Straw Yards Research Articles

Dairy cows value an open area for lying down.

As dairy cows are being housed for longer periods, with all-year-round housing growing in popularity, it is important to ensure housed environments are meeting the needs of cows. Dairy cows are motivated to access open lying areas, although previous motivation studies on this topic have confounded surface type and location (i.e. pasture outdoors vs cubicles indoors). This study measured cow motivation for lying down on an indoor open mattress (MAT; 9 m x 5 m) compared to indoor mattress-bedded cubicles, thus removing the confounding factor of surface type and location. This was repeated for an identically sized indoor deep-bedded straw yard (ST), to investigate whether surface type affected motivation for an open lying area. Thirty Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were housed in groups of 5 (n = 5 x 6) in an indoor robotic milking unit with access to six mattress-bedded cubicles. To assess motivation, cows were required to walk increasing distances via a one-way indoor raceway to access the open lying areas: Short (34.5 m), followed by Medium (80.5 m) and Long (126.5 m). Cows could choose to walk the raceway, leading to the MAT or ST, to lie down or they could lie down on the cubicles for ‘free’. Overall, cows lay down for longer on the open lying areas at each distance compared to the cubicles, with cows lying down slightly longer on ST than MAT, although lying times on the open lying areas did decrease at the Long distance. However, cows were still lying for >60% of their lying time on the open lying areas at the Long distance. This study demonstrates that cows had a high motivation for an open lying area, the provision of which could better cater for the behavioural needs of housed dairy cows and improve housed dairy cow welfare.

Assessing the Accuracy of Leg Mounted Sensors for Recording Dairy Cow Behavioural Activity at Pasture, in Cubicle Housing and a Straw Yard.

Simple SummarySensors attached to the legs of cows are used to record behaviours such as lying times and step count. It is important that the information recorded by sensors is accurate, as changes to behaviour could indicate to the farmer that a cow is sick or in heat. Therefore, this study compared the behaviours recorded by IceQube sensors to those visually observed by humans, when the cows where housed at pasture, in a straw yard and in cubicle housing. The results showed that lying and standing times, the number of times the cows stood up and laid down and the number of steps recorded by the sensors and human observers was similar. Sensors accurately recording cow activity could potentially be worn by cows throughout their lives and could be used to predict and detect sick cows. This could allow the farmer to respond quicker and treat sick cows sooner, increasing animal welfare.The accuracy of CowAlert IceQube sensors (IceRobotics Ltd., Edinburgh, UK) for recording lying duration, standing and lying transitions and number of steps when dairy cows where at pasture, in cubicle housing and in a straw yard, was investigated. Holstein Friesian cows at Harper Adams University, UK were fitted with IceQube sensors; one on the back left (BL) leg and one on the front left (FL) leg. Cows at pasture (n = 48), in cubicle housing (n = 46) and in a straw yard (n = 45) were visually observed. Data were analysed in two stages: (1) an initial exploratory phase determined the correlation level between sensor measurements andvisual observations. Subsequently, (2) a mixed effects modelling framework was used to check whether sensors provide significantly different measures of cow’s activities compared to the observations. Results indicate that lying and standing times are similar between the observed and recorded times, in all three locations. In terms of sensor placement, significant differences were found between the number of steps recorded between BL and FL on straw and pasture, but all other activities were similar, in each location. The accuracy of CowAlert IceQube sensors on the BL leg gives them the potential to be used as lifelong sensors.

Associations between Dairy Herds' Qualitative Behavior and Aspects of Herd Health, Stockperson and Farm Factors-A Cross-Sectional Exploration.

