Earlier detection followed by efficient treatment can reduce the impact of lameness. Currently, locomotion scoring (LS) is the most widely used method of early detection but has significant limitations in pasture-based cattle and is not commonly used routinely in New Zealand. Scoring in the milking parlour may be more achievable, so this study compared an in-parlour scoring (IPS) technique with LS in pasture-based dairy cows. For nine months on two dairy farms, whole herd LS (4-point 0−3 scale) was followed 24 h later by IPS, with cows being milked. Observed for shifting weight, abnormal weight distribution, swollen heel or hock joint, and overgrown hoof. Every third cow was scored. Sensitivity and specificity of individual IPS indicators and one or more, two or more or three positive indicators for detecting cows with locomotion scores ≥ 2 were calculated. Using a threshold of two or more positive indicators were optimal (sensitivity > 92% and specificity > 98%). Utilising the IPS indicators, a decision tree machine learning procedure classified cows with locomotion score class ≥2 with a true positive rate of 75% and a false positive rate of 0.2%. IPS has the potential to be an alternative to LS on pasture-based dairy farms.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani12060703 | DOI Listing |
Front Vet Sci
December 2024
Moorepark, Teagasc, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland.
Risk assessments are important tools to identify deficits in biosecurity management practices. A major strength of some existing tools is that they facilitate cross-country comparisons. However, a weakness is their failure to account for unique intra-national farming enterprise structures such as, for example, pasture-based dairying.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Dairy Sci
December 2024
Food Chemistry and Technology Department, Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland; VistaMilk SFI Research Centre, Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland. Electronic address:
This study compared the impact of 2 pasture-based feeding systems, namely a traditional perennial ryegrass (PRG) diet, and a recently introduced, more sustainable multispecies swards (MSS) diet, on the functional lipid profile of raw milk. In addition to the 2 pasture diets, the study uniquely examined the combined effects of breed, namely Holstein-Friesian (HF) or Jersey Holstein-Friesian (JFX), and lactation stage in Ireland, spanning from March to November. Bulk milk samples (n = 144 yearly) for the 4 groups examined were collected for 4 weeks per each of the 9 mo specified.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
December 2024
Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland.
Seasonal-calving pasture-based systems characterize Irish dairy production. During the dry period, cows are housed and offered predominantly grass silage, providing unique transition cow management opportunities. This study aimed to describe transition period disease incidence and management strategies reported by farmers, and to evaluate their associations with herd size and calving pattern to inform and guide research activities and national advisory.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJDS Commun
November 2024
Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Melbourne, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia.
J Dairy Sci
December 2024
School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Camden, New South Wales, Australia 2570; Scibus, Camden, New South Wales, Australia 2570.
Efforts to optimize the longevity of dairy cows are hindered by the increased risk of adverse health events, culling or dying on farm with increased parity. Lipidomics provides a platform to help identify important biomarkers and biological pathways associated with increased parity and associated aging. A large, multi-site (15 pasture-based, 15 TMR farms) cross-sectional study collected plasma samples from nonlactating, late pregnant, 'dry' cow (696 cows, ~27 d prepartum) and peak-milk cows (796 cows, ~58 DIM) in a disproportionate stratified (parity: 0, 1, 2, > 2 for dry cows; 1, 2, 3, > 3 for peak-milk cows) random sampling frame.
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