Search Results (142)

The main objective of this work was to investigate the influence of environmental factors, including air temperature (AT), relative humidity (RH) and temperature–humidity index (THI), on the difference between rectal temperature (RT) and eye temperature (ET) of dairy cows. The monitoring of these parameters is important for the further possible introduction of digitalization in animal welfare, especially in dairy cattle. The mean calculated difference between rectal temperature and eye temperature (RT–ET) was 1.5 °C. The average value of AT was 16.4 °C, and the average value of RH was 59.2%. The average value of THI was 60.4. The results of the study showed that, for the temperature difference ET-RT, a low degree of correlation was found both with temperature and with the temperature-humidity index THI (R = 0.22; R = 0.23). However, the observed temperature difference of the animal (ET-RT) showed a moderate degree of dependence on the relative humidity of air (R = −0.32). Although the positive correlation coefficient for AT and THI points to the higher criticality of summer measurements, the negative correlation coefficient for RH supports the use of infrared thermography for determining the temperature of animals even in a moister barn environment. Full article

In this systematic review, the PRISMA method was applied to examine publications from the last two decades that have investigated the noxious gaseous emissions from dairy barns. The aim was to analyse the outcomes from literature studies estimating the quantities of polluting gases produced in dairy barns, with a specific focus on ammonia (NH₃) emissions. Various studies, among those reviewed, have used mixed effects models, mass balance approaches and dispersion methods, revealing significant variability due to different experimental protocols and environmental contexts. Key challenges include the lack of standardised measurement techniques and the limited geographical coverage of research, particularly in climatically extreme regions. This review also explores proposed methods to reduce the associated effects through mitigation strategies. Estimation of NH₃ emissions is significantly influenced by the complex interactions between several factors; including animal management practices, such as controlling animal behavioural activities; manure management, like utilising practices for floor manure removal; the type of structure housing the animals, whether it is naturally or mechanically ventilated; and environmental conditions, such as the effects of temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, and ventilation rate on NH₃ release in the barn. These influential components have been considered by researchers and targeted mitigation strategies have been identified. Despite growing attention to the issue, gaps in the scientific literature were identified and discussed, particularly regarding the analysis of mitigation strategies and their long-term impacts (i.e., environmental, economic and productivity-wise). The purpose of this review is to help improve research into sustainable agricultural practices and technological innovations, which are fundamental to reducing NH₃ emissions and improving air quality in agricultural environments. Full article

Dairy production on farms is based on properly selected technologies implemented in various areas of the barn and outside the livestock buildings. These technologies are subject to assessment, for example, to determine the possibilities of their further improvement in the given production conditions of the farm. When assessing dairy production technology on a farm, human interests are taken into account, including workload, time and access to modern tools supporting the control of production processes. The aim of this review is to identify and discuss factors in dairy production technologies that may affect the welfare of dairy cattle. The considerations indicate that in the technologies of cow feeding, watering and housing, the priority is to improve the technology in terms of ensuring the comfort of animals using feed, water and a place to rest. However, in the case of the assessment of milking automation, the key importance of increasing human comfort was indicated, taking into account the comfort of cows, which is an additional factor justifying the implementation of technical progress in milking. The assessment of various dairy production technologies on farms is an excellent opportunity to develop discussions on the place of dairy cattle welfare in the sustainable development of farms and the priorities set for improving dairy production. Full article

This study was conducted with the aim of the molecular identification of the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium spp. in calves in the early stage of their development on a dairy farm in Eastern Slovakia. Twenty-five Holstein and Holstein cross calves were included in the study and monitored from their birth to the fifth week of life (1–5 weeks). Fresh fecal samples were collected from the same group of calves each week, except during the fourth week, and with the exception of Sample 8. All samples were analyzed using the Ziehl–Neelsen staining method and coproantigen was tested using the ELISA test as the screening method. Using the ELISA method, the highest incidence of cryptosporidiosis was observed in the second week of life of the calves, while the antigen was detected in 21 (91.6%) calves. Using the Ziehl–Neelsen staining method, the highest incidence was also observed in the second week, with an incidence rate of 62.5%. Positive isolates confirmed by the ELISA test were molecularly characterized. The species and subtypes of Cryptosporidium in the positive isolates were identified using PCR and the sequence analysis of the small subunit of the ribosomal 18S RNA (ssu rRNA) and the 60 kDa glycoprotein (gp60) genes of the parasite. The sequence analysis of 29 isolates at the 18S rRNA loci confirmed the presence of two species—Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium ryanae. Out of 29 isolates, 25 were assigned to the species C. parvum, with the gp60 locus identified as genotype IIaA17G1R1. Among the individual animal groups, calves are the most common reservoirs of the C. parvum zoonotic species. This disease has significant public health implications as contact with livestock and their feces and working with barn manure are major sources of infection, not only for other animals but also for humans. Full article