Simple SummaryCows are sentient beings whose welfare depends on their physical health and how they perceive their living conditions. One scientific approach to this emotional realm is the method of qualitative behavior assessment (QBA) which relies on the animals’ body language expressing their affective state. In the present study we were interested whether important health impairments of dairy cows—udder infections and metabolic imbalances—and external aspects including housing, management, and human-animal contact might be associated with the qualitative behavior of the herds. For this purpose, QBA was carried out on 25 dairy farms. Farm data were recorded via interviews and observations, and health data retrieved from official milk recording reports. We found no associations between the included herd health indicators and QBA. However, herds on farms with deep bedded cubicles or straw yards expressed a more positive emotional state compared to farms with raised cubicles. Additionally, on farms with more voluntary stockperson-cow contacts and restraint of cows during main feeding times, possibly reducing competition, more positive QBA scores were found. These results underline that improved housing conditions and more intensive animal care are related to the emotional aspect of animal welfare.The affective state is an integrated aspect of farm animal welfare, which is understood as the animals’ perception of their living environment and of their internal biological functioning. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore animal-internal and external factors potentially influencing dairy cows’ affective state. For this purpose, qualitative behavior assessments (QBA) describing the animals’ body language were applied at herd level on 25 dairy farms. By means of principal component analysis (PCA), scores of PC1 (QBAscores) were determined for further analyses. From monthly milk recordings (MR) one year retrospectively, prevalences of udder and metabolic health impairments were calculated. Factors of housing, management, and human-animal contact were recorded via interviews and observations. A multivariable regression was calculated following a univariable preselection of factors. No associations were found between MR indicators and QBAscores. However, more positive QBAscores were associated with bedded cubicles or straw yards compared to raised cubicles, increased voluntary stockperson contact with the cows, and fixation of cows during main feeding times, the latter contributing to the explanatory model, but not being significant. These results underline the importance of lying comfort, positive human-animal relationship and reduction of competition during feeding for the well-being of dairy cows.

Cows can’t Complain Out Loud. so, at Times, shouldn’t we Do it for Them?

Until relatively recently, the welfare of the dairy cow was not often perceived as being poor. However, the dairy industry has been changing, and increasing attention has been paid by the general public to the animals’ welfare. Nowadays the consumer demands food from animals that are kept under conditions which allow them to function more or less naturally, and which provide shade and shelter [1]. It is now generally accepted that the animal husbandman has a responsibility to the animals under his care and to society in general in order to maintain an acceptable standard of humane care of animals. In the Northern Hemisphere, where most dairy cows are housed indoors either permanently or at least during a significant part of the year, there are industry standards or codes that pay specific attention to the animals’ comfort. In general, they are housed in either straw yards or comfortable barns, where they have access to properly designed cubicle stalls that have the correct dimensions [2-4].

Assessment of the prevalence of Streptococcus uberis in dairy cow feces and implications for herd health

Streptococcus uberis is a major causative agent of bovine mastitis worldwide, negatively affecting both milk production and animal welfare. Mammary infections result from environmental reservoirs, with cattle themselves required to propagate the infection cycle. Two longitudinal studies were performed to investigate the prevalence of Streptococcus uberis within feces and to evaluate factors which may affect gastrointestinal carriage. Bacterial detection was confirmed using a PCR-based method directed against sub0888 that detected S. uberis at an analytical sensitivity of 12 cfu/g of bovine feces. The first study sampled an entire herd at 8-wk intervals, over a 10-mo period and identified that maintenance of S. uberis within the dairy cow environment was due to a high proportion of animals shedding S. uberis and not due to a low number of "super-shedding" cows within the herd. Seasonality influenced detection rates, with detection levels significantly higher for housed cattle compared with those at pasture. Multilevel logistic regression was used to identify significant factors that affected S. uberis detection; these included parity, stage of lactation, and body condition score. An additional study involved screening a smaller cohort of cows housed over a 4-wk period and identified an increased probability of detection if cows were housed in loose straw yards, compared those in straw cubicles. This study highlighted several cow and management related factors that affect both detection of S. uberis and future infection risks.

