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Bajus A, Creutzinger KC, Cantor MC, Wilms JN, Gomez Nieto DE, Steele MA, Kelton DF, Renaud DL. Investigating nutritional strategies during a rest period to improve health, growth, and behavioral outcomes of transported surplus dairy calves. J Dairy Sci 2024; 107:4895-4914. [PMID: 38310959 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-23973] [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: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of feeding surplus dairy calves a milk replacer (MR) or one of 2 different oral rehydration solutions (ORS) during a midtransportation rest period on metabolic and clinical health indicators, growth, and behavioral outcomes after arrival at a calf-raising facility. Surplus dairy calves (n = 128) were transported in 4 cohorts from February to July 2022 for 12 h to a holding facility, rested for 8 h, then transported for an additional 6 h to a calf-raising facility. Upon arrival at the holding facility, calves were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: MR (n = 43), a high-sodium ORS developed for diarrhea (ORS-D; n = 43), or a high-potassium ORS developed for transportation (ORS-T; n = 42). The exact age of calves at transportation was unknown; however, all calves were less than 14 d of age. Calf BW at enrollment was 43.9 ± 5.9 kg, 43.7 ± 6.5 kg, and 45.0 ± 4.5 kg for calves fed MR, ORS-D, and ORS-T, respectively. Calves were fed 2.0 L of their treatment twice, once upon arrival and once before leaving the holding facility. At unloading and reloading at the holding facility, calves were weighed and blood samples were obtained. Calves were also health scored at unloading at the holding facility. After arrival at the calf-raising facility, calves were weighed, health scored, and blood samples were taken. Blood samples were collected at 24 and 48 h and BW was recorded at 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 5 d, 7 d, 14 d, and at 8 wk after arrival at the calf-raising facility. Calves were also health scored daily for 14 d; health scoring included fecal consistency scoring and evaluating the presence or absence of respiratory disease. Lying time, lying bouts, and activity index were measured during transportation and from 3 d relative to transportation using accelerometers. At arrival to the calf-raiser, calves fed ORS-D had higher concentrations of nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) and BHB than calves fed MR. Furthermore, calves fed ORS-T had higher concentrations of BHB at arrival to the calf raiser compared with calves fed MR. In the 14 d after arrival at the calf-raiser, there was evidence that calves fed ORS-T had a higher proportion of days with diarrhea and respiratory disease compared with those fed MR. During transportation, calves fed ORS-T had a lower activity index than calves fed MR, suggesting that ORS-T calves had lower overall activity. In addition, on the day of transportation (d 0), ORS-T and ORS-D calves had a lower activity index than calves fed MR. There were no treatment effects on growth outcomes. The results of this study suggest that feeding MR rather than an ORS during a midtransportation rest period could minimize fat mobilization and can potentially improve diarrhea and respiratory disease but does not affect growth outcomes after arrival at calf-raisers.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Bajus
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 1W2
| | - K C Creutzinger
- Department of Animal and Food Science, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, River Falls, WI 54022
| | - M C Cantor
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 1W2; Department of Animal Science, Pennsylvania State University, College Park, PA 16803
| | - J N Wilms
- Trouw Nutrition R&D, 3800 AG Amersfoort, the Netherlands; Department of Animal Biosciences, Animal Science and Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 1W2
| | - D E Gomez Nieto
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 1W2
| | - M A Steele
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Animal Science and Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 1W2
| | - D F Kelton
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 1W2
| | - D L Renaud
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 1W2.
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Goh N, House J, Rowe S. Retrospective cohort study investigating the relationship between diarrhea during the preweaning period and subsequent survival, health and production in dairy cows. J Dairy Sci 2024:S0022-0302(24)00963-9. [PMID: 38945259 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-24544] [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: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the association between preweaning diarrhea and measures of survival, health and production. The measures of interest included survival (mortality before first calving and time to removal from the herd), health (retained fetal membranes, metritis, mastitis and somatic cell count), and production (305d mature equivalent milk yield and time to first calving). A secondary objective was to investigate if these associations varied according to the age of the calf when the case of diarrhea occurred. Herd records from a farm located in Southern Australia were used to conduct a retrospective cohort study where subjects (calves) with diarrhea were enrolled at the time of their first case along with 2 subjects without diarrhea, matched for age (±3 d) and date of birth (±15 d), amounting to 9833 calves in the data set. Survival analysis was conducted to determine if preweaning diarrhea was associated with death in the short term (first 20 d after enrollment), medium term (21 to 100 d after enrollment) and long-term (101 d after enrollment to first calving). Crude incidence rate ratios, Kaplan-Meier curves and hazard ratios (HR, Cox regression) were derived for each event-based outcome (e.g., death, calving, mastitis). Multivariable linear models were used for continuous outcomes. Calves with preweaning diarrhea had greater mortality rates in the short term (hazard ratio, HR = 2.48, 95% CI: 1.87-3.29) and medium term (HR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.41-2.55) but not in the long term (HR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.79-1.22). A small negative association between preweaning diarrhea and time to first calving was found, with calves with diarrhea calving 4 d later than calves without diarrhea (HR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.91-1.00). Rates of post-calving removal from the herd (death or culling) were higher in calves with a history of preweaning diarrhea (HR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.26), as were peak lactation log somatic cell count (+0.08, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.14). Further research is needed to replicate these novel findings as they are based on exploratory analyses and could be spurious findings. No substantial associations were observed for the other measures of interest. Our study findings support existing research demonstrating the significance of preweaning diarrhea as a significant cause of calf mortality, and raises new hypotheses about other potential impacts during lactation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Goh
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camden, New South Wales 2570, Australia
| | - John House
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camden, New South Wales 2570, Australia
| | - Sam Rowe
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camden, New South Wales 2570, Australia.
