (e.g. small scale, mimicked scraper activity, no animals, etc.). Nevertheless, the conclusions and findings of this study provide fundamental data for understanding gas emissions from pig house manure management. This insight can guide the design and daily operations of low-emission manure removal systems in gestation sow houses.

Green manure removal with reduced nitrogen improves saline-alkali soil organic carbon storage in a wheat-green manure cropping system

The incorporation of green manure into cropping systems is a potential strategy for sequestering soil carbon (C), especially in saline-alkali soil. Yet, there are still unknown about the substitution impacts of green manure on nitrogen (N) fertilizer in wheat-green manure multiple cropping system. Herein, a five-year field experiment was performed to determine the impact of three levels of N fertilizer inputs [i.e., N fertilizer reduced by 0 % (100N), 10 % (90 N), and 20 % (80 N)] with aboveground biomass of green manure removal (0GM) and return (100GM) on soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and its primary determinants. The results demonstrated that no significant interaction on SOC storage was detected between green manure and N fertilizer management. 80 N enhanced SOC storage in bulk soil by 7.4 and 13.2 % in 0–20 cm soil depth relative to 100 N and 90 N (p < 0.05). Regardless of N fertilizer levels, compared with 100GM, 0GM increased SOC storage in bulk soil by 14.2–34.6 % in 0–40 cm soil depth (p < 0.05). This was explained by an increase in soil macro-aggregates (>2 and 0.25–2 mm) proportion contributing to SOC physical protection. Meanwhile, the improvement of SOC storage under 0GM was due to the decrease of soil C- and N-acquisition enzyme activities, and microbial resource limitation. Alternatively, the variation partitioning analyses (VPA) results further suggested that C- and N-acquisition enzyme activities, as well as microbial resource limitation were the most important factors for SOC storage. The findings highlighted those biological factors played a dominant role in SOC accumulation compared to physical factors. The aboveground biomass of green manure removal with N fertilizer reduced by 20 % is a viable option to enhance SOC storage in a wheat-green manure multiple cropping system.

How do green manure management practices affect ammonia emissions from maize fields?

The use of “green manure”—crops that are cultivated specifically to be incorporated into the soil to increase its organic matter content—has been proposed as an alternative to chemical fertilizer because of its benefits in terms of crop yield. Nonetheless, the differential impacts of green manure on ammonia volatilization remains underexplored. In this study, the influence of various green manure management strategies on ammonia volatilization in maize cultivation were examined. Field experiments conducted from 2020 to 2022, the field experiment applied common vetch after the spring wheat harvest, with five distinct treatments: conventional tillage without green manures as a control (CT); tillage with total green manure incorporation (TG); no-tillage with total green manure mulching (NTG); tillage with only root incorporation (T); and no-tillage with removal of aboveground green manure (NT). The results showed that under TG and NTG, the maize yields were 12.3%-33.2% higher than under CT, and 6.8%-18.8% higher than under T and NT. Compared with CT, all four green manure management practices also significantly increased NH3 emissions in maize fields, and they increased ammonia volatilization by 12.0%-13.7% in NTG and TG compared to root retention patterns, with NTG exhibiting higher rates than TG. NTG significantly increased soil organic matter, total nitrogen, mineral nitrogen, water-filled pore space (WFPS), microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, and C: N, and it decreased soil pH compared to TG. Regression analysis showed that these factors were correlated with NH3 volatilization. In addition, soil urease and ammonia-oxidation functional genes (amoA) showed differences under green manure management practices. Structural equation modeling showed that NH4+-N had the greatest positive impact on NH3, and urease activity and total nitrogen had positive effects on NH4+-N. Furthermore, microbial biomass carbon and pH had positive and negative effects on urease activity, respectively, both of which were only related to SOM. At the same time, WFPS had a positive impact on total nitrogen. In summary, no-tillage with total green manure mulching increases maize yield but also increases NH3 emissions. NH4+-N formed by the hydrolysis of urea by soil urease and the conversion of total nitrogen were found to be the main reasons for high NH3 emissions. In addition, SOM can promote urease activity, increase NH4+-N content and NH3 volatilization by increasing MBC and decreasing soil pH.

