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The Effect of Frequency of Fresh Pasture Allocation on the Feeding Behaviour of High Production Dairy Cows
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 17 January 2022; Published - 20 January 2022.For ruminants, grazing and ruminating activities are essential in nutrient capture and
ultimately animal performance however these activities can demand significant time and energy. This
study evaluated the effect of three different pasture allocation frequencies (PAF’s; 12, 24 and 36 h) on
the feeding behaviour of grazing dairy cows. Eighty-seven spring calving dairy cows were divided
into three treatments. Animals were rotationally grazed with fixed paddock sizes of 0.14 ha, 0.28 ha
and 0.42 ha paddocks for the 12 h, 24 h and 36 h treatments, respectively. Animals (14 per treatment)
were fitted with behaviour halters that monitored feeding activity. Diurnal feeding patterns were
evident for all animals irrespective of PAF, concentrating the majority of grazing during daytime
(90%) and ruminating activity during night (73%). Treatment significantly affected feeding behavior
patterns. Peak grazing activity coincided with fresh pasture allocation in the 12 h and 24 h treatments.
In the 36 h treatment, grazing was more evenly distributed over each 24 h period with peak grazing
activity witnessed daily between 17:00 and 19:00 regardless of fresh pasture allocation, suggesting
lack of anticipation of fresh feed delivery. In the 12 h treatment primiparous animals exhibited greater
grazing and ruminating activity relative to multiparous animals in the 12 h treatment highlighting
the impact of competition for resources within each feed on lower dominance animals.This research was funded by AgriSearchNI grant number D-88-16. The APC was funded by the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute
Move and you’re dead: commercial trawl fisheries select for fish that don’t move far
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 10 May 2022; Published - 17 June 2022.Recent research on harvest-induced evolution of behaviour in (especially aquatic) animals has focused on the shy-bold axis, but foraging and
dispersal behaviour have received little attention. Here, we consider the selective effect of systematically localised trawl harvesting from a wild
population of mobile animals that vary phenotypically in their range of movement (resulting in a continuum between wide-ranging and sedentary
behaviours). We use a spatially explicit individual-based model of an empirically-based demersal fish population and trawl fishing in a realistic
seascape. We test whether a sustained spatially concentrated pattern of fishing can select for or against wide-ranging vs. more sedentary
behaviour as the fish perform biased random foraging in a seascape of spatially varying resource quality, leading to an approximation of the ideal
free distribution. The simulation predicted a strong micro-evolutionary shift towards more sedentary behaviour as wide-ranging animals flow
into a population sink caused by concentrated fishing. The shift towards short-rangers increased with fishing intensity and spatial precision with
which fishing activity matches fish abundance; it decreased with habitat spatial complexity (fragmentation of suitable habitat). Most cases led
to the effective extinction of the trait values at the upper end of the ranging continuum, indicating important implications for the management
of exploited fish stocks.This publication has emanated from research conducted with
the financial support of Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) under
grant number 14/IA/2549 and also Department of Agriculture
Food and the Marine, Ireland and Department of
Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland
Competitive Research Fund award 15/S/744
A Novel Prototype Biosensor Array Electrode System for Detecting the Bacterial Pathogen Salmonella typhimurium.
