Cow key point detection in indoor housing conditions with a deep learning model.

Lameness in dairy cattle is a costly and highly prevalent problem that affects all aspects of sustainable dairy production, including animal welfare. Automation of gait assessment would allow monitoring of locomotion in which the cows' walking patterns can be evaluated frequently and with limited labor. With the right interpretation algorithms, this could result in more timely detection of locomotion problems.

Correlations of feed intake predicted with milk infrared spectra and breeding values in the Dutch Holstein population.

Feed is a major cost in dairy production, and substantial genetic variation in feed efficiency exists between cows. Therefore, breeders aim to improve feed efficiency of dairy cattle. However, phenotypic data on individual feed intake on commercial farms is scarce, and accurate measurements are very costly.

Animal Health in Compost-Bedded Pack and Cubicle Dairy Barns in Six European Countries.

The purpose of this study was to compare animal health in compost-bedded pack (CBP) and cubicle housing (CH) systems using data from dairy herd improvement associations. Thirty-two commercial dairy farms located in Austria, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Slovenia, and Sweden were included in the study. A matching design (pairing CBP and CH within country) according to herd selection criteria was used.

A data-driven prediction of lifetime resilience of dairy cows using commercial sensor data collected during first lactation.

Reliable prediction of lifetime resilience early in life can contribute to improved management decisions of dairy farmers. Several studies have shown that time series sensor data can be used to predict lifetime resilience rankings. However, such predictions generally require the translation of sensor data into biologically meaningful sensor features, which involve proper feature definitions and a lot of preprocessing.

Productive life span and resilience rank can be predicted from on-farm first-parity sensor time series but not using a common equation across farms.

A dairy cow's lifetime resilience and her ability to recalve gain importance on dairy farms, as they affect all aspects of the sustainability of the dairy industry. Many modern farms today have milk meters and activity sensors that accurately measure yield and activity at a high frequency for monitoring purposes. We hypothesized that these same sensors can be used for precision phenotyping of complex traits such as lifetime resilience or productive life span.

Symposium review: Future of housing for dairy cattle.

The objective of this review was to describe recent changes and expected developments in housing systems for dairy cows. These new developments should create an appropriate production environment for modern high-producing dairy cows and stimulate dairy farming-related developments in management, agro-technology, and equipment. Increased labor efficiency has been an important driver of the change from tie-stall barns to cubicle barns (also known as freestall barns).

Symposium review: Animal welfare in free-walk systems in Europe.

Providing more space per animal, soft bedding, and free roaming in animal housing systems is widely presumed to be beneficial for the welfare of the animals. This observational study aimed to investigate the basis of this assumption in free-walk housing systems (FWS) for dairy cows in Europe. The dairy cattle Welfare Quality assessment protocol was adapted for application to FWS, and the focus was on animal-based measures, from individual cow scoring to comfort around resting.

Spatial distribution of load induced soft-tissue strain in cattle claws.

Claw disorders in dairy cattle have negative effects on both animal welfare and farm profits. One possible cause of claw disorders is the high mechanical load that cattle encounter when walking and standing on hard concrete floors. It is currently unclear how high mechanical loading leads to claw disorders and lameness.

A new technique using roentgen stereophotogrammetry to measure changes in the spatial conformation of bovine hind claws in response to external loads.

Claw and locomotion problems are widespread in ungulates. Although it is presumed that mechanical overload is an important contributor to claw tissue damage and impaired locomotion, deformation and claw injury as a result of mechanical loading has been poorly quantified and, as a result, practical solutions to reduce such lesions have been established mostly through trial and error. In this study, an experimental technique was developed that allowed the measurement under controlled loading regimes of minute deformations in the lower limbs of dissected specimens from large ungulates.

Genotype by environment interaction for livability of dairy calves from first parity cows.

Death of calves around parturition is a matter of concern for dairy farmers. Relatively high stillbirth rates and unfavourable trends have been reported for Holstein heifers in the Netherlands and several other countries. In our study, we investigated herd differences, genetic parameters and genotype by environment interaction for heifer calf livability.

Effects of flooring and restricted freestall access on behavior and claw health of dairy heifers.

Claw health, locomotion, feed intake, milk yield, body weight, activity, and lying and standing behavior of dairy heifers were monitored in a single dairy herd during the first 3 mo after calving. During the first 8 wk after calving, 2 treatments were applied: restricted freestall access by closing the stalls between 2300 h and 0500 h (yes or no) and alley flooring (concrete or rubber topped slatted floors). Apart from treatments, housing was identical.

Discriminating between true-positive and false-positive clinical mastitis alerts from automatic milking systems.

Automatic milking systems (AMS) generate alert lists reporting cows likely to have clinical mastitis (CM). Dutch farmers indicated that they use non-AMS cow information or the detailed alert information from the AMS to decide whether to check an alerted cow for CM. However, it is not yet known to what extent such information can be used to discriminate between true-positive and false-positive alerts.

Combining somatic cell count traits for optimal selection against mastitis.

