Validation and interdevice reliability of a behavior monitoring collar to measure rumination, feeding activity, and idle time of lactating dairy cows.

Interdevice precision and accuracy are not investigated for precision livestock farming (PLF) technologies, but are fundamental for the use of data in populational metrics and to compare cows' data. This study aimed to validate a behavior monitoring collar (BMC; CowMed, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil) and its interdevice reliability. First, we compared observations with the BMC, and second the interdevice precision and accuracy for rumination, feeding activity, and idle time of lactating dairy cows.

Enhancing the Horse Grimace Scale (HGS): Proposed updates and anatomical descriptors for pain assessment.

The use of grimace scales enables the clinical identification of changes in the facial expressions of animals caused by pain. The Horse Grimace Scale (HGS) is one such tool, comprising a pain coding system based on facial expressions and assessing six Facial Action Units (FAUs). Each FAU is accompanied by descriptions and anatomical details to assist the evaluator.

Microclimate and the thermal comfort during the implementation of silvopastoral systems: the windbreak countereffect.

Little has been studied about microclimate and the thermal comfort during the implementation of silvopastoral systems. This study aimed to evaluate the microclimate and thermal comfort during the implementation of High Biodiversity Silvopastoral System with Nuclei (SPSnu). Three treatments were investigated, SPSnu with 5 and 10% of the pasture area with nuclei, (SPSnu5 and SPSnu10, respectively), and treeless pasture (TLP).

Superficial skin temperature recovery of distal limbs of thoroughbred racehorses after training in a racetrack in different seasons.

In the present study we aimed to investigate superficial skin temperature of racehorses' distal limbs after training in a racetrack. Male and female Thoroughbred racehorses were investigated in summer, after light training, and in the winter, after light and intense training. Horses were exercised (Exercise group, EG) under trainers' protocol while others were maintained inside their stalls (Control group, CG).

Horse behavior and facial movements in relation to food rewards.

Food rewards are believed to have a positive valence in horses. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of food rewards on horse behavior before entering a horse chute, and behavior and facial movements while restrained in it. Thirteen female adult horses were brought once daily to an animal handling facility for three weeks.

Horse Grimace Scale Does Not Detect Pain in Horses with Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome.

Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is a highly prevalent and presumptively painful condition, although the amount of pain horses might experience is currently unknown. The aims of this study were to determine if the Horse Grimace Scale (HGS) could identify pain behaviours in horses with and without EGUS and if severity would be positively associated with the HGS score. Horse grimace scale scores were assessed blindly using facial photographs by seven observers and involved evaluation of 6 facial action units as 0 (not present), 1 (moderately present) and 2 (obviously present).

Can We Reliably Detect Respiratory Diseases through Precision Farming? A Systematic Review.

Respiratory diseases commonly affect livestock species, negatively impacting animal's productivity and welfare. The use of precision livestock farming (PLF) applied in respiratory disease detection has been developed for several species. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate if PLF technologies can reliably monitor clinical signs or detect cases of respiratory diseases.

A systematic review of the effects of silvopastoral system on thermal environment and dairy cows' behavioral and physiological responses.

Does the silvopastoral system (SPS) promote a satisfactory thermal environment for dairy cows to perform their natural behaviors and perform a suitable thermoregulatory function? To answer this, peer-reviewed articles, written in English and evaluating the effects of silvopastoral systems on thermal environment, dairy cows' behavior, and physiology were used in this systematic review; additionally, a bibliometric approach was performed. Web of Science and Google Scholar were used to compile the literature. The resulting articles (1448) underwent a 4-step appraisal process and resulted in 19 articles that fitted our inclusion criteria.

Measuring lameness prevalence: Effects of case definition and assessment frequency.

Lameness assessments are commonly conducted at a single point in time, but such assessments are subject to multiple sources of error. We conducted a longitudinal study, assessing the gait of 282 lactating dairy cows weekly during the first 12 wk of lactation, with the aim of assessing how lameness prevalence changed in relation to case definition and assessment frequency. Gait was scored using a 5-point scale where scores of 1 and 2 were considered sound, 3 was clinically lame, and 4 and 5 were severely lame.

Invited review: Risk factors for transition period disease in intensive grazing and housed dairy cattle.

Transition period (±3 wk around calving) diseases are prevalent in dairy systems. In this review we describe the physiological and behavioral changes experienced by cows during the transition period and during the dry period leading up to this. Our narrative review examines risk factors associated with these diseases in zero-grazing and grazing systems.

Voisin Rational Grazing as a Sustainable Alternative for Livestock Production.

Current livestock practices do not meet current real-world social and environmental requirements, pushing farmers away from rural areas and only sustaining high productivity through the overuse of fossil fuels, causing numerous environmental side effects. In this narrative review, we explore how the Voisin Rational Grazing (VRG) system responds to this problem. VRG is an agroecological system based on four principles that maximise pasture growth and ruminant intake, while, at the same time, maintaining system sustainability.

Standing behavior and sole horn lesions: A prospective observational longitudinal study.

Studies performed on individual research farms have reported that dairy cattle developing sole hemorrhages or sole ulcers in peak to mid lactation spent more time standing during the weeks around calving. The aim of this prospective observational longitudinal study was to evaluate whether this relationship is evident in commercial dairy herds. A convenience sample of 8 herds were visited every other week, and animals without previous severe horn lesions and deemed sound at 4 to 8 wk before calving were enrolled.

