Short communication: Survival of replacement kids from birth to mating on commercial dairy goat farms in New Zealand

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of Australian dairy goat farmers towards the control of gastrointestinal parasites

BACKGROUND

Gastrointestinal parasites such as nematodes and coccidia are responsible for significant economic losses in the goat industry globally. An indiscriminate use of antiparasitic drugs, primarily registered for use in sheep and cattle, in goats has resulted in drug-resistant gastrointestinal parasites. Very little is known about the gastrointestinal parasite control practices used by Australian dairy goat farmers that are pivotal for achieving sustainable control of economically important parasites. The study reported here provides insights into gastrointestinal parasite control practices of Australian dairy goat farmers based on responses to an online survey.

METHODS

The questionnaire comprised 58 questions on farm demography, husbandry and grazing management, knowledge of gastrointestinal parasites and their importance in dairy goats, diagnosis of infections, antiparasitic drugs and alternate control options. After a pilot survey (n = 15 respondents), a link to the questionnaire was available to all (n = 456) registered members of the Dairy Goat Society of Australia Ltd from 17 April to 16 June 2023. Multiple correspondence analyses (MCA) were performed to explore the association between selected parasite control practices.

RESULTS

A total of 66 (14%) respondents completed the questionnaire. Of these, 74% (49/66) observed parasite-related illnesses in their goats; two-thirds of them assessed worms burden using faecal egg counts (FECs), with 26% (39/149) deworming their goats based on the results of the FECs. Most respondents (97%; 183/188) perceived that gastrointestinal parasites caused production losses and ranked Haemonchus contortus as the most important parasite. Anitparasitic drugs were used by 94% (62/66) of respondents, with the most frequently used anthelmintics being a commercial combination of four anthelmintics (levamisole, closantel, albendazole and abamectin), benzimidazoles and macrocyclic lactones. Most respondents (77%; 51/66) were unaware of anthelmintic resistance on their property. MCA results delineated two clusters of gastrointestinal parasites management.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides insights into the demography of Australian dairy goat farms, the husbandry and grazing practices used by dairy goat farmers, their knowledge regarding gastrointestinal parasites and their practices for internal parasite control, thereby paving the way for tackling drug resistance in gastrointestinal parasites in dairy goats.

Development of a Parturition Detection System for Korean Native Black Goats

Korean Native Black Goats deliver mainly during the cold season. However, in winter, there is a high risk of stunted growth and mortality for their newborns. Therefore, we conducted this study to develop a KNBG parturition detection system that detects and provides managers with early notification of the signs of parturition. The KNBG parturition detection system consists of triaxial accelerometers, gateways, a server, and parturition detection alarm terminals. Then, two different data, the labor and non-labor data, were acquired and a Decision Tree algorithm was used to classify them. After classifying the labor and non-labor states, the sum of the labor status data was multiplied by the activity count value to enhance the classification accuracy. Finally, the Labor Pain Index (LPI) was derived. Based on the LPI, the optimal processing time window was determined to be 10 min, and the threshold value for labor classification was determined to be 14 240.92. The parturition detection rate was 82.4%, with 14 out of 17 parturitions successfully detected, and the average parturition detection time was 90.6 min before the actual parturition time of the first kid. The KNBG parturition detection system is expected to reduce the risk of stunted growth and mortality due to hypothermia in KNBG kids by detecting parturition 90.6 min before the parturition of the first kid, with a success rate of 82.4%, enabling parturition nursing.

Successful transfer of passive immunity: the natural alternative to antibiotics for boosting the survival of intensively reared dairy goat kids