Some Nutrients Availability in Rice Soil under Utilization of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers

A field experiment was conducted at the Experimental Farm of Sakha Agricultural Research Station; Kafr El-Sheikh, throughout the summer season of 2017 and 2018 to examine the nutrients status in rice soils under the utilization of organic and inorganic fertilizers. Egyptian hybrid rice one (EHR1) variety was used. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with four replications, where main plots were assigned to NPK fertilizer treatment and sub-plots were allocated to organic material treatments. The NPK fertilizer’s treatments were full dose, 2/3, 1/3 of NPK recommended doses and control (without any mineral fertilizers application). The recommended doses of NPK are 165 kg N ha-1, 36 kg P2O5 ha-1 and 58 kg K2O ha-1. The organic material treatments were control (without any organic materials application), rice straw compost, farm yard manure, chopped rice straw and mixture of chopped rice straw and farm yard manure (1:1). The application rate of the organic materials was 7 tons ha-1 for each treatment. The studied characteristics were the available ammonium (ppm), nitrate (ppm), phosphorus (ppm), potassium (ppm), zinc (ppm) as well as grain yield (t ha-1). Soil samples were collected at 30, 45 and 60 days after transplanting (DAT) and after rice harvest during the two study seasons. The available nutrients in soil tended to increase as NPK fertilizer levels increased and by the application of organic materials. Available NH4 markedly increased after flooding reached its high peak at 30 DAT and then declined to the minimum values at harvest. The high peak of NO3 was observed at 30 DAT, then started to decline afterward and reached its minimum values at harvest. The highest amount of available K was obtained at 45 DAT and then decreased continuously with crop growth, reaching the lowest values at harvest time. Current data reveal that the maximum available Zn was found at 30 DAT. The application of a full recommended dose of NPK mineral fertilizer combined with compost or farm yard manure and compost alone produced the highest values of grain yield.

Fecal Cortisol Metabolites in Dairy Cows: A Cross-Sectional Exploration of Associations with Animal, Stockperson, and Farm Characteristics.

Simple SummaryDairy cows are exposed to various potentially stressful situations in the daily farm routine, which might considerably impair their welfare and performance. On 25 German organic dairy farms, we explored associations of cows’ physiological stress levels by means of cortisol metabolite concentrations in feces (1) with different potentially influencing farm factors including human–animal contact, (2) cows’ fear behaviors towards humans, and (3) milk production and udder health. Cortisol metabolite levels were decreased on farms that did not separate diseased cows, possibly reflecting less regrouping stress. Levels were also lower on farms with straw yards compared to raised cubicles, and on farms with generous compared to suboptimal lying space, underlining the importance of resting comfort for cattle. Increased human–animal contact was associated with decreased cortisol metabolite levels. However, against expectations, levels were higher, when the farm provided concentrate feed by hand and habituated young cows to milking, requiring specific experimental investigations to draw conclusions on causal associations.To date, little is known about influences on cows’ physiological stress levels on farms. The present study explored associations of fecal cortisol metabolite concentrations (FCM) with (1) farm factors including human–animal contact, (2) cows’ fear behaviors towards humans, and (3) milk production and udder health, involving 25 dairy farms and repeated fecal samples (n = 2625) from 674 focal cows. Farm factors via interviews and observations, avoidance distance (AD) and qualitative behavior assessment (QBA) during a human–animal interaction were recorded. Milk yield and somatic cell scores (SCS) were calculated from milk recordings. Levels of FCMs were in general relatively low. No associations with AD and milk yield could be detected. Correlations between FCMs and QBA and SCS were significant, but on a low level. Against expectations, FCMs were higher, when the farm provided concentrates by hand and habituated heifers to milking, in part possibly due to reversed cause–effect relations. Decreased FCM levels were found on farms that did not separate diseased cows, possibly due to the avoidance of social stress following changes in group structure. Additionally, straw yards compared to raised cubicles and generous compared to suboptimal lying space were associated with decreased levels, underlining the importance of comfort around resting. Moreover, FCMs were decreased with increased human contact time per cow. The different associations detected in this study provide a basis for further experimental investigations that moreover might provide insights into causal relationships.

