Effects of heat stress on feed intake, milk yield, milk composition, and feed efficiency in dairy cows: A meta-analysis.

Heat stress compromises dairy production by decreasing feed intake and milk yield, and it may also alter milk composition and feed efficiency. However, little information is available for evaluating such effects across different levels of heat stress and cows enrolled in heat stress studies. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of heat stress on dry matter intake (DMI), energy-corrected milk (ECM), milk composition, and feed efficiency (kg ECM/kg DMI) and to investigate the relationship between such effects and heat stress intervention and animal characteristics by using meta-analytical approaches. Data from 31 studies (34 trials) fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were used for analysis. Results showed that heat stress decreased DMI, ECM, and milk protein concentration, but did not alter milk fat concentration or feed efficiency. Meta-regression confirmed that such reductions in DMI and ECM were significantly associated with increasing temperature-humidity index (THI). Over the period of heat stress, for each unit increase in THI, DMI and ECM decreased by 4.13% and 3.25%, respectively, in mid-lactation cows. Regression models further revealed the existence of a strong interaction between THI and lactation stage, which partially explained the large heterogeneity in effect sizes of DMI and ECM. The results indicated a need for more research on the relationship between the effect of heat stress and animal characteristics. This study calls for the implementation of mitigation strategies in heat-stressed herds due to the substantial decrease in productivity.

Do nurse sows and foster litters have impaired animal welfare? Results from a cross-sectional study in sow herds.

Increasing litter size has led to introduction of so-called nurse sows in several EU countries. A nurse sow is a sow receiving piglets after having weaned her own piglets and thereby experiencing an extended lactation. In order to analyse whether nurse sows have more welfare problems than non-nurse sows a cross-sectional study was conducted in 57 sow herds in Denmark. Clinical observations were made on nurse and non-nurse sows and their litters. The clinical observations were dichotomized and the effect of being a nurse sow was analysed based on eight parameters: thin (body condition score<2.5), swollen bursae on legs, dew claw wounds, vulva lesions, poor hygiene, poor skin condition, shoulder lesions and cuts and wounds on the udder. Explanatory variables included in the eight models were: nurse sow (yes=1/no=0), age of piglets (weeks old, 1 to 7), parity (1 to 8+) and all first order interactions between these three variables. The effect of using nurse sows on piglet welfare was analysed with five models. The outcomes were: huddling, poor hygiene, lameness, snout cuts and carpal abrasions. The explanatory variables included in the five models were: nurse sow (yes=1/no=0), age of piglets (weeks old, 1 to 7), parity (1 to 8+) and all first order interactions between these three variables. Herd identity was included as a random factor in all models. The nurse sows had a significantly higher risk of swollen bursae on legs (P=0.038) and udder wounds (P=0.001). No differences in risk of being thin or having shoulder lesions were found. Foster litters had significantly higher risk of being dirty (P=0.026) and getting carpal abrasions (P=0.024) than non-foster litters. There was a tendency for higher lameness in foster litters than in non-foster litters (P=0.052). The results show that nurse sows and their piglets to some extent experience more welfare problems than non-nurse sows with piglets at a similar age.

Gross margin losses due to Salmonella Dublin infection in Danish dairy cattle herds estimated by simulation modelling.

Salmonella Dublin affects production and animal health in cattle herds. The objective of this study was to quantify the gross margin (GM) losses following introduction and spread of S. Dublin within dairy herds. The GM losses were estimated using an age-structured stochastic, mechanistic and dynamic simulation model. The model incorporated six age groups (neonatal, pre-weaned calves, weaned calves, growing heifers, breeding heifers and cows) and five infection stages (susceptible, acutely infected, carrier, super shedder and resistant). The effects of introducing one S. Dublin infectious heifer were estimated through 1000 simulation iterations for 12 scenarios. These 12 scenarios were combinations of three herd sizes (85, 200 and 400 cows) and four management levels (very good, good, poor and very poor). Input parameters for effects of S. Dublin on production and animal health were based on literature and calibrations to mimic real life observations. Mean annual GMs per cow stall were compared between herds experiencing within-herd spread of S. Dublin and non-infected reference herds over a 10-year period. The estimated GM losses were largest in the first year after infection, and increased with poorer management and herd size, e.g. average annual GM losses were estimated to 49 euros per stall for the first year after infection, and to 8 euros per stall annually averaged over the 10 years after herd infection for a 200 cow stall herd with very good management. In contrast, a 200 cow stall herd with very poor management lost on average 326 euros per stall during the first year, and 188 euros per stall annually averaged over the 10-year period following introduction of infection. The GM losses arose from both direct losses such as reduced milk yield, dead animals, treatment costs and abortions as well as indirect losses such as reduced income from sold heifers and calves, and lower milk yield of replacement animals. Through sensitivity analyses it was found that the assumptions about milk yield losses for cows in the resistant or carrier stages had the greatest influence on the estimated GM losses. This was more influential in the poorer management scenarios due to increased number of infected cows. The results can be used to inform dairy farmers of the benefits of preventing introduction and controlling spread of S. Dublin. Furthermore, they can be used in cost-benefit analyses of control actions for S. Dublin both at herd and sector level.