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3
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Pereira JMV, Ferreira FC, Carvalho PHV, Bittar J, Del-Rio NS, Marcondes MI. Association of morbidity, mortality, and average daily gain with transfer of passive immunity in dairy-beef crossbred calves up to 60 d of life. J Dairy Sci 2024:S0022-0302(24)00841-5. [PMID: 38825104 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-24557] [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: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Adequate transfer of passive immunity (TPI) is a cornerstone for a proper health status of calves. In the literature, there is limited information on the prevalence of failure of TPI in dairy-beef crossbred calves and its impact on morbidity, mortality, and average daily gain (ADG) during the preweaning period. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the association between TPI with morbidity, mortality, and ADG in pre-weaned dairy-beef crossbred calves. A total of 1,055 newborn dairy-beef crossbred calves were enrolled upon arrival at a calf-raising facility in California from January to August 2021. Farm of origin, genetic breed group, sex, and body weight were recorded upon arrival. Blood was collected at 24 ± 1 h post-arrival to evaluate serum IgG concentration, serum total protein (TP), and packed cell volume. Morbidity (diarrhea and respiratory treatment records) and mortality were recorded daily until 60 d of life. Calves were grouped into 2 genetic breed groups: Holstein x Beef (Ho x Be, 49.6%) and Jersey × Beef crossbred calves (Je × Be, 50.4%). Descriptive statistics and Cox proportional hazard models were created to evaluate the association of TPI categories for serum IgG (TPI-IgG: poor: < 10.0 g/L, fair: 10.0 - 17.9 g/L, good: 18.0 - 24.9 g/L, and excellent: ≥ 25.0 g/L) and TP (TPI-TP: poor: < 5.1 g/dL, fair: 5.1 - 5.7 g/dL, good: 5.8 - 6.1 g/dL, and excellent: ≥ 6.2 g/dL), sex, and genetic breed group with morbidity and mortality. Additionally, a mixed linear regression was performed to evaluate the association of sex, genetic breed group, and TPI categories with ADG. Overall morbidity and mortality were 84.8% (n = 895) and 2.5% (n = 26). Calves classified as TPI-IgG excellent were associated with the lowest (43.2% less) hazard of being treated compared with TPI-IgG poor calves. For mortality, dairy-beef crossbred calves with TPI-IgG excellent were associated with a reduction of 82.0% in the hazard of dying compared with TPI-IgG poor. The TPI-IgG poor and TPI-IgG fair calves were associated with a decreased ADG of 101.0 and 98.8 g/d, respectively, in comparison with TPI-IgG good calves. Average daily gain of TPI-IgG good and TPI-IgG excellent calves were not different. In our study, dairy-beef crossbred calves enrolled may have endured challenging conditions that increased morbidity. This reinforces the importance of high IgG levels to decrease morbidity and mortality and maximize ADG in dairy-beef crossbred calves raising systems. Further research should evaluate the long-term effects of TPI categories on the health and performance of dairy-beef crossbred calves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M V Pereira
- Department of Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA, 05401; Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Vicosa, Vicosa, MG, BR, 36570-900
| | - Fernanda C Ferreira
- Clean Air Task Force, Atlanta, GA, USA, 3002; Veterinary Medicine Teaching and Research Center, Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine. University of California Davis, Tulare, CA, USA, 93274
| | - Pedro H V Carvalho
- Department of Animal Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80521
| | - Joao Bittar
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA, 32611
| | - Noelia Silva Del-Rio
- Veterinary Medicine Teaching and Research Center, Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine. University of California Davis, Tulare, CA, USA, 93274
| | - Marcos I Marcondes
- Departament of Animal Science, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA, 99163.
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Cantor MC, Welk AA, Creutzinger KC, Woodrum Setser MM, Costa JHC, Renaud DL. The development and validation of a milk feeding behavior alert from automated feeder data to classify calves at risk for a diarrhea bout: A diagnostic accuracy study. J Dairy Sci 2024; 107:3140-3156. [PMID: 37949402 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-23635] [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: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this diagnostic accuracy study was to develop and validate an alert to identify calves at risk for a diarrhea bout using milk feeding behavior data (behavior) from automated milk feeders (AMF). We enrolled Holstein calves (n = 259) as a convenience sample size from 2 facilities that were health scored daily preweaning and offered either 10 or 15 L/d of milk replacer. For alert development, 132 calves were enrolled and the ability of milk intake, drinking speed, and rewarded visits collected from AMF to identify calves at risk for diarrhea was tested. Alerts that had high diagnostic accuracy in the alert development phase were validated using a holdout validation strategy of 127 different calves from the same facilities (all offered 15 L/d) for -3 to 1 d relative to diarrhea diagnosis. We enrolled calves that were either healthy or had a first diarrheal bout (loose feces ≥2 d or watery feces ≥1 d). Relative change and rolling dividends for each milk feeding behavior were calculated for each calf from the previous 2 d. Logistic regression models and receiver operator curves (ROC) were used to assess the diagnostic ability for relative change and rolling dividends behavior relative to alert d) to classify calves at risk for a diarrhea bout from -2 to 0 d relative to diagnosis. To maximize sensitivity (Se), alert thresholds were based on ROC optimal classification cutoff. Diagnostic accuracy was met when the alert had a moderate area under the ROC curve (≥0.70), high accuracy (Acc; ≥0.80), high Se (≥0.80), and very high precision (Pre; ≥0.85). For alert development, deviations in rolling dividend milk intake with drinking speed had the best performance (10 L/d: ROC area under the curve [AUC] = 0.79, threshold ≤0.70; 15 L/d: ROC AUC = 0.82, threshold ≤0.60). Our diagnostic criteria were only met in calves offered 15 L/d (10 L/d: Se 75%, Acc 72%, Pre 92%, specificity [Sp] 55% vs. 15 L/d: Se 91%, Acc 91%, Pre 89%, Sp 73%). For holdout validation, rolling dividend milk intake with drinking speed met diagnostic criteria for one facility (threshold ≤0.60, Se 86%, Acc 82%, Pre 94%, Sp 50%). However, no milk feeding behavior alerts met diagnostic criteria for the second facility due to poor Se (relative change milk intake -0.36 threshold, Se 71%, Acc 70%, and Pre 97%). We suggest that changes in milk feeding behavior may indicate diarrhea bouts in dairy calves. Future research should validate this alert in commercial settings; furthermore, software updates, support, and new analytics might be required for on-farm application to implement these types of alerts.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C Cantor
- Department of Animal Science, The Pennsylvania State University, College Park, PA 16803; Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1.
