The Marginal Abatement Cost of Antimicrobials for Dairy Cow Mastitis: A Bioeconomic Optimization Perspective.

Maintaining udder health is the primary indication for antimicrobial use (AMU) in dairy production, and modulating this application is a key factor in decreasing AMU. Defining the optimal AMU and the associated practical rules is challenging since AMU interacts with many parameters. To define the trade-offs between decreased AMU, labor and economic performance, the bioeconomic stochastic simulation model DairyHealthSim (DHS)© was applied to dairy cow mastitis management and coupled to a mean variance optimization model and marginal abatement cost curve (MACC) analysis. The scenarios included three antimicrobial (AM) treatment strategies at dry-off, five types of general barn hygiene practices, five milking practices focused on parlor hygiene levels and three milk withdrawal strategies. The first part of economic results showed similar economic performances for the blanked dry-off strategy and selective strategy but demonstrated the trade-off between AMU reduction and farmers' workload. The second part of the results demonstrated the optimal value of the animal level of exposure to AM (ALEA). The MACC analysis showed that reducing ALEA below 1.5 was associated with a EUR 10,000 loss per unit of ALEA on average for the farmer. The results call for more integrative farm decision processes and bioeconomic reasoning to prompt efficient public interventions.

Supplementary outcomes of betaine on economic and productive performance, some biochemical parameters, and lipoprotein lipase gene expression in finishing male broilers.

Egypt's population is growing with the biggest hurdle facing the Government is to secure animal protein. Broilers provide quality protein of reasonable price. This study was conducted to investigate the outcomes of dietary organic betaine (betafin S4) on productive, epigenetic make up of lipoprotein lipase gene (LPL) promoter, some blood biochemical, and economic parameters in male broilers at finishing period. Eighty one commercial Arbor Acre Plus males, 21 days old, were randomly allocated to three groups, with three replicates each in battery cages under thermo-neutral environment till 42 days. The examined groups received yellow corn-soy basal diet, supplemented with 0 (G1), 1.5 (G2) and 3.0 g (G3) betaine/kg diet, respectively. The mRNA expression levels of LPL gene were analyzed by real-time quantitative PCR. Methylation pattern on LPL gene promoter was determined by bisulfite sequencing. Doses of betaine statistically (P ≤ .05) improved tested performance parameters; while carcass yield % and abdominal fat deposition did not achieve significant changes. The expression of LPL mRNA showed an inverse relationship with betaine dose, which illustrated as a trend toward increase in G2 and decrease in G3. Regarding serum biochemistry, both treated groups when compared to control group revealed a significant improvement (P ≤ .01) in albumin level, simultaneously, a significant increase (P ≤ .05) was recorded in uric acid and triglyceride levels, additionally, strong positive (P ≤ .01) correlation between betaine dose and previously mentioned parameters was reported. Betaine is recommended in finishing male broilers as production costs were reduced by 3.97%-4.37% per kg, respectively. In conclusion, incorporation of 0.15-0.30% organic betaine to male broilers diets during finishing period improves the growth performances.