This study aimed to determine the effect of heat stress (HS) on reproductive parameters (calving to first service (CTFS) and the first-service conception rate (FSCR)) and general physiological responses (rectal temperature (RT) and respiratory rate (RR)) in tropical cross-bred Holstein dairy cows raised in Ratchaburi province, Thailand. HS was determined using the temperature–humidity index (THI), calculated from temperature and humidity inside the barns, and was classified as moderate HS (THI: 80.67 ± 0.79) and mild HS (THI: 77.81 ± 1.09) in this study. Cows with detected corpus luteum were defined as cyclic cows and were injected with PGF2α at the beginning of the experimental period. Reproductive and physiological parameters were recorded. Cows showed significantly lower RT and RR in the mild HS group (38.47 ± 0.21 °C and 41.04 ± 4.55 bpm, respectively) than in the moderate HS group (38.87 ± 0.15 °C and 51.17 ± 10.52 bpm). The percentage of cows that ovulated after being induced by PGF2α and showed estrus signs was higher in the mild than the moderate HS groups (54.55% vs. 18.18%). Furthermore, the FSCR of cows under mild HS tended to be higher than that in the moderate HS group (42.11% and 15%, respectively) (p = 0.06), while the average CTFS interval was significantly shorter under mild HS than moderate HS (69.47 ± 18.18 and 84.60 ± 27.68 days, respectively). These results indicate that moderate HS impairs reproductive performance in crossbred Holstein cows, compared to mild HS conditions. Full article

Animal welfare strongly influences the health and performance of cattle and is an important factor for consumer acceptance. One parameter for the quantification of health status is the lying duration, which can be deployed for the early detection of possible production-related illnesses. Usually, 3D-accelerometers are the tool to detect lying duration in cattle, but the handling of bulls sometimes has special requirements because frequent manipulation in daily farming routines is often not possible. An ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) radio-frequency identification (RFID) system was installed in a beef cattle barn in Germany to measure the activity and lying time of bulls. Such UHF RFID systems are typically used for estrus detection in dairy cows via activity level, but can also be considered, for instance, as an early detection for lameness or other diseases. The aim of the study was to determine whether the estimations of activity level and lying duration can also be traced in husbandry systems for fattening bulls. Two groups of bulls (Uckermärker cattle, n = 10 and n = 13) of the same age were equipped with passive UHF RFID ear transponders. Three cameras were installed to proof the system and to observe the behaviour of the animals (standing, lying, and moving). Furthermore, accelerometers were attached to the hind legs of the bulls to validate their activity and lying durations measured by the RFID system in the recorded area. Over a period of 20 days, position (UHF RFID) and accelerometer data were recorded. Videos were recorded over a period of five days. The UHF RFID system showed an overall specificity of 95.9%, a sensitivity of 97.05%, and an accuracy of 98.45%. However, the comparison of the RFID and accelerometer data revealed residuals (ԑ) of median lying time (in minutes per day) for each group of ԑGroup1 = 51.78 min/d (p < 0.001), ԑGroup2 = −120.63 min/d (p < 0.001), and ԑGroup1+2 = −34.43 min/d (p < 0.001). In conclusion, UHF RFID systems can provide reliable activity and lying durations in 60 min intervals, but accelerometer data are more accurate. Full article

This research aimed to compare the conception rates among AI at 12, 24, and 36 h after estrus in cattle living in tie-stall barns in a tropical environment. The second study was to determine factors at insemination at 24 h after estrus, including secondary signs of estrus behavior, reproductive tract characteristics, and heat-stress factors, in relation to conception. The study was conducted on 22 tie-stall dairy farms in Chiang Mai, Thailand. After secondary signs of estrus were observed, all farmers were informed for data collection at the insemination time. Repeated logistic regression models were used to determine factors associated with conception. The results revealed that cattle inseminated 24 h after estrus detection had the highest conception rate (67.5%). The study also found that cattle with three or two secondary estrus signs before insemination had a higher risk of conception than those with only one sign. Interestingly, there was an increased risk of conception when sticky or no cervical mucus was observed during insemination (OR = 6.85 and OR = 5.96, respectively). Moreover, increases in body temperature and ambient relative humidity were related to a decrease in the chances of conception. This study recommends delaying insemination to 24 h after the initiation of secondary estrus signs. Multiple signs of estrus, sticky cervical mucus, and lower body temperature increased conception risk in dairy cattle living in tie-stall barns in a heat-stress environment. Full article