| | - A A Welk
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - K C Creutzinger
- Department of Animal and Food Science, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, River Falls, WI 54022
| | - M M Woodrum Setser
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546
| | - J H C Costa
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405
| | - D L Renaud
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
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Ekinci G, Tüfekçi E, Cissé Y, Bekdik İK, Onmaz AC, Aslan Ö, Güneş V, Çitil M, Keleş İ. Chloride and lactate as prognostic indicators of calf diarrhea from eighty-nine cases. J Vet Sci 2024; 25:e38. [PMID: 38834508 PMCID: PMC11156601 DOI: 10.4142/jvs.23155] [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: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Deaths due to neonatal calf diarrhea are still one of the most critical problems of cattle breeding worldwide. Determining the parameters that can predict diarrhea-related deaths in calves is especially important in terms of prognosis and treatment strategies for the disease. OBJECTIVE The primary purpose of this study was to determine mortality rates and durations, survival status, and predictive prognosis parameters based on vital signs, hematology, and blood gas analyses in neonatal diarrheic calves. METHODS The hospital automation system retrospectively obtained data from 89 neonatal diarrheic calves. RESULTS It was found that 42.7% (38/89) of the calves brought with the complaint of diarrhea died during hospitalization or after discharge. Short-term and long-term fatalities were a median of 9.25 hours and a median of 51.50 hours, respectively. When the data obtained from this study is evaluated, body temperature (°C), pH, base excess (mmol/L), and sodium bicarbonate (mmol/L) parameters were found to be lower, and hemoglobin (g/dL), hematocrit (%), lactate (mmol/L), chloride (mmol/L), sodium (mmol/L) and anion gap (mmol/L) parameters were found to be higher in dead calves compared to survivors. Accordingly, hypothermia, metabolic acidosis, and dehydration findings were seen as clinical conditions that should be considered. Logistic regression analysis showed that lactate (odds ratio, 1.429) and CI- (odds ratio, 1.232) concentration were significant risk factors associated with death in calves with diarrhea. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE According to the findings obtained from this study, the determination of lactate and Cl- levels can be used as an adjunctive supplementary test in distinguishing calves with diarrhea with a good prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gencay Ekinci
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Erciyes University, Talas/Kayseri 38280, Türkiye.
| | - Emre Tüfekçi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Erciyes University, Talas/Kayseri 38280, Türkiye
| | - Youssouf Cissé
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Erciyes University, Talas/Kayseri 38280, Türkiye
| | - İlknur Karaca Bekdik
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Erciyes University, Talas/Kayseri 38280, Türkiye
| | - Ali Cesur Onmaz
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Erciyes University, Talas/Kayseri 38280, Türkiye
| | - Öznur Aslan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Erciyes University, Talas/Kayseri 38280, Türkiye
| | - Vehbi Güneş
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Erciyes University, Talas/Kayseri 38280, Türkiye
| | - Mehmet Çitil
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Erciyes University, Talas/Kayseri 38280, Türkiye
| | - İhsan Keleş
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Erciyes University, Talas/Kayseri 38280, Türkiye
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Lynch C, Leishman EM, Miglior F, Kelton D, Schenkel FS, Baes CF. Review: Opportunities and challenges for the genetic selection of dairy calf disease traits. Animal 2024:101141. [PMID: 38641517 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2024.101141] [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: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Interest in dairy cow health continues to grow as we better understand health's relationship with production potential and animal welfare. Over the past decade, efforts have been made to incorporate health traits into national genetic evaluations. However, they have focused on the mature cow, with calf health largely being neglected. Diarrhoea and respiratory disease comprise the main illnesses with regard to calf health. Conventional methods to control calf disease involve early separation of calves from the dam and housing calves individually. However, public concern regarding these methods, and growing evidence that these methods may negatively impact calf development, mean the dairy industry may move away from these practices. Genetic selection may be a promising tool to address these major disease issues. In this review, we examined current literature for enhancing calf health through genetics and discussed alternative approaches to improve calf health via the use of epidemiological modelling approaches, and the potential of indirectly selecting for improved calf health through improving colostrum quality. Heritability estimates on the observed scale for diarrhoea ranged from 0.03 to 0.20, while for respiratory disease, estimates ranged from 0.02 to 0.24. The breadth in these ranges is due, at least in part, to differences in disease prevalence, population structure, data editing and models, as well as data collection practices, which should be all considered when comparing literature values. Incorporation of epidemiological theory into quantitative genetics provides an opportunity to better determine the level of genetic variation in disease traits, as it accounts for disease transmission among contemporaries. Colostrum intake is a major determinant of whether a calf develops either respiratory disease or diarrhoea. Colostrum traits have the advantage of being measured and reported on a continuous scale, which removes the issues classically associated with binary disease traits. Overall, genetic selection for improved calf health is feasible. However, to ensure the maximum response, first steps by any industry members should focus efforts on standardising recording practices and encouragement of uploading information to genetic evaluation centres through herd management software, as high-quality phenotypes are the backbone of any successful breeding programme.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Lynch
- Centre for the Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - E M Leishman
- Centre for the Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, Canada; Centre for Nutrition Modelling, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - F Miglior
- Centre for the Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, Canada; Lactanet Canada, Guelph, ON N1K-1E5, Canada
| | - D Kelton
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Ontario N1G-2W1, Canada
| | - F S Schenkel
- Centre for the Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - C F Baes
- Centre for the Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, Canada; Institute of Genetics, Department of Clinical Research and Veterinary Public Health, University of Bern, Bern 3001, Switzerland.