In dairy operations, antibiotics have traditionally been used to treat, prevent, and control diseases. However, given the mounting global crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), farmers are urged to re-assess and reduce their reliance on antibiotics. Thus, this randomized, double-blinded cohort study aimed to estimate the prevalence of failed and successful transfer of passive immunity (FTPI and STPI) in dairy goat kids reared under commercial conditions, and the effects of antibiotic metaphylaxis on the pre-weaning (≤42 d old) mortality in FTPI and STPI kids. Plasma concentration of immunoglobulin G at 1d old (pIgG-24 h) was measured in 747 male Saanen kids for the determination of FTPI and STPI (pIgG-24 h < 12 and ≥12 g/L, respectively). Kids were then randomly divided into two groups: those receiving a single penicillin injection at 1 d old (PEN), and those receiving no treatment (CTR). The mean (±SD) pIgG-24 h and initial BW (IBW) were 17 ± 9.8 g/L and 4.1 ± 0.64 kg. The prevalence of FTPI was 29% (220/747 kids). Gastrointestinal complications were the primary cause of death (41%), followed by septicemia (22%) and arthritis (17%). A single penicillin injection reduced preweaning mortality by 55% (10 vs 22%, PEN vs CTR). However, results suggest that such a decline was mainly driven by the improved survival rates among FTPI kids, which increased by 19% (from 62% in CTR-FTPI to 82% in PEN-FTPI), as opposed to an 8% increase among STPI kids (from 85% in CTR-STPI to 93% in PEN-STPI). Additionally, the odds of mortality ≤ 42 d old were threefold higher in the CTR-FTPI group when compared to both the CTR-STPI and PEN-FTPI groups, suggesting a potential parity between STPI and PEN for mortality rate reduction. Taken together, the results indicate that although metaphylactic antibiotics can halve preweaning mortality, similar improvements are likely to be achieved via increased STPI rates. Furthermore, by targeting metaphylactic interventions to high-risk groups (i.e., those displaying signs of inadequate colostrum intake and/or low birth BW), farmers could reduce treatment costs and mitigate AMR risks. While these findings carry considerable weight for commercial dairy goat practices, their applicability to other systems (i.e., extensive, semi-intensive, mohair, meat systems) warrants further investigation.

Evaluation of plasma immunoglobulin G and BW thresholds for predicting preweaning mortality in commercially raised dairy goat kids

The high preweaning mortality rate is a concerning issue for the commercial dairy industry. In this context, early identification of at-risk individuals can be instrumental. To address this, we conducted a prospective cohort study with the objective of evaluating plasma immunoglobulin G concentration (pIgG-24 h) and initial BW (IBW) measured at 1d old in 363 male dairy kids (Saanen) for predicting preweaning mortality under commercial conditions. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to determine critical thresholds for pIgG-24 h and IBW. Subsequently, areas under the curve (AUC), sensitivity (Se), and specificity (Sp) were examined to assess the accuracy of these thresholds. Multivariable regressions were used to model odds ratios (OR) for mortality, controlling for confounding effects between IBW and pIgG-24 h. The mean (±SD) pIgG-24 h and IBW were 16.4 ± 9.37 g/L and 4.0 ± 0.61 kg. Overall mortality ≤ 14d and ≤42d old was 12% and 21%, respectively. Critical pIgG-24 h thresholds predicting mortality ≤ 14 d and ≤42 d old were < 10.1 g/L (AUC = 0.74, Se = 59%, and Sp = 82%) and <11.4 g/L (AUC 0.70, Se = 53%, and Sp = 77%), respectively. Kids with pIgG-24 h < 10.1 g/L were six times more likely to die ≤ 14 d old [OR; 95% CI (6; 3-12)], and kids with pIgG-24 h < 11.4 g/L were four times more likely to die ≤ 42 d old (4; 2-6). The IBW threshold most linked to mortality ≤ 14 d was <3.95 kg (AUC 0.60, Se = 59%, and Sp = 61%). However, this association became inconclusive after adjusting for pIgG-24 h differences. Conversely, an IBW of <3.0 kg was associated with notably higher mortality odds within both 14 and 42 d, irrespective of pIgG-24 h levels (10; 3-37, and 4; 1-20, respectively), suggesting that kids with an IBW < 3.0 kg face an increased likelihood of dying before 42 d, irrespectively of their IgG levels. While our findings suggest pIgG-24 h < 11.4 g/L and IBW < 3.0 kg as strong indicators of early mortality risks in male dairy kids, these results require further validation for other systems.