Stabilization of biomass in manure effluent using the thermophilic-aerobic process

Aerobic-thermophilic stabilization of biomass is crucial in improving the processing processes of manure. This method makes it possible to achieve effective and stable processing of organic materials contained in manure using aerobic microorganisms and elevated temperatures. The aerobic-thermophilic process includes the action of oxygen and high temperature, which contribute to the active decomposition of organic substances in manure runoff. The increased temperature helps to create optimal conditions for the action of thermophilic bacteria, which accelerates the process of biological decomposition. Studies show that aerobic-thermophilic treatment of manure effluents helps to reduce the concentration of pathogenic microorganisms and ammonia. This contributes to obtaining cleaner and environmentally safe manure suitable for use in agriculture. Advantages of aerobic-thermophilic stabilization: Faster recycling process compared to traditional methods. Reduction of odors and risk of pathogen contamination. High quality and efficiency of produced manure. Aerobic-thermophilic stabilization of biomass in manure processing is a promising direction in improving modern waste treatment technologies. Its implementation contributes to improving the quality and safety of manure and the effective use of these resources in agriculture. Research and development of this method are essential for achieving sustainable and ecologically clean agricultural production. It has been established that liquid manure of enterprises with intensive milk and pork production technologies with hydraulic manure removal systems with a humidity of 92–96 % should be subjected to aerobic fermentation in an auto thermal mode, as a result of which products are obtained that are safe from a sanitary and hygienic point of view. In addition, the loss of nutrients is reduced. which determines the quality of organic fertilizers. Established that liquid manure businesses for technology-intensive milk production and pig manure removal by hydraulic systems with humidity 92–96 % of it are advisable to expose aerobic biofermentatsiyi in autothermal mode, which allows you to get the products in a safe sanitary and hygienic attitude and reduce the loss of nutrients that determine the quality of organic fertilizers.

Methods of assessing emissions of contaminants from sties into the air

Provision of competitiveness in the sphere of animal farming in Ukraine requires the introduction of innovative systems of technological support involving modern microprocessor control-measurement systems and devices. The method of continuous automatic record of emissions of contaminants from animal premises reveals patterns in emissions of the main air contaminants and allows their mass concentrations and dynamics of emissions to be tracked over 24 h period. By employing this method, we determined the coefficients of 24 h emissions of carbon dioxide and methane from premises for fattening young swine. The coefficients of 24 h emission of ammonia were found to be significantly lower in the sty with a slatted floor in pens for the winter, spring, and autumn periods compared with the sties with concrete floor. However, coefficients of 24 h emission of methane were significantly higher by 76.1–286.9% in the sty with a slatted floor, which is associated with the peculiarities of technology of the self-cleaning system. Two-times removal of manure from the sty with concrete floor significantly reduced the average annual coefficients of emission of carbon dioxide, ammonia, and methane, by 12.1%, 22.4%, and 13.5%, respectively. Analysis of emission of the main contaminants from the sties with slatted and concrete floor in pens indicated a significant effect of this factor on the amount of emission, structure, and presence of seasonal and daily variability in those parameters. Accumulation of experimental materials regarding emission of contaminants will allow average actual parameters of emissions from small pig farms to be identified, which will allow adequate assessment of the effect their activity has on the environment, particularly in residential areas, and substantiate the minimal allowable distances to sanitary-protective zones.

Comparison of Mechanized and Automated Technologies in the Scope of Cumulative Energy in Sustainable Milk Production

The labor and energy inputs for milking and milk cooling, the preparation and distribution of feed, and manure removal were analyzed on eight farms in the Masovian, Podlaskie, Lower Silesian, and Kuyavian–Pomeranian voivodeships. In these facilities, milking was carried out using milking robots, which were also employed during feed preparation and discharge. The cleaning of manure channels and walking corridors were also automated. Based on labor, fuel, energy consumption, weight of machinery and equipment, and building area, the cumulative energy intensity of the farms was calculated, taking into account the average density of cow herds. The lowest energy input, 0.974 kWh∙LU−1∙day, and the lowest cumulative energy intensity, amounting to 19.601 MJ∙day−1∙LU−1 were observed in a farm with AF-AM5 technology, that is, an automated milking system (AMS) and an automated feeding system (AFS). The second lowest total energy intensity was measured in a farm utilizing the AF-AM7 technology and amounted to 22.505 MJ∙day−1∙LU−1. The highest cumulative energy intensity was measured in a farm practicing conventional milking in a fishbone milking parlor, with a traditional feeding wagon powered by an agricultural tractor. A high level of cumulative energy intensity, for the majority, was connected with a high energy and fuel consumption, especially during the preparation of feed and feed distribution.

