Slatted Floor Research Articles

Analysis of Physical Parameters and Chemical Composition of Offal From Puławska Fattening Pigs Raised in Deep Litter and Slatted Floor Housing Systems

Abstract The objective of this study was to comparatively analyse the physical parameters, basic chemical composition and the macro- and microelement content of offal obtained from fattening pigs raised in deep litter and slatted floor housing systems. The experiment involved a group of 80 Puławska fatteners, including 40 pigs kept in deep-litter pens (group I) and 40 pigs in slatted pens without bedding (group II). Offal (tongues, kidneys, hearts, lungs and livers) was evaluated for weight, physical characteristics (pH45, pH24, WHC), chemical composition (water, protein, fat) and the content of minerals: macro- (K, Na, Mg, Ca) and microelements (Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu). Based on the results obtained, associations were found between housing system and basic chemical composition of some offal, i.e. percentage of water (slatted floor<deep litter) and protein (slatted floor>deep litter) in lungs, content of protein (slatted floor>deep litter) and fat (slatted floor<deep litter) in liver, and content of fat in heart (slatted floor<deep litter). The amount of macro- and microelements was significantly differentiated by the housing system with regard to the kidneys: potassium, magnesium, calcium and manganese (slatted floor<deep litter), sodium (slatted floor>deep litter); lungs: sodium (slatted floor>deep litter), potassium (slatted floor<deep litter); and liver: iron (slatted floor>deep litter) and copper (slatted floor<deep litter). In general, the housing system of fattening pigs modified the physical parameters and chemical composition of the analysed offal.

Slatted floor reduces the welfare and increases the foot pad dermatitis and growth performance of Turkeys under Egyptian conditions.

When Turkeys' legscome in contact with their dropping during the growing stage results in footpad dermatitis condition which affects the poult's welfare and productivity. Our experiment aimed to detect the impact of various bedding substrates on the wellbeing, and performance of growing Turkey under Egyptian conditions. 180-day-old Turkey poults were allocated into three treatments. In treatment I, the poults [60 each with three replicates (n = 20 birds)] were kept on wood shavings (WS); in the second treatment, the poults were housed on chopped wheat straw (CWS). However, in the third treatment, they kept on a plastic slatted floor (PSF). The greater feed intake and body weight were recorded in poults reared in PSF compared with those kept in other treatments (WS and CWS). Feed conversion ratio did not show any significant difference. The mortality percentage was higher in the PSF group than in the WS one. The frequency of feeding and drinking behavior was higher in poults reared on WS treatment compared with other treatments CWS and PSF. On the other hand, resting behavior showed the highest frequency in poults kept in PSF. Contrary, the lowest frequency of walking behavior was recorded in poults reared in PSF treatment. In addition, the poults kept in WS had a longer tonic immobility reaction period followed by those kept in PSF and CWS. Concerning foot-pad dermatitis, the highest score of 0 was observed in the CWS group, while the highest score of 1 was recorded among poults kept in the WS group. On the other side, the highest score 2, 3, and 4 was observed in the poults reared in the PSF group. Heterophil/Lymphocyte ratio of Turkey poults was higher in PSF. While T3 and T4 concentrations in blood were not affected by using different bedding materials. It is concluded that the slatted floor was good for Turkey producers from the point of performance but, it is the worst from the point of welfare.

A Multi-Airspace Model to Investigate Airflow Patterns and Carbon Dioxide Emission Sources in Deep-pit Beef Cattle Finishing Facilities

HighlightsA multi-control volume mass balance approach tested with data from cattle finishing barns.Airflow estimates were highest in the barn airspace, compared to the animal-occupied zone and manure pit headspace.Slurry CO2 emission calculations were sensitive to gas concentration differences between zones and animal numbers.Abstract. An increasing number of cattle finishing barns in the Midwest are naturally ventilated (NV) with slatted floors over deep-pit manure storages. However, there is limited gas emission data currently available for this type of cattle housing and manure storage. Emission rate measurements are particularly challenging in NV barns where there are low gas concentrations and large variations in air velocity and direction. This research explores gas emission estimation using carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations measured at the north and south wall openings, floor, nose level, and above the manure surface in the storage pit. With these measurements, three control volume mass balances for the barn airspace, animal-occupied zone (AOZ), and manure pit headspace were used to estimate airflows between control volumes and CO2 emissions rates. In this study, the estimated airflow and CO2 emission values for two NV barns were calculated for the summer, fall, and spring seasons. Nominal airflow rates calculated between the three control volumes for each barn were variable using three different solution approaches applied in this study. There was a general pattern where airflow through the barn airspace was larger than airflow between the barn airspace and animal-occupied zone, followed by airflow through the slatted floors. The range of estimated CO2 emissions considering both barns and three solution approaches was -1.16 g/s to 29.3 g/s. Overall, while calculated airflow and CO2 emission results were variable across three solution approaches, this study provides insight on a range of CO2 emissions and airflow rates through deep-pit NV cattle finishing facilities. Further model validation would be needed prior to the use of this model for gas mitigation purposes. Keywords: Airflow, Beef cattle, Carbon dioxide emission, Deep-pit barns, Modeling.