The main challenge in milk production has been to maintain a focus on efficient processes that enhance production outcomes while aligning with animal welfare and sustainability and being valued by society. As an alternative to improve cow welfare in production and provide better handling of the waste generated by the activity, the system called the compost-bedded pack barn (CBP) has been widely adopted in countries with temperate climates and higher milk production. This CBP has been attracting global interest, including from countries with tropical and subtropical climates, such as Brazil, where many producers have started to use it due to the response in terms of milk productivity. A CBP can be designed either in (a) an open facility with natural ventilation or a positive-pressure ventilation system or (b) totally closed facilities, equipped with negative-pressure ventilation systems and permanent thermal control. The latter system is being implemented in Brazil, despite insufficient knowledge about its efficiency. The objective of this study was, through a review, to gather and describe the most recent information on the use of open and closed CBP systems for dairy cattle housing, mainly covering how it is applied in tropical climate regions. To achieve the proposed objective, this review study included the following topics related to CBPs: (i) implementation, (ii) bedding, (iii) general construction and architectural characteristics, and (iv) ambient thermal conditioning. Knowledge gaps and directions for future research are also identified here. Full article

This systematic review was conducted to describe and discuss the main research findings available in the literature concerning the health and thermal comfort of dairy cattle housed in Compost-Bedded Pack Barn (CBP) systems, in comparison to Free Stall (FS), Tie-Stall (TS), and/or Loose Housing (LH) systems. Searches for peer-reviewed experimental articles in English were performed in the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Forty-three non-duplicated scientific articles were obtained and subjected to a four-stage evaluation process, according to the PRISMA methodology and predefined eligibility criteria. This process resulted in the selection of 13 articles for inclusion. Regarding animal health, the results provide evidence that the incidence of problems such as lameness, limb injuries, and reproductive disorders is lower in CBP systems. However, if bedding management is not effective in ensuring the provision of dry and comfortable surfaces, an increase in somatic cell count (SCC) and prevalence of mastitis incidence (P_MI) may occur. For thermal comfort, it was found that the CBP system exhibited higher temperatures during summer and lower temperatures during winter when compared to FS with cross-ventilation in association with evaporative cooling. However, no differences were observed in terms of thermal comfort in spring and autumn. As this is a recent research area, caution should be exercised when extrapolating the results, considering the specificities of each cited study. Full article

The autonomous navigation system of feed-pushing robots is one of the key technologies for the intelligent breeding of dairy cows, and its accuracy has a significant influence on the quality of feed-pushing operations. Currently, the navigation methods of feed-pushing robots in the complex environment of cattle barns mainly include visual, LiDAR, and geomagnetic navigation, but there are still problems relating to low navigation accuracy. An autonomous navigation system based on ultra-wideband (UWB) positioning utilizing the dynamic forward-looking distance pure pursuit algorithm is proposed in this paper. First, six anchor nodes were arranged in the corners and central feeding aisle of a 30 × 86 m rectangular standard barn to form a rectangular positioning area. Then, utilizing the 9ITL-650 feed-pushing robot as a platform and integrating UWB wireless positioning technology, a global coordinate system for the cattle barn was established, and the expected path was planned. Finally, the pure pursuit model was improved based on the robot’s two-wheel differential kinematics model, and a dynamic forward-looking distance pure pursuit controller based on PID regulation was designed to construct a comprehensive autonomous navigation control system. Subsequently, field experiments were conducted in the cattle barn. The experimental results show that the static positioning accuracy of the UWB system for the feed-pushing robot was less than 16 cm under no-line-of-sight conditions in the cattle barn. At low speeds, the robot was subjected to linear tracking comparative experiments with forward-looking distances of 50, 100, 150, and 200 cm. The minimum upper-line distance of the dynamic forward-looking distance model was 205.43 cm. In the steady-state phase, the average lateral deviation was 3.31 cm, with an average standard deviation of 2.58 cm and the average root mean square error (RMSE) of 4.22 cm. Compared with the fixed forward-looking distance model, the average lateral deviation, the standard deviation, and the RMSE were reduced by 42.83%, 37.07%, and 42.90%, respectively. The autonomous navigation experiments conducted on the feed-pushing robot at travel speeds of 6, 8, and 10 m/min demonstrated that the maximum average lateral deviation was 7.58 cm, the maximum standard deviation was 8.22 cm, and the maximum RMSE was 11.07 cm, meeting the autonomous navigation requirements for feed-pushing operations in complex barn environments. This study provides support for achieving high-precision autonomous navigation control technology in complex environments. Full article