Worm control practices used by Thoroughbred horse managers in Australia: A national survey

This study assessed worm control practices used by Australian Thoroughbred farm managers with an online questionnaire survey. The questionnaire comprised 52 questions (close-ended: 44; open-ended: 8) about farm demography and general husbandry practices, farm managers’ knowledge of gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) and their importance, diagnosis, worm control strategies and anthelmintics, anthelmintic resistance (AR) and grazing management. Following the pilot survey, the link for the questionnaire survey was sent to all (n = 657) registered members of the Thoroughbred Breeders Australia on 12th April 2020. The response rate for the questionnaire was 18.5% (122 of 675). The farm managers reported a good understanding of GIN and their importance in different age groups of horses as most respondents (70% of 122) perceived worm-related illness to be more important in young (i.e., foals, weanlings and yearlings) than adult (> 3 years old) horses. Although most respondents (93%, 113 of 122) used anthelmintics prophylactically to control GIN, only 15% (18 of 122) observed worm-related illness in their horses. Just under 40% of respondents were performing faecal egg counts, with less than 20% using the results of faecal egg counts to guide deworming decisions. The interval-based deworming strategy was the most common method (≥55% of 122 respondents) to control GIN in all age groups of horses. Macrocyclic lactones were the first choice of anthelmintics for all age groups of horses. Although the majority of respondents (88%, 107 of 122) perceived resistance in GIN against commonly used anthelmintics as an important issue in managing worms in horses, only 29% assessed the efficacy of anthelmintics and 91% (111 of 122) were unaware of AR on their properties. Grazing management practices, such as manure removal, were more frequently performed on smaller paddocks (<0.20 ha: 58%) than on larger paddocks (>0.20 ha: 18%). Multiple correspondence analyses showed that the likelihood of suboptimal worm control practices on small farms (n = ≤50 horses) was greater than that of medium (n = 51–100) and large (n = >100) farms. This study provides insights into the demography of Thoroughbred farms in Australia, husbandry practices used by stud managers and their knowledge about worms, control options and AR concerns, thereby paving the way for taking any initiatives to address the problem of AR in GIN of Australian Thoroughbred horses.

Assessing the production processes on the most typical farms and milk production complexes

The article presents the results of research, according to an energy assessment, of the most common options for combining spatial planning and technological solutions of buildings and structures, the set of technological equipment used on the most typical operating farms and milk production complexes. The most significant elements of technology and technological equipment, its operating modes, energy consumption by cost elements for the processes of preparation and distribution of feed, manure removal and provision of the required microclimate parameters, determining the intensity level of the production process in various variants of building layout and livestock, have been studied. The results obtained allow us to determine the most effective options for mechanization and automation of the production process and improve the technological methods of their implementation.

No-tillage with total green manure mulching: A strategy to lower N2O emissions

ContextGreen manure application in agricultural soil is known to enhance nitrogen use efficiency and crop yield. However, limited research exists on the potential effects of green manure returning on N2O emissions. ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of N2O emissions in maize fields under different green manure management practices. MethodsA field experiment was conducted using common vetch as a green manure crop following the harvest of spring wheat. The study employed a completely randomized block design and examined four treatments: tillage with total green manure incorporation, no-tillage with total green manure mulching (NTG), tillage with green manure root incorporation (T), and no-tillage with aboveground green manure removal (NT). The study explored both non-biological and biological factors affecting nitrogen conversion to elucidate the mechanisms in N2O emissions. ResultsN2O emissions were 17.7% lower in TG and NTG compared to T and NT (P < 0.01), with NTG showing a 12.2% reduction compared to TG (P < 0.05). NTG also exhibited the lowest average N2O fluxes at 24.2 μg N m−2 h−1. In terms of non-biological factors, N2O emissions were negatively correlated only with aggregate NH4+-N and NO3－-N (P < 0.05). Despite increasing soil mineral nitrogen, NTG had approximately 72.3%− 92.4% of it in the form of aggregate nitrogen. In addition, under NTG, the aggregates have better structure and stability. q-PCR analysis revealed higher nos Z gene abundance in NTG than in other treatments (P < 0.05). Regression analysis showed that N2O emissions were negatively correlated with nos Z's abundance and N2O reductase diversity (P < 0.05). ConclusionsNo-tillage with total green manure mulching (NTG) effectively reduced N2O emissions by enhancing mineral nitrogen in soil aggregates and increasing the abundance of the nos Z gene. ImplicationsOur findings offer valuable insights for long-term agricultural management strategies aimed at improving nitrogen retention and mitigating climate change impacts.