Dairy goats' management and performance under smallholder farming systems in Eastern Africa: the systematic review and meta-analysis

The systematic review and meta-analysis study was conducted to describe dairy goat management practices among smallholder farmers in Kenya and Tanzania. The study also evaluated the effects of breed and upgrade level (50%, 75% and > 75%) on growth and lactation performances. Google Scholar was used to search for dairy goats' studies followed by an eligibility check. Eligible studies were assessed for risk of bias using RoB 2.0 (Cochrane risk-of-bias in randomised trial) and ROBINS-I (Risk of Bias Assessment in Non-Randomised Studies of Interventions). Smallholder farmers were mainly stall-feeding natural pasture and crop residues to goats with supplementation limited by the high costs of concentrate feeds. Forage cultivation and conservation were limited by the scarcity of land and improved forage planting materials, low technical know-how and high labour demand. Similarly, farmers had limited access to formal market, veterinary and extension services. Prevalence of infectious diseases, antibiotic resistance and pre-weaning kid mortality were high. Nevertheless, there were breed effects (p < 0.05) on pre-weaning growth and weaning weight but not lactation parameters. However, Saanen goats had relatively higher lactation length (252 days) and yield (637 l) than other goat breeds. Daily milk and lactation yields, pre-weaning growth and growth rate (post-weaning) varied significantly among upgrade levels (p < 0.05) and were highest in > 75% level. It was concluded that Saanen goats and > 75% were the best breed and upgrade level for goat milk production in smallholder farms due to high lactation performance. Improving the different managerial aspects of smallholder dairy goat farming is of paramount importance if the dairy goats' performance, farm income, food safety and security are to be improved in Eastern Africa.

Review: Feeding strategies for rearing replacement dairy goats - from birth to kidding

Goat kid rearing is a key profit driver and the cornerstone of future herd productivity in dairy systems. As goat kids get older, and progress from liquid (i.e., colostrum, milk) to solid feed (i.e., concentrate, hay, pasture), there is a reduction not only in feed cost but also in labour cost, disease susceptibility and mortality rates. Hence, research on rearing dairy goats has traditionally focused on improving early neonatal performance. However, recent research reveals that early-life nutrition may have long-term effects, and consequently, impact the lifetime productive performance and health of dairy goats. Therefore, this literature review has collected research on the various aspects of rearing replacement dairy goat kids in different production systems. It summarises research on areas such as colostrum management (i.e., colostrum quality, time, volume and frequency of colostrum feeding), liquid feeding in preweaned kids (i.e., maternal suckling vs artificial, restricted vs unrestricted), weaning strategies (i.e., abrupt vs step-down), and postweaning to postpubertal nutrition in replacement dairy goats, whilst highlighting gaps in the existing literature, and areas where it would be beneficial to refine and validate current recommendations. Such information can be used in the development of management plans to maximise the benefits of early-life nutrition on the long-term productivity of dairy goats.

Rumen and fecal microbiota profiles associated with immunity of young and adult goats

Low immunity at birth increases risk of disease of young livestock, such as goat kids. Microbiomes change as animals mature, and a healthy microbiome is related to decreased risk of disease. The relationship between microbiota profiles and immunity at different developmental stages remains unclear. Young (female, n = 12, 30 d) and adult (female, n = 12, 2 yrs. old) Saanen dairy goats were used to investigate changes in rumen microbiomes, fecal microbiomes, and their correlations to circulating immune factors. Serum IgG (P = 0.02) and IgM (P < 0.01) were higher at 2 years than 30 d of age, but there were no differences in IgA (P = 0.34), IL-2 (P = 0.05), IL-4 (P = 0.37) and IL-6 (P = 0.73) between ages. Amplicon sequencing analysis revealed young goats had a higher diversity of bacterial communities in rumen and lower diversity in feces compared with adult goats. Ten genera in rumen and 14 genera in feces were positively correlated with serum IgM concentration across both ages. Olsenella, Methanosphaera, Quinella, Candidatus_Saccharimonas, and Methanobrevibacter in rumen and Ruminobacter, Treponema, Rikenelaceae_ RC9_ gut_ Group in feces were positively correlated with the concentration of IgG. The correlation analysis using weighted gene co-expression network analysis showed the MEblue module was positively associated with the IgG and IgM. These data provide novel insight into the association between rumen-feces microbiota and immune response. Further experiments are needed to investigate whether inoculating young livestock with immune-related bacteria identified can improve the immune status. Our data suggest a possible strategy to improve the immunity of the kids by alterative microbiota profiles.