Case-control study on factors associated with a decreased milk yield and a depressed health status of dairy herds in northern Germany

BackgroundIn the past years, it became apparent that health status and performance differ considerably within dairy farms in Northern Germany. In order to obtain clues with respect to possible causes of these differences, a case-control study was performed. Case farms, which showed signs of health and performance problems, and control farms, which had none of these signs, were compared. Risk factors from different areas such as health management, housing, hygiene and nutrition were investigated as these are known to be highly influential. The aim of this study was to identify major factors within these areas that have the strongest association with health and performance problems of dairy herds in Northern Germany.ResultsIn the final model, a lower energy density in the roughage fraction of the diet, more pens with dirty lying areas and a low ratio of cows per watering spaces were associated with a higher risk for herd health problems. Moreover, case farms were affected by infections with intestinal parasites, lungworms, liver flukes and Johne’s Disease numerically more often than control farms. Case farms more often had pens with raised cubicles compared to the deep bedded stalls or straw yards found in control farms. In general, the hygiene of the floors and beddings was worse in case farms. Concerning nutrition, the microbiological and sensory quality of the provided silages was often insufficient, even in control farms. Less roughage was provided to early lactating cows and the feed was pushed to the feeding fence less frequently in case farms than in control farms.ConclusionsThe results show that milk yield and health status were associated with various factors from different areas stressing the importance of all aspects of management for good animal health and performance. Moreover, this study confirmed well-known risk factors for health problems and performance losses. These should better be taken heed of in herd health management.

Influence of Lameness on the Lying Behaviour of Zero-Grazed Lactating Jersey Dairy Cattle Housed in Straw Yards.

Simple SummaryLameness is a concern within the dairy industry. Firstly, it has a negative effect on the animal’s welfare, and secondly, has been found to be costly to producers. Ultimately, it can result in having to cull the cow early. Lameness can change the behaviour of cows who may spend more time lying down to relieve the pain in their feet. In this study, we used activity monitors to automatically record the behaviour of non-lame and lame Jersey cattle. Unlike previous studies involving other breeds, the Jersey cows in this study showed no statistically significant differences in the length of time spent lying or standing in relation to lameness status. Lame cows did have significantly shorter average lying bouts compared to non-lame cows. We also recorded what proportion of the herd were lame. The results (38%) were higher than expected in Jersey cattle but may be related to the fact the cows were housed all year round and therefore were not given access to grass. In conclusion, we saw no evidence of an effect of lameness on lying behaviour in this study. Thirty-five lactating Jersey cows were recruited to the study. They were grouped according to locomotion score (LS), where low scores indicate normal gait. LS-1 (n = 12), LS-2 (n = 12) and LS-3 (n = 11) were used. Locomotion scores were balanced for parity and stage of lactation. Lying behaviour was recorded using IceTag™ data loggers attached to the cows for four consecutive days. The study animals remained in the straw based yards with grooved concrete flooring throughout the duration of the study. All data were normally distributed and assessed using a one-way ANOVA with a post hoc Tukey test. There were no statistically significant differences between locomotion score and the time spent lying, active and standing of zero-grazed lactating Jersey dairy cattle housed on straw yards. Lame cows (LS-3) had significantly shorter lying bouts than sound cows (LS-1) (34 min vs. 42 min, respectively). There has been limited research to date measuring the lying behaviour of cattle on straw and into the Jersey breed. The cows had longer than expected standing times and an increased frequency of lying bouts. This may have been attributed to the stocking density in which the cows were kept. We also reported a prevalence of lameness within the herd of 38%.

Effects of stocking density during the dry period on dairy cow physiology, metabolism and behaviour.