On the efficacy of preventive toltrazuril treatments and the diagnosis of Cystoisospora suis infections in intensively raised piglets in farms from southeast Spain

This study investigated the presence and abundance of Cystoisospora suis oocysts in faecal samples from 131 one- to three-week-old pig litters belonging to eight intensively raised, indoor herds in Spain. Seven herds used preventive anticoccidial toltrazuril treatments administered orally or by intramuscular injection, and one did not use preventive anticoccidial treatments. The diagnosis was performed using two oocyst flotation-concentration methods, Bailenger’s method in every herd and the more recent Joachim’s method in four herds. Oocysts were detected in every farm, the proportion of oocyst-positive samples was higher with Bailenger’s technique, and the estimated overall prevalence (95% confidence interval) was 40 (32–49)%, including 47 (29–65)% in non-medicated litters, 52 (38–67)% in orally medicated litters and 28 (16–40)% in intramuscularly medicated litters (p < 0.05). However, mixed logistic regression models indicated that the risk of infection was not significantly associated with preventive anticoccidial treatments (p > 0.05), and increased with age, was higher in herds with partially compared to fully slatted dung floors in farrowing pens and in litters with pigs with diarrhoea (p < 0.05). The median (range) oocysts per gram of faeces (OpG) in infected litters by Bailenger’s method was 623 (35–49048) and mixed negative binomial models revealed no significant association between infection intensity in positive litters and pen’s floor type and piglets age, faecal consistency and treatment status (p > 0.05). The apparent low efficacy of Toltrazuril suggests treatment administration failures, reduced residual efficacy or low susceptibility of C. suis strains in study farms and needs further investigation.

Global Warming Potential and Life Cycle Cost of Conventional and Potentially Low-Carbon Philippine Swine Production Systems

This study identified and evaluated conventional and low-carbon swine production systems through a review of literature and visits to commercial farrow-to-finish swine farms in the Philippines, aiming to recommend a swine production system that cost-effectively reduces GHG emissions. Parameters assessed were greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, carbon and payback period, and return on investment through conduct of life cycle assessment. The identified conventional technologies are open-sided housing system, slatted flooring, modified manual feeding system, nipple drinker, and scrapper and power sprayer as cleaning systems. The identified low carbon technologies are low protein swine feed formulation supplemented with amino acids and partial substitution of soybean meal with Protein-Enriched Copra Meal (PECM), open-sided housing with cemented flooring, manual feeding system, bite ball valve, scrapper combined with power sprayer as cleaning system, and biogas digester as manure management system. These entailed a GHG emission reduction potential of 31.93% in reference to the conventional system. The low carbon production system accounted for higher return on investment of 36.75% and shorter payback period at 2.72 years, compared to the conventional system that yielded 19.96% and 5.01 years, respectively. The identified low carbon swine farm production system can be a cost-effective alternative to the conventional production system.

