| 1. |
- Adamie, Birhanu Addisu, et al.
(författare)
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Dairy cow longevity and farm economic performance: Evidence from Swedish dairy farms
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Dairy Science. - 0022-0302 .- 1525-3198. ; 106, s. 8926-8941
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The longevity of dairy cows is mainly determined by farmers' subjective culling decisions and can be linked to the environmental impact of dairy production and to the social acceptance of the industry. Still, the economic impacts of dairy cow longevity are not well understood. The aim of this study was to examine how herd average dairy cow longevity is related to the farm economic outcome. We used 3 indicators of economic outcome: technical efficiency, profitability, and average milk yield per cow. We used 2 indicators of dairy cow longevity: average herd length of life and average herd length of productive life. The study was based on a unique and detailed dataset from Swedish dairy agriculture, where herd-management data from the national dairy herd recording scheme were combined with farm-level economic variables from the Swedish Farm Accountancy Survey, for a total of 1,959 observations from 2010 to 2018. The regression results highlight that both measures of average herd dairy cow longevity have an overall positive and significant association with farm-level economic performance. These associations had an inverted U-shape, which implies that the association is first positive and then declines. Descriptive statistics indicate that the point where the maximum economic performance is attained varied across the economic indicators. Our results are relevant for individual dairy farmers and their advisors, who are interested in understanding how herd average longevity relates to economic performance on the farms. Our results are also important from a greater sustainability perspective, because linking them to previous knowledge about the environmental and social sustainability benefits of keeping cows longer highlights longevity-associated trade-offs between those benefits and the farm economic outcomes.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Agenäs, Sigrid, et al.
(författare)
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Gårdar anses för små – men gör stor nytta
- 2020
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Ingår i: Svenska Dagbladet Debatt. - 1101-2412.
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Tidskriftsartikel (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- De små gårdarna är allvarligt hotade och därmed också mosaiklandskapet och den gastronomiska mångfalden. Det skriver flera debattörer.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Agenäs, Sigrid
(författare)
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Rapid eye movement sleep time in dairy cows changes during the lactation cycle
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Dairy Science. - : American Dairy Science Association. - 0022-0302 .- 1525-3198. ; 102, s. 5458-5465
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The importance of rest and sleep is well established; we know, for example, that lack of sleep impairs immune function in rats and increases pain sensitivity in humans. However, little is known about sleep in dairy cows, but a lack of rest and sleep is discussed as a possible welfare problem in cattle. A first step toward a better understanding of sleep in dairy cows is to quantify the time cows spend awake and asleep in different stages of lactation. Using electrophysiological recordings on 7 occasions in wk -2, 2, 7, 13, 22, 37, and 45 in relation to calving, we investigated changes in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep time as well as non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, drowsing, awake, and rumination in 19 dairy cows of the Swedish Red breed kept in single pens with ad libitum access to feed and water. The recordings on wk 2 and 45 were conducted during the dry period, and all others during lactation. The PROC MIXED procedure in SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC) was used to test for significant differences in REM, NREM, drowsing, awake, and rumination between the different stages of lactation cycle. Pairwise comparisons between all recording occasions showed that total REM sleep duration was shorter for cows in wk 2 relative to calving compared with wk -2, and the number of REM sleep bouts were fewer in wk 2 compared with wk -2. The HEM sleep was recorded during both the day (0500-2100 h) and night (2100-0500 h), but predominantly performed at night compared with daytime, and the bout duration was longer during nighttime compared with daytime. A tendency was observed for time spent in NREM sleep to be shorter in wk 2 relative to calving compared with wk -2. The duration spent drowsing was shorter for cows in wk 2 and 13 relative to calving compared with wk -2. We found no effect of stage of lactation cycle on the duration of awake or ruminating. Our study is the first to assess sleep distribution during a lactation cycle, and our results show that stage of lactation is important to consider when moving forward with sleep investigations in dairy cows. The shortest REM sleep duration was found for cows 2 wk after calving and longest 2 wk before calving, and the difference was due a higher number of REM sleep bouts in the recording 2 wk before calving. The REM sleep and rumination predominantly occurred at night but were recorded during both day and night.
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| 11. |
- Agenäs, Sigrid, et al.
(författare)
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Råmjölken livsviktig
- 2011
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Ingår i: Foderbladet Häst. - 1652-683X. ; , s. 1-2
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Tidskriftsartikel (populärvet., debatt m.m.)
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| 12. |
- Agenäs, Sigrid, et al.
(författare)
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The effect of 17 beta-estradiol on lactose in plasma and urine in dairy cows in late lactation
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Dairy Research. - 0022-0299 .- 1469-7629. ; 86, s. 188-192
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 17 beta-estradiol on mammary tight junctions in cows in late lactation. The experiment included five non-pregnant cows around day 290 in lactation. The cows received injections of 17 beta-estradiol for six days. The effect of exogenous 17 beta-estradiol on milk yield, milk composition and lactose in plasma and lactose in urine was investigated before, during and after the treatment. Milk yield decreased after 17 beta-estradiol injections and lactose in plasma and urine increased, showing an effect on the integrity of the mammary tight junctions. However, there was a delay between hormone injections and the decrease in milk yield and opening of tight junctions, indicating that other factors are involved. A high correlation between lactose in urine and blood plasma was found. More than 30% of the total lactose production was lost in urine after 17 beta-estradiol treatment.