The effects of high stocking density during the dry period on dairy cow physiology, behaviour and welfare were investigated. Holstein Friesian cows (n = 48, calving over a seven month period) were dried-off 60 ± 4 d before their expected calving date, and allocated to either high (H) or low (L) stocking density groups. Cows were housed in cubicles from dry-off to 21 d before calving and then moved to straw yards until calving. In cubicle pens, H and L cows had 0.5 vs. 1.0 feed yokes/cow and 1.0 vs. 1.5 cubicles/cow, respectively, and in straw yards, 0.3 m vs. 0.6 m linear feed-face space and 6 m2vs. 12 m2 lying space, respectively. Video observations of feeding behaviour during the 3 h after feed delivery (3 d/week) and agonistic interactions at the feed-face during peak feeding (2 d/week) were made. Daily lying proportion was measured using an accelerometer device throughout the dry period. Concentrations of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGCM) at dry-off, d7 and d35 after dry-off and d21 and d7 before calving and the change in energy metabolites (glucose, NEFA, BHB) from dry-off to d7 before calving were measured. H cows were less likely to start feeding within 5 min of feed delivery and spent less time feeding compared to L cows, but they engaged in displacements more frequently and spent more time standing in the feed alley. Irrespective of the treatment groups, FGCM concentrations significantly increased from dry-off to d7 after dry-off and remained higher during the dry period. Stocking density did not affect daily lying proportion, energy metabolites during the dry period and milk yield during subsequent lactation. This study found that whilst high stocking density during the dry period increased competition at the feed-face and altered feeding behaviour, it did not affect stress responses, energy metabolism or subsequent milk yield.

The effect of transition cow housing on lying and feeding behavior in Holstein dairy cows

The present study investigated the effect of straw yard housing during the dry period and 2 d of additional maternity pen housing postcalving on lying and feeding behavior and calving difficulty in Holstein dairy cows. In this study, 122 multiparous cows were moved to either a straw yard or into freestall housing 4 wk before their expected calving date. Cows that had been housed in straw yards stayed in the maternity pen for an additional 2 d after their calving day, but cows that had been housed in freestalls were moved to the general lactation group the morning after calving. Lying time, lying bouts, feeding time, number of feeder visits, feed intake, feeding rate, and assisted calvings were recorded. Observations were divided into 2 periods: precalving (the 4-wk dry period before calving) and postcalving (the day of calving and the 2 d after). During the precalving period, cows housed in straw yards showed a higher number of lying bouts but no difference in lying time compared with cows housed in freestalls. Cows that were housed longer in the straw-bedded maternity pen postcalving spent more time lying during the 2 d postcalving and had a higher number of lying bouts on the day of calving than cows moved to the freestall area on the day postcalving. Additionally, cows that were housed longer in the maternity pen had a slower feeding rate and longer total feeding time during the 2 d after calving than cows with a shorter stay in the maternity pen. We found no difference in the number of assisted calvings. This study suggests that straw yard housing during the dry period may facilitate the transition between standing and lying. Furthermore, the extended stay in the maternity pen postcalving increased lying time, the number of lying bouts, and feeding time, but decreased feeding rate compared with cows that were moved to the general lactation group on the day postcalving. These results suggest potential recovery benefits with an extended stay in a maternity pen postcalving. However, further studies are needed to separate the effects of housing in the dry period and the effects of an extended housing in individual maternity pens.

Relationship between the probability of veterinary-diagnosed bovine mastitis occurring and farm management risk factors on small dairy farms in Austria

Bovine mastitis is the most frequently reported disease among dairy cows worldwide. Treatment of udder disease often involves the use of antimicrobial substances, which is difficult to justify with respect to their possible effect on the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance. Prevention of udder disease is therefore always preferable to treatment. The study presented here statistically analyzed the probability of mastitis occurring during 3,049 lactation periods on 208 farms and attempted to ascertain which on-farm management factors contributed to the occurrence of this udder disease in Austria. Farm management was assessed via online surveys completed by 211 farmers (211/251; response rate = 84.1%) as well as national milk performance recorders observing milking technique and herd veterinarians evaluating farm hygiene levels. Veterinary treatment records were used as a basis for mastitis reporting. The analysis was carried out using a generalized linear mixed model. The study population was not randomized but was part of a larger observational study. More than three fourths of the study farms were run conventionally, and the remainder were organic. Freestalls (and straw yards) made up 66% of the study population, and 34% of farms had tiestalls. Herd size ranged from 8 to 94 dairy cows (mean = 26.9; median = 21), with the most common breed (74% of all cows) being dual-purpose Simmental (Austrian Fleckvieh). A mastitis risk of 14.4% was reported via veterinary treatment records. The following factors were shown to be associated with a reduction in the risk of mastitis occurring: regular access to pasture (odds ratio, OR = 0.73), automatic milking machine shut-off (OR 0.67), and access to feed immediately after milking (OR = 0.43). Detrimental effects, which were likely to increase the probability of mastitis occurring, included lactation number (OR = 1.18), farming part time (OR = 1.55), and udders on the farm being classed by herd veterinarians as medium to severely soiled (OR = 1.47). The study presented here was able to confirm several management factors recommended to reduce the probability of mastitis occurring during a cow's lactation period, with particular relevance for the small dairy herds common to Austria.

