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Montes ME, Boerman JP. Graduate Student Literature Review: Social and feeding behavior of group-housed dairy calves in automated milk feeding systems. J Dairy Sci 2024; 107:4833-4843. [PMID: 38395393 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-23745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Automated milk feeders (AMF) allow farmers to raise calves in groups while generating individual records on milk consumption, drinking speed, and frequency of visits. Calves raised in groups benefit from social interaction, which facilitates learning and adapting to novelty. However, calves in large groups (>12 calves/feeder) experience a higher risk of disease transmission and competition than those housed individually or in smaller groups. Therefore, if group size, grouping strategy, and disease detection are not optimal, the health and performance of calves can be compromised. The objectives of this narrative literature review, from publications available as of February 2023, are to (1) describe the use of AMF in group housing systems for calves and the associated feeding behavior variables they automatically collect, (2) linking feeding behavior collected from AMF to disease risk in calves, (3) describe research on social behavior in AMF systems, and (4) introduce social networks as a promising tool for the study of social behavior and disease transmission in group-housed AMF-fed calves. Existing research suggests that feeding behavior measures from AMF can assist in detecting bovine respiratory disease and enteric disease, which are common causes of morbidity and mortality for preweaning dairy heifers. Automated milk feeder records show reduced milk intake, drinking speed, or frequency of visits when calves are sick. However, discrepancies exist among published research about the sensitivity of feeding behavior measures as indicators of sickness, likely due to differences in feeding plans and disease-detection protocols. Therefore, considering the influence of milk allowance, group density, and individual variation on the analysis of AMF data is essential to derive meaningful information used to inform management decisions. Research using dynamic social networks derived from precision data show potential for the use of social network analysis to understand disease transmission and the effect of disease on social behavior of group-housed calves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria E Montes
- Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
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Bushby EV, Thomas M, Vázquez-Diosdado JA, Occhiuto F, Kaler J. Early detection of bovine respiratory disease in pre-weaned dairy calves using sensor based feeding, movement, and social behavioural data. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9737. [PMID: 38679647 PMCID: PMC11056383 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58206-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Previous research shows that feeding and activity behaviours in combination with machine learning algorithms has the potential to predict the onset of bovine respiratory disease (BRD). This study used 229 novel and previously researched feeding, movement, and social behavioural features with machine learning classification algorithms to predict BRD events in pre-weaned calves. Data for 172 group housed calves were collected using automatic milk feeding machines and ultrawideband location sensors. Health assessments were carried out twice weekly using a modified Wisconsin scoring system and calves were classified as sick if they had a Wisconsin score of five or above and/or a rectal temperature of 39.5 °C or higher. A gradient boosting machine classification algorithm produced moderate to high performance: accuracy (0.773), precision (0.776), sensitivity (0.625), specificity (0.872), and F1-score (0.689). The most important 30 features were 40% feeding, 50% movement, and 10% social behavioural features. Movement behaviours, specifically the distance walked per day, were most important for model prediction, whereas feeding and social features aided in the model's prediction minimally. These results highlighting the predictive potential in this area but the need for further improvement before behavioural changes can be used to reliably predict the onset of BRD in pre-weaned calves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily V Bushby
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Matthew Thomas
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Jorge A Vázquez-Diosdado
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Francesca Occhiuto
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Jasmeet Kaler
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK.
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Kamel MS, Davidson JL, Verma MS. Strategies for Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) Diagnosis and Prognosis: A Comprehensive Overview. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:627. [PMID: 38396598 PMCID: PMC10885951 DOI: 10.3390/ani14040627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite significant advances in vaccination strategies and antibiotic therapy, bovine respiratory disease (BRD) continues to be the leading disease affecting the global cattle industry. The etiology of BRD is complex, often involving multiple microbial agents, which lead to intricate interactions between the host immune system and pathogens during various beef production stages. These interactions present environmental, social, and geographical challenges. Accurate diagnosis is essential for effective disease management. Nevertheless, correct identification of BRD cases remains a daunting challenge for animal health technicians in feedlots. In response to current regulations, there is a growing interest in refining clinical diagnoses of BRD to curb the overuse of antimicrobials. This shift marks a pivotal first step toward establishing a structured diagnostic framework for this disease. This review article provides an update on recent developments and future perspectives in clinical diagnostics and prognostic techniques for BRD, assessing their benefits and limitations. The methods discussed include the evaluation of clinical signs and animal behavior, biomarker analysis, molecular diagnostics, ultrasound imaging, and prognostic modeling. While some techniques show promise as standalone diagnostics, it is likely that a multifaceted approach-leveraging a combination of these methods-will yield the most accurate diagnosis of BRD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed S. Kamel
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Department of Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza 12211, Egypt
| | - Josiah Levi Davidson
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Mohit S. Verma
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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Mushtaq SH, Hussain D, Hifz-ul-Rahman, Naveed-ul-Haque M, Ahmad N, Sardar AA, Chishti GA. Effect of once-a-day milk feeding on behavior and growth performance of pre-weaning calves. Anim Biosci 2024; 37:253-260. [PMID: 37641842 PMCID: PMC10766481 DOI: 10.5713/ab.23.0073] [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: 02/26/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the effects of once-a-day milk feeding on growth performance and routine behavior of preweaning dairy calves. METHODS At 22nd day of age, twenty-four Holstein calves were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups (n = 12/treatment) based on milk feeding frequency (MF): i) 3 L of milk feeding two times a day; ii) 6 L of milk feeding once a day. The milk feeding amount was reduced to half for all calves between 56 and 60 days of age and weaning was done at 60 days of age. To determine the increase in weight and structural measurements, each calf was weighed and measured at 3 weeks of age and then at weaning. The daily behavioral activity of each calf was assessed from the 22nd day of age till weaning (60th day of age) through Nederlandsche Apparatenfabriek (NEDAP) software providing real-time data through a logger fitted on the calf's foot. RESULTS There was no interaction (p≥0.17) between MF and sex of the calves for routine behavioral parameters, body weight and structural measurements. Similarly, there was no effect of MF on routine behavioral parameters, body weight and structural measurements. However, the sex of the calves affected body weight gain in calves. Male calves had 27% greater total body weight and average daily gain than female calves. There was no effect of the sex of the calves on behavioral measurements. Collectively, in the current study, no negative effects of a once-a-day milk feeding regimen were found on routine behavioral and growth parameters of preweaning calves in group housing. CONCLUSION Once-a-day milk feeding can be safely adopted in preweaning calves from 22nd day of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Husnain Mushtaq
- Department of Livestock Production, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pattoki 55300,
Pakistan
| | - Danish Hussain
- Department of Livestock Production, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pattoki 55300,
Pakistan
| | - Hifz-ul-Rahman
- Department of Animal Nutrition, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pattoki 55300,
Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Naveed-ul-Haque
- Department of Animal Nutrition, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pattoki 55300,
Pakistan
| | - Nisar Ahmad
- Department of Livestock Production, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pattoki 55300,
Pakistan
| | - Ahmad Azeem Sardar
- Department of Animal Nutrition, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pattoki 55300,
Pakistan
| | - Ghazanfar Ali Chishti
- Department of Animal Nutrition, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pattoki 55300,
Pakistan
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Møller HH, Krogh MA, Petersen MB, Nielsen LR, Capion N. Comparison and interobserver reliability between a visual analog scale and the Wisconsin Calf Health Scoring Chart for detection of respiratory disease in dairy calves. J Dairy Sci 2024; 107:1102-1109. [PMID: 37709013 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-23554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Respiratory disease is an ongoing challenge for calves in the dairy sector with a relatively high prevalence and impact on welfare and economics. Applying scoring protocols for detecting respiratory disease requires that they are easily implemented, consistent between observers and fast to use in daily management. This study was conducted in one Danish dairy farm from September 2020 through January 2021. The study included 126 heifer calves enrolled in the age of 17 to 24 d. All calves were observed every second day for a period of 46 d. At each visit all calves were scored with a new visual analog scale (VAS) and the Wisconsin Calf Health Scoring Chart (WCHSC). We calculated agreement between the 2 scoring systems based on conditional probability to score higher or lower than a cutoff in the VAS compared with a specified cutoff in WCHSC used as reference test. A generalized mixed effects regression model was developed to estimate the prevalence of respiratory disease and the overall agreement between the 2 scoring systems. The overall agreement between the VAS and WCHSC was 89.6%. The second part of the study assessed interobserver reliability between 2 experienced observers and between an experienced observer and veterinary students. The interobserver reliability was calculated by intraclass correlation coefficient and was 0.58 between experienced observers and was 0.34 between an experienced observer and veterinary students indicating a moderate to poor reliability between the observers. It was possible to use VAS as an alternative clinical scoring method, which primarily focuses on the general condition of the individual calf rather than specific categories of clinical signs. Our study set up lacked a comparison to other diagnostic tools i.e., thoracic ultrasound to confirm the findings which should be considered in future studies when exploring VAS as a screening tool for detection of respiratory disease in dairy calves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik H Møller
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2630 Taastrup, Denmark.