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7
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Dell’Anno M, Frazzini S, Ferri I, Tuberti S, Bonaldo E, Botti B, Grossi S, Sgoifo Rossi CA, Rossi L. Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Chestnut and Quebracho Tannin Supplementation on Neonatal Diarrhoea in Preweaning Calves. Antioxidants (Basel) 2024; 13:237. [PMID: 38397835 PMCID: PMC10885919 DOI: 10.3390/antiox13020237] [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: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Neonatal calf diarrhoea (NCD) poses a significant health challenge in cattle herds, resulting in considerable economic losses and antimicrobial use. In response to the escalating threat of antimicrobial resistance, viable alternatives are imperative, aligning with European policies. This study evaluated the in-milk supplementation of the chestnut and quebracho tannin extract in preweaning calves on performance, diarrhoea occurrence, Cryptosporidium spp. shedding, protein digestibility, and intestinal health. Twenty newborn calves were divided, after colostrum administration, into two experimental groups for 30 days as follows: the control (CTRL) was fed with whole milk and solid feed, and tannins (TAN) were fed whole milk supplemented with 6/g day of tannin extract and solid feed. Faecal samples were collected on days 0, 3, 7, 14, and 30 for the evaluation of Cryptosporidium oocyst shedding and protein digestibility. Faecal consistency was evaluated during the sampling using the faecal score scale (0-3 scale, considering diarrhoea > 1). The results showed a significant reduction in diarrhoea frequency in the TAN compared to the CTRL group (p < 0.05) over 30 days of the trial. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. was generally low (12%), considering all analysed samples. Protein digestibility revealed comparable values for the TAN and CTRL groups, suggesting that tannins did not negatively affect milk protein availability. In conclusion, the in-milk supplementation of 6/g day of the chestnut and quebracho tannin extract could be considered a valuable functional feed additive to decrease NCD occurrence, thus supporting animal health and decreasing antibiotic use in livestock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Dell’Anno
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences—DIVAS, Università degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, Italy; (M.D.); (S.F.); (I.F.); (S.T.); (E.B.); (S.G.); (C.A.S.R.)
| | - Sara Frazzini
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences—DIVAS, Università degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, Italy; (M.D.); (S.F.); (I.F.); (S.T.); (E.B.); (S.G.); (C.A.S.R.)
| | - Irene Ferri
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences—DIVAS, Università degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, Italy; (M.D.); (S.F.); (I.F.); (S.T.); (E.B.); (S.G.); (C.A.S.R.)
| | - Susanna Tuberti
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences—DIVAS, Università degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, Italy; (M.D.); (S.F.); (I.F.); (S.T.); (E.B.); (S.G.); (C.A.S.R.)
| | - Elisa Bonaldo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences—DIVAS, Università degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, Italy; (M.D.); (S.F.); (I.F.); (S.T.); (E.B.); (S.G.); (C.A.S.R.)
| | - Benedetta Botti
- Freelance Veterinarian, Via Alessandrini, 4, Bogolese di Sorbolo, 43058 Parma, Italy;
| | - Silvia Grossi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences—DIVAS, Università degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, Italy; (M.D.); (S.F.); (I.F.); (S.T.); (E.B.); (S.G.); (C.A.S.R.)
| | - Carlo Angelo Sgoifo Rossi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences—DIVAS, Università degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, Italy; (M.D.); (S.F.); (I.F.); (S.T.); (E.B.); (S.G.); (C.A.S.R.)
| | - Luciana Rossi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences—DIVAS, Università degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, Italy; (M.D.); (S.F.); (I.F.); (S.T.); (E.B.); (S.G.); (C.A.S.R.)
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8
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Lynch C, Schenkel FS, van Staaveren N, Miglior F, Kelton D, Baes CF. Investigating the potential for genetic selection of dairy calf disease traits using management data. J Dairy Sci 2024; 107:1022-1034. [PMID: 37730178 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-23780] [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: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Genetic selection could be a tool to help improve the health and welfare of calves; however, to date, there is limited research on the genetics of calfhood diseases. This study aimed to understand the current impact of calf diseases, by investigating incidence rates, estimating genetic parameters, and providing industry recommendations to improve calf disease recording practices on farms. Available calf disease data composed of 69,695 Holstein calf disease records for respiratory problems (RESP) and diarrhea (DIAR), from 62,361 calves collected on 1,617 Canadian dairy herds from 2006 to 2021. Single- and multiple-trait analysis using both a threshold and linear animal model for each trait were evaluated. Furthermore, each trait was analyzed using 2 scenarios with respect to minimum disease incidence threshold criterion (herd-year incidence of at least 1% and 5%) to highlight the effect of different filtering thresholds on selection potential. Observed scale heritability estimates for RESP and DIAR ranged from 0.02 to 0.07 across analyses, while estimated genetic correlations between the traits ranged from 0.50 to 0.62. Sires were compared based on their estimated breeding value and their diseased daughter incidence rates. On average, calves born to the bottom 10% of sires were 1.8 times more likely to develop RESP and 1.9 times to develop DIAR compared with daughters born to the top 10% of sires. Results from the current study are promising for the inclusion of both DIAR and RESP in Canadian genetic evaluations. However, for effective genetic evaluation, standardized approaches on data collection and industry outreach to highlight the importance of collecting and uploading this information to herd management software is required. In particular, it is important that the herd management software is accessible to the national milk recording system to allow for use in national genetic evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Lynch
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - F S Schenkel
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - N van Staaveren
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - F Miglior
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada; Lactanet Canada, Guelph, ON, N1K 1E5, Canada
| | - D Kelton
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - C F Baes
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada; Institute of Genetics, Department of Clinical Research and Veterinary Public Health, University of Bern, Bern, 3001, Switzerland.