Prevalence of lameness in cattle in selected areas of Bangladesh

Prevalence of lameness was investigated in 1000 randomly selected cattle in Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) and different dairy farms in Boira Union, Mymensingh during January to December 2015. The aetiology, age [Cal≤f 1 year, 1 - 3 years, 3 - 5 years and >5 years], sex (male, female), different stages of cattle [Calves, Heifers, Pregnant cows, Lactating cows, Dry cows, and Bulls] and floor type (concrete, muddy floor, pavement, straw yard) were studied. Out of 1000 cattle examined, 111 (11.1%) showed lameness in different grades, with 82.0% slightly, 14.4% moderately and 3.6% severely lame. The aetiologies of lameness are upward fixation of patella, traumatic injury, foot and mouth disease (FMD) complications, arthritis, interdigital hyperplasia, interdigital dermatitis and interdigital necrobacillosis. Higher percentages of lameness were in hind limbs than fore limbs. Left hind limbs were more frequently affected than right hind limbs. Animals over 5 years of age were most vulnerable to lameness. Female especially high yielding cows were at higher risk (69.4%) than the male cattle (30.6%). Prevalence of lameness was higher when cattle were confided to the concrete floor than the muddy floor. Pregnant cows were the most vulnerable to lameness. It is suggested that aetiology, age, sex, different stages of cattle and floor type could be considered as risk factors causing lameness in cattle.Bangl. vet. 2017. Vol. 34, No. 1, 1-8

Herd-level associations between human–animal relationship, management, fecal cortisol metabolites, and udder health of organic dairy cows

Impact patterns of human-animal relationship (HAR) and herd stress level on udder health were investigated in a cross-sectional study on 30 German and Danish organic dairy herds also taking into account influencing factors regarding housing and management. Cow behavior (avoidance distance, tolerance to tactile interaction, release behavior) was assessed in tests, milkers' behavior recorded during milking, and information about contacts with animals during routine work gathered by interview. Additionally, stockpersons' attitudes were recorded via questionnaires. Fecal cortisol metabolites were measured in approximately 30 focal cows on each farm and used as a proxy to determine the level of distress within the herd. Management and housing were assessed on-farm. The following herd udder health indicators were calculated: the prevalence of mastitis quarters (≥100,000 cells/mL), and, from milk recording data over 1 yr retrospectively, the average somatic cell score and the self-cure rates during lactation per herd. Multivariable regression models with stepwise selection were calculated at herd level. The following HAR-related factors were associated with better udder health (in at least 1 of the final models): stockpersons' higher agreement on patience being important when moving the cows and on necessary contact to cows being pleasant, higher amount of positive interactions with cows during milking, more docile cows in the release behavior test, no routine change of milkers, more contact time during routine work, no active heifer habituation to milking, and performance of barn controls beyond routine work. Lower fecal cortisol metabolite levels were related to higher self-cure rates during lactation. Concerning housing, management, and herd characteristics, the following known factors were related to impaired udder health for at least 1 of the indicators: straw yards, automatic milking system, higher average lactation number, and less antibiotic udder treatments. The results confirm earlier findings that HAR is associated with udder health and should therefore be considered in future research and mastitis control programs. First indications of negative associations between herd stress level and mastitis curing capacity should be followed up in future studies.