Body condition loss during the dry period: Insights from feeding behavior studies.

Body condition change during the dry period (ΔBCS) has been associated with a myriad of transition cow diseases. We used data from 3 studies to assess the relationship between ΔBCS, feeding behavior, and body condition score (BCS) at dry-off. We also studied the mediation effect that dry matter intake (DMI) has on ΔBCS and the association between dry period feeding time and DMI.

The relationship between transition period diseases and lameness, feeding time, and body condition during the dry period.

In this longitudinal study, we tested the hypothesis that cows that are lame around dry-off are at increased risk of transition diseases (TD), including metritis, subclinical ketosis (SCK), retained fetal membranes, hypocalcemia, or displaced abomasum. We also hypothesized that the relationship between lameness and TD would be mediated through reduced feeding time. We enrolled 461 cows at 9 wk before their expected calving date on 6 commercial freestall farms in the lower Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada.

Effects of case definition and assessment frequency on lameness incidence estimates.

The reliability of locomotion scoring is often low, making it unclear how a single gait score should be interpreted. In addition, differences in assessment frequency between longitudinal studies makes it hard to compare results. Our aims were to evaluate how lameness definition and assessment frequency affect measures of lameness incidence.

Lameness during the dry period: Epidemiology and associated factors.

Lameness has been extensively studied in lactating cows, whereas few studies have reported on lameness during the dry period. We conducted a prospective longitudinal study to describe the epidemiology of lameness during the dry period and to identify risk factors associated with onset, cure, and chronic cases of lameness. A total of 455 cows from 6 freestall commercial dairy farms were enrolled at 9 wk before calving and gait scored weekly until calving using a 5-point scale.

Lameness and lying behavior in grazing dairy cows.

Lameness is a serious welfare issue for dairy cows. To date, the majority of studies have focused on its effect on health and behavior at the herd level. The objectives of this study were to identify (1) between-cow and (2) within-cow changes in lying behavior associated with consistent and changing lameness status in grazing dairy cows.

Readily Available Water Access is Associated with Greater Milk Production in Grazing Dairy Herds.

In this cross-sectional study, we measured the association between water provision and milk production on intensively managed small-scale grazing dairy herds. Farms ( = 53) were categorized according to water provision as follows: (1) Restricted-cows did not have access to a water trough while on pasture; and (2) Unrestricted-cows had free access to a water trough while on pasture. Herd main breed and feeding practices were included in a model to assess the effect of water provision category on farm average milk yield/cow/d.

Lameness on Brazilian pasture based dairies-part 1: Farmers' awareness and actions.

This cross-sectional survey aimed to verify farmers' awareness and knowledge about lameness in grazing dairy cows and to analyze their perspectives and actions intended to control this issue. Farms (n = 44, mean herd size: 42, SD = 11.2) located in southern Brazil were visited twice in 2015.

Cow- and herd-level factors associated with lameness in small-scale grazing dairy herds in Brazil.

This cross-sectional study aimed to assess lameness occurrence and to identify the associated risk factors in small-scale grazing dairy herds. Forty four farms (mean lactating herd size was 42 cows, SD = 11.2, range: 28-74) located in the south of Brazil were visited twice, approximately 4 months apart, in 2015.

Prevalence and risk factors for transition period diseases in grazing dairy cows in Brazil.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to describe the incidence risk of dystocia, retained placenta (RP), pathological recumbence (down cow), the prevalence of metritis and subclinical ketosis (SCK), and the risk factors for SCK, metritis, and RP in grazing dairy herds in Southern Brazil. Fifty-three herds were visited 2-6 times from February to October of 2015. Body condition score (BCS), breed, days in milk (DIM), parity and disease status were recorded for each cow that was between 3 and 21 DIM at the time of the visits.

Effects of Degree and Timing of Social Housing on Reversal Learning and Response to Novel Objects in Dairy Calves.

Rodents and primates deprived of early social contact exhibit deficits in learning and behavioural flexibility. They often also exhibit apparent signs of elevated anxiety, although the relationship between these effects has not been studied. To investigate whether dairy calves are similarly affected, we first compared calves housed in standard individual pens (n = 7) to those housed in a dynamic group with access to their mothers (n = 8).

Complex social housing reduces food neophobia in dairy calves.

Animals are often reluctant to consume novel feeds. Research suggests that social housing can reduce fearfulness in animals. The aim of this study was to test the prediction that social housing reduces food neophobia in dairy calves.

Separation from the dam causes negative judgement bias in dairy calves.

Negative emotional states in humans are associated with a negative (pessimistic) response bias towards ambiguous cues in judgement tasks. Every mammalian young is eventually weaned; this period of increasing nutritional and social independence from the dam is associated with a pronounced behavioural response, especially when weaning is abrupt as commonly occurs in farm animals. The aim of the current study was to test the effect of separation from the cow on the responses of dairy calves in a judgement task.

Pain and pessimism: dairy calves exhibit negative judgement bias following hot-iron disbudding.

Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, but emotional states are difficult to directly assess in animals. Researchers have assessed pain using behavioural and physiological measures, but these approaches are limited to understanding the arousal rather than valence of the emotional experience. Cognitive bias tasks show that depressed humans judge ambiguous events negatively and this technique has been applied to assess emotional states in animals.