| | - Mogens A Krogh
- Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Aarhus University, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark
| | - Mette B Petersen
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2630 Taastrup, Denmark
| | - Liza R Nielsen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Nynne Capion
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2630 Taastrup, Denmark
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Khalilvandi-Behroozyar H, Mohtashami B, Dehghan-Banadaky M, Kazemi-Bonchenari M, Ghaffari MH. Effects of fat source in calf starter on growth performance, blood fatty acid profiles, and inflammatory markers during cold season. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18627. [PMID: 37903888 PMCID: PMC10616091 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45956-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
This study was conducted to investigate the effects of supplementation of different fat sources in calf starters on growth performance, health, blood fatty acid profiles, and inflammatory markers during the cold season in dairy calves. A total of 48 Holstein calves (24 males and 24 females) were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 starter diets throughout the experiment (d 3 to 65): (1) no supplemented fat (CON), (2) 3% calcium-salts of soybean oil (Ca-SBO), (3) 3% calcium-salts of fish oil (Ca-FO), and (4) 3% mixture of Ca-SBO and Ca-FO (1.5% each, DM basis; MIX). Calves were given free access to starter feed and water and were raised individually in pens from 3 to 65 d of age. Calves fed Ca-SBO consumed a greater proportion of n-6 FA, while calves fed Ca-FO consumed a greater level of n-3 FA compared to the other dietary treatments. Fat supplementation increased the intake of linoleic acid, the major n-6 FA, with the greater intake observed in the Ca-SBO group compared to the other dietary treatments. Calves fed the Ca-FO and MIX diets consumed more long-chain n-3 FA than the other diets. In addition, calves fed Ca-SBO and Ca-FO diets consumed more starter feed and total dry matter than calves fed MIX and CON throughout the experiment (d 3 to 65). Calves fed Ca-FO had higher average daily gain throughout the trial (d 3 to 65) than the other treatment groups. Of all treatment groups, calves fed Ca-FO achieved the highest final body weight and showed the greatest feed efficiency. Random forest analysis revealed that eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and arachidonic acid were the serum levels of FA most affected by the diets. The principal component analysis of blood FA profile, blood parameters, and inflammatory markers showed distinct differences between dietary treatments. Calves fed Ca-SBO had higher plasma concentrations of linoleic acid, while calves fed Ca-FO had higher plasma concentrations of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), such as EPA, docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), and DHA than the other treatment groups. Plasma inflammatory markers were lower in calves fed Ca-FO and higher in calves fed CON than in the other treatment groups. The Ca-FO group had lower levels of inflammatory markers, including serum amyloid A, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, Interferon-γ, haptoglobin, and interleukin-6 compared to the other experimental treatments. Also, the blood malondialdehyde levels, an indicator of oxidative stress, were lower in calves fed Ca-FO compared with calves fed the other treatment diets. In conclusion, the performance of preweaned dairy calves can be improved by adding fat to their starter feed under cold conditions. Overall, the type of fat in milk may affect growth and inflammation of dairy calves before weaning under cold conditions, with n-3 FA (Ca-FO) promoting growth and reducing inflammation more effectively than n-6 FA (Ca-SBO).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - B Mohtashami
- Department of Animal Science, Urmia University, Urmia, 5756151818, Iran
| | - M Dehghan-Banadaky
- Department of Animal Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, 3158777871, Iran
| | - M Kazemi-Bonchenari
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Arak University, Arak, 38156-8-8349, Iran
| | - M H Ghaffari
- Institute of Animal Science, University of Bonn, 53111, Bonn, Germany.
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Riley BB, Duthie CA, Corbishley A, Mason C, Bowen JM, Bell DJ, Haskell MJ. Intrinsic calf factors associated with the behavior of healthy pre-weaned group-housed dairy-bred calves. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1204580. [PMID: 37601764 PMCID: PMC10435862 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1204580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Technology-derived behaviors are researched for disease detection in artificially-reared calves. Whilst existing studies demonstrate differences in behaviors between healthy and diseased calves, intrinsic calf factors (e.g., sex and birthweight) that may affect these behaviors have received little systematic study. This study aimed to understand the impact of a range of calf factors on milk feeding and activity variables of dairy-bred calves. Calves were group-housed from ~7 days to 39 days of age. Seven liters of milk replacer was available daily from an automatic milk feeder, which recorded feeding behaviors and live-weight. Calves were health scored daily and a tri-axial accelerometer used to record activity variables. Healthy calves were selected by excluding data collected 3 days either side of a poor health score or a treatment event. Thirty-one calves with 10 days each were analyzed. Mixed models were used to identify which of live-weight, age, sex, season of birth, age of inclusion into the group, dam parity, birthweight, and sire breed type (beef or dairy), had a significant influence on milk feeding and activity variables. Heavier calves visited the milk machine more frequently for shorter visits, drank faster and were more likely to drink their daily milk allowance than lighter calves. Older calves had a shorter mean standing bout length and were less active than younger calves. Calves born in summer had a longer daily lying time, performed more lying and standing bouts/day and had shorter mean standing bouts than those born in autumn or winter. Male calves had a longer mean lying bout length, drank more slowly and were less likely to consume their daily milk allowance than their female counterparts. Calves that were born heavier had fewer lying and standing bouts each day, a longer mean standing bout length and drank less milk per visit. Beef-sired calves had a longer mean lying bout length and drank more slowly than their dairy sired counterparts. Intrinsic calf factors influence different healthy calf behaviors in different ways. These factors must be considered in the design of research studies and the field application of behavior-based disease detection tools in artificially reared calves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth B. Riley
- Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Clinical Sciences, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Alexander Corbishley
- Dairy Herd Health and Productivity Service, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Colin Mason
- Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jenna M. Bowen
- Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - David J. Bell
- Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Mahendran SA, Wathes DC, Booth RE, Baker N, Blackie N. Effects of Individual and Pair Housing of Calves on Short-Term Health and Behaviour on a UK Commercial Dairy Farm. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2140. [PMID: 37443938 DOI: 10.3390/ani13132140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Social pair housing of calves has previously demonstrated positive impacts for calves, so this study aimed to compare the health and behaviour of calves kept in individual compared to pair housing on a single commercial UK dairy farm. A total of 457 Holstein and Jersey heifer calves were recruited and systematically allocated to individual and pair housing. Weekly visits were conducted up to 8 weeks of age, with weight and presence of clinical disease measured using both a standardized scoring system and thoracic ultrasonography. A subset of calves (n = 90) had accelerometers attached to monitor activity, with CCTV placed above a further 16 pens to allow behavioural assessments to be made via continuous focal sampling at 1 and 5 weeks of age. During the study, there was a mortality rate of 2.8%, and an average daily liveweight gain (ADLG) of 0.72 kg/day, with no significant effect of housing group (p = 0.76). However, individually housed calves had increased odds of developing disease (OR = 1.88, p = 0.014). Accelerometer data showed that housing group had no effect on lying times, with a mean of 18 h 11 min per day (SD 39 min) spent lying down. The motion index was significantly higher in pair-housed calves (F1,83 = 440.3, p < 0.01), potentially due to more social play behaviour. The total time engaged in non-nutritive oral behaviours (NNOBs) was not impacted by housing group (p = 0.72). Pair-housed calves split their time conducting NNOBs equally between inanimate objects and on their pen mates' body. Individually housed calves spent significantly more time with their head out of the front of the pen (p = 0.006), and also engaged in more self-grooming than pair-housed calves (p = 0.017), possibly due to a lack of socialization. The overall findings of this study indicate that within a UK commercial dairy management system, pair-housed calves were healthier and more active than individually housed calves, while housing group did not influence ADLG or the occurrence of NNOBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie A Mahendran