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 2 June 2022: Published online - 4 June 2022Salmonellosis caused by Salmonella sp. has long been reported all over the world. Despite the availability of various diagnostic methods, easy and effective detection systems are still required. This report describes a dialysis membrane electrode interface disc with immobilized specific antibodies to capture antigenic Salmonella cells. The interaction of a specific Salmonella antigen with a mouse anti-Salmonella monoclonal antibody complexed to rabbit anti-mouse secondary antibody conjugated with HRP and the substrate o-aminophenol resulted in a response signal output current measured using two electrode systems (cadmium reference electrode and glassy carbon working electrode) and an agilent HP34401A 6.5 digital multimeter without a potentiostat or applied potential input. A maximum response signal output current was recorded for various concentrations of Salmonella viz., 3, 30, 300, 3000, 30,000 and 300,000 cells. The biosensor has a detection limit of three cells, which is very sensitive when compared with other detection sensors. Little non-specific response was observed using Streptococcus, Vibrio, and Pseudomonas sp. The maximum response signal output current for a dialysis membrane electrode interface disc was greater than that for gelatin, collagen, and agarose. The device and technique have a range of biological applications. This novel detection system has great potential for future development and application in surveillance for microbial pathogens.This research work was financially supported by DRDE (DRDE-P1-2003/Task-11)
Physical and economic performance of dairy cows managed within contrasting grassland based milk production systems over three successive lactation
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 11 December 2021; Published online - 3 February 2022.A diverse range of grassland-based milk produc-
tion systems are practiced on dairy farms in temper-
ate regions, with systems differing in relation to the
proportion of grazed grass, conserved forages and
concentrates in diet, calving season, duration of hous-
ing, cow genotype, and performance levels. The current
study was conducted to examine performance within
diverse grassland-based systems of milk production
under experimental conditions. This study examined 4
milk production systems over 3 successive lactations
(20 cows per system during each lactation). With win-
ter calving-fully housed (WC-FH), Holstein cows were
housed for the entire lactation and offered a complete
diet consisting of grass silage, maize silage, and con-
centrates [approximately 50% forage on a dry matter
(DM) basis]. With winter calving-conventional (WC-
Con), Holstein cows were housed and offered the same
diet from calving until turnout (late March) as offered
with WC-FH, and thereafter cows were given access to
grazing and supplemented with 5.0 kg of concentrate/
cow daily. Two spring-calving systems were examined,
the former involving Holstein cows (SC-H) and the lat-
ter Jersey × Holstein crossbred cows (SC-J×H). Cows
on these systems were offered a grass silage-concentrate
mix (70% forage on a DM basis) until turnout (late
February), and thereafter cows were given access to
grazing supplemented with 1.0 kg of concentrate/
cow per day. The contributions of concentrates (3,080,
2,175, 722, and 760 kg of DM/cow per lactation),
conserved forages (3,199, 1,556, 1,053, and 1,066 kg
of DM/cow per lactation), and grazed grass (0, 2,041,
2,788, and 2,692 kg of DM/cow per lactation) to total
DMI (6,362, 5,763, 4,563, and 4,473 kg of DM/cow per
lactation) with WC-FH, WC-Con, SC-H, and SC-J×H,
respectively, varied considerably. Similarly, milk yield
(9,333, 8,443, 6,464, and 6,049 kg/cow per lactation),
milk fat content (44.9, 43.3, 42.8, and 49.0 g/kg), and
milk protein content (34.6, 34.9, 33.6, and 36.3 g/kg)
differed between systems (WC-FH, WC-Con, SC-H,
and SC-J×H, respectively). The higher milk yields with
the WC systems reflect the greater concentrate inputs
with these systems, whereas the greater milk fat and
protein content with SC-J×H reflect the use of Jersey
crossbred cows. Crossbred cows on SC-J×H produced
a similar yield of milk solids as Holstein cows on SC-H.
Cows on WC-FH ended the lactation with a greater
body weight (BW) and body condition score than cows
on any other treatment. While Jersey crossbred cows
on SC-J×H had a lower BW than Holstein cows on
SC-H, cows on these 2 systems were not different for
any of the other BW, body condition score, or blood
metabolite parameters examined. Cows on WC-FH had
a greater interval from calving to conception, a greater
mastitis incidence, and a greater locomotion score than
cows on the spring calving systems. Whole-system
stocking rates and annual milk outputs were calcu-
lated as 2.99, 2.62, 2.48, and 2.50 cows/ha, and 25,706,
20,822, 15,289, and 14,564 kg of milk/ha, with each
of WC-FH, WC-Con, SC-H, and SC-J×H, respectively.
Gross margin per cow was highest with WC-Con, gross
margin per hectare was highest with WC-FH, and gross
margin per kilogram of milk was highest with SC-J×H.
This study demonstrated that diverse grassland-based
milk production systems are associated with very dif-
ferent levels of performance when examined per cow
and per hectare.This work was funded by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Northern Ireland (DAERA), and by AgriSearch (farmer levy)
Life cycle assessment of a short-rotation coppice willow riparian buffer strip for farm nutrient mitigation and renewable energy production
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 13 January 2022; Published online - 2 February 2022.As agricultural activity intensifies across Europe there is growing concern over water quality. Agricultural run-off
is a leading cause of freshwater degradation. Simultaneously there is a continually increasing drive to promote
renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Willow coppice planted as a riparian buffer has been
suggested as a solution to help mitigate these problems. However, there is limited research into the use of such a
system and several key knowledge gaps remain, such as, the energy ratio of the system is not known, and a fully
harvested site has yet to be analysed in the literature. The aim of this research is to fill these knowledge gaps to
help inform agri-environmental policy. To do this a life cycle assessment was carried out on an established
willow buffer system, considering the global warming potential, eutrophication potential, acidification potential
and cumulative energy demand impact categories, alongside the calculation of the energy ratio. To our
knowledge it is the first site to be fully harvested and for which a full life cycle assessment has been carried out.