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of calcareous marine algae (Lithotamium calcareum)-based rumen content buffer (CMA) included in concentrated feed within total mixed ration (TMR), fed to 34 peak lactation (87–144 days in milk) Holstein dairy cows, randomized into two groups (group A, n = 17; group B, n = 17), wearing collars with accelerometers, and housed a in barn with automatic feed-weigh troughs. During the first phase P1, group A received TMR with CMA (TMR-E) and group B was fed TMR without the buffer (TMR-C). For P2, the treatments in the groups were exchanged. Feed intake, feeding time (FT), rumination time (RT), milk yield, milk composition, and rumen pH were measured by barn technologies, and rumen fluid and feces composition were analyzed in the laboratory. Differences between the TMR-E and TMR-C in most parameters under study were statistically insignificant, except overall FT and RT, which differed significantly between the groups. Group A, feeding at P1 by TMR-E, exhibited higher FT and RT than Group B (202 min/cow/day vs. 184 min/cow/day, and 486 min/cow/day vs. 428 min/cow/day, respectively). The RT significantly increased after switching from TMR-C to TMR-E. This implies that the buffer effect is delayed and persists after the withdrawal. In the group of cows that received control TMR without buffer in the first phase, RT and milk protein content increased significantly in the first week after the addition of buffer. Full article

The aim of the present research was to study the influence of the calving season in conditions of the upcoming climate changes on the productive traits of dairy cows in Bulgaria. The study was conducted on a cattle farm with a capacity of 500 dairy cows, which were loose-housed in open free-stall barns (shed-type). In the research, 286 lactations of 199 Holstein cattle from the studied farm were included. The cows with the highest average milk yield for lactation—8522.2 kg—calved in the spring, while the cows with the lowest milk yield—8082.7 kg—calved in the summer. Cows that calved in the spring had the highest maximum daily milk yield (lactation peak)—38 kg—whereas cows that calved in the summer had the lowest—35.7 kg. Regarding the composition indicators of milk, fat, and protein content, no significant effect of the calving season was found, but there was a tendency for the lowest values for the percentage of fat in milk to be reported for cows that calved in the summer—3.68%—and the highest for those calved in the spring—3.71%. Regarding the percentage of protein in the milk, the lowest values were observed for cows that calved in autumn—3.19%—and the highest for cows that calved in summer—3.27%. Full article

The aim of this study is to show the potential of a vision-based system using a single 360° camera to describe the dairy cows’ behaviour in a free-stall barn with an automatic milking system. A total of 2299 snapshots were manually evaluated, counting the number of animals that were lying, standing and eating. The average capture rate of animals in the picture is 93.1% (counted animals/actual numbers of animals). In addition to determining the daily lying, standing and eating times, it is also possible to allocate animals to the individual functional areas so that anomalies such as prolonged standing in the cubicle or lying in the walkway can be detected at an early stage. When establishing a camera monitoring system in the future, attention should be paid to sufficient resolution of the camera during the night as well as the reduction of the concealment problem by animals and barn equipment. The automatic monitoring of animal behaviour with the help of 360° cameras can be a promising innovation in the dairy barn. Full article

Despite considerable research regarding the benefits of natural living conditions on several aspects of the health and well-being of dairy cows, the effects of pasture access on their overall welfare are less studied. In this comparative study, the Welfare Quality^® protocol was applied in 22 zero-grazing and 17 grazing access farms with an ulterior statistical exploration of the differences found. Moreover, correlations were calculated between pasture access and animal-based welfare measures. Aside from the multiple benefits of pasturing identified within the welfare measures, criteria, and principles, in the overall classification, the farms with permanent confinement ranked lower than the grazing farms. Although both systems used free-stall barns, allowing the cows’ movement, the grazing animals showed improved overall welfare. Yet, the origin-related adaptation of the animals could play a role. The authors recommend research-based tailoring whenever these conditions are intended to be transposed in technology, especially in intensive systems. Full article

In view of rising global demand, energy is becoming a significant cost factor in industry and society. In addition to the global players China, India, and the USA, Africa will also become a driver of the world’s primary energy demand in the future due to the rapidly growing developing countries. In addition to the armed conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, global energy markets are tense and volatile due to inflation and higher borrowing costs. Because of society’s desire to phase out the use of fossil fuels, the use of renewable energies is increasingly taking center stage worldwide and especially in Germany. Rural areas and agriculture, especially energy-intensive livestock farms, are particularly affected by this development and are therefore faced with additional economic challenges. Additional energy can be generated by using photovoltaic systems on the roofs of farm buildings or by utilizing the liquid manure from livestock farming in biogas plants. For these farms, such alternative sources of energy could open previously untapped potential and additional synergies for using their own inexpensive energy on the farm or supplying surplus electricity directly to the public grid as a market participant. Agriculture could thus serve as an actor in a decentralized energy supply and thus build up regional energy networks. However, intelligent electricity storage concepts and a corresponding energy management system (EMS) are essential to be able to utilize the potential for renewable energy generation at all, to coordinate both internal production processes and the varying energy demand and supply on the electricity grid. As agricultural production processes differ greatly from farm to farm and region to region, the introduction of an energy management system is strongly dependent on user acceptance. The purpose of this study is to use the web-based software tool ADOPT (CSIRO 2018) to predict the level of acceptance and the duration of the market launch of an EMS based on the region of Bavaria. Individual important influencing factors for the subsequent regional marketing concept are also identified. Full article