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| 13. |
- Bergeå, Hanna, et al.
(författare)
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Farmer awareness of cow longevity and implications for decision-making at farm level
- 2016
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Ingår i: Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A - Animal Science. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0906-4702 .- 1651-1972. ; 66, s. 25-34
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to investigate if farmer awareness of longevity can explain why the longevity of dairy cows does not increase in Sweden, despite the fact that the genetic trend for longevity in Swedish dairy cattle is positive. In this study, farmers' decisions were put in the forefront through a qualitative study with semi-structured interviews. The results showed that farmers seemed well aware of biological factors related to cow longevity, that they think the demands on dairy cows have increased over time and that they correlate the higher demands to shorter longevity. However, the farmers had not worked explicitly with longevity of their own herd. There are subjective management decisions behind a culling of a dairy cow, and the reporting of culling reasons does not mirror the farmer's reasoning behind the decisions, which is a key factor determining longevity.
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| 14. |
- Churakov, Mikhail, et al.
(författare)
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Proposed methods for estimating loss of saleable milk in a cow-calf contact system with automatic milking
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Dairy Science. - 0022-0302 .- 1525-3198. ; 106, s. 8835-8846
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cow-calf contact (CCC) systems, although beneficial in many respects, introduce additional challenges to collect reliable data on milk production, which is important to assess individual cow efficiency and dairy farm profitability. Apart from weighing calves before and after each feeding, the amount of saleable milk lost due to calf suckling is practically impossible to measure. Here, we assess 2 indirect methods for estimating loss of saleable milk when housing cows and calves together in a robotic milking unit. In our study, treatment (CCC) cows and calves were kept together full time until the calves were 127 ± 6.6 d old (mean ± SD). Control cows were separated from their calves within 12 h of birth and then kept in the same unit as the treatment cows but with no access to either their own or treatment calves. Milk yield recording of both groups was performed from calving until pasture release at 233 ± 20 d in milk. The first estimation method relied on observed postseparation milk yield data, which were fed into a modified Wilmink regression model to determine the best-fitting lactation curve for the preseparation period. The second method was based on the cows' daily energy intake postseparation, calculated by measuring the daily feed intake and analyzing the energy content of the ration. The calculated energy intake was used to determine the average ratio between energy intake and the observed milk yield the following day for each individual cow, assuming constant rates of mobilization and deposition of body fat. The obtained ratio was then used to calculate the expected daily milk yield based on daily energy intake data during the preseparation period. In this paper, we analyzed data from 17 CCC cows kept together with their calves and 16 control cows; both groups calved from September to October 2020 and were followed up until release to pasture in May 2021. Saleable milk yield was lower in CCC cows than in control cows, both before and after separation. The 2 methods were used on data for control cows and showed milk yield loss using the lactation curve method (average of −3.4 ± 2.8 kg/d) and almost no loss using energy intake data (average of −1.4 ± 2.7 kg/d). Milk yield loss for CCC cows was estimated at average 11.3 ± 4.8 and 7.3 ± 6.6 kg milk/d, respectively. The proposed lactation curve estimation method tends to overestimate milk yield loss, whereas the method based on energy intake is more accurate. However, collecting detailed energy intake data per individual cow requires additional effort and equipment, which is not always feasible on commercial farms. Further research is needed to improve milk loss estimation and to better understand trade-offs in CCC systems.
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
- Dahlberg, Josef, et al.
(författare)
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Microbiota data from low biomass milk samples is markedly affected by laboratory and reagent contamination
- 2019
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Discoveries of bacterial communities in environments that previously have been described as sterile have in recent years radically challenged the view of these environments. In this study we aimed to use 16S rRNA sequencing to describe the composition and temporal stability of the bacterial microbiota in bovine milk from healthy udder quarters, an environment previously believed to be sterile. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene is a technique commonly used to describe bacterial composition and diversity in various environments. With the increased use of 16S rRNA gene sequencing, awareness of methodological pitfalls such as biases and contamination has increased although not in equal amount. Evaluation of the composition and temporal stability of the microbiota in 288 milk samples was largely hampered by background contamination, despite careful and aseptic sample processing. Sequencing of no template control samples, positive control samples, with defined levels of bacteria, and 288 milk samples with various levels of bacterial growth, revealed that the data was influenced by contaminating taxa, primarily Methylobacterium. We observed an increasing impact of contamination with decreasing microbial biomass where the contaminating taxa became dominant in samples with less than 10 4 bacterial cells per mL. By applying a contamination filtration on the sequence data, the amount of sequences was substantially reduced but only a minor impact on number of identified taxa and by culture known endogenous taxa was observed. This suggests that data filtration can be useful for identifying biologically relevant associations in milk microbiota data.