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9
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Pempek JA, England Z, Habing GG, Niehaus A. Rehydration post-transport: duration of oral fluid therapy on behavior, biochemical measures of hydration, and health of neonatal dairy calves. J Anim Sci 2024; 102:skae011. [PMID: 38219072 PMCID: PMC10836504 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skae011] [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: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the impact of 0, 1, 2, or 3 d of oral electrolyte solutions (OES) following transport on calf behavior, biochemical measures of hydration, and subsequent health. Two cohorts of 60 Holstein bull calves ~3 to 7 d of age were included in this experiment. Calves (n = 30/treatment) were randomized to 1 of 4 treatments on arrival at a calf-raising facility: (1) 1-d OES, (2) 2-d OES, (3) 3-d OES, or (4) no OES (control). Calves were evaluated for signs of arthritis, depression, dehydration, diarrhea, fever, navel inflammation, and respiratory disease on arrival (day 0) and 1, 2, 3, and 7 d after arrival. Blood was obtained following each examination to assess biochemical measures of hydration, including serum electrolytes, glucose, hematocrit, lactate, pH, and serum total protein (STP). Calves were fitted with 3D accelerometers attached to the right hind leg along the metatarsus bone to continuously measure lying time. Linear regression models with Gaussian or Poisson link functions were used to test differences between treatments in blood parameters, as well as disease frequency and behavior, respectively. Calves spent the most time lying immediately post-transport (day 0); however, there was no effect of OES treatment on lying time. On arrival, 90% (95% CI: 84.6% to 95.4%) of calves had mild to moderate dehydration, and there was no significant difference in hydration status across treatments. Mildly dehydrated calves that received 1- and 2-d OES had higher STP concentration compared to the control. Moderately dehydrated calves that received 3- vs. 1-d OES had higher (101.4 vs. 93.7 mmol/L, respectively; P = 0.01) glucose concentration, and 3- vs. 2-d OES (101.4 vs. 96.2, respectively; P = 0.07) calves tended to have higher glucose concentration. The prevalence of failed transfer of passive immunity (STP < 5.1 g/dL) and hypoglycemia (glucose < 4.95 mmol/L) was 26.7% (18.6% to 34.7%) and 76.5% (68.7% to 84.2%), respectively. The frequency of moderate dehydration was lower for calves that received 2-d OES compared to the control (count ratio: 0.4; 0.2% to 0.8%; P = 0.009). These results underline the need for more research on rehydration strategies to help inform calf processing protocols. Future research should investigate preconditioning strategies to minimize the impact of marketing and transport on dairy calves. Continued nutritional-based research is also needed to better support calves' recovery post-transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Pempek
- USDA-ARS, Livestock Behavior Research Unit, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Zachary England
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Gregory G Habing
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Andrew Niehaus
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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10
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Guo C, Wang X, Dai D, Kong F, Wang S, Sun X, Li S, Xu X, Zhang L. Effects of alkaline mineral complex supplementation on production performance, serum variables, and liver transcriptome in calves. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1282055. [PMID: 38125683 PMCID: PMC10730931 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1282055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Calf diarrhea causes huge economic losses to livestock due to its high incidence and mortality rates. Alkaline mineral complex water is an alkaline solution containing silicon, sodium, potassium, zinc, and germanium, and has biological benefits and therapeutic effects. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of alkaline mineral complex water supplementation on the health of calves and to investigate the effect of Alkaline mineral complex water supplementation on neonatal calf serum variables and the liver transcriptome. Sixty Holstein calves (age 1.88 ± 0.85 days, weight 36.63 ± 3.34 kg) were selected and randomly divided into two groups: the T group (treatment group with alkaline mineral complex water supplemented during the experiment) and C group (control group without alkaline mineral complex water supplementation). Alkaline mineral complex water supplementation significantly increased the body weight for calves aged 60 d and average daily gain during the experimental period (1-60 d). In addition, Alkaline mineral complex water supplementation could significantly decrease the diarrhea rate for calves aged 16-30 d, enhance the T-AOC, IgG, IGF-1, and IGFBP-2 in concentrations. The results of KEGG enrichment analysis in transcriptomics indicate that Alkaline mineral complex water supplementation inhibited the target IL-1B gene of the NF-kappa B signaling pathway of liver. Alkaline mineral complex water supplementation decreased calf diarrhea and improved partial immune function, anti-inflammatory activity, antioxidant capacity, and health of calves. Alkaline mineral complex is a candidate to replace medicated feed additives. Alkaline mineral complex waterAlkaline mineral complex waterAlkaline mineral complex waterAlkaline mineral complex waterAlkaline mineral complex waterAlkaline mineral complex waterAlkaline mineral complex water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Guo
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Beijing Engineering Technology Research Center of Raw Milk Quality and Safety Control, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaowei Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Dongwen Dai
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Beijing Engineering Technology Research Center of Raw Milk Quality and Safety Control, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Fanlin Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Beijing Engineering Technology Research Center of Raw Milk Quality and Safety Control, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Beijing Engineering Technology Research Center of Raw Milk Quality and Safety Control, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoge Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Beijing Engineering Technology Research Center of Raw Milk Quality and Safety Control, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Shengli Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Beijing Engineering Technology Research Center of Raw Milk Quality and Safety Control, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaofeng Xu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Lili Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
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11