- Royal Veterinary College, Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK
| | - D Claire Wathes
- Royal Veterinary College, Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK
| | - Richard E Booth
- Royal Veterinary College, Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK
| | - Neil Baker
- Leaze Farm, Haselbury Plucknett, Crewkerne TA18 7RJ, UK
| | - Nicola Blackie
- Royal Veterinary College, Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK
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Silva FG, Conceição C, Pereira AMF, Cerqueira JL, Silva SR. Literature Review on Technological Applications to Monitor and Evaluate Calves' Health and Welfare. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13071148. [PMID: 37048404 PMCID: PMC10093142 DOI: 10.3390/ani13071148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Precision livestock farming (PLF) research is rapidly increasing and has improved farmers' quality of life, animal welfare, and production efficiency. PLF research in dairy calves is still relatively recent but has grown in the last few years. Automatic milk feeding systems (AMFS) and 3D accelerometers have been the most extensively used technologies in dairy calves. However, other technologies have been emerging in dairy calves' research, such as infrared thermography (IRT), 3D cameras, ruminal bolus, and sound analysis systems, which have not been properly validated and reviewed in the scientific literature. Thus, with this review, we aimed to analyse the state-of-the-art of technological applications in calves, focusing on dairy calves. Most of the research is focused on technology to detect and predict calves' health problems and monitor pain indicators. Feeding and lying behaviours have sometimes been associated with health and welfare levels. However, a consensus opinion is still unclear since other factors, such as milk allowance, can affect these behaviours differently. Research that employed a multi-technology approach showed better results than research focusing on only a single technique. Integrating and automating different technologies with machine learning algorithms can offer more scientific knowledge and potentially help the farmers improve calves' health, performance, and welfare, if commercial applications are available, which, from the authors' knowledge, are not at the moment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flávio G Silva
- Veterinary and Animal Research Centre (CECAV), Associate Laboratory of Animal and Veterinary Science (AL4AnimalS), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development (MED), Universidade de Évora Pólo da Mitra, Apartado, 94, 7006-554 Évora, Portugal
| | - Cristina Conceição
- Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development (MED), Universidade de Évora Pólo da Mitra, Apartado, 94, 7006-554 Évora, Portugal
| | - Alfredo M F Pereira
- Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development (MED), Universidade de Évora Pólo da Mitra, Apartado, 94, 7006-554 Évora, Portugal
| | - Joaquim L Cerqueira
- Veterinary and Animal Research Centre (CECAV), Associate Laboratory of Animal and Veterinary Science (AL4AnimalS), Escola Superior Agrária do Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Rua D. Mendo Afonso, 147, 4990-706 Ponte de Lima, Portugal
| | - Severiano R Silva
- Veterinary and Animal Research Centre (CECAV), Associate Laboratory of Animal and Veterinary Science (AL4AnimalS), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
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10
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Swartz T, Petersson-Wolfe C. Associations between preweaning calf feeding behaviors with age at first calving and lactational performance using an automatic calf feeder. JDS COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 4:75-79. [PMID: 36974224 PMCID: PMC10039233 DOI: 10.3168/jdsc.2022-0255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this retrospective observational study was to determine whether preweaning calf behaviors and milk replacer (MR) intake from an automatic calf feeder were associated with age at first calving and first-lactation performance. Calves were housed in groups with access to an automatic calf feeder for 7 wk with a maximum milk allowance of 1,800 g/d of MR (12 L/d). Outcomes of interest included age at first calving (n = 137), first-lactation mature-equivalent 305-d (ME305) milk yield (n = 132), and first-lactation ME305 energy-corrected milk (ECM) yield (n = 132). Linear models included the fixed effects of the daily means of unrewarded visits, rewarded visits, drinking speed, and MR intake. Furthermore, breed, disease diagnosis, season of birth, and age of the calf when it was first introduced to the automatic calf feeder were included in all models. The genetic parameter for milk yield (predicted transmitting ability for milk) was included in models related to lactational performance. Feeding behaviors and milk replacer intake were not associated with age at first calving. Unrewarded visits to the automatic calf feeder were associated with ME305 milk and ECM yields. As mean daily unrewarded visits increased by 1, first-lactation ME305 milk yield and ME305 ECM yield increased by 319 kg and 224 kg, respectively. No other feeding behavior was significantly associated with first-lactation ME305 milk or ECM yields. In conclusion, unrewarded visits were positively associated with first-lactation performance, but external validation is still needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- T.H. Swartz
- Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824
- Corresponding author
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Ghaffari M, Monneret A, Hammon H, Post C, Müller U, Frieten D, Gerbert C, Dusel G, Koch C. Deep convolutional neural networks for the detection of diarrhea and respiratory disease in preweaning dairy calves using data from automated milk feeders. J Dairy Sci 2022; 105:9882-9895. [DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-21547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Sherwin G, Nelson R, Kerby M, Remnant J. Clinical examination of cattle. Part 2: calves, technology and ancillary testing. IN PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/inpr.237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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13
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Burke KC, do Nascimento-Emond S, Hixson CL, Miller-Cushon EK. Social networks respond to a disease challenge in calves. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9119. [PMID: 35650239 PMCID: PMC9159982 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13088-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in network position and behavioral interactions have been linked with infectious disease in social animals. Here, we investigate the effects of an experimental disease challenge on social network centrality of group-housed Holstein bull dairy calves. Within group-housed pens (6/group) calves were randomly assigned to either a previously developed challenge model, involving inoculation with Mannheimia haemolytia (n = 12 calves; 3 calves/group) or a control involving only saline (n = 12 calves; 3 calves/group). Continuous behavioral data were recorded from video on pre-treatment baseline day and for 24 h following inoculation to describe social lying frequency and duration and all active social contact between calves. Mixed-model analysis revealed that changes in network position were related to the challenge. Compared to controls, challenged calves had reduced centrality and connectedness, baseline to challenge day. On challenge day, challenged calves were less central in the directed social contact networks (lower degree, strength and eigenvector centrality), and initiated contact (higher out-degree) with more penmates, compared to healthy calves. This finding suggests that giving rather than receiving affiliative social contact may be more beneficial for challenged calves. This is the first study demonstrating that changes in social network position coincide with an experimental challenge of a respiratory pathogen in calves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharine C Burke
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | | | - Catherine L Hixson
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
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14
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Morrison JL, Winder CB, Medrano-Galarza C, Denis P, Haley D, LeBlanc SJ, Costa J, Steele M, Renaud DL. Case-control study of behavior data from automated milk feeders in healthy or diseased dairy calves. JDS COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 3:201-206. [PMID: 36338813 PMCID: PMC9623788 DOI: 10.3168/jdsc.2021-0153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Automated milk feeders have the potential to aid producers in disease detection. Milk consumption detected disease 5 d before disease detection by the producer. Drinking speed detected disease 4 d before disease detection by the producer. Unrewarded visits to the feeder detected disease 3 d before disease detection by the producer. Rewarded visits to the feeder were not useful in detection of disease by the producer.