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
- Dahlberg, Josef, et al.
(författare)
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Microbiota of bovine milk, teat skin, and teat canal: Similarity and variation due to sampling technique and milk fraction
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Dairy Science. - : American Dairy Science Association. - 0022-0302 .- 1525-3198. ; 103, s. 7322-7330
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of sampling technique and milk fraction on bovine milk microbiota data and to compare the microbiota in milk to microbiota on the teat end and in the teat canal. Representative milk samples are highly important for assessment of bacteriological findings and microbiota in milk. Samples were obtained from 5 healthy lactating dairy cows at udder quarter level during 1 milking. Swab samples from the teat. end and teat canal, and milk samples collected using different techniques and in different milk fractions were included. Milk was collected by hand stripping and through a teat canal cannula before and after machine milking, through a trans-teat wall needle aspirate after milking, and from udder quarter composite milk. The microbiota of the samples was analyzed with sequencing of the V1-V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene. In addition, somatic cell counts and bacterial cultivability were analyzed in the milk samples. Microbiota data were analyzed using multivariate methods, and differences between samples were tested using analysis of similarity (ANOSIM). Differences between samples were further explored via individual studies of the 10 most abundant genera. The microbiota on the teat end, in the teat canal, and in udder quarter composite milk, collected using a milking machine, differed in composition from the microbiota in milk collected directly from the udder quarter. No differences in milk microbiota composition were detected between hand-stripped milk samples, milk samples taken through a teat canal cannula, or milk samples taken as a trans-teat wall needle aspirate before or after milking. We conclude that for aseptic milk samples collected directly from the lactating udder quarter, sampling technique or milk fraction has minor effect on the microbiota composition.
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| 19. |
- Danielsson, Rebecca, et al.
(författare)
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Compound- and context-dependent effects of antibiotics on greenhouse gas emissions from livestock
- 2019
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Ingår i: Royal Society Open Science. - : The Royal Society. - 2054-5703. ; 6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The use of antibiotics in livestock production may trigger ecosystem disservices, including increased emissions of greenhouse gases. To evaluate this, we conducted two separate animal experiments, administering two widely used antibiotic compounds (benzylpenicillin and tetracycline) to dairy cows over a 4- or 5-day period locally and/or systemically. We then recorded enteric methane production, total gas production from dung decomposing under aerobic versus anaerobic conditions, prokaryotic community composition in rumen and dung, and accompanying changes in nutrient intake, rumen fermentation, and digestibility resulting from antibiotic administration. The focal antibiotics had no detectable effect on gas emissions from enteric fermentation or dung in aerobic conditions, while they decreased total gas production from anaerobic dung. Microbiome-level effects of benzylpenicillin proved markedly different from those previously recorded for tetracycline in dung, and did not differ by the mode of administration (local or systemic). Antibiotic effects on gas production differed substantially between dung maintained under aerobic versus anaerobic conditions and between compounds. These findings demonstrate compound- and context-dependent impacts of antibiotics on methane emissions and underlying processes, and highlight the need for a global synthesis of data on agricultural antibiotic use before understanding their climatic impacts.
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
- Ferneborg, Sabine, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of increased milking frequency and residual milk removal on milk production and milk fatty acid composition in lactating cows
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Dairy Research. - 0022-0299 .- 1469-7629. ; 84, s. 453-463
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- It has been well established that milk yield is affected both by milking frequency and due to the removal of residual milk, but the influence of a combination of these factors is unclear. In this study, four mid-lactation cows were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square design to test the hypothesis that the effects of more frequent milking and residual milk removal on milk yield and composition are additive and alter milk fatty acid composition. Treatments comprised two or four times daily milking in combination with (or without) residual milk removal over a 96 h interval preceded by a 2 d pretreatment period and followed by a 8 d washout in each 14 d experimental period. Milk was sampled at each milking for the analysis of gross composition and SCC. Samples of available and residual milk collected on the last milking during each treatment period were collected and submitted for fatty acid composition analysis. Increases in milking frequency and residual milk removal alone or in combination had no effect on milk yield or on the secretion of lactose and protein in milk. However, residual milk removal during more frequent milking increased milk fat yield. Milking treatments had no major influence on the fatty acid composition of available milk, but resulted in rather small changes in the relative abundance of specific fatty acids, with no evidence that the additive effects of treatments were due to higher utilisation of preformed fatty acids relative to fatty acid synthesis de novo. For all treatments, fat composition of available and residual milk was rather similar indicating a highly uniform fatty acid composition of milk fat within the mammary gland.
