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Morin MP, Fecteau G, Roy JP, Paradis MÈ, Dufour S. Vaccination protocols in Québec dairy herds. J Dairy Sci 2024:S0022-0302(24)00831-2. [PMID: 38825099 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-24477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Information is needed on vaccination protocols used by veterinarians and dairy producers to prevent and control infections in dairy herds. This observational study described farm's vaccination standard operating procedures (SOP) developed by veterinarians in collaboration with dairy producers in Québec. Data pertaining to vaccination protocols and dairy producer practices were collected as part of the biosecurity component of the National Mandatory Quality Assurance Certification Program (proAction). Generalized statistical mixed-effects models were used to assess associations between dairy herd characteristics and the vaccination SOP, encompassing various vaccination types. These included any vaccination, core vaccines only (bovine respiratory syncytial virus, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis herpesvirus, parainfluenza virus type 3, bovine viral diarrhea virus type 1 and type 2) and vaccination against diarrhea, mastitis, or clostridial diseases. These models accounted for random variations related to clustering by veterinarians and veterinary clinics. Furthermore, the variance of the outcome was partitioned into producer, veterinarian, and veterinary clinic levels to explore the proportion of the total variance attributable to each group. A total of 3,759 standardized vaccination procedures completed between 2018 and 2021 were analyzed. At least one vaccination target was included in the vaccination SOP in 89% of the dairy herds. The most frequently included vaccine in the SOP was core vaccines, comprising 88%, followed by mastitis (22%), neonatal diarrhea (18%), and clostridial diseases (15%). The vaccination SOPs, particularly core, mastitis, and diarrhea vaccinations, mainly varied due to the veterinarian's characteristics, followed by the clinic's characteristics. In contrast, the decision to included clostridial vaccination primarily varied with the veterinary clinic (76%). Organic producers generally included fewer vaccinations in their SOPs, including core vaccines, than conventional producers. In addition, producers who were providing access to pasture had fewer vaccination SOP for vaccination against mastitis and neonatal diarrhea but more vaccination SOP for clostridial vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- M P Morin
- Département de Pathologie et Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Regroupement pour un Lait de Qualité optimale, Op+lait, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Bovine Health Research Group, GRESABO, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Research Chair in Biosecurity of Dairy Production, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
| | - G Fecteau
- Regroupement pour un Lait de Qualité optimale, Op+lait, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Bovine Health Research Group, GRESABO, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Département de Sciences cliniques, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
| | - J P Roy
- Regroupement pour un Lait de Qualité optimale, Op+lait, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Bovine Health Research Group, GRESABO, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Research Chair in Biosecurity of Dairy Production, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Département de Sciences cliniques, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
| | - Marie-Ève Paradis
- Association des Médecins Vétérinaires Praticiens du Québec, AMVPQ, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; DS@HR inc, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
| | - S Dufour
- Département de Pathologie et Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Regroupement pour un Lait de Qualité optimale, Op+lait, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Bovine Health Research Group, GRESABO, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Research Chair in Biosecurity of Dairy Production, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada.