Rearing goat kids away from their dams 1. A survey to understand rearing methods

Despite an estimated global goat population of over one billion, little is known about methods being used to feed milk to artificially reared kids (reared away from their dams) and how kids are weaned from these systems. Quantifying and characterising current methods utilised on farms will enable future targeted research to investigate best practice methods for milk feeding and weaning of artificially rearedkids.A recall-based survey that investigated on-farmkid-rearingpractices (focusing on the milk feeding and weaning stages) was distributed via social media, and regional goat organisations across multiple countries. A total of 242 responses from 16 countries were collected and geographically grouped. Responses that could not be grouped sufficiently were removed (nine responses from eight countries). A total of 233 responses from eight countries (United States of America (USA) 72; United Kingdom (UK) 71; Australia 33; Canada 23; New Zealand 20; European Union (EU) 14), were analysed. Most farms (217; 93%) bred their own kids. The most common milk feeding method was bottle feeding, used on 135 farms (57.9%), followed by ad libitum feeding used by 72 (30.9%). A relationship between number of kids reared and feeding system was identified, χ²(3, N = 233) = 89.605,P < 0.001, with farms rearing > 100 kids more likely to feed milk ad libitum. A total of 170 farms (72.9%) were weaned based on a target age and 85 (36.4%) on a target weight, 53 (22.7%) used both and 45 (19.3%) neither. Target weaning ages and weights varied across countries; the median age was 84 days (interquartile range (IQR) 56-84), and the median weight was 16 kg (IQR 15-18). A difference was found between milk feeding systems for weaning method (Χ²(2, N = 232) = 63.797,P≤0.001), with kids most likely to be abruptly weaned from ad libitum systems (or gradually weaned from bottle feeding). Abrupt weaning was used by 67 farms (28.8%), and gradual weaning was used by 165 (71.1%). Gradual weaning strategies included reducing milk quantity (150 farms; 93% of farms providing detail) and diluting milk (six farms; 4%). A total of 169 (72.5%) supplied enrichment that met the survey's definition; items to climb on/hide in were most common, provided by 157 farms (92.8%). Findings suggest differing practices in smaller-scalebottle-fedversuslarger-scalead libitummilksystems, likely reflecting differing system needs.This highlights a requirement for welfare-focused research in kids reared artificiallyin order to identify and communicatebest practices to ensure on-farm welfare is optimised within each system.

A survey of dairy goat kid-rearing practices on Canadian farms and their associations with self-reported farm performance

Although future production of dairy goats is influenced by kid-rearing practices, little is known regarding which practices maximize kid growth, welfare, and future production success. The objectives of this survey study were to (1) identify common rearing practices of Canadian commercial dairy goat farms and evaluate their associations with 6 farm performance indicators and (2) determine if farms could be grouped by management style on the basis of the 6 performance indicators and compare rearing practices common across the different groups. A survey was sent by post or electronic media to reach dairy goat producers across Canada. The questionnaire contained 70 questions on the following areas of kid rearing: kidding management, care of newborn, colostrum management, milk and solid feeding in the preweaning period, health management, disbudding, housing conditions, weaning strategies, record keeping and growth monitoring, and farm performance data. Performance indicators, calculated on self-reported data, were 305-d milk production, preweaning mortality rate, diarrhea and respiratory disease prevalence, average daily gain from birth to weaning, herd milk production, and replacement rate. A total of 175 questionnaires were returned. After applying inclusion criteria, including herd size (≥40 goats) and completeness of surveys, 104 respondents from Ontario (n = 72, 69%), Québec (n = 23, 22%), and the Western provinces (n = 9, 9%) were retained for analysis, representing 29% of all Canadian producers. Farm sizes ranged from 42 to 2,500 (median = 190) goats. A large amount of variation in rearing practices and farm performance was found between farms. Colostrum and milk feeding management were found to be associated with all performance indicators except for kid respiratory disease prevalence, with timing of colostrum delivery and feeding method accounting for most the associations within each of the 2 areas. Replacement rate was mostly affected by whether or not kids were reared with their dam. Herds surveyed in the study could successfully be divided into 3 distinct groups (production-focused, longevity-focused, and low performance), representing different management styles on the basis of farm self-reported performance levels. Rearing practices found to be associated with higher farm performance could be targeted by advisory services to help improve management practices on Canadian dairy goat farms.