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| 22. |
- Ferneborg, Sabine, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of Low Light Intensity on Stress Indicators in Dairy Cows
- 2014
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Ingår i: Animal Production in Australia. - 0728-5965. ; 30, s. 152-152
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- One of the most important senses for cows is vision, which accounts for approximately 50% of all sensory information (Phillips 2002). It has been shown that cows’ vision differs from that of humans (Phillips and Weiguo 1990), but how cows perceive different light intensities is not yet known (Phillips et al 2000). There is a concern that lighting at night might interfere with cows’ diurnal rhythm and the benefits of certain long day photoperiods. Red light has been suggested to affect cows less than white light and red lights are therefore marketed as night lighting for cows. Using red lights should in theory make it possible for stockmen to observe their animals without disturbing them (Dahl 2005). However, it has also been found that cows are more active when exposed to red light compared to light of other colours (Dabrowska I 1981; Riol et al 1989; Phillips and Lomas 2001). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of four low light intensities and additional red light on behavioural and physiological stress indicators in dairy cows. The change-over trial included four groups of cows and four different light intensity treatments, in total 12 dry cows of the breeds Swedish Red (n=10) and Swedish Holstein (n=2). Each group of three cows was in the study for four consecutive days, exposed to one light intensity treatment per day. The light intensities used in the study were 0±0, 5±1, 20±1 and 50±2 lux, with and without the addition of 0.2±0.1 lux red light. The light sources used were a combination of fluorescent, halogen and LED. The cows were encouraged to walk through an obstacle course at all four light intensities. The cows passed through the course once in full light (221±19 lux) before each light intensity was set. The cows then passed through the same test course twice. After this, the obstacle course was rebuilt for the following two rounds, generating two new (and unfamiliar) courses. Additional red light was applied in random order for each set of obstacle courses. In total, the cows passed through the course five times per day, of which two were in additional red light. The obstacle course measured 14 m and was constructed from white rails and cavaletti blocks. When navigating through the obstacle course, the cow walked toward the single pens where the remaining two cows in the group were held and a bucket with concentrate that was used to actively encourage the cow to move. In addition, one person went behind the cow and encouraged her to move if standing still for more than approximately 15 seconds. Heart rate was measured before and after the obstacle course using a blood pressure tail cuff. Direct observations were used to record number of steps and time to pass through the obstacle course. At 0 lux, infrared light and video cameras were used in order to see the cows. The number of steps taken by cows in the obstacle course was significantly higher at 0±0 lux (16 steps) than at 5, 20 and 50 lux (14 steps per treatment, p<0.001). In the presence of red light the cows took fewer steps through the obstacle course than in the absence of red light (14 and 15 respectively, p<0.01), and the cows spent a longer time in the obstacle course at 0 lux than at 20 and 50 lux (87.4, 51.6 and 57.6 sec respectively, p<0.005). The presence of red light did not affect the time spent in the obstacle course. Heart rate did not differ between any of the treatments, and was unaffected by the presence of red light. Our conclusion is that cows walk slower and with shorter steps at 0 lux compared with 0.2 lux and higher light intensities. However, in this study the cows did not show any signs of physiological stress at low light intensities or darkness and thus it could be argued that no additional light is needed at all during night-time. We also conclude that red light may be perceived by cows as light and affect their behaviour, since the cows in this study tended to respond to red light. The recommended use of red light in cow housing should therefore be questioned.
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
- Ferneborg, Sabine, et al.
(författare)
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Milking time and risk of over-milking can be decreased with early teat cup removal based on udder quarter milk flow without loss in milk yield
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Dairy Science. - : American Dairy Science Association. - 0022-0302 .- 1525-3198. ; 100, s. 6640-6647
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Increasing the milk flow rate at which milking is terminated can shorten milking time and increase milking efficiency. The effects on milk yield and composition have not been fully investigated when the take-off is set at the udder quarter level and independent of feeding during milking. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of 3 take-off levels at the udder quarter level (0.06, 0.3, and 0.48 kg/min) applied with or without feeding during milking on milking time, milk yield, the degree of udder emptying, milk composition, and free fatty acids. In this study, 30 cows were allocated into 6 groups, balanced by lactation number, lactation stage, and milk yield, and subjected to a 3 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments using a Latin square design. Treatments were applied for 1 wk each. This study demonstrated milking time could be reduced by applying up to a take-off level of 0.48 kg/min on udder quarter level without losing milk yield or compromising milk composition or udder health.
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| 25. |
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| 26. |
- Hansson, Helena, et al.
(författare)
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Investeringar i mjölkgårdar påverkar kornas livslängd
- 2023
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Ingår i: Husdjur. - 0046-8339. ; , s. 37-38
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Tidskriftsartikel (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- En svensk mjölkko slås ut efter att ha mjölkat i genomsnitt två och en halv laktation. Beslut om utslagning är mer komplext än många tror och en ny forskningsstudie visar att mjölkkornas ålder bestäms av andra faktorer än av deras hälsa och fruktsamhet.