Group housing of preweaning dairy calves is increasing in popularity throughout the dairy industry. However, it can be more difficult to individually monitor calves to identify disease in these group systems. Automated milk feeders (AMF) not only provide producers with the opportunity to increase the milk allowance offered to preweaning calves but they can also monitor individual feeding behaviors that could identify calves at increased risk of disease. The objective of this retrospective case-control study was to determine how feeding behaviors change in preweaning calves leading up to and during a disease bout. This study was conducted between fall 2015 and fall 2016 on 2 commercial dairy farms in Ontario, Canada. Producers' treatment records for respiratory or enteric illness were used to identify cases. Control calves were selected from calves not treated for disease and matched on the days on the AMF. Both farms housed calves in dynamic groups of 9 to 11 calves with an AMF and fed milk replacer. Differences in feeding behaviors, including milk consumption, drinking speed, rewarded visits, unrewarded visits, and total visits to the AMF per day, were analyzed by mixed models accounting for repeated measures. Data were analyzed for the 7 d before, the day of, and 7 d after treatment. A total of 28 cases and 28 control calves (n = 56) were analyzed. Calves with disease consumed significantly less milk than their healthy counterparts, beginning 5 d before disease and until 3 d after disease detection. Sick calves had fewer unrewarded visits starting 3 d before until 2 d after illness detection. Sick calves drank significantly more slowly starting 4 d before illness detection until the day after illness detection compared with healthy controls. No differences were found between cases and controls for rewarded visits. Calves on a high plane of milk nutrition significantly alter feeding behaviors before illness detection. Data from AMF on feeding behaviors may help to detect disease earlier in preweaning dairy calves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jannelle L. Morrison
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - Charlotte B. Winder
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - Catalina Medrano-Galarza
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1
- Programa de Especialización en Bienestar Animal y Etología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Fundación Universitaria Agraria de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia, Cll170#54a-10
| | - Pauline Denis
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR Herbivores, 63122 Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France
| | - Derek Haley
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - Stephen J. LeBlanc
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - Joao Costa
- Department of Animal and Food Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40506
| | - Michael Steele
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Animal Science and Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 1Y2
| | - David L. Renaud
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1
- Corresponding author:
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15
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Ramezani Gardaloud N, Guse C, Lidauer L, Steininger A, Kickinger F, Öhlschuster M, Auer W, Iwersen M, Drillich M, Klein-Jöbstl D. Early Detection of Respiratory Diseases in Calves by Use of an Ear-Attached Accelerometer. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12091093. [PMID: 35565520 PMCID: PMC9101259 DOI: 10.3390/ani12091093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Bovine respiratory disease is one of the most important diseases in group-housed calves worldwide, with impacts on calf welfare and farm economics. Early detection of the disease is important for the well-being of the animals and a targeted treatment. Therefore, tools for an automated monitoring of individual calves would be a breakthrough in health management. In this study, we used an ear-attached accelerometer to evaluate its potential for the early detection of behavioral changes related to respiratory disease in calves. Our result showed that accelerometers are able to detect changes in activity and lying times that can be used to predict respiratory disease before clinical diagnosis. Abstract Accelerometers (ACL) can identify behavioral and activity changes in calves. In the present study, we examined the association between bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and behavioral changes detected by an ear-tag based ACL system in weaned dairy calves. Accelerometer data were analyzed from 7 d before to 1 d after clinical diagnosis of BRD. All calves in the study (n = 508) were checked daily by an adapted University of Wisconsin Calf Scoring System. Calves with a score ≥ 4 and fever for at least two consecutive days were categorized as diseased (DIS). The day of clinical diagnosis of BRD was defined as d 0. The data analysis showed a significant difference in high active times between DIS and healthy control calves (CON), with CON showing more high active times on every day, except d −3. Diseased calves showed significantly more inactive times on d −4, −2, and 0, as well as longer lying times on d −5, −2, and +1. These results indicate the potential of the ACL to detect BRD prior to a clinical diagnosis in group-housed calves. Furthermore, in this study, we described the ‘normal’ behavior in 428 clinically healthy weaned dairy calves obtained by the ACL system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasrin Ramezani Gardaloud
- Clinical Unit for Herd Health Management in Ruminants, University Clinic for Ruminants, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (N.R.G.); (C.G.); (M.I.); (M.D.)
- Smartbow GmbH/Zoetis LLC, Jutogasse 3, 4675 Weibern, Austria; (L.L.); (A.S.); (F.K.); (M.Ö.); (W.A.)
| | - Christian Guse
- Clinical Unit for Herd Health Management in Ruminants, University Clinic for Ruminants, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (N.R.G.); (C.G.); (M.I.); (M.D.)
| | - Laura Lidauer
- Smartbow GmbH/Zoetis LLC, Jutogasse 3, 4675 Weibern, Austria; (L.L.); (A.S.); (F.K.); (M.Ö.); (W.A.)
| | - Alexandra Steininger
- Smartbow GmbH/Zoetis LLC, Jutogasse 3, 4675 Weibern, Austria; (L.L.); (A.S.); (F.K.); (M.Ö.); (W.A.)
| | - Florian Kickinger
- Smartbow GmbH/Zoetis LLC, Jutogasse 3, 4675 Weibern, Austria; (L.L.); (A.S.); (F.K.); (M.Ö.); (W.A.)
| | - Manfred Öhlschuster
- Smartbow GmbH/Zoetis LLC, Jutogasse 3, 4675 Weibern, Austria; (L.L.); (A.S.); (F.K.); (M.Ö.); (W.A.)
| | - Wolfgang Auer
- Smartbow GmbH/Zoetis LLC, Jutogasse 3, 4675 Weibern, Austria; (L.L.); (A.S.); (F.K.); (M.Ö.); (W.A.)
| | - Michael Iwersen
- Clinical Unit for Herd Health Management in Ruminants, University Clinic for Ruminants, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (N.R.G.); (C.G.); (M.I.); (M.D.)
| | - Marc Drillich
- Clinical Unit for Herd Health Management in Ruminants, University Clinic for Ruminants, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (N.R.G.); (C.G.); (M.I.); (M.D.)
| | - Daniela Klein-Jöbstl
- Clinical Unit for Herd Health Management in Ruminants, University Clinic for Ruminants, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (N.R.G.); (C.G.); (M.I.); (M.D.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +43-15-077-5207
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16
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Feeding behavior and activity levels are associated with recovery status in dairy calves treated with antimicrobials for Bovine Respiratory Disease. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4854. [PMID: 35318327 PMCID: PMC8940924 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08131-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Calves with Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) have different feeding behavior and activity levels prior to BRD diagnosis when compared to healthy calves, but it is unknown if calves who relapse from their initial BRD diagnosis are behaviorally different from calves who recover. Using precision technologies, we aimed to identify associations of feeding behavior and activity with recovery status in dairy calves (recovered or relapsed) over the 10 days after first antimicrobial treatment for BRD. Dairy calves were health scored daily for a BRD bout (using a standard respiratory scoring system and lung ultrasonography) and received antimicrobial therapy (enrofloxacin) on day 0 of initial BRD diagnosis; 10–14 days later, recovery status was scored as either recovered or relapsed (n = 19 each). Feeding behaviors and activity were monitored using automated feeders and pedometers. Over the 10 days post-treatment, recovered calves showed improvements in starter intake and were generally more active, while relapsed calves showed sickness behaviors, including depressed feed intake, and longer lying times. These results suggest there is a new potential for precision technology devices on farms in evaluating recovery status of dairy calves that are recently treated for BRD; there is opportunity to automatically identify relapsing calves before re-emergence of clinical disease.