Graduate Student Literature Review: Current recommendations and scientific knowledge on dairy goat kid rearing practices in intensive production systems in Canada, the United States, and France

Dairy goat kid rearing is the foundation of future milk production, yet little is known on this topic. References available to producers are limited, making it more difficult for dairy goat farms to reach their full production potential. This review paper aimed to identify the current recommendations on dairy goat kid rearing practices for intensive production systems and to assess whether the different recommendations were based on scientific literature. Recommendations on dairy goat kid rearing practices, from birth to weaning inclusively, were presented and compared between countries under similar intensive production systems, including Canada, the United States, and France. The different areas of rearing investigated included kidding management, colostrum management, liquid and solid feeding, health management, disbudding, housing, weaning, and growth monitoring. Gaps in the literature were identified in all areas except for disbudding. More research on the topic of goat kid raising practices would be beneficial to refine and validate current recommendations.

Cautery Disbudding Iron Application Time and Brain Injury in Goat Kids: A Pilot Study

Cautery disbudding is a painful procedure performed on goat kids to prevent horn growth that may result in brain injury. Thermal damage to the cerebral cortex of the brain and subsequent neurologic disease is a primary concern. Cautery iron application time may affect transmission of heat to the brain; however, research in this area is scarce. Therefore, the objective of this pilot study was to evaluate the effect of iron application time on brain injury of goat kids. A total of six buck and doe kids <9 days of age were obtained from a commercial dairy and transported to an Iowa State University research facility. Kids received a different randomly assigned application time (5, 10, 15, or 20s) on each horn bud. Kids were disbudded using an electric cautery iron (under isoflurane general anesthesia). After a 5-day observation period, the kids were euthanized, and magnetic resonance (MR) images were acquired to evaluate brain injury. Additionally, four of the six kids were presented for gross examination and two kids were selected for histopathologic examination. From the MR images, white matter edema was observed subjacent to four treated areas, representing application times of 5 s (one horn bud), 15 s (one horn bud), and 20 s (two horn buds). With the exception of the horn bud that received 5 s, which had white matter edema restricted to a single gyrus, the remaining three groups had a branching region of edema. No bone abnormalities were identified on any kids. Gross evidence of discoloration and hemorrhage on the cerebral hemispheres was observed on two horn buds that received 20 s, two horn buds that received 15 s, and one horn bud that received 10 s. Microscopic lesions consisting of leptomeningeal and cerebrocortical necrosis were observed in sections of brain from all groups. Lesions were most severe with 20 s. In conclusion, all application times used in this study resulted in some level of brain injury; however, using 15 s or more resulted in more severe and consistent brain injury. These results indicate that extended iron application time may increase the risk of brain injury in cautery disbudded kids.

The Development of a Hoof Conformation Assessment for Use in Dairy Goats

The assessment of hoof conformation is important due to its recognized relationship with the biomechanical functionality of the hoof. Hoof conformation can be assessed using objective measures or subjective scores. However, to date, there are limited data using either method in dairy goats. Therefore, the aims were to (1) develop a reliable method of assessing hoof conformation in dairy goats, and (2) compare two aspects of a subjective assessment against corresponding objective measures as a means of validation. A total of 1035 goats contributed photographs across 16 commercial dairy goat farms. Photographs were taken of the left front and left hind hoof in the lateral and dorsal aspect at five assessments across the goats' first two lactations. Hoof conformation was assessed using five subjective scores (toe length, heel shape, fetlock shape, claw splay, and claw shape) and two objective measures (toe length ratio and claw splay distance). Following the training of two observers, high levels of inter and intra-reliability were achieved for both the subjective scores (>0.8 weighted kappa) and objective measures (>0.8 Lin's concordance correlation coefficient). Two aspects of the subjectively assessed ordinal scores were compared with the objective measures with high levels of accuracy (>0.8). This suggests that the subjective scores may be a suitable alternative to more time-consuming objective measures when assessment is completed using photographs.