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| 27. |
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| 28. |
- Hjalmarsson, Fanny, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of low light intensity at night on cow traffic in automatic milking systems
- 2014
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Ingår i: Animal Production Science. - 1836-0939 .- 1836-5787. ; 54, s. 1784-1786
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Several studies have shown benefits of long-day (16 h) photoperiod in lactating dairy cows, but have not identified a suitable light intensity for the dark hours. It is known that the locomotion pattern of dairy cows is altered at low light intensities and this may translate to reduced cow traffic and milking frequency, which would have a negative impact on system productivity. However, it is also recognised that a significant disturbance of rest may have a negative impact on the health and productivity of high-yielding dairy cows. This study examined the effect of three different night-time light intensities (LOW: 11 +/- 3, MED: 33 +/- 1 and HIGH: 74 +/- 6 lx) on number of gate passages, milking frequency and milk yield in dairy cows in automatic milking systems. The study was conducted in Sweden during the winter of 2012-13 and the treatments were applied in a crossover design to three herds with an automatic milking system. Minimum day time light intensity was 158 lx. Data on gate passages, milking frequency and milk yield for 172 +/- 49 (mean +/- s.d.) cows during the last 22 days of each 34-day study period were analysed for treatment differences and differences in daily distribution over 24 h, during day time and night time. Light intensity did not affect total number of gate passages per 24-h period and cow, but number of gate passages per hour and cow was in all treatments lower during night time than during day time. Milking frequency was increased in MED compared with both HIGH and LOW (P < 0.05). Milk yield decreased with reduced light intensity, and differed significantly between HIGH and LOW treatments, 45 +/- 1 kg and 44 +/- 1 kg, respectively (P < 0.001). Our conclusion is that reducing light intensity to 11 lx at night time does not affect cows' general activity as gate passages remained the same for all treatments. However, milk yield decreased with reduced light intensity, which might be related to a lower feed intake. We argue that providing night light for dairy cows, as required by many welfare acts, might be related to production level rather than welfare aspects and that the recommendations should be revised.
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| 29. |
- Johansson, Teresa, et al.
(författare)
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Time budgets of dairy cows in a cow-calf contact system with automatic milking
- 2024
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Ingår i: JDS communications. - 2666-9102. ; 5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Time budgets were assessed in 20 primi- and 17 multiparous cows in a cow-calf study until 4 months of lactation. The cows were housed in the same automatic milking system (AMS) pen, and randomly assigned either to stay with the calf or to separate within 24 hours postparturition. The results of the study showed that certain behaviors were reduced in duration for the cow-calf group: time eating silage, socializing with other cows, and standing in cubicles. The cow-calf cows also spent more time in the waiting area in front of the milking unit. However, neither of the treatments seemed to constrain any activities to the point of reduced welfare for the animals. In conclusion, the addition of calves to a loose housing system with automatic milking is possible.
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| 30. |
- Juhlin, Jessica, et al.
(författare)
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Relative impact of alpha-tocopherol, copper and fatty acid composition on the occurrence of oxidized milk flavour
- 2010
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Ingår i: Journal of Dairy Research. - 0022-0299 .- 1469-7629. ; 77, s. 302-309
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The oxidative process in milk fat, resulting in spontaneous oxidized off-flavour (SOF), is commonly assumed to depend on contents of pro- and antioxidants in milk and availability of fatty acids acting as their substrate. An important antioxidant in milk is alpha-tocopherol whereas the most potent prooxidant is the metal ion copper. The separate effects of alpha-tocopherol, copper, and milk fatty acid profile, and their combined effect on SOF development were examined in milk from 44 multiparous cows fed different roughage types and different amounts of dietary, unsaturated fat. A clear association between concentrations of copper and poly-unsaturated fatty acids in milk and the risk for developing SOF was found. Heritability estimates suggest that occurrence of SOF is partly under genetic control which indicates that milk quality may be compromised if breeding bulls are selected that carry genotypes predisposing for milk prone to develop SOF.
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| 31. |
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| 32. |
- Lindkvist, Sofia, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of light intensity, spectrum, and uniformity on the ability of dairy cows to navigate through an obstacle course
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Dairy Science. - 0022-0302 .- 1525-3198. ; 106, s. 7698-7710
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The most suitable light intensity for cows during nighttime has not been thoroughly investigated. Recommendations on the night-time lighting regimen on dairy farms differ between countries and range from light throughout the night to darkness to allow the animals a rest from artificial light. Commercial actors recommend red light for night-time lighting in cattle barns to facilitate livestock supervision with minimum disturbance for the animals. However, little is known about how light intensity, spectrum, and uniformity affect the ability of cows to navigate their indoor environment. Thus, in a change-over study with 12 pregnant, nonlactating dairy cows, we observed how the cows walked through an obstacle course under different light treatments. Obstacles were positioned differently for every run, to present a novel challenge for each light environment. Fourteen different light treatments were tested, involving intensity ranging from <0.01 (darkness) to 4.49 mu mol m(-2) s(-1), high or low uniformity, and white or red color. Light was characterized in terms of illuminance, photon flux density, spectral composition, and uniformity. Additionally, assessment of the environmental light field was used to describe each lighting condition from a bovine and human perspective. Data were analyzed in a generalized mixed model to assess whether lighting conditions affected cow walking speed or stride rate. Pair-wise post hoc comparisons showed that the cows walked at a slower speed in nonuniform red light compared with uniform white light or uniform red light. Interestingly, darkness did not alter walking speed or stride rate. The odds of different behaviors occurring were not affected by lighting conditions. In conclusion, darkness did not affect the ability of cows to navigate through the obstacle course, but medium-intensity, nonuniform red light affected their speed. Hence, cows do not necessarily need night-time lighting to navigate, even in a test arena with obstacles blocking their way, but nonuniform light distribution may have an effect on their movements.
