Improvement of mammary gland health in 81 'sentinel herds' in England and Scotland between 2012 and 2021.

Background: Achieving a reduction in mastitis in dairy cows is a common industry goal, but there is no recent peer-reviewed record of progress in the UK.

Methods: A convenience sample of 125 herds in England and Scotland was recruited based on the quality of records in 2016, willingness to participate and representative geographical distribution. Individual cow somatic cell counts and clinical mastitis data from 2012 to 2021 were summarised annually, and temporal changes were analysed.

Bedding system influences lying behaviour in dairy cows.

Background: The nature and depth of bedding material have an important influence on cow lying behaviour and comfort. Increasing use of recycled manure solids (RMS) as bedding led to an investigation of the influence of this material on cow lying behaviour.

Methods: Leg mounted accelerometers were used to estimate daily lying time and number and duration of lying bouts in four groups of 40 cows.

Automated prediction of mastitis infection patterns in dairy herds using machine learning.

Mastitis in dairy cattle is extremely costly both in economic and welfare terms and is one of the most significant drivers of antimicrobial usage in dairy cattle. A critical step in the prevention of mastitis is the diagnosis of the predominant route of transmission of pathogens into either contagious (CONT) or environmental (ENV), with environmental being further subdivided as transmission during either the nonlactating "dry" period (EDP) or lactating period (EL). Using data from 1000 farms, random forest algorithms were able to replicate the complex herd level diagnoses made by specialist veterinary clinicians with a high degree of accuracy.

The impact of dairy cows' bedding material and its microbial content on the quality and safety of milk - A cross sectional study of UK farms.

The introduction of bedding dairy cows on recycled manure solids (RMS) in the UK led to concern by competent authorities that there could be an increased, unacceptable risk to animal and human health. A cross-sectional study was designed to evaluate the microbial content of different bedding materials, when used by dairy cows, and its impact on the microbial content of milk. Data were collected from farms bedding lactating cows on sand (n=41), sawdust (n=44) and RMS (n=40).

A pilot survey of farm animal welfare in Serbia, a country preparing for EU accession.

The selection and field application of animal-based welfare measures for pigs, sheep, dairy cows and broilers was the first step towards the future development of welfare improvement schemes for Serbia - a country that is applying for EU accession. The aim of this pilot study was to: (1) test the feasibility of a protocol for monitoring farm animal welfare in Serbia, (2) ascertain preliminary data on animal-based outcomes of farm welfare and (3) gain insight into Serbian farmers' understanding of animal welfare as part of a wider project working towards inclusion of animal-based assessments in a 'higher welfare' voluntary assurance scheme. This study encompasses the first national survey of farm animal welfare in which animal-based outcomes were tested on 105 farms by a total of ten trained assessors.

Recycling manure as cow bedding: Potential benefits and risks for UK dairy farms.

Material obtained from physical separation of slurry (recycled manure solids; RMS) has been used as bedding for dairy cows in dry climates in the US since the 1970s. Relatively recently, the technical ability to produce drier material has led to adoption of the practice in Europe under different climatic conditions. This review collates the evidence available on benefits and risks of using RMS bedding on dairy farms, with a European context in mind.