Evaluation of milk yield losses associated with Salmonella antibodies in bulk tank milk in bovine dairy herds.

The effect of Salmonella on milk production is not well established in cattle. The objective of this study was to investigate whether introduction of Salmonella into dairy cattle herds was associated with reduced milk yield and determine the duration of any such effect. Longitudinal data from 2005 through 2009 were used, with data from 12 mo before until 18 mo after the estimated date of infection. Twenty-eight case herds were selected based on an increase in the level of Salmonella-specific antibodies in bulk-tank milk from <10 corrected optical density percentage (ODC%) to ≥70 ODC% between 2 consecutive three-monthly measurements in the Danish Salmonella surveillance program. All selected case herds were conventional Danish Holstein herds. Control herds (n=40) were selected randomly from Danish Holstein herds with Salmonella antibody levels consistently <10 ODC%. A date of herd infection was randomly allocated to the control herds. Hierarchical mixed effect models with the outcome test-day yield of energy-corrected milk (ECM)/cow were used to investigate daily milk yield before and after the estimated herd infection date for cows in parities 1, 2, and 3+. Control herds were used to evaluate whether the effects in the case herds could be reproduced in herds without Salmonella infection. Herd size, days in milk, somatic cell count, season, and year were included in the models. Yield in first-parity cows was reduced by a mean of 1.4 kg (95% confidence interval: 0.5 to 2.3) of ECM/cow per day from 7 to 15 mo after the estimated herd infection date, compared with that of first-parity cows in the same herds in the 12 mo before the estimated herd infection date. Yield for parity 3+ cows was reduced by a mean of 3.0 kg (95% confidence interval: 1.3 to 4.8) of ECM/cow per day from 7 to 15 mo after herd infection compared with that of parity 3+ cows in the 12 mo before the estimated herd infection. We observed minor differences in yield in second-parity cows before and after herd infection and observed no difference between cows in control herds before and after the simulated infection date. Milk yield decreased significantly in affected herds and the reduction was detectable several months after the increase in bulk tank milk Salmonella antibodies. It took more than 1 yr for milk yield to return to preinfection levels.

Effect of management on prevention of Salmonella Dublin exposure of calves during a one-year control programme in 84 Danish dairy herds.

Studies reporting on how to control Salmonella in cattle herds have mainly been theoretical simulation models or case reports describing control of clinical salmonellosis outbreaks. The objective of this observational study was to investigate which management routines were associated with successful control of Salmonella Dublin in calves in dairy herds with previous signs of endemic infection. A total of 86 bulk-tank milk Salmonella Dublin antibody-positive bovine dairy herds were enrolled in the study in September 2008 and were all encouraged to control spread of the infection. One year later it was assessed if they were successful. The criterion for successful control was defined as the 10 youngest calves above three months of age testing Salmonella Dublin antibody-negative, indicating that exposure to Salmonella of these calves from birth until close to the day of testing had been successfully prevented. Management routines were registered through telephone interviews based on a questionnaire resulting in 45 variables for analysis. By the end of the study, a total of 84 herds had completed the interviews and had serum samples collected from calves. Data were analysed using two statistical methods: logistic regression analysis and discriminant analysis. Both analyses identified that increased probability of successful control was strongly associated with avoiding purchase of cattle from test-positive herds. Additionally, ensuring good calving area management, separating calf pens by solid walls rather than bars and not introducing biosecurity routines between the barn sections (e.g. boot wash, change of clothing) were associated with increased probability of successful control in the logistic analysis. The latter may seem illogical, but may be explained by successful herds already having good hygienic routines in place and therefore not having introduced new routines between barn sections in the study period. The discriminant analysis furthermore identified successful control to be associated with preventing cows from calving before being moved to the designated calving pen, by only letting one person be responsible for colostrum management and by not feeding poorer quality colostrum to bull calves than to heifer calves. The results are useful for dairy cattle producers and veterinary authorities to substantiate advice on management practices that are likely to lead to successful control of Salmonella Dublin.

Stochastic models to simulate paratuberculosis in dairy herds.

Stochastic simulation models are widely accepted as a means of assessing the impact of changes in daily management and the control of different diseases, such as paratuberculosis, in dairy herds. This paper summarises and discusses the assumptions of four stochastic simulation models and their use in the design of certification, surveillance, and control strategies for paratuberculosis in cattle herds. A detailed comparison is made between the Dutch JohneSSim and the Danish PTB-Simherd, using the same context of a set of control strategies in a typical Dutch/Danish herd. The conclusion is that while the models are somewhat different in their underlying principles and do put slightly different values on the different strategies, their overall findings are similar. Therefore, simulation models may be useful in planning paratuberculosis strategies in dairy herds, although as with all models caution is warranted when interpreting and generalising the results.

