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Lindkvist S, Ferneborg S, Ståhlberg K, Bånkestad D, Ekesten B, Agenäs S, Ternman E. Effect of light intensity, spectrum, and uniformity on the ability of dairy cows to navigate through an obstacle course. J Dairy Sci 2023; 106:7698-7710. [PMID: 37641357 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-23469] [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: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
The most suitable light intensity for cows during nighttime has not been thoroughly investigated. Recommendations on the night-time lighting regimen on dairy farms differ between countries and range from light throughout the night to darkness to allow the animals a rest from artificial light. Commercial actors recommend red light for night-time lighting in cattle barns to facilitate livestock supervision with minimum disturbance for the animals. However, little is known about how light intensity, spectrum, and uniformity affect the ability of cows to navigate their indoor environment. Thus, in a change-over study with 12 pregnant, nonlactating dairy cows, we observed how the cows walked through an obstacle course under different light treatments. Obstacles were positioned differently for every run, to present a novel challenge for each light environment. Fourteen different light treatments were tested, involving intensity ranging from <0.01 (darkness) to 4.49 µmol m-2 s-1, high or low uniformity, and white or red color. Light was characterized in terms of illuminance, photon flux density, spectral composition, and uniformity. Additionally, assessment of the environmental light field was used to describe each lighting condition from a bovine and human perspective. Data were analyzed in a generalized mixed model to assess whether lighting conditions affected cow walking speed or stride rate. Pair-wise post hoc comparisons showed that the cows walked at a slower speed in nonuniform red light compared with uniform white light or uniform red light. Interestingly, darkness did not alter walking speed or stride rate. The odds of different behaviors occurring were not affected by lighting conditions. In conclusion, darkness did not affect the ability of cows to navigate through the obstacle course, but medium-intensity, nonuniform red light affected their speed. Hence, cows do not necessarily need night-time lighting to navigate, even in a test arena with obstacles blocking their way, but nonuniform light distribution may have an effect on their movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Lindkvist
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - S Ferneborg
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1433 Ås, Norway
| | - K Ståhlberg
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - D Bånkestad
- Department of Horticulture and Technology, Heliospectra AB, 414 58 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - B Ekesten
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - S Agenäs
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - E Ternman
- Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, 7729 Steinkjer, Norway
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Silva EHA, Santana NNM, Seixas NRM, Bezerra LLF, Silva MMO, Santos SF, Cavalcante JS, Leocadio-Miguel MA, Engelberth RC. Blue light exposure-dependent improvement in robustness of circadian rest-activity rhythm in aged rats. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0292342. [PMID: 37792859 PMCID: PMC10550138 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The aging effects on circadian rhythms have diverse implications including changes in the pattern of rhythmic expressions, such as a wide fragmentation of the rhythm of rest-activity and decrease in amplitude of activity regulated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The study of blue light on biological aspects has received great current interest due, among some aspects, to its positive effects on psychiatric disorders in humans. This study aims to evaluate the effect of blue light therapy on the SCN functional aspects, through the evaluation of the rest-activity rhythm, in aging rats. For this, 33 sixteen-months-old male Wistar rats underwent continuous records of locomotor activity and were exposed to periods of 6 hours of blue light during the first half of the light phase (Zeitgeber times 0-6) for 14 days. After this, the rats were maintained at 12h:12h light:dark cycle to check the long-term effect of blue light for 14 days. Blue light repeated exposure showed positive effects on the rhythmic variables of locomotor activity in aged rats, particularly the increase in amplitude, elevation of rhythmic robustness, phase advance in acrophase, and greater consolidation of the resting phase. This effect depends on the presence of daily blue light exposure. In conclusion, our results indicate that blue light is a reliable therapy to reduce circadian dysfunctions in aged rats, but other studies assessing how blue light modulates the neural components to modulate this response are still needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eryck Holmes A. Silva
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | | | - Narita Renata M. Seixas
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Lyzandro Lucas F. Bezerra
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Maria Milena O. Silva
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Sâmarah F. Santos
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Jeferson S. Cavalcante
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | | | - Rovena Clara Engelberth
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
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The Effect of Short-Wavelength White LED Illumination throughout the Night on the Milk Fatty Acid Profile of High-Yielding Dairy Cows. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11121799. [PMID: 36552308 PMCID: PMC9775544 DOI: 10.3390/biology11121799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Fatty acid levels in milk vary between day and night milking. Many dairy cows are still kept under white light-emitting diode (W-LED) illumination throughout the night, although it is known to disrupt endogenous circadian rhythms. We investigated the effects of whole-night W-LED illumination (125 lux) on milk yield and circadian composition, compared to a natural light−dark (LD) cycle of 10 h light. Mid−late lactation cows (n = 34) that were exposed to natural LD cycle showed circadian variation in milk fat composition, characterized by higher health-promoting monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA; 24.2 ± 0.4 vs. 23.2 ± 0.4 g/100 g fat, p < 0.001) and lower saturated fatty acid levels (71.2 ± 0.4 vs. 72.5 ± 0.4, p < 0.001) at 13:30 h (day milk) than at 03:30 h (night milk). Compared to natural LD (n = 16), W-LED (n = 18) did not affect milk production or milk fat yields, yet abolished the milking time variation in milk fat composition towards a less healthy fatty acid profile. This lowered MUFA levels of day milk (23.8 ± 0.4 vs. 26.7 ± 0.4, p < 0.01). Therefore, W-LED has no commercial advantage over the tested natural LD cycle, and conversely, even shows circadian disruption. Accordingly, a natural LD cycle of 10 h light is preferable over W-LED from the perspective of cost savings, the cows’ well-being, and preserving the natural milk fat profile, as the nutritional value of the day milk is slightly higher.