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Shi Z, Wang Y, Yan X, Ma X, Duan A, Hassan FU, Wang W, Deng T. Metagenomic and metabolomic analyses reveal the role of gut microbiome-associated metabolites in diarrhea calves. mSystems 2023; 8:e0058223. [PMID: 37615434 PMCID: PMC10654109 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00582-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Calf diarrhea is of great concern to the global dairy industry as it results in significant economic losses due to lower conception rates, reduced milk production, and early culling. Although there is evidence of an association between altered gut microbiota and diarrhea, remarkably little is known about the microbial and metabolic mechanisms underlying the link between gut microbiota dysbiosis and the occurrence of calf diarrhea. Here, we used fecal metagenomic and metabolomic analyses to demonstrate that gut microbiota-driven metabolic disorders of purine or arachidonic acid were associated with calf diarrhea. These altered gut microbiotas play vital roles in diarrhea pathogenesis and indicate that gut microbiota-targeted therapies could be useful for both prevention and treatment of diarrhea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihai Shi
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Yazhou Wang
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Xiangzhou Yan
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Xiaoya Ma
- Guangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Buffalo Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction Technology, Buffalo Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Anqin Duan
- Guangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Buffalo Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction Technology, Buffalo Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Faiz-ul Hassan
- Institute of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Wenjia Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan University of Animal Husbandry and Economy, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Tingxian Deng
- Guangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Buffalo Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction Technology, Buffalo Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi, China
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12
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Mee JF. Invited review: Bovine neonatal morbidity and mortality-Causes, risk factors, incidences, sequelae and prevention. Reprod Domest Anim 2023; 58 Suppl 2:15-22. [PMID: 37128970 DOI: 10.1111/rda.14369] [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: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The neonatal period may be defined as the first month of the calf's life; it may be considered part of the fourth trimester. It is the most hazardous due to the immaturity of the neonate's immune system and the environmental challenge from infections, the main causes of both bovine neonatal morbidity and mortality. The five most common morbidities causing mortality in neonatal calves are, in descending order, gastrointestinal infections, respiratory infections, abomasal disorders, umbilical infections and developmental abnormalities. This review describes the aetiology, incidence, risk factors and sequelae of these common morbidities and highlights current preventive strategies both at farm and national levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- J F Mee
- Animal and Bioscience Research Department, Moorepark Research Centre, Teagasc, Fermoy, Ireland
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13
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Grigalevičiūtė R, Matusevičius P, Plančiūnienė R, Stankevičius R, Radzevičiūtė-Valčiukė E, Balevičiūtė A, Želvys A, Zinkevičienė A, Zigmantaitė V, Kučinskas A, Kavaliauskas P. Understanding the Immunomodulatory Effects of Bovine Colostrum: Insights into IL-6/IL-10 Axis-Mediated Inflammatory Control. Vet Sci 2023; 10:519. [PMID: 37624306 PMCID: PMC10458264 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci10080519] [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: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Bovine colostrum (COL), the first milk secreted by lactating cows postpartum, is a rich source of bioactive compounds that exert a significant role in the survival, growth, and immune development of neonatal calves. This study investigated the immunomodulatory effects of COL on cytokine production in vitro using a Caco-2/THP-1 macrophage co-culture model stimulated with Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). COL pretreatment significantly reduced IL-6 (241.3 pg/mL) production induced by PMA (p < 0.05), while increasing IL-10 production (45.3 pg/mL), in comparison to PMA control (441.1 and 12.5 pg/mL, respectively). Further investigations revealed that the IL-6 suppressive effect of colostrum was heat-sensitive and associated with components of higher molecular mass (100 kDa). Moreover, colostrum primarily influenced THP-1 macrophages rather than Caco-2 epithelial cells. The effects of colostrum on IL-6 production were associated with reduced NF-κB activation in THP-1 macrophages. In calf-FMT transplanted C57BL/6 murine model, colostrum decreased intestinal permeability, reduced immune cell infiltration and intestinal score, and suppressed IL-6 (142.0 pg/mL) production during S. typhimurium infection, in comparison to control animals (215.2 pg/mL). These results suggest the immunomodulatory activity of bovine colostrum and its potential applications in inflammatory disorders. Further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and validate the findings in bovine models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramunė Grigalevičiūtė
- Biological Research Center, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes Str. 18/7, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania; (V.Z.); (A.K.)
- Department of Animal Nutrition, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania; (P.M.); (R.S.)
| | - Paulius Matusevičius
- Department of Animal Nutrition, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania; (P.M.); (R.S.)
| | - Rita Plančiūnienė
- Institute of Microbiology and Virology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Eiveniu Str. 4, LT-50161 Kaunas, Lithuania;
| | - Rolandas Stankevičius
- Department of Animal Nutrition, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania; (P.M.); (R.S.)
| | - Eivina Radzevičiūtė-Valčiukė
- Centre for Innovative Medicine, Department of Immunology, Santariskiu Str. 5, LT-08410 Vilnius, Lithuania; (E.R.-V.); (A.Ž.); (A.Z.)
| | - Austėja Balevičiūtė
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Toxicology Unit, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Solnavägen 1, 17177 Solna, Sweden;
| | - Augustinas Želvys
- Centre for Innovative Medicine, Department of Immunology, Santariskiu Str. 5, LT-08410 Vilnius, Lithuania; (E.R.-V.); (A.Ž.); (A.Z.)
| | - Auksė Zinkevičienė
- Centre for Innovative Medicine, Department of Immunology, Santariskiu Str. 5, LT-08410 Vilnius, Lithuania; (E.R.-V.); (A.Ž.); (A.Z.)
| | - Vilma Zigmantaitė
- Biological Research Center, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes Str. 18/7, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania; (V.Z.); (A.K.)
| | - Audrius Kučinskas
- Biological Research Center, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes Str. 18/7, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania; (V.Z.); (A.K.)
| | - Povilas Kavaliauskas
- Biological Research Center, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes Str. 18/7, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania; (V.Z.); (A.K.)
- Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell University, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland Baltimore School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Pathogenic Microbiology, Birstono Str. 38A, LT-59116 Prienai, Lithuania
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14
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McNeil BK, Renaud DL, Steele MA, Keunen AJ, DeVries TJ. Effects of Echinacea purpurea supplementation on markers of immunity, health, intake, and growth of dairy calves. J Dairy Sci 2023:S0022-0302(23)00299-0. [PMID: 37268577 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2022-22862] [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: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Echinacea purpurea (EP) is an herb that has demonstrated immunostimulatory and anti-inflammatory effects with the potential to improve immunity, health, and performance in animals. The objective of this study was to investigate how supplementing calves with EP affects their blood immunity marker profile, health, intake, and growth. Male Holstein calves (n = 240), sourced from local dairy farms or auction, arrived at a rearing facility between 5 and 14 d of age and were kept in individual pens in 1 of 3 rooms (80/room) for 56 d, and then put into groups for the remaining 21 d of the trial. Calves received milk replacer (MR) 2× per day for 56 d (total = 36 kg of MR) and had ab libitum water and starter access. Within room, calves were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: (1) control (n = 80), (2) 3g of dried (powder) EP extract per day split over 2 milk feedings from experiment d 14-28 (n = 80), and (3) 3 g of dried (powder) EP extract per day split over 2 milk feedings from experiment d 1-56 (E56; n = 80). The powdered EP treatments were mixed into the liquid MR. On d 1, 14, 28, and 57 rectal temperatures and blood were collected from a subset of calves (n = 117; 39 calves/treatment), and blood serum was assessed for serum total protein (d 1), haptoglobin, white blood cells, and cytokines. Failed transfer of passive immunity was defined as serum total protein <5.2 g/dL. Calves were health scored 2× per day, receiving fecal and respiratory scores until d 28 and 77, respectively. Calves were weighed on arrival and then weekly until d 77. Milk replacer and feed refusals were recorded. Supplementation of EP was associated with lower haptoglobin levels, segmented neutrophil counts, segmented neutrophil per lymphocyte ratio, respiratory scores in auction derived calves, and higher lymphocyte counts and d 28 rectal temperature. Of calves with heavier arrival body weight, E56 calves had greater postweaning weekly body weight. There was no detected effect of EP supplementation on total white blood cells, band neutrophil, monocyte, and basophil counts, IL-10, IL-6, and TNF-α levels, fecal scores, risk of receiving diarrhea and respiratory treatment, risk of bovine respiratory disease (calves were deemed at risk for bovine respiratory disease if they had at least 1 respiratory score ≥5), risk of mortality, MR and feed intake, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio. Overall, EP supplementation to dairy calves was associated with immunomodulation and reduced inflammation, evidenced through blood markers, although only few minor health and growth improvements were observed. Benefits were observed particularly when fed across the whole milk feeding period.
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Affiliation(s)
- B K McNeil
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - D L Renaud
- Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - M A Steele
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - A J Keunen
- Mapleview Agri Ltd., Palmerston, ON, N0G 2P0, Canada
| | - T J DeVries
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
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15
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Goetz HM, Creutzinger KC, Kelton DF, Costa JHC, Winder CB, Renaud DL. A randomized controlled trial investigating the effect of transport duration and age at transport on surplus dairy calves: Part I. Impact on health and growth. J Dairy Sci 2023; 106:2784-2799. [PMID: 36797186 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2022-22366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Calves arriving to veal and dairy-beef facilities in poor condition are at risk of future health challenges and reduced growth rates, and limited knowledge is available on how time in transit affects subsequent health and growth of these animals. The objective of this randomized controlled trial was to understand the effects of transport duration on diarrhea, respiratory disease, and growth of surplus calves destined for veal production following 6, 12, or 16 h of continuous road transport. Surplus dairy calves (n = 175; 7 transport cohorts) from 5 commercial dairy farms in Ontario, Canada, were enrolled on the day of birth. These calves were clinically examined daily on the source farms until the day before transport and on a daily basis for the first 14 d at the veal farm. On the day of transport, they were randomly assigned to 6, 12, or 16 h of transport to a veal farm. A blood sample was collected between 24 and 48 h of birth to assess transfer of passive immunity status. Calves were weighed at birth, before and immediately after transport, as well as 24, 48, and 72 h after unloading. Calves were also weighed 14 and 50 d after transport. Health exams were conducted daily at the source farm, immediately before and after transport, and once daily for 14 d thereafter to evaluate clinical signs of diarrhea, respiratory disease, dehydration, and navel inflammation. Mixed effects Poisson regression models were used to evaluate variables associated with the number of days with abnormal respiratory and fecal scores, whereas mixed logistic regression models with repeated measures were built to assess the probability of a calf having abnormal respiratory scores, abnormal fecal scores, or dehydration by day after arrival to the facility. A mixed model with repeated measures was used to evaluate calf weight at each time point at which body weight was measured after transport, whereas a mixed linear regression model was used to evaluate factors associated with average daily gain (ADG) in the 50 d after transport. Calves transported for 16 h had greater incidence of abnormal fecal scores compared with 6 h in the 14 d after transport. In addition, an interaction between age and duration of transport on the number of days with abnormal respiratory scores was identified, where calves older than 7 d of age had reduced incidence of abnormal respiratory score compared with calves 2 to 6 d old, even when transported for 16 h. As for growth, age at transport was positively associated with ADG in the 50 d of observation; however, no differences were observed between transport duration groups. These findings highlight that transporting calves for a longer duration negatively affects subsequent health, and calves greater than 1 wk of age experience improved health and growth after transport compared with their younger counterparts.
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Affiliation(s)
- H M Goetz
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - K C Creutzinger
- Department of Animal and Food Science, University of Wisconsin-River Falls 54022
| | - D F Kelton
- 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 40506
| | - C B Winder
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - D L Renaud
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1.