Applicability evaluation of innovative simplified methods of slatted floor in pig houses – A CFD study

The slatted floor system is often used in pig housing. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a valuable technique for determining the airflow and gas dispersion within the pit headspace through the slatted floor. However, there is a practical issue related to modeling the thousands of small slot openings in real livestock buildings for CFD simulation. It is unpractical to simulate the slatted floor with geometry details due to the large mesh number and the limited computer capacity. In this study, several methods to simplify the model of the slatted floor were explored to reduce the computational cost. The study was based on CFD analysis supported by experimental validation. The slatted floor was modeled in four ways: direct geometry method (DGM), porous-region method (POM), and profiled-porous-region method (including PPOM-cell (PPOM-C) and PPOM-floor (PPOM-F)). To assess the feasibility of the simplification, the four modeling approaches were compared with the experimental data. The results showed that it’s feasible to model the slatted floor as POM or PPOM. The accuracy of POM was high, but it was greatly affected by the calculation of the resistance coefficient. PPOM-C has greatly reduced the amount of calculation, which could be used to simplify the large-scale pig house model whose flow fields and gas emissions below the slatted floor could be ignored. The simulation result of PPOM-F was the closest to DGM, however, due to the large number of meshes and complex setup, it was not suitable for practical simulation.

Effects of sling belt provision on behaviour, skin lesions, and salivary cortisol level in growing pigs after transport and regrouping

The provision of enrichment material has been widely recommended to mitigate stress and minimise aggressive behaviour as well as enhance the welfare of pigs after transport and regrouping. In this study, we assessed the effects of providing a polyester sling belt (SB) on behaviour, number of skin lesions, and salivary cortisol levels in growing pigs shortly after transport and regrouping. A total of 571 pigs (29.6 ± 2.4 kg) were allocated to one of the following three treatment groups: 1) C: control group, 2) SB5: provision of 5–6 SB per pen, and 3) SB10: provision of 10–12 SB per pen. After being transported for 2 h, the pigs were housed in pens having fully slatted floors and regrouped with unfamiliar pigs. Their behaviours after regrouping were observed via 24-h video recording. Body weight and number of skin lesions were assessed on days 0 (the day of transport and regrouping) and day 6. Saliva samples were collected from nine pigs per treatment on days 1 and 2. The SB10 group exhibited significantly lower levels of injurious interaction than did the C group (P < 0.05). This injurious interaction tended to have positive correlations with the salivary cortisol levels on day 2 (r = 0.64, P = 0.06) and the changes in the proportion of pigs with skin lesion score (1+2) from day 0–6 (r = 0.66, P = 0.05). Furthermore, it was positively correlated with the proportion of pigs with skin lesion score (1+2) on day 6 (r = 0.80, P = 0.01). Additionally, manipulation behaviour towards the SB showed a negative correlation with skin lesions on day 6 (r = −0.70, P < 0.05) and also displayed a negative tendency to be correlated with salivary cortisol levels on day 2 (r = −0.64, P = 0.06). During the study period, the SB10 group exhibited the greatest reduction in the proportion of pigs with skin lesions than did the other groups (P < 0.05). Salivary cortisol levels did not differ significantly among the treatment groups on day 1; nevertheless, the lowest level was observed in the SB10 group on day 2 (P < 0.05). In conclusion, providing SB to growing pigs housed in pens with slatted flooring shortly after transportation and regrouping can improve their health and welfare by reducing injurious behaviour, skin lesions and activity in the HPA-axis suggesting stress.

Pertumbuhan Beberapa Galur Ayam Lokal Fase Starter Yang Dipelihara Pada Kandang Slat Dan Litter

Animals with genetic abilities along with the environment will express different phenotypes (P = G + L + GL). The research was conducted for 1 month in the Amahusu people's livestock business, Ambon City. The livestock used were the starter phase, totaling 72 heads aged 3 weeks with an average initial weight of 80 grams. Tools used: digital scales, places to eat, drink, cages, hygrometer, thermometer. Cages used: 12 floors of slat and 12 floors of litter measuring 50 x 50 M, drinking water, litter (wood pulp), commercial feed. The research method is an experimental method using a completely randomized design (CRD) factorial pattern (3x2x4). Factor G is a strain consisting of 3 levels: 1. G1 = Arabic chicken, 2. G2 = Super chicken, 3. G3 = Free-range chicken, with female sex Factor L is the type of cage which consists of 2 levels, namely: 1. L1 = slat floor; 2. L2 = litter floor. Animal feed consumption had a significant effect on floor type (P&lt;0.05) and lines had a very significant effect (P&lt;0.01), drinking water consumption, body weight gain and feed conversion did not have a significant effect on chicken growth. village. There was no effect of strain interaction with floor type, but the average feed consumption results showed the highest interaction was in G1L2 and the lowest score was in G3L2, while the average PBB of lines with floor type showed the highest interaction in G2L1 of 74.87 while the lowest G3L2 was 58.75 grams. The highest body weight gain on the slat floor was an average of 70.20 grams per head/week, for the super lines was 72.56 grams while efficient feed conversion was 4.48 and 4.48 litter floors. super strain 3.8 gram.&#x0D; &#x0D;