Test-day records of somatic cell counts (SCC) can be used to define alternative traits to decrease genetic susceptibility to clinical mastitis (CM) and subclinical mastitis (SCM). This paper examines which combination of alternative SCC traits can be used best to reduce both CM and SCM and whether direct information on CM is useful in this respect. Genetic correlations between 10 SCC traits and CM and SCM were estimated from 3 independent data sets.

Characterization of distributions of somatic cell counts.

There is more useful information in distributions of somatic cell count (SCC) than is currently used in practice. Analysis of SCC of individual quarters (n = 450,834 quarter records of 133,102 cows) showed that the presence of pathogens did not change the peak of the SCC distribution. Instead, the percentages of observations in the tail changed.

Effects of two trimming methods of dairy cattle on concrete or rubber-covered slatted floors.

This study monitored claw health, claw conformation, locomotion, activity, and step traits of cows from a single dairy herd that were trimmed according to the standard Dutch method or with an alternative "concave" trimming method. Half of the cows were kept in a stall section with concrete slatted floors in the alleys. The other cows were kept in a pen within the same housing with an identical concrete slatted floor in the alleys, but with a rubber top layer.

The use of data from sampling for bacteriology for genetic selection against clinical mastitis.

One breeding objective of Dutch cattle breeders is to improve genetic resistance against clinical and subclinical mastitis. Because of a lack of direct mastitis information, udder health breeding values are based on indirect traits. Inclusion of direct information on clinical mastitis could improve reliability of breeding values.

Alternative somatic cell count traits as mastitis indicators for genetic selection.

The aim of this study was to define alternative traits of somatic cell count (SCC) that can be used to decrease genetic susceptibility to clinical and subclinical mastitis (CM and SCM, respectively). Three kinds of SCC traits were evaluated: 1) lactation-averages of SCC, 2) traits derived from the proportion of test-day SCC above 150,000 cells/mL, and 3) patterns of peaks in SCC. Genetic parameters for these SCC traits and their genetic correlation with CM and SCM were estimated; CM and SCM were scored as binary traits.

[Measurement of the status of trace elements in cattle using liver biopsy samples].

Serum, plasma, or urine samples are usually used for the measurement of the trace elements copper; zinc, iron, selenium, because these samples are easy to obtain; however; these samples are not always appropriate. For example, it is not possible to measure molybdenum, the major antagonist of copper; in blood or urine. Therefore measurement of trace elements in liver tissue is considered the gold standard.

Effects of management and genetics on udder health and milk composition in dairy cows.

Milk production per cow has increased significantly as a result of breeding, feeding, and other management factors. This study aims to address concerns about udder health risks for low- and high-producing dairy cows. In a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design, Holstein-Friesian heifers (n = 100) of low or high genetic merit for milk production, milked 2 or 3 times a day, and fed a mixed ration with low or high energy content, were compared during the first 14 wk of lactation.

Effects of genotype by environment interactions on milk yield, energy balance, and protein balance.

Increases in genetic merit for milk yield are associated with increases in mobilization of body reserves. This study assessed the effects of genotype by environment (GxE) interactions on milk yield and energy and protein balances. Heifers (n = 100) with high or low genetic merit for milk yield were milked 2 or 3 times a day and received rations of low or high caloric density.

Sensors and management support in high-technology milking.

Two directions can be distinguished in the development of high-tech milking equipment: 1) high-capacity milking parlors with a high throughput of cows per person per hour and 2) automatic milking systems in which manual labor is replaced by a milking robot. High-capacity milking parlors are developed in such a way that one operator is able to milk many cows, partly by automation and partly by optimization of available labor. In such parlors, one operator can milk up to 125 cows per hour.

Robotic milking and its effect on fertility and cell counts.

The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of robotic milking (RM) on fertility and somatic cell counts (SCC) among dairy herds participating in the national Dutch milk recording system. It was hypothesized that RM, and a higher milking frequency in general, would have negative effects on fertility, due to expected and supposed deeper negative energy balance (NEB). Herds increasing milking frequency from two to three times daily consistently had increased production.

Detection model for mastitis in cows milked in an automatic milking system.

Automated detection of diseases (such as mastitis) in dairy cows might be an alternative for detection by observation during milking - especially when using an automatic milking system (AMS). An outline of a detection model is given. This detection model includes time-series models for two variables (milk yield and electrical conductivity of milk), with interpolation on previous values.

Relationship among estradiol, cortisol and intensity of estrous behavior in dairy cattle.

Economic profitability of a dairy farm is based, in part, on the calving interval of the cows. The optimal interval is 365 d. To achieve this, the cow needs to be pregnant within 85 d post partum.

Robot milking and effect on reproduction in dairy cows: a preliminary study.

The aim of this study was to analyse whether automatic milking has an effect on reproduction in dairy cows. Probably the most important consequence of automatic milking is an increased milking frequency. More frequent milking means more production and thereby an extra threat for the energy balance during the first months of lactation.