ЗООРОБОТ ДЛЯ ПЛЕМЕННОГО СКОТОВОДСТВА

A study of the daily time budget on the country's agricultural enterprises showed that the longest production processes are: animal’s rest is 12 hours or 50% of the daily budget; bulls’ sperm collecting - 7 hours or 29,2%; feeding - 3 hours or 12,5%; manure removal - 2 hours or 8,3%. Most of agroindustry processes on enterprises are carried out manually. By means of simulation modeling, this study was conducted on the possibilities of zoorobot using to increase efficiency and reduce the cost of the daily time budget for sire seed’s collecting material. Currently, a nonmechanical or mechanical mannequin with an adjustable tilt angle or a dummy animal is used to sperm collecting. The vagina’s preparation also manually is carried out, but at the several preassembled vaginas use it can be done mechanically. These studies have shown that zoorobots with an automatically adjustable tilt angle as mannequins for sperm collection can be used. Automation of these processes reduces the seed collection process from a bull in 3,8 times. The international practice of cattle breeding enterprises for seed collection material from breeding bulls is such that the main 40 thousand sperm doses from the manufacturer must be obtained in the first 2-2,5 years of its operation. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that the equipment preparation for seed’s harvesting of one bull it takes at least for 15-20 minutes of working time, i. e. during 8 hours of working time, 57 bulls can be used, at a doublet cage - 29 bulls, and with a triplet cage - 19 bulls, if there are 140 main bulls at the breeding plant. At a zoo robot using, the queue for bull's sperm collecting will decrease: in one cage - once every 2 days, in a doublet cage - every 3 days, in a triplet cage - every 5 days, or m/2n times, where m is the number of bulls, n is the number of minutes spent on the seed collecting from one bull.

Ways to solve automation problems in meat poultry farming

Solving the automation problems in the process lines of poultry farms is a complex and multifaceted task. It ensures the smooth operation of the poultry farm without human involvement, replaces manual labor, and prevents potential errors. Additionally, automating of poultry farms solves the problem of labor shortage and makes “non-prestigious work” interesting and attractive for young people. Automation systems of feeding, watering, manure removal, lighting, and ventilation in the poultry house reduces the complexity of processes, enables remote management of the entire production chain via a computer, and allows for real-time response to any changes. From an economic perspective, it has been found that automating poultry production processes decreases feed costs by 15-20%, water and electricity costs by 12-25%, and reduces the return on investment period to 8-12 months. This article reviews solutions to poultry farm automation problems, including ensuring an optimal microclimate by maintaining temperature and humidity conditions, regulating air quality, which provides normative indicators of the concentration of harmful substances; monitoring daily feed consumption, which ensures the regulated feeding of birds and achieving the standard growth of poultry; full monitoring and output to a computer or mobile phone; and printing all parameters.

РОБОТ-ПОМОЩНИК ДЛЯ УДАЛЕНИЯ НАВОЗА В ФЕРМЕРСКИХ ХОЗЯЙСТВАХ

The robots’ use for manure cleaning on dairy cattle farms has several advantages. First of all, it allows to reduce physical stress on employees and work conditions improving. Robots can monotonous heavy tasks, such as manure collection, without the constant human involvement need performing. In addition, manure cleaning robots can be designed for optimal farm available space use making, as well as the environment negative impact minimizing. The cleaning robots’ technical equipment for dairy farms manure removal includes various sensors, cameras, navigation systems and other innovative solutions that allow them tasks with high accuracy and autonomy effectively to perform. However, it must be borne in mind that the robots introduction of on farms requires significant investments in development, acquisition and maintenance of such systems. Therefore, for this project successful implementation, it is necessary the economic feasibility and practical benefits’ assess of manure cleaning robots’ introduction to analyzing. Such robots will be similar to each other, that will their cost reduce, and their price directly affect the product’s profitability. Based on the analyzed information, the manure cleaning robots’ main technical characteristics with their advantages and disadvantages are revealed: the speed of robots is in the range between 6,2 and 10 m/min, productivity - is from 300 till 350 m2/h. The greatest interest for domestic production by manure cleaning robots using a scraper paired with a rotary-stator vacuum mechanism is represented. The data obtained as a study result can be used in manure cleaning robots new samples design, as well as by farmers when choosing a particular model on their farm purchasing.