PSXII-13 The Design of Equipment That Combines a High-Pressure Jet and a Translational Scraper to Improve the Manure Treatment Efficiency of Pig Barn Cleaning Machine

Abstract Livestock farming generates a significant amount of manure, which must be effectively managed to prevent environmental pollution and ensure the health and well-being of animals. The cleaning machine is a commonly used tool for removing manure from pig barns: however, it often leaves behind residual waste that is difficult to remove. To address this issue, a new equipment design that combines a high-pressure jet and a translational scraper has been proposed. This design aims to improve the efficiency of manure treatment by weakening the adhesion and removing stubborn waste particles, making it easier for the cleaning machine to collect the manure. The high-pressure jet provides a powerful stream of water that can dislodge even the most stubborn waste particles. For high-pressure washing, a DC 10V/10A standard water pump and a 70L water tank are included. The translational scraper, on the other hand, can move left and right across the surface of the slatted floor, effectively scraping away any remaining waste. For this work, an actuator was installed to move the blade part and the hook type work part. These two components work together to improve the efficiency of manure treatment and reduce the amount of waste left behind. By improving the efficiency of manure treatment, this new equipment design can help to reduce environmental pollution and improve the overall health and well-being of pigs. In addition, it can also reduce labor costs and improve the profitability of pig farming operations. In conclusion, the design of equipment that combines a high-pressure jet and a translational scraper has the potential to significantly improve the manure treatment efficiency of a pig barn cleaning machine. This new design can help to address the challenges associated with manure management in pig farming and promote a more sustainable and efficient approach to livestock farming. This achievement was made by the support of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, R&amp;D project(421044043HD030)

149 Effects of Microbial Phytase on Standardized Total Tract Digestibility of Phosphorus in Feed Phosphates Fed to Growing Pigs

Abstract The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect of increased microbial phytase on total tract digestibility of P in feed phosphates when fed to growing pigs. A source of monocalcium phosphate (MCP), monosodium phosphate (MSP), and magnesium phosphate (MgP) were procured. Three basal diets were formulated to contain 0, 500, and 4,000 units of microbial phytase (FTU) and no addition of feed phosphates. Nine phosphate-containing diets were formulated by adding each of the 3 feed phosphates and 3 levels of phytase. A P-free diet was formulated to determine the basal endogenous P loss. A total of 117 growing barrows (BW = 15.56 kg; SD = 1.68) were divided into 3 blocks of 39 pigs and allotted to the 13 diets for a total of 9 pigs per diet. During the experiment, pigs were housed individually in metabolism crates equipped with a slatted floor, a feeder, and a nipple drinker. Fecal samples were quantitatively collected for 4 days after 5 days of adaptation using the marker-to-marker approach. Fecal samples were dried and ground before analysis. Fecal samples, feed ingredients, feed phosphates, and diet samples were analyzed for P, Ca, and dry matter and the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) and standardized total tract digestibility (STTD) were calculated. The ATTD and STTD of P in the 3 feed phosphates were calculated using difference procedure. The statistical model included the level of phytase and the P source as the fixed effects and the random effects of period and replicate within period. Contrast statements were used to test for linear and quadratic effects of increasing phytase in diets and the model included diet as the fixed effect and period and replicate as the random effects. Pig was the experimental unit. Results indicated that the ATTD and STTD of P in all diets increased (P &amp;lt; 0.05) with the inclusion of 500 or 4,000 FTU, but the ATTD and STTD of P in feed phosphates were not affected by the inclusion of phytase (Table 1). This indicates that the increases in ATTD and STTD of P that were observed in the mixed diets when phytase was used were due to the release of P from phytate in corn and soybean meal and not from an increase in digestibility of P in feed phosphates. However, MgP had a lower (P &amp;lt; 0.05) STTD of P than MCP and MSP. In conclusion, microbial phytase does not increase the digestibility of P in MCP, MSP, or MgP, but the digestibility of P in MgP is less than in MCP and MSP.