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| 33. |
- Lindkvist, Sofia, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of achromatic and chromatic lights on pupillary response, endocrinology, activity, and milk production in dairy cows
- 2021
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Artificial light can be used as a management tool to increase milk yield in dairy production. However, little is known about how cows respond to the spectral composition of light. The aim of this study was to investigate how dairy cows respond to artificial achromatic and chromatic lights. A tie-stall barn equipped with light-emitting diode (LED) light fixtures was used to create the controlled experimental light environments. Two experiments were conducted, both using dairy cows of Swedish Red and light mixtures with red, blue or white light. In experiment I, the response to light of increasing intensity on pupil size was evaluated in five pregnant non-lactating cows. In experiment II 16h of achromatic and chromatic daylight in combination with dim, achromatic night light, was tested on pregnant lactating cows during five weeks to observe long term effects on milk production, activity and circadian rhythms. Particular focus was given to possible carry over effects of blue light during the day on activity at night since this has been demonstrated in humans. Increasing intensity of white and blue light affected pupil size (P<0.001), but there was no effect on pupil size with increased intensity of red light. Milk yield was maintained throughout experiment II, and plasma melatonin was higher during dim night light than in daylight for all treatments (P<0.001). In conclusion, our results show that LED fixtures emitting red light driving the ipRGCs indirectly via ML-cones, blue light stimulating both S-cones and ipRGCs directly and a mixture of wavelengths (white light) exert similar effects on milk yield and activity in tied-up dairy cows. This suggests that the spectral composition of LED lighting in a barn is secondary to duration and intensity.
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| 34. |
- Millogo, Vinsoun, et al.
(författare)
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Day-to-day variation in yield, composition and somatic cell count of saleable milk in hand-milked zebu dairy cattle
- 2009
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Ingår i: African Journal of Agricultural Research. - 1991-637X. ; 4, s. 151-155
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of the study was to determine the relative day-to-day variation in yield and composition of zebu cows. Ten multiparous zebu cows in day 41 +/- 1.6 of lactation were used in the study. After a 14 day adaptation period, milk production was recorded daily for four consecutive weeks. Cows had access to natural pasture for 6.5 h per day and were also supplemented with hay, cottonseed cake and molasses. The cows were hand-milked and calves were used to stimulate milk ejection before and during milking. Average yield of saleable milk was 2.08 +/- 0.23 l/day with a relative day-to-day variation of 18-21%. The variation of saleable milk was 23-25% for fat, 12-14% for protein, 6% for lactose and 8% for somatic cell count. The variation in fat content was higher in strip milk (19-46%) than in saleable milk. The results indicated a larger variation in composition of milk from hand-milked Bos indicus Zebu than from machine-milked Bos taurus cows. The most likely reasons for the difference in variation are the suckling by the calf and that hand-milking entails larger variation in the degree of emptying machine-milking does.
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| 35. |
- Millogo, Vinsoun, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of different hand-milking techniques on milk production and teat treatment in Zebu dairy cattle
- 2012
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Ingår i: Tropical Animal Health and Production. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0049-4747 .- 1573-7438. ; 44, s. 1017-1025
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of the study was to test three different hand-milking techniques ("pull down", "thumb in", and "full hand grip") and their effects on milk production and teat treatment. This is important since milk production in many tropical areas still rely on hand-milking. The study was carried out at a peri-urban farm in the Bobo-Dioulasso area in Burkina Faso. Twelve indigenous Zebu cows in early lactation were used in the study. The sequences of the treatments (hand-milking techniques) and the milkers were balanced for carry-over effects between successive periods and days, respectively. The sequences were constructed by using special Latin squares. Yield and composition of saleable milk was not affected by milking technique but there were differences between the milkers in milk yield. There was also a significant interaction for saleable milk yield between milker and milking technique. Hemoglobin in milk was measured as an indicator of teat damage. The hemoglobin content was numerically higher in post-milking strip milk samples than in saleable milk. It was concluded that the amount of milk removed depends mainly on the milker and how well the milking technique works for the individual milker. No effect of milking technique was observed on teat treatment.
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| 36. |
- Millogo, Vinsoun, et al.