Management practices and cow comfort of crossbred dairy cows in youth managed dairy farm enterprises, South Gondar Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Good dairy farming methods and cow comfort are essential variables in reproductive efficiency, milk output, milk quality, and dairy cow health. The purpose of this study was to look into the management techniques and cow comfort status of crossbred dairy cows in youth managed dairy farm enterprises in Ethiopia's Amhara region's South Gondar zone. All (20) youth-managed dairy farm enterprises were chosen and questioned using a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire, and all (204) lactation dairy cows were chosen for cow comfort assessment. The SPSS version 22 program was used to analyze the data. According to the findings, the most common feed sources used for their dairy cattle were formulated and unformulated agro-industrial byproducts followed by non-conventional and hay. Piped (35%) and bore (30%) water were the most common water sources for dairy cattle, with the majority of farms allowing free access to water. The majority of dairy farm firms (70%) uses artificial insemination as well as bull services. The majority of dairy farm enterprises (55%) had shared sheds, followed by individual sheds (45%) built with government assistance (55%), and family (30%) with the same design and construction. The challenges confronting dairy farm enterprises were ranked feed scarcity and high feed costs first, followed by a lack of access to land, a lack of access to markets, and a lack of credit, whereas the opportunities for dairy farm enterprises were ranked first increased demand for milk and milk products first, followed by rapid urbanization, rapid population growth, and the availability of cheap labor. The vast majority of cows (92%) were severely lame, followed by moderate lameness (83%) and the vast majority of cows (52.5%) had moderately injured legs, followed by severely injured legs. The udder and leg cleanliness of most cows was mid cleanliness (52.7%), as opposed to dirty (30%) and clean (17.2%) with a low cow comfort index (0.48). The mean stall length, bed length, brisket board height, neck rail height, lung space, feeder height, and feeder width were 239±16 cm, 222.7±28.3 cm, 10.5±3.6cm, 61.5±15.3 cm, 128.15±21.5 cm, 40.6±8.7 cm, and 36.7±6.9 cm, respectively. The results also revealed that the overall floor softness scored marginal (45%) softness rather than hard (30%) and normal (25%) floor softness. The majority of dairy farm enterprises (55%) did not provide bedding material for their cows and, the bedding materials include straw, hay, and sawdust. Bedding materials are renewed once a month (37.5%), twice a week (37.5%), and once a week (25%). The frequency of manure removal was twice daily (60%), three times daily (30%), and once daily (20%). The findings revealed that the cow’s comfort status is poor, so it is recommended that the barn be renovated routine management practices be improved, and assistance from the government and other relevant stakeholders is required in order to obtain credit to renovate the cow barn and improve management practices.

Evaluation of factors associated with bulk milk somatic cell count and total plate count in Indonesian smallholder dairy farms

Increasing milk quality in smallholder dairy farms will result in a greater quantity of milk being delivered to milk collection centers, an increased milk price for farmers and consequently an improved farmers’ livelihood. However, little research on milk quality has been performed on smallholder farms in Southeast Asia. The objective of this study was to identify risk factors associated with somatic cell count (SCC) and total plate count (TPC) in Indonesian smallholder dairy farms. One dairy cooperative in West Java, Indonesia was selected based on its willingness to participate. All 119 member farmers in the cooperative, clustered in six groups, were interviewed and a bulk milk sample from all farms was collected in April 2022. Risk factors associated with dairy farms’ SCC and TPC were investigated using multivariable population-averaged generalized estimating equations (GEE) models. The mean geometric SCC and TPC from these farms were 529,665 cells/mL of milk and 474,492 cfu/mL of milk, respectively. Five risk factors including manure removal frequency, receiving mastitis treatment training, washing the udder using soap, number of workers, and ownership of the pasture area were associated with SCC. Two risk factors, manure removal frequency and dairy income contribution, were associated with TPC. These findings can therefore be used as a starting point to improve udder health and milk quality in Indonesia and other countries where smallholder farmers play a significant role in milk production.