Lungworm in cattle: epidemiology, pathology and immunobiology

The bovine lungworm, Dictyocaulus viviparus, causes disease in all ages of cattle and in addition to having a self-evident effect on animal welfare, it can have a considerable economic impact at farm level, even with subclinical infections. While most clinical cases are seen in cattle at pasture from July until housing, occasional outbreaks occur in housed cattle that have been infected previously at grass, or occasionally from infections acquired from forage or low-level cycling in straw yards. While the overall seasonal pattern of infection is consistent over large temporal and spatial scales, there is marked year-to-year and within season variability in the number of cases seen at both regional and farm levels. This relative unpredictability can bring uncertainty to decisions on control. In order to be able to provide sound, evidence-based advice on treatment and control to farmers, it is important that clinicians grasp important, practically relevant aspects of lungworm biology, pathology, immunity and epidemiology: the aim of this article is to do just that. A second article describes and analyses the options for prevention and treatment of husk, based on this knowledge.

Microbial Biomass Dynamics in a Tropical Agroecosystem: Influence of Herbicide and Soil Amendments

The influences of herbicide alone and in combination with the soil amendments with contrasting resource qualities on dynamics of soil microbial biomass C (MBC), N (MBN), and P (MBP) were studied through two annual cycles in rice-wheat-summer fallow crop sequence in a tropical dryland agroecosystem. The experiment included application of herbicide (butachlor) alone or in combination with various soil amendments having equivalent amount of N in the forms of chemical fertilizer, wheat straw, Sesbania aculeata, and farm yard manure (FYM). Soil microbial biomass showed distinct temporal variations in both crop cycles, decreased from vegetative to grain-forming stage, and then increased to maximum at crop maturity stage. Soil MBC was the highest in herbicide + Sesbania aculeata treatment followed by herbicide + FYM, herbicide + wheat straw, herbicide + chemical fertilizer, and herbicide alone treatments in decreasing order during the rice-growing period. During wheat-growing period and summer fallow, soil MBC attained maximum for herbicide + wheat straw treatment whereas herbicide + FYM, herbicide + Sesbania, and herbicide + chemical fertilizer treatments showed similar levels. The overall trend of soil MBN was similar to those of soil MBC and MBP except that soil MBN was higher in herbicide + chemical fertilizer treatment over the herbicide + wheat straw treatment during rice-growing period. In spite of the addition of equivalent amount of N through exogenous soil amendments in combination with the herbicide, soil microbial biomass responded differentially to the treatments. The resource quality of the amendments had more pronounced impact on the dynamics of soil microbial biomass, which may have implications for long-term sustainability of rainfed agroecosystems in dry tropics.

Introducing structural elements into the free resting area in loose-housing systems with horned dairy cows: Effects on lying behaviour and cleanliness

The transition of tie-stalls to loose housing systems is often accompanied by starting dehorning. Deep-litter and straw-flow systems can be more cost-effective and advantageous for various aspects of the welfare of dairy cows than cubicle loose housing. However, the number of social encounters and disturbances of lying animals can be higher in these systems especially for animals with horns. The use of structural elements may improve the situation and the aim of this project was to investigate the potential effects of structural elements in the free resting area on resting behaviour, animal cleanliness and straw usage in herds of horned dairy cows.On five commercial farms that keep horned dairy cows in a deep-litter system, data were collected in situations without and with a structural element present. Lying behaviour was recorded by scan sampling for each individual animal every 5min. The cleanliness of the cows was assessed at the beginning and end of the four-day recording period. The proportion of scans in which animals were lying in 24h, during day and at night as well as the change in cleanliness were analysed using linear mixed models. Straw usage was evaluated by counting the number of bales used on each of the four days on four farms.The proportion of lying was higher with the structural elements present than without for 24h (p<0.001) and at night (p<0.001), while no effect was found during the day (p=0.964). This was particularly true for high-ranking and middle-ranking animals (interaction rank*structure: p=0.007), for which lying time increased by about 1h on average, while for low-ranking animals it increased only about 10min. The strength of the effect, however, varied considerably between individual farms. Animals were also less dirty with the structural element present than without (p=0.008). For straw usage, no uniform trend was found on the farms.In conclusion, the results indicate a positive effect of the presence of a Y-shaped structural element in the free resting area of straw yard systems on lying time and cleanliness of horned dairy cows. The use of structural elements in straw yard or comparable systems thus has the potential to improve the welfare of horned dairy cows and furthers keeping of horned cows as an alternative to dehorning.