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Agradi S, Munga A, Barbato O, Palme R, Tarhan D, Bilgiç B, Dokuzeylül B, Ercan AM, Or ME, Brecchia G, Curone G, Draghi S, Vigo D, Marongiu ML, González-Cabrera M, Menchetti L. Goat hair as a bioindicator of environmental contaminants and adrenal activation during vertical transhumance. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1274081. [PMID: 38026642 PMCID: PMC10666633 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1274081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Autochthonous breeds of livestock are considered a pivotal genetic resource for agriculture, rural development, and food and nutrition security. In the Italian Alps, local livestock breeds are maintained using the traditional alpine farming system based on vertical transhumance, with the use of alpine pastures from late spring to autumn and indoor housing with a hay-based diet for the remaining part of the year. Because of their tight link with the territory of origin, local breeds could be used to biomonitor environmental contaminations. Moreover, animal welfare should also be monitored during transhumance in animals, which are exposed to a sudden farming system change and different types of stressors. For these reasons, this investigation hypothesized that the content of trace elements, heavy metals, and cortisol in the hair of goats changes during vertical transhumance, possibly reflecting different dietary contents and activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This study aimed to assess the response of an Italian local goat breed to the change from indoor housing to alpine pasture in summer in terms of hair concentrations of (i) trace elements and heavy metals and (ii) cortisol. The regrown hair of Frisa goats was monthly collected for 2 consecutive years (n = 10 for heavy metals and trace elements and n = 6 for cortisol in 2021, n = 17 for both analyses in 2022), once before vertical transhumance and twice after that event. Hair was then analyzed for trace elements, heavy metals, and cortisol by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrophotometer (ICP-OES) and enzyme immunoassay (EIA), respectively. Data were analyzed by multilevel models. The results showed an increase in As content during alpine pasture (p < 0.01), probably reflecting the soil and water As contents of the grazing area, while Mg, Zn, and Al (p < 0.01) followed the opposite trend, decreasing in the second month after vertical transhumance. Hair cortisol concentrations increased during 2 months of alpine pasture (p < 0.001), indicating an increase in the activation of the HPA axis, in agreement with previous studies. Future investigations can consider a longer study period and the development of ad hoc animal welfare indicators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella Agradi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Lodi, Italy
| | - Albana Munga
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Agricultural University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania
| | - Olimpia Barbato
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Rupert Palme
- Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Duygu Tarhan
- Department of Biophysics, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Department of Biophysics, School of Medicine, Bahcesehir University, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Bengü Bilgiç
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Banu Dokuzeylül
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Alev Meltem Ercan
- Department of Biophysics, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Mehmet Erman Or
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Gabriele Brecchia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Lodi, Italy
| | - Giulio Curone
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Lodi, Italy
| | - Susanna Draghi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Lodi, Italy
| | - Daniele Vigo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Lodi, Italy
| | | | - Marta González-Cabrera
- Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Arucas, Spain
| | - Laura Menchetti
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Matelica, Italy
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Drivers and indicators of dairy animal welfare in large-scale dairies (review). Trop Anim Health Prod 2023; 55:43. [PMID: 36680610 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-022-03440-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
While animal welfare concerns are rising globally, this has not been the case with lower- and middle-income economies in Africa and Asia such as Zimbabwe. These developing countries have their own problems which are not reported in developed countries, such as the harsh economic environment, limited technologies and different political and food security priorities. These factors limit focusing on animal welfare. Meanwhile, studies on animal welfare in these countries have been limited. The task of determining animal welfare is a very complex and can sometimes be very subjective since there is no gold standard protocol to be used in many developing countries. This paper reviews the main factors that are used to assess dairy animal welfare at a farm situation. The factors were categorised and generally discussed as drivers and indicators of dairy animal welfare. Key indicators reviewed in this study include but are not limited to production performance indicators, body condition scores, cleanliness scores, presence of clinical disease signs and physiological and behavioural indicators. Dairy animal welfare drivers discussed in this paper include but not limited to the general design of dairy cattle housing, presence of foot bath and shading facilities, presence and use of maternity paddocks, state of feeder and water troughs.
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Sapkota S, Laven R, Müller KR, Kells N. Practicability of a Time-Limited Welfare Assessment Protocol for Pasture-Based Dairy Farms, and a Preliminary Assessment of Welfare Outcome Thresholds. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12182481. [PMID: 36139340 PMCID: PMC9495012 DOI: 10.3390/ani12182481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study assessed a new time-limited protocol developed for pasture-based cows across 23 dairy farms. The process started prior to milking with a questionnaire, followed by an assessment of resources (16 farms only) and behavioural observation of cows at pasture. Remaining animal-based measures were assessed during milking, usually by two assessors (one parlour based and one outside). The protocol proved to be practical and feasible with limited changes needed, except for the assessment of water availability and behaviour. As most cows could access only one water trough, distance between troughs was not a measure of water availability, while the observation of a large numbers of cows at pasture for 30 min resulted in few observations and an uncertain denominator (effective number of observed cows). Further research is needed to determine the best way of assessing water availability and cow behaviour in a time-limited assessment of pasture-based cows. Three animal-based measures (broken tails, dirtiness, and coughing) had mean values higher than the author-determined acceptable thresholds, while <50% of farms met trough cleanliness and track condition targets, and none met the criteria for shelter and shade. This was a sample of farms based on convenience, so more data are required to establish the representativeness of these results. Such testing should involve assessment of the repeatability and reliability of the measures in our protocol.
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