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17
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Teixeira V, Lana A, Bresolin T, Tomich T, Souza G, Furlong J, Rodrigues J, Coelho S, Gonçalves L, Silveira J, Ferreira L, Facury Filho E, Campos M, Dorea J, Pereira L. Using rumination and activity data for early detection of anaplasmosis disease in dairy heifer calves. J Dairy Sci 2022; 105:4421-4433. [DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-20952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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18
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Sun D, Webb L, van der Tol PPJ, van Reenen K. A Systematic Review of Automatic Health Monitoring in Calves: Glimpsing the Future From Current Practice. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:761468. [PMID: 34901250 PMCID: PMC8662565 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.761468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Infectious diseases, particularly bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD), are prevalent in calves. Efficient health-monitoring tools to identify such diseases on time are lacking. Common practice (i.e., health checks) often identifies sick calves at a late stage of disease or not at all. Sensor technology enables the automatic and continuous monitoring of calf physiology or behavior, potentially offering timely and precise detection of sick calves. A systematic overview of automated disease detection in calves is still lacking. The objectives of this literature review were hence: to investigate previously applied sensor validation methods used in the context of calf health, to identify sensors used on calves, the parameters these sensors monitor, and the statistical tools applied to identify diseases, to explore potential research gaps and to point to future research opportunities. To achieve these objectives, systematic literature searches were conducted. We defined four stages in the development of health-monitoring systems: (1) sensor technique, (2) data interpretation, (3) information integration, and (4) decision support. Fifty-four articles were included (stage one: 26; stage two: 19; stage three: 9; and stage four: 0). Common parameters that assess the performance of these systems are sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, precision, and negative predictive value. Gold standards that typically assess these parameters include manual measurement and manual health-assessment protocols. At stage one, automatic feeding stations, accelerometers, infrared thermography cameras, microphones, and 3-D cameras are accurate in screening behavior and physiology in calves. At stage two, changes in feeding behaviors, lying, activity, or body temperature corresponded to changes in health status, and point to health issues earlier than manual health checks. At stage three, accelerometers, thermometers, and automatic feeding stations have been integrated into one system that was shown to be able to successfully detect diseases in calves, including BRD and NCD. We discuss these findings, look into potentials at stage four, and touch upon the topic of resilience, whereby health-monitoring system might be used to detect low resilience (i.e., prone to disease but clinically healthy calves), promoting further improvements in calf health and welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dengsheng Sun
- Farm Technology Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Laura Webb
- Animal Production Systems Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - P P J van der Tol
- Farm Technology Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Kees van Reenen
- Animal Production Systems Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands.,Livestock Research, Research Centre, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
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19
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Bowen JM, Haskell MJ, Miller GA, Mason CS, Bell DJ, Duthie CA. Early prediction of respiratory disease in preweaning dairy calves using feeding and activity behaviors. J Dairy Sci 2021; 104:12009-12018. [PMID: 34454762 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-20373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) represents one of the major disease challenges affecting preweaning dairy-bred calves. Previous studies have shown that differences in feeding and activity behaviors exist between healthy and diseased calves affected by BRD. The aim of this study was to develop and assess the accuracy of models designed to predict BRD from feeding and activity behaviors. Feeding and activity behaviors were recorded for 100 male preweaning calves between ~8 to 42 d of age. Calves were group housed with ad libitum access to milk via automatic milk feeders, water, starter diet, and straw. Activity was monitored via a leg-mounted accelerometer. Health status of individual calves was monitored daily using an adapted version of the Wisconsin Scoring System to identify BRD. Three models were created to predict disease: (1) deviation from normal lying time based on moving averages (MA); (2) random forest (RF), a machine learning technique based on feeding and activity variables; and (3) a combination of RF and MA output. For the MA model, lying time was predicted based on behavior over previous days (3- and 7-d MA) and the expected value for the current day (based on calf age; measured using accelerometers). Data were not split into training and test data sets. Occasions when the actual lying time increased >9% of predicted lying time were classified as a deviation from normal and a disease alert was provided. Both feeding and activity behaviors were included within the RF model. Data were split into training (70%) and test (30%) data sets based on disease events. Events were classified as 2 d before, the day(s) of the disease event, and 2 d after the event. Accuracy of models was assessed using sensitivity, specificity, balanced accuracy, and Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC). If a positive disease prediction agreed with an actual disease event within a 3-d rolling window, it was classified as a true positive. Stand-alone models (RF; MA) showed high specificity (0.95; 0.97), moderate sensitivity (0.35; 0.43), balanced accuracy (0.65; 0.64), and MCC (0.25; 0.29). Combining outputs increased accuracy (specificity = 0.95, sensitivity = 0.54, balanced accuracy = 0.75, MCC = 0.36). The work presented is the first to demonstrate the use of modeling data derived from precision livestock farming techniques that monitor feeding and activity behaviors for early detection of BRD in preweaning calves, offering a significant advance in health management of youngstock.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Bowen
- Beef and Sheep Research Centre, Department of Agriculture, Horticulture and Engineering Sciences, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Edinburgh EH9 3JG, United Kingdom.
| | - M J Haskell
- Animal Behavior and Welfare Team, Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, SRUC, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, United Kingdom
| | - G A Miller
- Beef and Sheep Research Centre, Department of Agriculture, Horticulture and Engineering Sciences, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Edinburgh EH9 3JG, United Kingdom
| | - C S Mason
- SRUC Veterinary Services, SRUC, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, United Kingdom
| | - D J Bell
- Animal Behavior and Welfare Team, Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, SRUC, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, United Kingdom
| | - C-A Duthie
- Beef and Sheep Research Centre, Department of Agriculture, Horticulture and Engineering Sciences, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Edinburgh EH9 3JG, United Kingdom
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20
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Conboy MH, Winder CB, Medrano-Galarza C, LeBlanc SJ, Haley DB, Costa JHC, Steele MA, Renaud DL. Associations between feeding behaviors collected from an automated milk feeder and disease in group-housed dairy calves in Ontario: A cross-sectional study. J Dairy Sci 2021; 104:10183-10193. [PMID: 34099289 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-20137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The adoption of automated milk feeders and group housing of preweaning dairy calves has become more common in Canada; however, disease detection in group-housed calves remains a challenge. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess whether feeding behavior data collected from a single point in time could be used to aid in the detection of neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD), bovine respiratory disease (BRD), and general disease, in preweaning group-housed calves being fed via an automated milk feeder. The data used was collected in an earlier study. A total of 8 dairy farms recruited from an online survey of calf-management practices were enrolled into the study. There was a total of 523 observations with 130 events of NCD, 115 events of BRD, and 210 events of general disease. Each farm was visited once in each of the fall, winter, spring, and summer, when the calves' health was scored, and the data were collected from the automated milk feeders. Mixed linear regression models were used to identify associations between feeding behavior data (milk consumption, time spent at the feeder, drinking speed, and the number of rewarded and unrewarded visits) and the presence of NCD, BRD, or general disease (having one or more of NCD, BRD, or umbilical infection), on the day of health scoring. Generalized linear mixed models were used to analyze the percentage of milk the calf consumed from their daily milk allotment. Calves with BRD consumed 63% less of their daily allotment of milk, had 2 fewer unrewarded visits to the automated milk feeder, and drank milk 152 mL/min slower compared with calves without BRD. Calves with NCD consumed 57% less of their daily milk allotment, consumed 758 mL less per day, and drank 92 mL/min slower than calves compared with calves without NCD. Calves with general disease drank 50% less of their daily milk allowance, consumed 496 mL less per day, drank 80 mL/min slower, and had 2 fewer unrewarded visits to the automated milk feeder, when compared with calves without disease. No significant associations were found between the presence of NCD, BRD, or general disease and time spent at the feeder or number of rewarded visits. Sensitivity and specificity values for disease identification were low when evaluating the feeding behaviors individually, so parallel testing was completed. To do so, if any significant feeding behavior was below the optimal cut point for disease detection as determined using a ROC curve, the calf was considered positive for disease and the sensitivity and specificity were recalculated. Parallel testing resulted in a sensitivity of 0.82, 0.78, and 0.84, and a specificity of 0.26, 0.23, and 0.21, for BRD, NCD, and general disease, respectively. This suggests that automated milk feeders may serve as a useful preliminary tool in the detection of diseased calves. For example, producers could use feeding behavior data to identify calves requiring further inspection; however, they should not use feeding behavior data as a sole disease detection method.
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Affiliation(s)
- M H Conboy
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - C B Winder
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - C Medrano-Galarza
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1; Programa de Especialización en Bienestar Animal y Etología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Fundación Universitaria Agraria de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia, Cll170#54a-10
| | - S J LeBlanc
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - D B Haley
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - J H C Costa
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40508
| | - M A Steele
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - D L Renaud
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1.
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21
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Brown WE, Bradford BJ. Invited review: Mechanisms of hypophagia during disease. J Dairy Sci 2021; 104:9418-9436. [PMID: 34099296 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-20217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Suppression of appetite, or hypophagia, is among the most recognizable effects of disease in livestock, with the potential to impair growth, reproduction, and lactation. The continued evolution of the field of immunology has led to a greater understanding of the immune and endocrine signaling networks underlying this conserved response to disease. Inflammatory mediators, especially including the cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β, are likely pivotal to disease-induced hypophagia, based on findings in both rodents and cattle. However, the specific mechanisms linking a cytokine surge to decreased feeding behavior are more difficult to pin down and likely include direct effects on appetite centers in the brain, alteration of gastric motility, and modulation of other endocrine factors that influence appetite and satiety. These insights into the mechanisms for disease-induced hypophagia have great relevance for management of neonatal calves, mature cows transitioning to lactation, and cows experiencing mastitis; however, it is not necessarily the case that increasing feed intake by any means possible will improve health outcomes for diseased cattle. We explore conflicting effects of hypophagia on immune responses, which may be impaired by the lack of specific substrates, versus apparent benefits for controlling the growth of some pathogens. Anti-inflammatory strategies have shown promise for promoting recovery of feed intake following some conditions but not others. Finally, we explore the potential for early disease detection through automated monitoring of feeding behavior and consider which strategies may be implemented to respond to early hypophagia.