254 Mineral Source Matters for Cartilage Development to Support Structural Integrity

Abstract Lameness is a welfare issue generally associated with increased growth rate. Objectives of this study were to 1) compare efficacy of inorganic (ITM) and organic trace mineral (OTM) sources on lameness incidence and effects on bone and cartilage biomarkers, and 2) determine if the biologically relevant biomarkers were detectable in saliva. Dietary treatments were fed for 70 d and included: 1) ITM sulfates, Zn-Cu-Mn supplemented at 120-20-40 mg/kg diet, and three OTMs supplemented at 80-10-20 Zn-Cu-Mn mg/kg diet, respectfully. The OTM treatments included a non-specific amino acid complex (Trt 2 – OTM complex), a glycinate (Trt 3 - OTM glycinate), and a metal methionine hydroxy analogue chelate (Trt 4 – OTM MMHAC) supplied as MINTREX trace minerals (Novus International, Inc., St Charles, MO). The study consisted of 144 barrows (56 kg initial BW; 36 pigs/trt; 18 pigs/pen on slatted concrete floors). A source of ractopamine hydrochloride (10 mg/kg) was fed the last 28 d of the trial to induce increased growth rate. Measurements included gait scoring (0-4; GS ≥ 2 defined as lame) and serum and saliva bone synthesis (osteocalcin), bone degradation (CTX1) and cartilage synthesis (P2CP), and cartilage degradative biomarkers (CTX2, C2C) and synthesis:degradation ratios measured at baseline, d 7, d 36 and d 70. Individual biomarkers were logarithmically transformed (base 10). Proc Mixed GLM procedure of SAS was performed on log-transformed data and means were determined using LSD test. Nonparametric comparisons (% lameness) were tested using Chi-squared analysis. A P-value &amp;lt; 0.05 was considered significant and P ≤ 0.10, a trend. As shown in Table, 1, lameness incidence was greatest for pigs fed ITM and OTM glycinate which was greater than OTM complex and MMHAC (P = 0.10). In general, there was good agreement between serum and saliva biomarkers, with pigs fed MMHAC having the greatest serum bone synthesis biomarker (osteocalcin) which differed from pigs fed OTM complex (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Cartilage synthesis concentrations (P2CP (serum and saliva); and P2CP/C2C and P2CP/CTX2 ratios (saliva) were also greatest for pigs fed MMHAC trace minerals (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Neither bone nor cartilage biomarkers were different between pigs fed ITM and OTM complex or glycinate. Osteocalcin was 10-fold less in saliva compared with serum. No treatment differences were observed in saliva for bone synthesis. The results demonstrated trace mineral source matters with respect to structural health. Significant differences between OTM sources were observed with MMHAC resulting in the highest bone and cartilage synthesis biomarker concentrations in serum and highest biomarkers for cartilage synthesis and synthesis:degradation ratios in saliva. Saliva appears to be a sensitive medium for measuring joint health biomarkers.

182 Influence of Group Size on Performance and Tail Damage Caused by Tail Biting in Undocked Growing-Finishing Pigs

Abstract Tail biting is both an economic and welfare problem of grower-finishing pigs. This destructive chewing behavior of tails of pen-mates causes challenges for farmers who raise pigs with intact tails, resulting in the need to find management solutions. Our objective was to determine if group size influences growth performance and tail damage caused by biting behavior of undocked growing-finishing pigs. Pigs (n = 432; initial BW = 22 ± 3.8 kg) with intact tails were allocated to small pens or large pens on totally slatted floors, with equal ratio of barrows to gilts in each pen and balanced for average initial BW across pens. Small pens (SM; n = 24) housed 9 pigs/pen and large pens (LG; n = 12) held 18 pigs/pen. Floor space allowance (0.76 m2/pig) and feeder-space allowance (4 feeder spaces/9 pigs) were consistent across group sizes. Pigs were weighed individually and feed intake was recorded on a pen basis every 4 weeks for 16 weeks until market weight (120 kg ± 3.8 kg), from which ADG, ADFI, and Gain:Feed were calculated. Number of pigs that were dead (mortality) and removed (morbidity) from the study due to tail biting, lameness, and other health issues were recorded throughout the study period. Tail damage was evaluated using a 0 to 4 scale scoring system: 0 = no evidence of tail biting; 1 = evidence of chewing without visible blood; 2 = evidence of tail bitten with visible blood and no signs of infection; 3 = open wounds or abscesses with signs of infection; 4 = partial or total loss of the tail. Tail damage was assessed once weekly during the study period, and the maximum tail score (MTS) that each pig received over the entire 16 weeks was recorded. Data were analyzed using SAS software, with a mixed procedure for performance variables and a frequency procedure with chi-square test for mortality, morbidity, and MTS. Group size did not affect growth performance (all P &amp;gt; 0.70; Table 1), mortality, or morbidity (Chi-square = 2.33, df = 2; P = 0.31). However, group size affected MTS (chi-square = 10.78, df = 4; P = 0.03). Pigs in SM experienced a marginally lower prevalence of tail biting compared with LG (16% vs. 9% of pigs receiving an MTS of 0); but greater severity with 13.0% of pigs in SM vs. 7.4% of pigs in LG receiving an MTS of 4. These results suggest group size did not influence growth performance, mortality, or morbidity; but affect severity of tail damage caused by tail biting. Compared with LG, SM had more pigs that lost their tails due to tail biting, which seriously compromised pig welfare.