Description and factors of variation of the overall health score in French dairy cattle herds using the Welfare Quality® assessment protocol

Extensive information is available in the literature on the specific risk factors of the main health disorders afflicting dairy cattle herds. However, it remains difficult to manage a herd's overall health because measures to control one risk factor can exacerbate the risk of another disease. To achieve and maintain good overall herd health, livestock systems and management practices need to simultaneously take into account all of the main health disorders. We aimed to identify the characteristics of systems and practices conducive to good herd health using the Welfare Quality® assessment protocol for cattle. This protocol allows an assessment of the level of health and welfare at the herd level according to the opinion of a selected group of 13 experts from animal sciences. Our objectives were to (i) describe the distribution of dairy herds’ health scores in a representative sample of French dairy cattle herds, and (ii) to investigate systems (housing system, milking system, herd size, breed, farm location) and management practices associated with variations of the overall health score of dairy herds. This protocol was carried out on 130 farms between December 2010 and March 2011. A multivariable analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to investigate the factors of variation of the overall health score at the herd level.The overall health scores of the farms in the sample were classified as moderate for the vast majority of farms (95.4%) (mainly due to subclinical mastitis, dystocia and pain induced by disbudding/dehorning) and varied little between farms. Some livestock systems were associated with a higher overall health score: straw yards and milking parlors (P<0.0001), highland vs. lowland locations (P=0.013), Montbeliarde rather than Holstein breeds (P=0.006). Some management practices also were associated with a higher level of health: medium herd average parity (P=0.03), low proportion of dirty cows (P=0.002) and low proportion of cows with abnormal body condition (P=0.04). These results suggest that some systems contribute to better health and that improvement of health can be obtained in the short term by the modification of routine management practices.

Investigation of the aetiology of udder-thigh dermatitis in French dairy cattle

Udder-thigh dermatitis (UTD) is a common disease in dairy cattle. The aim of this study was to define UTD incidence, its risk factors and the involved pathogens. Of 74 respondents, 72 (97%) reported having had the disease. On those farms the incidence was 5.3 cases per 100 cow years. The odds ratio (OR) of UTD in primiparous compared to multiparous cows was 23.4 (95% CI 17.3-33.8). Compared to tied stalls, the ORs of UTD were 0.65 (95% CI 0.45-0.92) and 0.43 (95% CI 0.24-0.71) for free stalls and straw yards, respectively. Udder oedema was reported in 98.3% of cows with UTD. The most common bacteria isolated from affected skin were Fusobacterium spp. (12/14 cases). This study suggests that UTD management should focus on local treatment, reducing udder oedema and increasing exercise.

Prevalence and risk factors for swine influenza virus infection in the English pig population

Infection of pigs with influenza viruses is a cause of considerable economic loss for pig farmers as well as a potential human health concern - as evidenced by the identification of genetic material derived from swine-adapted influenza viruses in an novel strain of H1N1 influenza virus in 2009. A study was conducted investigating the prevalence of influenza virus infection in a selection of 143 English pig herds between April 2008 and April 2009, which found evidence of recent virus circulation in over half of these herds (n=75). Farms which were sampled in the Summer months were found to have lower odds of recent virus circulation, as were farms containing pigs kept in straw yards. Additionally, farms containing pigs kept indoors and farms containing high numbers of finisher pigs per water space were found to have higher odds of recent virus circulation. It is hoped that further studies will expand on these findings, and may allow targeting of surveillance for influenza viruses in the English pig population.