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Affiliation(s)
- W E Brown
- Department of Animal Sciences & Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan 66506
| | - B J Bradford
- Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824.
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22
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Tschoner T. Methods for Pain Assessment in Calves and Their Use for the Evaluation of Pain during Different Procedures-A Review. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:1235. [PMID: 33922942 PMCID: PMC8146443 DOI: 10.3390/ani11051235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The evaluation and assessment of the level of pain calves are experiencing is important, as the experience of pain (e.g., due to routine husbandry procedures) severely affects the welfare of calves. Studies about the recognition of pain in calves, and especially pain management during and after common procedures, such as castration, dehorning, and disbudding, have been published. This narrative review discusses and summarizes the existing literature about methods for pain assessment in calves. First, it deals with the definition of pain and the challenges associated with the recognition of pain in calves. Then it proceeds to outline the different options and methods for subjective and objective pain assessment in calves, as described in the literature. Research data show that there are several tools suitable for the assessment of pain in calves, at least for research purposes. Finally, it concludes that for research purposes, various variables for the assessment of pain in calves are used in combination. However, there is no variable which can be used solely for the exclusive assessment of pain in calves. Also, further research is needed to describe biomarkers or variables which are easily accessible in the field practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Tschoner
- Clinic for Ruminants with Ambulatory and Herd Health Services, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Sonnenstrasse 16, 85764 Oberschleissheim, Germany
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23
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Morrison J, Renaud DL, Churchill KJ, Costa JHC, Steele MA, Winder CB. Predicting morbidity and mortality using automated milk feeders: A scoping review. J Dairy Sci 2021; 104:7177-7194. [PMID: 33741152 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2020-19645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Automated milk feeders (AMF) are computerized systems that provide producers with a tool that can be used to more efficiently raise dairy calves and allow for easier implementation of a high plane of nutrition during the milk feeding phase. Automated milk feeders also have the ability to track individualized behavioral data, such as milk consumption, drinking speed, and the number of rewarded and unrewarded visits to the feeder, that could potentially be used to predict disease development. The objective of this scoping review was to characterize the body of literature investigating the use of AMF data to predict morbidity and mortality in dairy calves during the preweaning stage. This review lists the parameters that have been examined for associations with disease in calves and identify discrepancies found in the literature. Five databases and relevant conference proceedings were searched. Eligible studies focused on the use of behavioral parameters measured by AMF to predict morbidity or mortality in preweaned dairy calves. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts from 6,675 records identified during the literature search. After title and abstract screening, 382 studies were included and then assessed at the full-text level. Of these, 56 studies fed calves using an AMF and provided some measure of morbidity or mortality. Thirteen examined AMF parameters for associations with morbidity or mortality. The studies were completed in North America (n = 6), Europe (n = 6), and New Zealand (n = 1). The studies varied in sample size, ranging from 30 to 1,052 calves with a median of 100 calves. All 13 studies included enteric disease as an outcome and 11 studies evaluated respiratory disease. Of the studies measuring enteric disease, 8 provided disease definitions (n = 8/13, 61.2%); however, for respiratory disease, only 5 provided a disease definition (n = 5/11, 45.5%). Disease definitions and thresholds varied greatly between studies, with 10 using some form of health scoring. When evaluating feeding metrics as indicators of disease, all 13 studies investigated milk consumption and 6 and 7 studies investigated drinking speed and number of rewarded and unrewarded visits, respectively. Overall, this scoping review identified that daily milk consumption, drinking speed, and rewarded and unrewarded visits may provide insight into early disease detection in preweaned dairy calves. However, the disparity in reporting of study designs and results between included studies made comparisons challenging. In addition, to aid with the interpretation of studies, standardized disease outcomes should be used to improve the utility of this primary research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jannelle Morrison
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - David L Renaud
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Kathryn J Churchill
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Joao H C Costa
- Department of Animal and Food Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40506
| | - Michael A Steele
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Animal Science and Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 1Y2
| | - Charlotte B Winder
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1.
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Construction of a conceptual framework for assessment of health-related quality of life in calves with respiratory disease. Animal 2021; 15:100191. [PMID: 33640293 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2021.100191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is one of the most prevalent diseases affecting beef and dairy calves worldwide, with implications for lifetime productivity, antimicrobial use and animal welfare. Our objective was to construct a conceptual framework for assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQL) in calves with respiratory disease, based on indicators suitable for direct pen-side visual observation. Health-related quality of life measures aim to evaluate the subjective experience of the animal rather than any related pathology. A conceptual framework graphically represents the concepts to be measured and the potential relationships between them. A multistage, mixed method approach involving diverse data sources, collection methods and stakeholders was applied to promote comprehensiveness, understanding and validity of findings. A scoping review was conducted to identify, characterize and collate evidence of behavioural indicators of BRD. The indicators identified were mapped against the principal attributes of five prominent animal welfare assessment frameworks to appraise their correspondence with different characterizations of the dimensions of welfare. Forty-two semi-structured, individual, qualitative interviews with a purposeful sample of experienced veterinarians and stockpersons from UK, USA and Canada elicited in-depth descriptions of the visual observations of HRQL they make in diagnosing and assessing the response to treatment of calves with BRD. Verbatim interview transcripts were examined using inductive thematic analysis. Respondents provided insights and understanding of indicators of HRQL in BRD such as interaction with feed source, hair coat condition, specific characteristics of eye appearance, eye contact, rumen fill and stretching (pandiculation). In an on-farm pilot study to assess the value of potential HRQL behavioural indicators, there was a moderate positive correlation between behaviour and clinical scores (rs = 0.59) across the 5 days preceding veterinary treatment for BRD. Interestingly, the behaviours evaluated were observed a median of 1.0 (interquartile range: 1.0-3.5) days before clinical indicators used in the scoring system. The proposed conceptual framework for assessment of HRQL features 23 putative indicators of HRQL distributed across two interrelated domains - clinical signs and behavioural expressions of emotional well-being. It has potential applications to inform the development of new HRQL measures such as structured questionnaires and automated sensor technologies.
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Effect of milk allowance on the suitability of automated behavioural and physiological measures as early disease indicators in calves. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2020.105202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Duthie CA, Bowen JM, Bell DJ, Miller GA, Mason C, Haskell MJ. Feeding behaviour and activity as early indicators of disease in pre-weaned dairy calves. Animal 2020; 15:100150. [PMID: 33573932 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2020.100150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Across the industry, there is large variation in health status of dairy calves and as a result, disease incidence and antibiotic use is high. This has significant implications for animal welfare, productivity and profitability of dairy and dairy-beef production systems. Technology-based early detection systems could alleviate these issues; however, methods of early detection of disease in dairy calves have not been widely explored. This study aimed to determine whether changes in activity and feeding behaviour can be used as early warning indicators of respiratory disease in calves. In total, 100 pre-weaned male Holstein calves (age: ~8-42 days) were used. Calves were group-housed and provided with starter diet, straw bedding and ad libitum water. Calves were fed milk replacer ad libitum through an automatic calf feeder, and each calf was fitted with a leg-mounted activity monitor. Daily activity and feeding behaviour variables were calculated for each calf. Each calf was assessed daily using a modified version of the Wisconsin Scoring System to assess respiratory disease status. Calves were classed as 'Diseased', 'Intermediate' or 'Healthy' based on their cumulative health score. The peak day of the most extreme illness event was identified for each calf. Data from Diseased and Healthy calves were paired for analysis based on age and BW. Data were compared for the day of peak illness, and for the 3 days previous and post. Compared to healthy calves, diseased calves lay for longer and tended to have longer lying bouts (daily lying: 17.6 ± 0.3 vs 16.7 ± 0.2 h, P < 0.01; bout length: 74.8 ± 10.6 vs 56.0 ± 3.7 min, P = 0.09 for diseased and healthy calves, respectively). Diseased calves fed for a shorter time and had fewer feeder visits (with intake) each day compared to healthy calves (feeding time (min): 19.3 ± 1.4 vs 22.8 ± 1.5; P < 0.05; visits: 2.1 ± 0.2 vs 3.2 ± 0.4; P < 0.05). Importantly, differences between diseased and healthy calves were evident in both activity and feeding behaviour on the days prior to the peak day of disease. Lying bout length was greater in diseased calves for the 2 days prior to the peak day (P < 0.05), lying time was longer on day -1 (P < 0.05) and feeder visits with milk intake were less frequent on day -3 (P < 0.05). Thus, measurement of feeding and activity using precision technology within early detection systems could facilitate early intervention and optimized treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- C-A Duthie
- Beef and Sheep Research Centre, Department of Agriculture, Horticulture and Engineering Sciences, SRUC, Kings Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK.