(författare)
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Raw milk hygiene at farms, processing units and local markets in Burkina Faso
- 2010
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Ingår i: Food Control. - : Elsevier BV. - 0956-7135 .- 1873-7129. ; 21, s. 1070-1074
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to investigate raw milk hygiene and composition along the dairy chain in Burkina Faso. Milk samples were taken during the rainy and dry seasons from individual cows, farm tanks, milk collectors' churns, dairy processing unit tanks and at local markets. The results showed lower total bacteria count (10-10(4) cfu/ml) in individual cow milk than later in the dairy chain. The total bacteria count in farm tank milk was 10(6) cfu/ml and 10(7) cfu/ml in tank milk at dairy processing units, in milk collectors' churns and in market buckets. Somatic cell count (100,000-150,000 cells/ml) did not show significant variation between individual cow milk and in the rest of the chain. Higher pH and lower milk fat and lactose contents were found in market bucket milk than in farm and processing unit tank milks. It was concluded that milk from the cow is of good hygienic quality, but milk is often contaminated after milking, and the hygienic quality is very low when it reaches the consumers. Also, milk sold at local markets had low fat and lactose contents and high pH during the rainy season, indicating that the milk may have been diluted, which may further increase the hazards for human health. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 37. |
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| 38. |
- Owusu Sekyere, Enoch, et al.
(författare)
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Dairy cow longevity: Impact of animal health and farmers? investment decisions
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Dairy Science. - 0022-0302 .- 1525-3198. ; 106, s. 3509-3524
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A dairy farmer's decision to cull or keep dairy cows is likely a complex decision based on animal health and farm management practices. The present paper investigated the relationship between cow longevity and animal health, and between longevity and farm investments, while controlling for farm-sp ecific charac-teristics and animal management practices, by using Swedish dairy farm and production data for the period 2009 to 2018. We used the ordinary least square and unconditional quantile regression model to perform mean-based and heterogeneous-based analysis, re-spectively. Findings from the study indicate that, on average, animal health has a negative but insignificant effect on dairy herd longevity. This implies that cull-ing is predominantly done for other reasons than poor health status. Investment in farm infrastructure has a positive and significant effect on dairy herd longevity. The investment in farm infrastructure creates room for new or superior recruitment heifers without the need to cull existing dairy cows. Production variables that prolong dairy cow longevity include higher milk yield and an extended calving interval. Findings from this study imply that the relatively short longevity of dairy cows in Sweden compared with some dairy producing countries is not a result of problems with health and welfare. Rather, dairy cow longevity in Sweden hinges on the farmers' investment decisions, farm-specific characteristics and animal management practices.
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| 39. |
- Ternman, Emma, et al.
(författare)
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Agreement between different sleep states and behaviour indicators in dairy cows
- 2014
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Ingår i: Applied Animal Behaviour Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-1591 .- 1872-9045. ; 160, s. 12-18
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Conclusive data regarding behavioural indicators of different sleep states in adult dairy cows are lacking, i.e. agreement between behavioural indicators of sleep and corresponding electrophysiological measures. Behavioural estimates for quantifying total sleep time in calves have been developed, so this study examined whether these behavioural estimates also apply for adult cows.Behaviour observations and electrophysiological readings were recorded for a total of 13 cows during one recording session per cow lasting on average 4h 22 min. Recording started when the cow was fully awake and finished when at least one probable sleep bout had been recorded. The behavioural estimates used in the study were: 'lying with head lifted and still' for non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, 'lying with head resting' for rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and 'lying with head lifted and moving' for awakeness. As statistical measures of agreement between behavioural estimates and electrophysiological status (both recorded at 30s intervals), Cohen's kappa as well as sensitivity and specificity measures were calculated. Additionally, misclassifications were evaluated to better understand agreement between the behaviour and electrophysiological sleep classification. Since interval length might have affected the agreement, the output data were also aggregated into 60, 90 and 120s intervals and analysed using Wilcoxon sign-rank test to determine the most appropriate interval length.It was found that the behavioural estimates for assessing total sleep time in calves could not be applied to adult cows as they markedly overestimated NREM and REM sleep time. Behavioural estimates for NREM and REM sleep time were on average 124 +/- 17 and 14 +/- 4 min per cow, respectively, while the electrophysiological estimate for NREM and REM was on average 20 +/- 5 and 10 +/- 3 min per cow, respectively. Using the behavioural estimate 'lying with head resting', REM sleep could be identified with moderate precision, but this indicator alone likely underestimates total duration of REM sleep. Behavioural estimates for NREM sleep showed high sensitivity (81%) but low specificity (6%) while the behavioural estimates for REM sleep showed high sensitivity (70%) and moderate specificity (41%). For both categories, both sensitivity and specificity increased with increasing measurement interval length. Drowsing as identified from electrophysiological data was present mainly when the cows were lying with head lifted and still, whereas awakeness was present when the cows were lying with head lifted and moving. (C) 2014 Elsevier BM. All rights reserved.
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| 40. |
- Ternman, Emma, et al.