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16
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Wilson DJ, Habing G, Winder CB, Renaud DL. A scoping review of neonatal calf diarrhea case definitions. Prev Vet Med 2023; 211:105818. [PMID: 36543068 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2022.105818] [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: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Various case descriptions and scoring systems have been used to define neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD) and diverse diarrhea-related outcomes are reported, which limits direct comparison between studies. Therefore, the objective of this scoping review was to characterize the case definitions used for NCD and describe diarrhea-related outcomes to inform future efforts towards standardization. A literature search identified articles using 3 databases (Medline, CAB Direct, Agricola), along with Google and Google Scholar. This returned 16,854 unique articles, which were then screened for eligibility by two independent reviewers, resulting in 555 being selected for data extraction. Among articles, the study populations included mostly dairy-breed calves (88%; n = 486) while the remainder evaluated beef, crossbred, or dual purpose beef/dairy calves (10%; n = 53), or did not report breed (3%; n = 16). Studies used between 1 and 8 metrics to define NCD, with 933 unique metrics extracted in total. The most common metric was fecal consistency alone (30%; n = 281), or with at least 1 other metric (26%; n = 241). To define diarrhea, fecal consistency was either described qualitatively (e.g., "profuse liquid feces"), or semi-quantitatively, for example using a scoring system that frequently included 4 levels (n = 208). Some NCD case definitions included fecal color, volume, or odor (10%; n = 98), physical exam parameters (8%; n = 79), the duration of abnormal feces (7%; n = 67), the presence of abnormal contents (e.g., blood, 7%; n = 61), farm treatment records (6%; n = 54), fecal dry matter (1%; n = 12), or another metric (4%; n = 41). One or more references were cited for the NCD case definition by 49% of studies (n = 273/555), with the most common references being Larson et al. (1977) (n = 85), and McGuirk (2008) (n = 59). In the 555 included articles, 979 unique diarrhea-related outcomes were found, most commonly a binary categorization of calves having or not having diarrhea (49%; n = 483). Other articles reported statistical outcomes calculated from fecal scores (16%; n = 159), multiple diarrhea severities (10%; n = 95), or the age calves first developed NCD (8%; n = 76). This review characterized substantial heterogeneity among NCD case definitions and diarrhea-related outcomes, which limits interpretation and comparison of studies. Future work is required to develop and validate reporting standards for NCD to optimize knowledge synthesis and support rigorous and ethical calf health research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devon J Wilson
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph N1G 2W1, ON, Canada.
| | - Gregory Habing
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Charlotte B Winder
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph N1G 2W1, ON, Canada.
| | - David L Renaud
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph N1G 2W1, ON, Canada.
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17
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OPTIMIZING AMLA (PHYLLANTHUS EMBLICA) FRUIT POWDER SUPPLEMENTATION in liquid feed fed to Holstein dairy calves: Insights from growth performance and health events. Anim Feed Sci Technol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2023.115608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
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18
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Occurrence of Escherichia coli Pathotypes in Diarrheic Calves in a Low-Income Setting. Pathogens 2022; 12:pathogens12010042. [PMID: 36678390 PMCID: PMC9861035 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12010042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Different E. coli pathotypes are common zoonotic agents. Some of these pathotypes cause recurrent and widespread calf diarrhea and contribute to significant economic losses in the livestock sector worldwide in addition to putting humans at risk. Here, we investigated the occurrence of E. coli pathotypes in diarrheic calves in Ethiopia kept under various calf management practices. One hundred fecal samples were collected from diarrheic calves in 98 different farms. E. coli was isolated in the samples from 99 of the diarrheic calves, and virulence genes were detected in 80% of the samples. The occurrence of E. coli pathotypes in the samples was 32% ETEC, 23% STEC, 18% STEC/ETEC, 3% EPEC, 2% EAEC, and 1% EHEC. No diarrheic calves were positive for the EIEC and DAEC pathotypes. The occurrence of pathotypes was positively associated with female calves (EPEC, p = 0.006), aged less than 2 weeks (STEC, p = 0.059), and calves fed colostrum via the hand method (STEC, p = 0.008 and EAEC, p = 0.003). This study revealed that several E. coli pathotypes occurred among calves affected with diarrhea. Moreover, the presence of a mixed STEC/ETEC pathotypes infection was present in the studied low-income setting. These findings indicate a considerable risk for the zoonotic transmission from calves to humans and the options to provide the better management for younger calves in order to reduce the economic loss.
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Wilson DJ, Pempek JA, Cheng TY, Habing G, Proudfoot KL, Winder CB, Renaud DL. A survey of male and female dairy calf care practices and opportunities for change. J Dairy Sci 2022; 106:703-717. [DOI: 10.3168/jds.2022-22238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Carter H, Steele M, Costa J, Renaud D. Evaluating the effectiveness of colostrum as a therapy for diarrhea in preweaned calves. J Dairy Sci 2022; 105:9982-9994. [DOI: 10.3168/jds.2022-22187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Vinayamohan PG, Locke SR, Portillo-Gonzalez R, Renaud DL, Habing GG. Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Surplus Dairy Calf Production Systems. Microorganisms 2022; 10:1652. [PMID: 36014070 PMCID: PMC9413162 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10081652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Surplus calves, which consist predominately of male calves born on dairy farms, are an underrecognized source of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) pathogens. Current production systems for surplus calves have important risk factors for the dissemination of pathogens, including the high degree of commingling during auction and transportation and sometimes inadequate care early in life. These circumstances contribute to an increased risk of respiratory and other infectious diseases, resulting in higher antimicrobial use (AMU) and the development of AMR. Several studies have shown that surplus calves harbor AMR genes and pathogens that are resistant to critically important antimicrobials. This is a potential concern as the resistant pathogens and genes can be shared between animal, human and environmental microbiomes. Although knowledge of AMU and AMR has grown substantially in dairy and beef cattle systems, comparable studies in surplus calves have been mostly neglected in North America. Therefore, the overall goal of this narrative review is to summarize the existing literature regarding AMU and AMR in surplus dairy calf production, highlight the management practices contributing to the increased AMU and the resulting AMR, and discuss potential strategies and barriers for improved antimicrobial stewardship in surplus calf production systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poonam G. Vinayamohan
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Samantha R. Locke
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Rafael Portillo-Gonzalez
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - David L. Renaud
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Gregory G. Habing
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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