Identification of epidemiological risk factors for spotty liver disease in cage-free layer flocks in houses with fully slatted flooring in Australia

Spotty liver disease (SLD) is recognized to be caused by infection with Campylobacter hepaticus in adult layer hens farmed in cage-free environments. SLD is an emerging disease as cage-free egg production increases in popularity in response to desires for improved welfare of poultry. Outbreaks of SLD are frequently experienced around peak egg production in flocks, commonly between 25 and 40 wk of age. The disease becomes manifest with increased exposure and access of the birds to the feces of the flock. This study follows from a previous epidemiological survey of free-range and barn flocks in Australia which identified the presence of a scratch area within the laying house as a major risk factor for the occurrence of SLD. However, that survey also observed SLD occurrence in 45% of houses with a fully slatted floor (no scratch area). The present study describes a further analytical survey aimed at identification of risk factors for SLD in houses with fully slatted flooring. A comprehensive questionnaire was completed for 49 cage-free flocks from point of lay until 40 wk of age across Australia, retrieving information on house design, bird breed, flock size, stocking densities, bird growth, and performance and the occurrence of SLD. Multiple logistic regression model building was used to separate factors and identify important management factors that may be amenable to modify the occurrence of SLD in egg layers. Key determinants of SLD identified from the analyses were that houses with mechanical ventilation (such as tunnel ventilation) have some protection from SLD and an increase of an extra 1 bird/m2 of nest space increased odds of occurrence of SLD by 1.172 times. A recommendation to not exceed 112 brown egg layer hens/m2 of nest space in naturally ventilated houses with a full slat floor was suggested. A delay in birds reaching 60% hen day production (HD) by 1 wk is suggested as a possible predictor for a subsequent outbreak of SLD.

Pilot study investigating estrus length and estrus behavior in Norwegian Red cattle on a commercial dairy farm.

Norwegian Red has been shown to have high levels of estrus behavior under experimental conditions. However, the estrus behaviors of Norwegian Red cows have not been studied under commercial conditions. A herd of 89 Norwegian Red cows housed in free stalls on concrete, slatted floors, were continuously video monitored for 21 days. Ovarian cyclicity was confirmed in a final study sample group (n = 18) using milk progesterone concentrations. All mounting and standing activities were recorded, and the duration of mount estrus, standing estrus and the differences between these; prestand and poststand, were determined. The cycle stages metestrus, diestrus and proestrus were estimated based on the starting time and ending time of mount estrus. All cows in the final study sample group exhibited the primary estrus sign, 'standing to be mounted' during estrus. Two (11%), eleven (61%) and six (33%) cows exhibited the behavior 'standing to be mounted' during metestrus, diestrus and proestrus, respectively. The number of mounts initiated by individual cows was higher during mount and stand estrus than during the rest of the estrous cycle. This study reports a median duration of mount estrus and stand estrus of 21.0 h (interquartile range (IQR) 15.0 to 27.3) and 14.3 h (IQR 12.0 to 18.8), respectively. The median counts per hour of all mount behaviors were 8.6 (IQR 5.6 to 11.3), 1.51 (IQR 0.3 to 3.8) and 1.7 (IQR 0.8 to 6.0) for standing estrus, prestand and poststand, respectively. This study shows that under commercial conditions the Norwegian Red cow displays a high level of mount and stand activity associated with estrus.