(författare)
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First-night effect on sleep time in dairy cows
- 2018
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In human sleep studies, the probability of discomfort from the electrodes and the change in environment usually results in first-night recordings being discarded. Sleep recordings from the first night in human subjects often differ in amount of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and the overall sleep architecture. This study investigated whether recordings of sleep states in dairy cows also show a first-night effect. Non-invasive electrophysiological recordings were carried out on nine cows of the Swedish Red breed during three consecutive 24-hour periods (recording days 1 +/- 3). Overall, cows spent 12.9 +/- 1.4 hours awake, 8.2 +/- 1 hours ruminating, 57.2 +/- 20.3 min drowsing, 44.1 +/- 20.2 min in REM sleep and 64.3 +/- 38.1 min in NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep (mean +/- SD) and there were no significant differences between recording days in total duration for any of the sleep and awake states. However, the bouts of REM sleep and rumination were longer, and the awake bouts were shorter, at night time compared to daytime, regardless of recording day. The awake bouts also showed an interaction effect with longer bouts at daytime during day 1 compared to daytime on day 3. Data on sleep and awake states recorded in adult dairy cows during three consecutive 24-h periods showed great variation in sleep time between cows, but total time for each state was not significantly affected by recording day. Further and more detailed studies of how sleep architecture is affected by recording day is necessary to fully comprehend the first-night effect in dairy cows.
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| 41. |
- Ternman, Emma, et al.
(författare)
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Sleep in dairy cows recorded with a non-invasive EEG technique
- 2012
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Ingår i: Applied Animal Behaviour Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-1591 .- 1872-9045. ; 140, s. 25-32
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sufficient sleep time is important for both an adequate metabolic system and the immune function. Sleep in animals is often estimated by behavioural observations, or recorded on restrained animals with invasive electroencephalogram (EEG) techniques, which might affect sleep patterns. Earlier studies on sleep in cows showed that they sleep about 4 h per day and drowse almost twice the time. The aim of this study was to record and differentiate between vigilance states in dairy cows using a non-invasive EEG method. Brain activity (electroencephalography, EEG), eye movements (electrooculography, EOG) and muscle activity (electromyography, EMG) were recorded for 6 h per animal using surface-attached electrodes to measure different vigilance states. Behaviour registrations from direct observations were combined with the EEG data in order to confirm the identification of different vigilance states from the EEG, EOG and EMG recordings. 8 dry dairy cows, lactation number 1-8 and age 3-11 years, of the Swedish Red breed from the research herd at Kungsängen Research Centre, Uppsala, Sweden, were used in the study. The EEG recordings showed that non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep displayed low frequency waves, sometimes with slow wave activity. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and alert wakefulness shared similar features of desynchronised waves with varying frequency and could be differentiated by reduced neck muscle activity during REM sleep. The main conclusion from this study is that it is possible to distinguish different vigilance states in dairy cows using surface-attached EEG electrodes.
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| 42. |
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| 43. |
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| 44. |
- Thulin, Måns, et al.
(författare)
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Increased take-off level in automatic milking systems - effects on milk flow, milk yield and milking efficiency at the quarter level
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Dairy Research. - 0022-0299 .- 1469-7629. ; 86, s. 85-87
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This research communication describes how different detachment levels (0.48, 0.3 and 0.06 kg milk/min) at the quarter-level affect milk flow profiles and overall milking efficiency in automatic milking systems. We hypothesized a higher detachment level would result in greater mean flow rates without affecting the volume of harvested milk per cow during 24 h compared to lower detachment levels. The data suggest milk flow decreased to a rate below the overmilking limit within the 6-s delay time required for termination in all treatments, but the duration of overmilking was shorter for the greatest detachment level compared to the other treatments. We conclude that setting a detachment level at a greater milk flow rate reduces the duration of overmilking without affecting the amount of milk harvested when applied to cows in mid-lactation during quarter-level milking. We also suggest that the steepness of the decline phase of the milk flow curve might have a larger effect than the actual detachment level on the duration of overmilking.
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| 45. |
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| 46. |
- Wallenbeck, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Brief research report: the evolution of animal welfare legislation for pigs in 13 EU member states, 1991-2020
- 2024
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Ingår i: Frontiers in animal science. - 2673-6225. ; 5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This brief report characterizes and maps changes in six key aspects of pig animal welfare (AW) legislation in 13 countries in the European Union (EU) during the period 1991-2020, focusing primarily on aspects of AW likely to impact the economic performance and international competitiveness of the pig production sector. National AW legislation in the selected EU member states that exceed the EU minimum levels within the six selected key areas are also mapped. Analysis of changes in AW over time, using legislative texts, academic literature, and an expert survey, revealed that AW-legislation at the national level has generally become more stringent, in line with EU directives, and that a number of member states have introduced additional AW legislation that exceed EU minimum levels. This review helps to uncover historical changes in and can form the basis for further research investigating effects of changes in AW legislation.
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