Strategies for time of culling in control of paratuberculosis in dairy herds.

Effect of time for culling cows infected with Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis on prevalence and profitability was identified through simulations. Seven test-and-cull strategies with different culling criteria and no attempts to close infection routes were compared with strategies with (1) no control and (2) closure of infection routes and no culling. The effects on true prevalence and gross margin were evaluated in a herd with typical reproduction management (heat detection rate of 38%). This was repeated in a herd with poor reproduction management (heat detection rate of 28%), because poor reproduction leads to lack of replacement animals, which was hypothesized to affect the economic effects of culling. Effects of varying prices of milk, replacement heifers, and hourly wages were also evaluated. The simulated results predicted that immediate culling after the first positive antibody ELISA test would be the most effective culling strategy to reduce prevalence. However, closing transmission routes was even more effective in reducing the prevalence. In the first 3 to 6 yr, all test-and-cull strategies reduced gross margin by US$5 to 55/stall per year. These losses were fully compensated by increased gross margin in yr 6 to 19. In the short run (7 yr with typical reproduction and 10 yr with poor reproduction), it was most profitable to cull test-positive cows when their milk yield decreased below 85% of that expected according to their parity and lactation stage, especially in herds with poor reproduction management. However, this strategy only stabilized the prevalence and did not reduce it. In the long term (>7 yr from implementation of a strategy), it was most profitable to cull cows immediately or as soon as possible after testing positive the first time. Varying milk prices did not affect the ranking between the different culling strategies. Increased market price (20%) of replacement heifers made all culling strategies less profitable and made culling based on a milk yield criterion the most profitable culling strategy for a longer period (11 to 13 yr). A 20% reduction in heifer price made immediate culling after a positive test the most profitable strategy overall in herds with typical reproduction, and after 9 yr in herd with poor reproduction. To conclude, the ideal culling strategy depends on the aim of intervention, the time horizon, and the reproductive capabilities combined with prices of replacement animals.

Effect of paratuberculosis on slaughter weight and slaughter value of dairy cows.

The effect of infection with Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP) on slaughter weight and slaughter value of dairy cows was evaluated. Two data sets were analyzed: 1) recordings from 1,031 cows from herds in a pilot study to control MAP infections, and 2) recordings from 36,455 cows from herds participating in the Danish MAP control program. The effect of stage of MAP infection on carcass weight and slaughter value was assessed by ANOVA. Infection stage was diagnosed by repeated milk antibody ELISA in both data sets. Furthermore, repeated fecal culture was recorded in data set 1 and occurrence of enteritis or enteric edema found at slaughter was recorded in data sets 1 and 2. Compared with presumably unaffected cows with at least 2 ELISA negative tests, slaughter weight and value were reduced by 10 and 17%, respectively, in cows with positive ELISA at slaughter. If the cow was also positive using fecal culture, slaughter weight and value were reduced up to 15 and 31%, respectively. The slaughter weight and value were reduced an additional 20 and 31%, respectively, for cases with recorded enteritis or edema. Thereby, summarized weight losses of up to 31% and slaughter value losses up to 48% occurred. Cows with negative fecal cultures had reduced slaughter results only if they were ELISA-positive in the last 2 tests. Losses of both slaughter weight and slaughter value caused by MAP were more severe than previously estimated. These losses could be predicted by repeated milk ELISA tests with or without confirmation with fecal culture.

Economy, efficacy, and feasibility of a risk-based control program against paratuberculosis.

Long-term effects of paratuberculosis on within-herd prevalence and on-farm economy of implementing risk-based control strategies were compared with alternative strategies by using a herd-simulation model. Closing transmission routes is essential for effective control of paratuberculosis. However, many farmers lack the resources to carry out these procedures for all cows in the herd. When using risk-based control strategies 1) all cows are tested quarterly with a milk ELISA, 2) specific cows with a high risk of being infectious are identified, and 3) the farmer can focus only on these infectious animals to close infection routes. In this way the workload can be reduced, making these control strategies more feasible. This study evaluates potential long-term effects of the risk-based approach compared with non-risk-based strategies by simulations conducted with the herd-simulation model PTB-Simherd. Seven control strategies were simulated in herds with initial true herd prevalences of 5, 25, and 50%, respectively. The results predicted the risk-based control strategies to be very efficient and comparable to the best whole-herd strategies in reducing the within-herd prevalence of paratuberculosis with considerably less labor. If infection routes are closed efficiently, prevalence can be reduced to 10% of initial prevalence within 5 to 7 yr. Test-and-cull strategies without closing infection routes were found, by simulation, to be ineffective in reducing prevalence and were not cost-effective methods. The profitability of the various control strategies depends on hourly wages and time spent per cow/calving. Furthermore, simulations show that immediate culling of highly infectious cows is only necessary and cost-effective if infection routes from these cows are not efficiently closed. The risk-based control strategies are recommended in the Danish voluntary control program "Operation Paratuberculosis," which was initiated in February 2006 and now includes 1,220 dairy farmers in Denmark.