The willow was combusted to fuel a district heating system. Key results showed emissions of 4.66 kg CO2eq
GJheatout -1 and 0.01 kg SO2eq GJheatout -1, both of which are significant reductions compared to an oil heating
system (95% reductions for both impact categories). The system also resulted in the permanent nutrient removal
of 55.36 kg PO43-eq ha-1 yr-1 and had an energy ratio of 17.4, which could rise to 64 depending on the harvest
method.This Bryden Centre project is supported by the European Union’s
INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes
Body (SEUPB). The views and opinions expressed in this paper do not
necessarily reflect those of the European Commission or the Special EU
Programmes Body (SEUPB). The work was also supported by Queen’s
University Belfast and the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute in
Northern Ireland
Impact of adopting non-antibiotic dry-cow therapy on the performance and udder health of dairy cows
No full textPublication history: Accepted - 12 April 2022; Published online - 18 May 2022Background
On dairy farms, the prophylactic use of antibiotics at drying-off is being increasingly challenged. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of antibiotic dry-cow therapy (DCT) or non-antibiotic DCT on dairy cow performance and udder health.
Methods
Holstein cows (n = 285) with low risk of intramammary infection (<200,000 cells/ml) were assigned to one of two treatments, either antibiotic DCT (A + TS; antibiotic treatment in combination with internal and external teat sealants) or non-antibiotic DCT (TS; internal and external teat sealant only).
Results
There was no statistically significant (p > 0.05) difference between treatments for mean cow milk yield, composition or energy corrected milk yield. Mean somatic cell count was 0.16 loge higher in the TS treatment (95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.00 loge to −0.33 loge) compared to A + TS treatment (p = 0.047). A 50% increase in the number of mastitis cases was observed in the A + TS treatment compared to TS treatment (odds ratio = 1.5, 95% CI: 0.80%–3.01%), although this was not significant. There was no statistical evidence (p > 0.05) that treatment had any effect on colostrum quality and composition.
Conclusion
Results indicate that non-antibiotic DCT can be adopted in ‘low-risk’ cows who were offered grass silage-based diets in cubicle accommodation, with low risk of adverse effects on performance or udder health.Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA)
AgriSearch through the Research Challenge Fund (RCF
Effects of dietary crude protein concentration on animal performance and nitrogen utilisation efficiency at different stages of lactation in Holstein-Friesian dairy cows
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 16 May 2022; Published online - 13 June 2022Nitrogen (N) excretion from livestock production systems is of significant environmental concern; however, few studies have investigated the effect of dietary CP concentration on N utilisation efficiency at different stages of lactation, and the interaction between dietary CP levels and stages of lactation on N utilisation. Holstein-Friesian dairy cows (12 primiparous and 12 multiparous) used in the present study were selected from a larger group of cows involved in a whole-lactation study designed to examine the effect of dietary CP concentration on milk production and N excretion rates at different stages of lactation. The total diet CP concentrations evaluated were 114 (low CP), 144 (medium CP) and 173 (high CP) g/kg DM, with diets containing (g/kg DM) 550 concentrates, 270 grass silage and 180 maize silage. During early (70–80 days), mid- (150–160 days) and late (230–240 days) lactation, the same 24 animals were transferred from the main cow house to metabolism units for measurements of feed intake, milk production and faeces and urine outputs. Diet had no effect on BW, body condition score, or milk fat, protein or lactose concentration, but DM intake, milk yield and digestibilities of DM, energy and N increased with increasing diet CP concentration. The effect of diet on milk yield was largely due to differences between the low and medium CP diets. Increasing dietary CP concentration significantly increased urine N/N intake and urine N/manure N, and decreased faecal N/N intake, milk N/N intake and manure N/N intake. Although increasing dietary CP level significantly increased urine N/milk yield and manure N/milk yield, differences in these two variables between low and medium CP diets were not significant. There was no significant interaction between CP level and stage of lactation on any N utilisation variable, indicating that the effects of CP concentration on these variables were similar between stages of lactation. These results demonstrated that a decrease in dietary CP concentration from high (173 g/kg DM) to medium level (144 g/kg DM) may be appropriate for Holstein-Friesian dairy cow to maintain milk production efficiency, whilst reducing both urine N and manure N as a proportion of N intake or milk production.This research received funding from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs of Northern Ireland (project codes: 0700 and 17-4-03)