Occurrence of putative Culicoides biting midge vectors (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) inside and outside barns in Germany and factors influencing their activity

BackgroundAfter several years without bluetongue disease, a ruminant illness caused by Culicoides-borne bluetongue virus (BTV), two new autochthonous cases were reported in 2018 in Germany. By contrast, Schmallenberg virus (SBV), another Culicoides-borne virus pathogenic to ruminants, has continuously circulated in Germany since its first emergence in 2011. The disease outbreaks have triggered numerous studies on the biology of the Culicoides vectors, but many ecological details are still obscure.MethodsCulicoides biting midge species were collected with UV-light traps on 10 farms in Germany, with one trap inside and one trap outside barns on each of the farms. Traps were run once a week for 24 h from January to December 2019. Collected biting midges were morphologically identified, counted and statistically evaluated, with a focus on the Obsoletus Group and the Pulicaris Complex of the ceratopogonid genus Culicoides, which are believed to contain the major virus vectors. Temperature and relative humidity recorded at each trap were linked to the quantity of caught Culicoides. Correlations between relative Culicoides abundance and presence of livestock or type of husbandry were also investigated.ResultsA total of 38,886 Culicoides biting midges were trapped, with most of them belonging to the Obsoletus Group (51.0%) and the Pulicaris Complex (38.8%). The majority of captured specimens were collected in traps inside the barns. Obsoletus Group individuals were caught from late January to the last week of December while Pulicaris Complex individuals were captured from the end of March to early December. The lowest average temperatures at which members of the two groups were collected were 10.7 °C and 12.8 °C, respectively. While temperature had a statistically significant effect on the activity of both the Obsoletus Group and the Pulicaris Complex, relative humidity only significantly affected the activity of the latter. The presence of livestock significantly influenced the number of captured Obsoletus Group, but not of Pulicaris Complex specimens. Inside the barns, no statistical difference was found between numbers of caught Obsoletus Group and Pulicaris Complex specimens in livestock holdings with deep litter and manure scraper or slatted floor husbandry systems.ConclusionsThe almost year-round presence of Obsoletus Group biting midges and the demonstrated high relative abundance of other potential Culicoides vector species inside barns suggest a high risk of indoor virus transmission to ruminants should BTV or SBV circulate locally. Appropriate structural, organisational and vector control measures to reduce biting midge exposure should be implemented.Graphical

13. Behaviour and physical integrity of pigs with uncut tails housed on slatted floors

13. Behaviour and physical integrity of pigs with uncut tails housed on slatted floors

Frequent export of pig slurry for outside storage reduced methane but not ammonia emissions in cold and warm seasons

Manure management is a significant source of methane (CH4) and ammonia (NH3), and there is an urgent need for strategies to reduce these emissions. More frequent export of manure for outside storage can lower gaseous emissions from housing facilities, but the longer residence time may then increase emissions during outside storage. This study examined CH4 and NH3 emissions from liquid pig manure (pig slurry) removed from the in-house slurry collection pits at three different frequencies, i.e., three times per week (T2.3), once per week (T7), or once after 40 days (T40, reference). The slurry from treatments T2.3 and T7 was transferred for outside storage weekly over four weeks, and slurry from treatment T40 once after 40 days, in connection with summer and winter production cycles with growing-finishing pigs. The slurry was stored in pilot-scale storage tanks with solid cover and continuous ventilation. Compared to T40, the treatments T2.3 and T7 increased CH4 emissions during outside storage, but in-house emissions were reduced even more, and the net effects on total CH4 emissions from manure management (housing unit and outside storage) were reductions of 18–41% in summer and 53–83% in winter. The frequent slurry export for outside storage led to more NH3 emissions, except for the treatment T2.3, which has slurry funnel inserts beneath the slatted floor. Measurements of in-vitro CH4 production rates suggested that shorter residence time for slurry in pig houses delayed the development of active methanogenic populations, and that this contributed to the reduction of CH4 emissions.

