Establishment and validation of parameters suitable for automatised and early detection of animal well-being and metabolic balance in dairy cows in pasture based feeding systems

• Forschungsstelle: COST
• Projektnummer: C14.0076
• Projekttitel Englisch: Establishment and validation of parameters suitable for automatised and early detection of animal well-being and metabolic balance in dairy cows in pasture based feeding systems

Schlüsselwörter (Englisch)

welfare; biomarker; metabolism; behaviour; dairy cow

Forschungsprogramme (Englisch)

COST-Action FA1308 - DairyCare

Kurzbeschreibung (Englisch)

Healthy animals are essential for obtaining high quality products. Whenever an animal is diseased, welfare is impaired. In herbage-based feeding systems with low concentrate input, high-yielding dairy cows cannot meet their nutrient and energy requirements and are thus more prone to health disorders. This in turns might affect welfare negatively. Precision livestock farming provides devices to ensure monitoring of the individual animal. A continuous surveillance, including metabolic aspects, is required to ensure well-being of the animal. However, animal health disorders are usually diagnosed when clinical signs are already apparent, and confirmed by invasive samplings of e.g. blood. The objective of the proposed project is to establish and to validate traits suitable for automated early and highly sensitive detection (non-invasive) of disorders in dairy cows in herbage based feeding systems. Conditions in Switzerland have a high validity also for organic farming conditions worldwide and support the international dissemination of results out of this action. The experimental approach to force conditions where dairy cows are metabolically stressed will be implemented by feeding a herbage based diet without concentrate. The results of non-invasive sampling will be validated with analysis of parallel blood and ruminal fluid samples, and behavior data (locomotion and rumination behavior). Biomarkers identified from this study should are expected to be implemented in farm devices.

Partner und Internationale Organisationen (Englisch)

AT; BE; BA; HR; DK; EE; FI; FR; MK; DE; EL; HU; IE; IL; IT; MT; NL; NO; PL; PT; RO; RS; SK; SI; ES; SE; TR; UK

Abstract (Englisch)

Precision livestock farming provides instruments to ensure welfare of the individual animal. The implementation of technical devices in dairy farms to measure directly and non-invasively changes in milk composition becomes more and more common. In Switzerland, herbage-based feeding with low concentrate supplementation plays an important role in milk production due to the country's topographic and climatic situation. Despite positive effects on well-being of animals kept on pasture, herbage based diets may have limitations with respect to the energy density and nutrient imbalances that could compromise dairy cow production, health and well-being, especially during early lactation when the cow is metabolically most challenged. Between April and September 2015, 25 dairy cows during their transition period up to week 8 post-partum were investigated with respect to their exposure to metabolic stress induced by a herbage based diet very likely also affecting animal well-being. From two weeks before calving cows were kept in a free stall barn and allocated to two treatments. In treatment group HERB- cows were fed only herbage without additional concentrate apart from a mineral supplement. In the control group (HERB+) cows were fed a herbage diet balanced with additional energy and protein concentrates according to the energy and nutrient requirements of the individual cow. Analysis of weekly blood samples showed that in particular high-yielding dairy cows of the HERB- group experienced a high metabolic load. This was mirrored by an elevated fat to protein-ratio in milk. In order to reduce animal discomfort during sampling affecting stress biomarkers negatively, current research focusses on the development of non-invasive sampling devices such as sampling of saliva. HPA axis activation and stress in dairy cattle. This study investigated the suitability of saliva cortisol under different physiological and immunological states in dairy cattle. Objectives where to (1) show relationship between HPA axis activation and saliva cortisol, (2) investigate effects of saliva consistency influences by behavioral actions on saliva cortisol concentration, and (3) detect the influence of circadian variations and time lag of plasma cortisol on saliva cortisol taking inflammatory conditions into account. An ACTH-challenge performed in week 3 postpartum induced HPA axis activation and a close correlation of saliva and blood cortisol concentrations with significantly increased plasma cortisol concentrations were observed. Effects of dietary treatments on HPA axis activation are currently evaluated. Variable saliva consistencies and composition were thought to affect cortisol concentration. Saliva and blood samples were taken in parallel before, during and after drinking, feeding and ruminating. The cortisol concentrations in saliva samples were only moderately correlated to cortisol in blood. However, there was no influence of the different salivary compositions and consistencies observed. Addressing the time lag and circadian rhythm of saliva and blood cortisol concentrations including elevated glucocorticoid levels during inflammatory conditions is currently investigated. The preliminary conclusions on non-invasive saliva sampling based on the conducted experiments need further invesitgations. Currently, we do not recommend to use neither single samples nor cortisol measurements without further parameters to evaluate the welfare status of dairy cows.

Datenbankreferenzen (Englisch)

Swiss Database: COST-DB of the State Secretariat for Education and Research Hallwylstrasse 4 CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland Tel. [phone] Swiss Project-Number: C14.0076