Quantifying land fragmentation in Northern Ireland Cattle Enterprises
No full textPublication history: Accepted - 2 March 2022; Published online - 9 March 2022Farmland fragmentation is considered to be a defining feature of Northern Ireland’s (NI) agricultural landscape, influencing agricultural efficiency, productivity, and the spread of livestock diseases. Despite this, the full extent of farmland fragmentation in cattle farms in NI is not well understood, and little is known of how farmland fragmentation either influences, or is influenced by, different animal production types. Here, we describe and quantify farmland fragmentation in cattle farms for all of NI, using GIS processing of land parcel data to associate individual parcels with data on the cattle business associated with the land. We found that 35% of farms consisted of five or more fragments, with dairy farms associated with greater levels of farmland fragmentation, fragment dispersal and contact with contiguous neighbours compared to other production types. The elevated levels of farmland fragmentation in dairy production compared to non-dairy, may be associated with the recent expansion of dairy farms by land acquisition, following the abolition of the milk quota system in 2015. The comparatively high levels of farmland fragmentation observed in NI cattle farms may also have important implications for agricultural productivity and epidemiology alike. Whilst highly connected pastures could facilitate the dissemination of disease, highly fragmented land could also hamper productivity via diseconomies of scale, such as preventing the increase of herd sizes or additionally, adding to farm costs by increasing the complexity of herd management.This work was supported by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural
Affairs (DAERA), and was fully funded under grant 18/3/02 (48258)-FaRTHEr: Fragmentation As a
Risk factor for TB in cattle Herds: impacts on Eradication
Impact of cooking on vitamin D-3 and 25(OH)D-3 content of pork products
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 29 July 2022; Published online - 2 August 2022Little is known regarding the impact of cooking on vitamin D content in pork, despite meat being a major contributor to vitamin D intakes.
This paper investigated the effect of household cooking (pan-fry/roast/grill/sous-vide/sauté), on the vitamin D3 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) concentration/retention in pork loin, mince and sausages. We hypothesised that vitamin D concentrations would be higher in cooked vs raw pork, and retention would differ between products.
Cooking significantly increased vitamin D3 (+49 %) and 25(OH)D3 (+33 %) concentrations. All cooked loin vitamin D3 concentrations were significantly lower than mince/sausage. Vitamin D3 retention was > 100 % for all samples (102–135 %), except sauté mince (99 %) which still did not differ significantly from 100 % retention. Sous-vide cooking resulted in the highest vitamin D3 retention (135 %).
Likely owing to water/fat loss, household cooking of pork results in favourable retention of vitamin D3 and 25(OH)D3. The type of pork product has greater influence than cooking method.This work was funded as part of a Department for the Economy (DfE; Northern Ireland) Co-operative Awards in Science and Technology (CAST) PhD studentship, supported by Devenish Nutrition Limited
Dam (Canis familiaris)Welfare throughout the Peri-Parturient Period in Commercial Breeding Kennels
Get PDFPublication history: Accepted - 10 October 2022; Published - 18 October 2022.Poor dam welfare throughout the peri-parturient period can also negatively affect that
of their offspring. This study aimed to identify changes in physical, physiological, and behavioral
metrics indicative of dam welfare throughout the peri-parturient period. Dams (n = 74) from eight
U.S. Midwest commercial breeding (CB) kennels were tested at 6 and 1 week prepartum, and 4
and 8 weeks postpartum. At each time point dams underwent a stranger approach test, physical
health assessment, hair collection for hair cortisol concentration (HCC) and fecal collection for fecal
glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM), fecal secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) and parasite detection.
Linear mixed-effects models indicated dams exhibited more affiliative behaviors towards the stranger
at 4 weeks postpartum than 6 weeks prepartum (p = 0.03), increased HCC from 4-weeks to 8 weeks
postpartum (p = 0.02), and increased FGM from 1 week prepartum to 8 weeks postpartum (p = 0.04).
At each respective time point, the percentage of dams with intestinal parasites was 11%, 4%, 23%,
and 15%. Most changes are likely due to increased energy requirements and hormonal variations.
However, deviations from expected changes may have resulted from changes in environment and/
or management, which should be explored in future studies.This research was funded by The Stanton Foundation, grant number 41000444