Scratch area as an epidemiological risk factor for Spotty Liver Disease in cage-free layers in Australia

Spotty Liver Disease (SLD) is a serious problem in laying hens farmed in cage-free systems. The causative organism, Campylobacter hepaticus, is regarded as having a fecal-oral method of transmission and hence may build up and spread readily in housing systems which allow ease of direct contact of hens with the flock's fecal material. The epidemiology of SLD has not been thoroughly investigated. An initial cross-sectional analytical epidemiological survey of SLD in free range and barn layer systems was conducted in Australia over 2019 to 2021.The survey involved rearing flocks (n=32) which were then followed through into laying flocks (n=24) up to 40 wk of age. Cloacal swabs were collected during rearing and lay for C. hepaticus detection by PCR. Flocks were classified as "Cases" (n=18) where clinical SLD according to the case definition was observed or "Controls" (n=6) which were clinically unaffected. No C. hepaticus was detected in cloacal swabs from rearing houses whereas the organism was detected in 18 Case flocks in lay and from 2 Control flocks in lay. All layer houses that incorporated a scratch area (n=13) were categorized as Cases. Thus, having a scratch area is a key determinant for SLD and no analyses of further contributory factors from these flocks were able to be made. Of the remaining 11 flocks which had floors fully covered by slats, 5 were Cases (45%). Further risk factor analysis was compromised by this small sample size and identification of other significant associations was not possible. A larger survey investigating flocks laying in houses with fully slatted floors was undertaken to further the understanding of SLD epidemiology and is reported in a companion paper.

The Effects of Space Allowance and Toy Provision on the Growth, Spatiotemporal Distribution of Behavior, and Pen Cleanliness of Finishing Pigs

Excretion and lying are key behavioral factors that cause pen fouling, thereby affecting pig welfare, pathogen fecal–oral transmission, and air quality in pig housing. This study investigated the effect of space allowance and toy provision on the spatiotemporal distribution of pigs’ excreting and lying behavior, as well as the score of floor cleanliness in finishing pig pens. A total of 144 Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc hybrid fattening pigs were randomly assigned to 12 part-slatted pens at stocking densities of 0.75, 1.05, and 1.35 m2/pig with 12 pigs per pen, and 2 pens at each density level were provided with hanging chains and rubber stars as toys. The results showed that for the average daily gain (ADG) of the pigs, the main effect of space allowance was significant (p &lt; 0.05). The ADG at the stocking density level of 1.35 m2/pig was significantly higher than 0.75 and 1.05 m2/pig (p &lt; 0.05). The ADG of the pigs at a density of 0.75 m2/pig in the toys group was significantly higher than the no toys group (p &lt; 0.05). When occupied space was limited, the provision of toys was beneficial to the growth performance of the pigs. Space allowance and toy provision did not affect the time-varying regularity of the pigs but had a certain impact on the areas where the two behaviors occurred. At a density of 1.35 m2/pig, the excreting rate in the corner areas of the slatted floor and the lying rate in the middle area of the solid floor were significantly higher than at a density of 0.75 and 1.05 m2/pig (p &lt; 0.05). Under the conditions of this study, when the stocking density was 1.35 m2/pig and toys were provided, the average daily gain of the pigs was the highest, and the pigs excreted more in the defined excretion area, lay more in the lying area, and the cleanliness of the lying area was also higher. In the case of space constraints, the provision of toys can offset some of the adverse effects of space constraints on pig growth and pen cleanliness.

Economic impact of investment in animal welfare–enhancing flooring solutions – Implications for promoting sustainable dairy production in Sweden

PurposeThe purpose of this paper was to assess the economic impact of investment in different animal welfare–enhancing flooring solutions in Swedish dairy farming.Design/methodology/approachThe authors developed a bio-economic model and used stochastic partial budgeting approach to simulate the economic consequences of enhancing solid and slatted concrete floors with soft rubber covering.FindingsThe findings highlight that keeping herds on solid and slatted concrete floor surfaces with soft rubber coverings is a profitable solution, compared with keeping herds on solid and slatted concrete floors without a soft covering. The profit per cow when kept on a solid concrete floor with soft rubber covering increased by 13%–16% depending on the breed. Practical implicationsPromoting farm investments such as improvement in flooring solution, which have both economic and animal welfare incentives, is a potential way of promoting sustainable dairy production. Farmers may make investments in improved floors, resulting in enhanced animal welfare and economic outcomes necessary for sustaining dairy production.Originality/valueThis literature review indicated that the economic impact of investment in specific types of floor improvement solutions, investment costs and financial outcomes have received little attention. This study provides insights needed for a more informed decision-making process when selecting optimal flooring solutions for new and renovated barns that improve both animal welfare and ease the burden on farmers and public financial support.