Occurrence of Sub-clinical mastitis and Associated Risk Factors in Lactating Goats in Selected Areas of Eastern Harerghe Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia

Subclinical mastitis reduces the quality and quantity of milk and is a disease of great economic and public health importance. A cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the occurrence of subclinical mastitis, associated risk factors, and isolate of Staphylococcus aureus in lactating goats in the Eastern Hararghe zone, Ethiopia. A total of 384 lactating goats were sampled and screened by White Side test (WST) to detect subclinical mastitis. The study results revealed that animal and udder/halve level prevalence was 23.2% and 21.8% respectively, while 30 teats were found to be blind. Univariate analysis of the potential risk factors has depicted that mastitis was more prevalent in does with medium age, poor body condition, late lactation stage, does sample from Aweday, does mixing with others, closed housed goat, weakly manure removal and previous history of mastitis showed a statistically significant association with the proportion of subclinical mastitis (p &lt; 0.05). With multivariable analysis, age, lactation stage, and origin of sampled animals showed significant association with subclinical mastitis prevalence, and these factors continued significant in the multivariable logistic regression model after stepwise elimination (p &lt; 0.05). As a result, does in mid-age (OR=9.06, 2.24-36.60, late stage of lactation (OR=2.52, 1.21-5.24), and does sample from Aweday (OR=4.43, 1.37-14.38) were at higher risk of udder infections than younger age, early lactation and does sampled from Haramaya separately. In the present study, S. aureus has been isolated from 37.1% of goat milk. Antibiogram study results indicated that gentamicin and erythromycin were found to be the most effective drug against S. aureus. The present study has also demonstrated the existence of alarmingly high levels of antimicrobial resistance of S. aureus against chloramphenicol (100%), Vancomycin (87.5%), and Ampenciline (81.8%). The results of this study deep-rooted the importance of S. aureus as a possible cause of subclinical mastitis in goats and the spread of multiple drug-resistant S. aureus. It is therefore, recommended to prevent subclinical mastitis in the study area by considering potential risk factors, regular screening and microbiological examination of udder of lactating goats as well as judicious use of antimicrobials to treat subclinical mastitis.

A cross-sectional study of the prevalence of lameness and digital dermatitis in dairy cattle herds in Egypt

BackgroundLameness is a significant problem for the dairy industry worldwide. No previous studies have evaluated the prevalence of lameness or digital dermatitis (DD) in dairy cattle herds in Egypt. A total of 16,098 dairy cows from 55 dairy herds in 11 Egyptian governorates underwent visual locomotion scoring using a 4-point scoring system. Cows that had a lameness score ≥ 2 were considered clinically lame. Following manure removal with water and using a flashlight, the cows’ hind feet were examined in the milking parlour to identify DD lesions and classify with M-score. Furthermore, each cow was assigned a hock score (a 3-point scale) and a hygiene score (a 4-point scale). The cow-, within-and between-herd prevalence of lameness and DD and associated 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. The prevalence of hock lesions and poor cow hygiene was also calculated.ResultsOf the examined cows, 6,883 were found to be clinically lame (42.8%, 95% CI = 42.0–43.5%). The average within-herd prevalence of lameness was 43.1% (95% CI = 35.9–50.3%). None of the dairy herds recruited into the study were found to be free from clinical lameness. The average within-herd prevalence of DD was 6.4% (95% CI = 4.9–8.0%). The herd-level prevalence of DD was 92.7% (95% CI = 85.9–99.6%). Active DD lesions (M1, M2, M4.1) were identified in 464 cows (2.9%) while inactive lesions (M3, M4) were identified in 559 cows (3.5%). The within-herd prevalence of hock lesions (score 2 or 3) was 12.6% (95% CI = 4.03–21.1%) while a severe hock lesion had within-herd prevalence of 0.31% (95% CI = 0.12–0.51%). Cow-level prevalence of hock lesions was 6.2% (n = 847, 95% CI = 5.8–6.2%). The majority of examined cows had a hygiene score of 4 (n = 10,814, prevalence = 70.3%, 95% CI = 69.5–71%).ConclusionsThe prevalence of lameness was higher than prevalence estimates reported for other countries which could be due to differing management and/or environmental factors. DD was identified at lower prevalence in most herds but with high herd-level prevalence. Poor cow hygiene was notable in most herds. Measures to reduce the prevalence of lameness and to improve cow hygiene in dairy cattle herds in Egypt are therefore needed.