| | - J M Bowen
- Beef and Sheep Research Centre, Department of Agriculture, Horticulture and Engineering Sciences, SRUC, Kings Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
| | - D J Bell
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare Team, Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, SRUC, Kings Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
| | - G A Miller
- Beef and Sheep Research Centre, Department of Agriculture, Horticulture and Engineering Sciences, SRUC, Kings Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
| | - C Mason
- SRUC Veterinary Services, SRUC, Kings Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
| | - M J Haskell
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare Team, Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, SRUC, Kings Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
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Costa JHC, Cantor MC, Neave HW. Symposium review: Precision technologies for dairy calves and management applications. J Dairy Sci 2020; 104:1203-1219. [PMID: 32713704 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2019-17885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
There is an increasing interest in using precision dairy technologies (PDT) to monitor real-time animal behavior and physiology in livestock systems around the world. Although PDT in adult cattle is extensively reviewed, PDT use for the management of preweaned dairy calves has not been reviewed. We systematically reviewed research on the use and application of precision technologies in calves. Accelerometers have the potential to be used to monitor lying behavior, step activity, and rumination, which are useful to detect changes in behavior that may be indicative of disease, responses to painful procedures, or positive welfare behaviors such as play. Automated calf feeding systems can control delivery of nutritional plans to individualize feeding and weaning of calves; changes in feeding behaviors (such as milk intake, drinking speed, and unrewarded visits) may also be used to identify early onset of disease. The PDT devices also measure physiological and physical attributes in dairy calves. For instance, temperature monitoring devices such as infrared thermography, ruminal boluses, and implanted microchips have been assessed in calves, but no herd management-based commercial system is available. Many other PDT are in development with potential to be used in dairy calf management, such as image and acoustic-based monitoring, real-time location, and use of enrichment items for monitoring positive emotional states. We conclude that PDT have great potential for application in dairy calf management, enabling precise behavioral and physiological monitoring, targeted feeding programs, and identification of calves with poor health or behavioral impairments. We strongly encourage further development and validation of commercially available technologies for on-farm application of the monitoring of dairy calf welfare, performance, and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joao H C Costa
- Dairy Science Program, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40546.
| | - Melissa C Cantor
- Dairy Science Program, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40546
| | - Heather W Neave
- AgResearch Ltd., Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton, New Zealand 3214
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Buczinski S, Pardon B. Bovine Respiratory Disease Diagnosis: What Progress Has Been Made in Clinical Diagnosis? Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract 2020; 36:399-423. [PMID: 32451033 DOI: 10.1016/j.cvfa.2020.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) complex is a worldwide health problem in cattle and is a major reason for antimicrobial use in young cattle. Several challenges may explain why it is difficult to make progress in the management of this disease. This article defines the limitation of BRD complex nomenclature, which may not easily distinguish upper versus lower respiratory tract infection and infectious bronchopneumonia versus other types of respiratory diseases. It then discusses the obstacles to clinical diagnosis and reviews the current knowledge of readily available diagnostic test to reach a diagnosis of infectious bronchopneumonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Buczinski
- Département des Sciences Cliniques, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, 3200 Rue Sicotte, St-Hyacinthe, Québec J2S 2M2, Canada.
| | - Bart Pardon
- Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, Merelbeke 9820, Belgium
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29
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Swartz TH, Schramm HH, Petersson-Wolfe CS. Short Communication: Association between neonatal calf diarrhea and lying behaviors. Vet Anim Sci 2020; 9:100111. [PMID: 32734112 PMCID: PMC7386648 DOI: 10.1016/j.vas.2020.100111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the association of neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD) with step activity and lying behaviors in pre-weaned dairy calves. Calves were housed in individual hutches for the first 6 days of life, and then moved into a group pen. On the day of birth, calves (n = 30) were fitted with an accelerometer, and step activity and lying behaviors were recorded. Calves were assigned a fecal score (FS) twice daily using a 0 to 3 scale, and were diagnosed with NCD (n = 10) when the score was a 3. To ensure the only association noted was due to NCD, calves that had any other health complications were excluded from analyses (n = 1). Calves with NCD were pair matched by age, breed, and birthdate to a healthy calf. Day 0 was designated as the date of NCD diagnosis. Calves with NCD spent less time lying (P < 0.05) and displayed more lying bouts (P < 0.05) of a shorter duration (P < 0.01) than healthy calves. Specifically, calves with NCD displayed more lying bouts on days -7 (P < 0.05), -6 (P < 0.01), -5 (P < 0.01), -4 (P < 0.01), and -3 (P < 0.05). Similarly, lying bout duration was shorter for calves with NCD on days -6 (P < 0.05), -5 (P < 0.05), -4 (P < 0.01), and -3 (P < 0.01). Additional research is needed to examine if these tools can be used to identify diseased calves prospectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Turner H Swartz
- Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824
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30
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Belaid M, Rodríguez-Prado M, Rodríguez-Prado D, Chevaux E, Calsamiglia S. Using behavior as an early predictor of sickness in veal calves. J Dairy Sci 2020; 103:1874-1883. [DOI: 10.3168/jds.2019-16887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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31
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Größbacher V, Bučková K, Lawrence AB, Špinka M, Winckler C. Discriminating spontaneous locomotor play of dairy calves using accelerometers. J Dairy Sci 2020; 103:1866-1873. [PMID: 31759611 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2019-17005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Play behavior is a promising welfare indicator in dairy calves because it decreases in negative situations such as pain or hunger and increases in positive contexts such as in appropriate social environments. Directly measuring play is time consuming because it is performed in irregular bouts and can be inconsistent over days. To facilitate automatic recording of play, previous studies fitted triaxial accelerometers to the hind legs of calves and measured the velocity of movements in large arenas; high correlations were reported between vertical axis peak duration and the duration of locomotor play. The current study aimed to validate accelerometers for recording spontaneous locomotor play in calves' home pens over longer periods. Data were collected from 48 Holstein Friesian calves, housed in groups of 3 in pens of 10 m2, at either 4 or 8 wk of age. Acceleration at the vertical axis of the hind leg was recorded at a rate of 1 Hz. One active time period for each calf was randomly selected (mean duration ± standard deviation = 34 ± 9 min). From video of the corresponding time period, the frequency of locomotor play events, consisting of run, turn, and buck/buck-kick, was recorded using behavior sampling. Combined counts of play events were highly correlated (Pearson r = 0.91) with counts of acceleration peaks. However, for calves with higher levels of locomotor play, this method underestimated the extent of play. Alternatively, run, turn, and buck events obtained from video were transformed by creating intervals of 10 s and then classifying each 10-s interval as comprising events of play ("play") or not comprising events of play ("no play"). The corresponding accelerometer data for all 10-s periods, equaling 10 consecutive readings each, were classified into play or no play by using quadratic discriminant analysis; 79% of periods with locomotor play were correctly classified. Counts of observed play intervals correlated with the counts of play periods from accelerometers (r = 0.87), but the discriminant analysis consistently overestimated play. In conclusion, accelerometer measurements at 1 Hz (in 1-s intervals) and at the vertical axis cannot be used alone to exactly quantify absolute levels of locomotor play in the home pen. However, counts of peak accelerations can provide a rough estimate of inter-individual differences in play events, and discriminant analysis can be used as a proxy for one-zero sampling of inter-individual differences in locomotor play.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Größbacher
- Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1180 Vienna, Austria.