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Preferences of Dairy Cattle for Supplemental Light-Emitting Diode Lighting in the Resting Area. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12151894. [PMID: 35892544 PMCID: PMC9331357 DOI: 10.3390/ani12151894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Light from the environment is important for vision and regulating various biological processes. Providing supplemental lighting in the stall area could allow for individually targeted or group-level control of light. This study aimed to determine whether dairy cattle had preferences for short-term exposure to white (full-spectrum) light-emitting diode (LED) light or no LED light, yellow-green or white LED light, and blue or white LED light in the stall area. In total, 14 lactating cows were housed in a free-stall pen with unrestricted access to 28 stalls. LED light was controlled separately for each side of the stall platform. Two combinations of light were tested per week, and each week consisted of three adaptation days and four treatment days. Lying behaviour and video data were recorded continuously using leg-mounted pedometers and cameras, respectively. Preference was assessed by the amount of time spent lying and the number of bouts under each light treatment. No differences occurred between treatments within each week for daily lying time and number of bouts. Similarly, no differences occurred between treatments within each time period. Further controlled studies of long-term exposure to different LED wavelengths and intensities are required to determine potential benefits on metabolic processes.
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Lindkvist S, Ternman E, Ferneborg S, Bånkestad D, Lindqvist J, Ekesten B, Agenäs S. Effects of achromatic and chromatic lights on pupillary response, endocrinology, activity, and milk production in dairy cows. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0253776. [PMID: 34292974 PMCID: PMC8297800 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Artificial light can be used as a management tool to increase milk yield in dairy production. However, little is known about how cows respond to the spectral composition of light. The aim of this study was to investigate how dairy cows respond to artificial achromatic and chromatic lights. A tie-stall barn equipped with light-emitting diode (LED) light fixtures was used to create the controlled experimental light environments. Two experiments were conducted, both using dairy cows of Swedish Red and light mixtures with red, blue or white light. In experiment I, the response to light of increasing intensity on pupil size was evaluated in five pregnant non-lactating cows. In experiment II 16h of achromatic and chromatic daylight in combination with dim, achromatic night light, was tested on pregnant lactating cows during five weeks to observe long term effects on milk production, activity and circadian rhythms. Particular focus was given to possible carry over effects of blue light during the day on activity at night since this has been demonstrated in humans. Increasing intensity of white and blue light affected pupil size (P<0.001), but there was no effect on pupil size with increased intensity of red light. Milk yield was maintained throughout experiment II, and plasma melatonin was higher during dim night light than in daylight for all treatments (P<0.001). In conclusion, our results show that LED fixtures emitting red light driving the ipRGCs indirectly via ML-cones, blue light stimulating both S-cones and ipRGCs directly and a mixture of wavelengths (white light) exert similar effects on milk yield and activity in tied-up dairy cows. This suggests that the spectral composition of LED lighting in a barn is secondary to duration and intensity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Lindkvist
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Emma Ternman
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sabine Ferneborg
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Daniel Bånkestad
- Department of Horticulture and Technology, Heliospectra AB, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Johan Lindqvist
- Department of Horticulture and Technology, Heliospectra AB, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Björn Ekesten
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sigrid Agenäs
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
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