| | - K Bučková
- Department of Ethology and Companion Animal Science, Czech University of Life Sciences, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic; Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, 104 00 Praha Uhříněves, Czech Republic
| | - A B Lawrence
- Animal and Veterinary Sciences Research Group, SRUC (Scotland's Rural College), Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, United Kingdom
| | - M Špinka
- Department of Ethology and Companion Animal Science, Czech University of Life Sciences, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic; Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, 104 00 Praha Uhříněves, Czech Republic
| | - C Winckler
- Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1180 Vienna, Austria
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The Use of an Activity Monitoring System for the Early Detection of Health Disorders in Young Bulls. Animals (Basel) 2019; 9:ani9110924. [PMID: 31694292 PMCID: PMC6912257 DOI: 10.3390/ani9110924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2019] [Revised: 11/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In large intensive beef production systems, the identification of sick animals is difficult. We hypothesized that sick bulls would change daily activities when sick. Thus, the use of activity monitoring devices might allow for the early identification of sick bulls. The device used measured steps counts, lying time, lying bouts, and frequency and time at the feed bunk. Sick bulls started to behave differently from healthy bulls at least 10 days before the appearance of clinical signs. The prediction model identified bulls at risk of becoming sick 9 days before the visual diagnostic based on the time attending to the feed bunk, the time lying, and the frequency of lying bouts. The validation indicated that the prediction resulted in 50% false positives and 7% false negatives. Activity monitoring systems may be useful tools to identify bulls at risk of becoming sick. Abstract Bulls (n = 770, average age = 127 days, SD = 53 days of age) were fitted with an activity monitoring device for three months to study if behavior could be used for early detection of diseases. The device measured the number of steps, lying time, lying bouts, and frequency and time of attendance at the feed bunk. All healthy bulls (n = 699) throughout the trial were used to describe the normal behavior. A match-pair test was used to assign healthy bulls for the comparison vs. sick bulls. The model was developed with 70% of the data, and the remaining 30% was used for the validation. Healthy bulls did 2422 ± 128 steps/day, had 28 ± 1 lying bouts/day, spent 889 ± 12 min/day lying, and attended the feed bunk 8 ± 0.2 times/d for a total of 95 ± 8 min/day. From the total of bulls enrolled in the study, 71 (9.2%) were diagnosed sick. Their activities changed at least 10 days before the clinical signs of disease. Bulls at risk of becoming sick were predicted 9 days before clinical signs with a sensitivity and specificity of 79% and 81%, respectively. The validation of the model resulted in a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 92%, 42%, and 82 %, respectively, and a 50% false positive and 12.5% false negative rates. Results suggest that activity-monitoring systems may be useful in the early identification of sick bulls. However, the high false positive rate may require further refinement.
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Lowe GL, Sutherland MA, Waas JR, Schaefer AL, Cox NR, Stewart M. Physiological and behavioral responses as indicators for early disease detection in dairy calves. J Dairy Sci 2019; 102:5389-5402. [PMID: 31005326 PMCID: PMC7094567 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2018-15701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated physiological and behavioral responses associated with the onset of neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD) in calves experimentally infected with rotavirus and assessed the suitability of these responses as early disease indicators. The suitability of infrared thermography (IRT) as a noninvasive, automated method for early disease detection was also assessed. Forty-three calves either (1) were experimentally infected with rotavirus (n = 20) or (2) acted as uninfected controls (n = 23). Health checks were conducted on a daily basis to identify when calves presented overt clinical signs of disease. In addition, fecal samples were collected to verify NCD as the cause of illness. Feeding behavior was recorded continuously as calves fed from an automated calf feeder, and IRT temperatures were recorded once per day across 5 anatomical locations using a hand-held IRT camera. Lying behavior was recorded continuously using accelerometers. Drinking behavior at the water trough was filmed continuously to determine the number and duration of visits. Respiration rate was recorded once per day by observing flank movements. The effectiveness of inoculating calves with rotavirus was limited because not all calves in the infected group contracted the virus; further, an unexpected outbreak of Salmonella during the trial led to all calves developing NCD, including those in the healthy control group. Therefore, treatment was ignored and instead each calf was analyzed as its own control, with data analyzed with respect to when each calf displayed clinical signs of disease regardless of the causative pathogen. Milk consumption decreased before clinical signs of disease appeared. The IRT temperatures were also found to change before clinical signs of disease appeared, with a decrease in shoulder temperature and an increase in side temperature. There were no changes in respiration rate or lying time before clinical signs of disease appeared. However, the number of lying bouts decreased and lying bout duration increased before and following clinical signs of disease. There was no change in the number of visits to the water trough, but visit duration increased before clinical signs of disease appeared. Results indicate that milk consumption, IRT temperatures of the side and shoulder, number and duration of lying bouts, and duration of time spent at the water trough show potential as suitable early indicators of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- G L Lowe
- InterAg, Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton 3214, New Zealand; School of Science, The University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand.
| | - M A Sutherland
- AgResearch Ltd., Ruakura Research Centre, Private Bag 3115, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
| | - J R Waas
- School of Science, The University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
| | - A L Schaefer
- Animal Inframetrics, Box 5451, Lacombe, Alberta, T4L 1X2, Canada
| | - N R Cox
- NeilStat Ltd., 9 Ngaere Ave., Hamilton 3210, New Zealand
| | - M Stewart
- InterAg, Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton 3214, New Zealand
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Oliveira Júnior B, Silper B, Ribas M, Machado F, Lima J, Cavalcanti L, Coelho S. Short communication: Tick-borne disease is associated with changes in feeding behavior in automatically fed weaned dairy calves. J Dairy Sci 2018; 101:11256-11261. [DOI: 10.3168/jds.2018-14637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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35
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Sutherland MA, Lowe GL, Huddart FJ, Waas JR, Stewart M. Measurement of dairy calf behavior prior to onset of clinical disease and in response to disbudding using automated calf feeders and accelerometers. J Dairy Sci 2018; 101:8208-8216. [PMID: 29908799 PMCID: PMC7094384 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2017-14207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We determined if feeding and lying behavior, recorded by automatic calf feeding systems (ACFS) and accelerometers, could be used to detect changes in behavior before onset of neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD) or in response to disbudding pain in dairy calves. At 4 d of age, 112 calves had accelerometers attached to their hind leg and were housed in pens with ACFS. Calves were examined daily for signs of illness or injury. Of the 112 calves monitored, 18 were diagnosed with NCD; activities of calves with NCD were then compared with those of 18 healthy controls (calves that had no symptoms of NCD, other illnesses, or injury). Feeding (milk consumption and the number of rewarded and unrewarded visits to the feeder) and lying behavior during the 5 d leading up to calves displaying clinical signs of NCD were analyzed. Calves with NCD performed fewer unrewarded visits and consumed less milk than healthy calves during the 2- and 4-d periods before diagnosis with NCD, respectively. Calves with NCD tended to perform fewer lying bouts than healthy calves over the 5-d period before diagnosis with NCD. At 3 wk of age, a subset of 51 healthy calves were allocated to 1 of 5 treatment groups: (1) sham handling (SHAM, n = 10), (2) cautery disbudding (DB, n = 11), (3) administration of local anesthetic (LA) and DB (LA+DB, n = 11), 4) administration of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and DB (NSAID+DB, n = 9), and (5) administration of LA, NSAID and DB (LA+NSAID+DB, n = 10). Feeding and lying behavior were recorded continuously for 24 h pre- and postdisbudding. We found no effect of treatment on the number of rewarded or unrewarded visits to the feeder and milk volume consumed 24 h before administration of treatments. During the 24-h postdisbudding period, SHAM calves performed more unrewarded visits than DB, LA+DB, and NSAID+DB calves, but the number of unrewarded visits did not differ between SHAM and LA+NSAID+DB calves. During the first hour of the posttreatment period we noted a difference in lying times among treatments, with DB and NSAID+DB calves spending less time lying than SHAM calves and lying times being similar between SHAM, LA+DB, and LA+NSAID+DB calves. The ACFS and accelerometers have the potential to automatically gather valuable information regarding health status and pain in calves. Therefore, it may be advantageous to combine both of these measures (ACFS and accelerometers) when evaluating NCD on farm or pain in calves in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Sutherland
- AgResearch Ltd., Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton 3214, New Zealand.
| | - G L Lowe
- AgResearch Ltd., Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton 3214, New Zealand
| | - F J Huddart
- AgResearch Ltd., Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton 3214, New Zealand
| | - J R Waas
- School of Science, The University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - M Stewart
- AgResearch Ltd., Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton 3214, New Zealand
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