Quantifying cost of disease in livestock: a new metric for the Global Burden of Animal Diseases.

BACKGROUND: Increasing awareness of the environmental and public health impacts of expanding and intensifying animal-based food and farming systems creates discord, with the reliance of much of the world's population on animals for livelihoods and essential nutrition. Increasing the efficiency of food production through improved animal health has been identified as a step towards minimising these negative effects without compromising global food security. The Global Burden of Animal Diseases (GBADs) programme aims to provide data and analytical methods to support positive change in animal health across all livestock and aquaculture animal populations. METHODS: In this study, we present a metric that begins the process of disease burden estimation by converting the physical consequences of disease on animal performance to farm-level costs of disease, and calculates a metric termed the Animal Health Loss Envelope (AHLE) via comparison between the status quo and a disease-free ideal. An example calculation of the AHLE metric for meat production from broiler chickens is provided. FINDINGS: The AHLE presents the direct financial costs of disease at farm-level for all causes by estimating losses and expenditure in a given farming system. The general specification of the model measures productivity change at farm-level and provides an upper bound on productivity change in the absence of disease. On its own, it gives an indication of the scale of total disease cost at farm-level. INTERPRETATION: The AHLE is an essential stepping stone within the GBADs programme because it connects the physical performance of animals in farming systems under different environmental and management conditions and different health states to farm economics. Moving forward, AHLE results will be an important step in calculating the wider monetary consequences of changes in animal health as part of the GBADs programme. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, EU Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme.

High-precision tracking and positioning for monitoring Holstein cattle.

Enhanced animal welfare has emerged as a pivotal element in contemporary precision animal husbandry, with bovine monitoring constituting a significant facet of precision agriculture. The evolution of intelligent agriculture in recent years has significantly facilitated the integration of drone flight monitoring tools and innovative systems, leveraging deep learning to interpret bovine behavior. Smart drones, outfitted with monitoring systems, have evolved into viable solutions for wildlife protection and monitoring as well as animal husbandry. Nevertheless, challenges arise under actual and multifaceted ranch conditions, where scale alterations, unpredictable movements, and occlusions invariably influence the accurate tracking of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). To address these challenges, this manuscript proposes a tracking algorithm based on deep learning, adhering to the Joint Detection Tracking (JDT) paradigm established by the CenterTrack algorithm. This algorithm is designed to satisfy the requirements of multi-objective tracking in intricate practical scenarios. In comparison with several preeminent tracking algorithms, the proposed Multi-Object Tracking (MOT) algorithm demonstrates superior performance in Multiple Object Tracking Accuracy (MOTA), Multiple Object Tracking Precision (MOTP), and IDF1. Additionally, it exhibits enhanced efficiency in managing Identity Switches (ID), False Positives (FP), and False Negatives (FN). This algorithm proficiently mitigates the inherent challenges of MOT in complex, livestock-dense scenarios.

Impact of dichromatic lighted incubation on hatching result and post-hatch performance of broiler chickens.

This study was planned to evaluate the impact of dichromatic lights during incubation on the hatching and post-hatch performance of broiler chickens. A total of 500 eggs of broiler breeder (Ross 308; Age 44 weeks) were evenly divided according to a completely randomized design into 4 treatments having 5 replicates and 25 eggs each. Treatments consisted of dichromatic lights Blue + Red (BR), Green + Red (GR) and Green + Blue (GB) provided at an intensity of 250 lx for 12 h a day along with a Dark (D) environment. After hatching 200 chicks (50 from each respective light group) were divided into 4 treatments with 5 replicates each having 10 chicks. Results indicated a higher embryo index (13.12%) in the GR group on the 12th day of incubation; while an ideal hatch window was observed in GR and GB (98.18% and 96.00% hatched chicks) lighting groups. In hatching traits, higher hatchability (86.15) and hatch of fertile (93.85) percentages were observed in GR lighting followed by GB, BR and Dark treatment groups; while dead-in shell embryos were lowest in the GR group. In growth performance, higher feed intake (513.20 g) and body weight (479.20 g) were observed in the GB group followed by GR, BR and dark group; and feed conversion ratio (FCR) was better in the GR group (1.06). In welfare parameters, improved physical asymmetry (0.90 mm) and tonic immobility (54.40 s) were measured in the GR group followed by GB, BR and the dark group. It was concluded that under experimental conditions when broiler breeder eggs are provided with GR lighting during incubation, it can help to improve hatchability, growth performance and welfare traits in chicks.

Anaplasmosis outbreaks in taurine and zebu cattle in Brazil: causes, treatments, and Anaplasma marginale genetic diversity.

This study aimed to investigate seven outbreaks of A. marginale infection in two regions of Brazil, affecting taurine, zebu, and crossbred cattle. We assessed the possible causes, treatment measures, and genetic diversity of A. marginale. These outbreaks occurred in two states (Goiás: outbreaks 1-7; Mato Grosso do Sul: outbreak 3), breeds (Holstein, Nellore, and crossbreed), age groups (beef cattle: 18-25 days old and 7-8 months; dairy cattle: 18-25 days old, 13-14 months, and cow after the first birth) and rearing systems (feedlot, pasture, pen in a wood shaving bedding system and compost bedded-pack barns). Metaphylactic or prophylactic treatments varied according to outbreak (imidocarb dipropionate: outbreaks 1-4 and 6; enrofloxacin: outbreaks 5 and 7; diminazene diaceturate: outbreak 5). In outbreaks 6 and 7, the packed cell volume was monitored. In all outbreaks, the practice of needle/syringe sharing was discontinued. For outbreaks 1-3, clinical signs and mortality (range, 4.8-13.3%) occurred 36-45 days after entry into the feedlot. In outbreak 4, A. marginale was diagnosed in 66.2% of the calves (bacteremia, 0-4.5%), with a mortality of 8.6%. Among nursing calves aged 60 days during outbreak 5, 53.8% were infected with A. marginale, with average bacteremia of 2.7% (range, 0-21.3%), and a mortality of 13.8%. In dairy heifers aged 14 months, raised in paddocks lacking vegetation cover and infested with R. microplus, then transitioned to a rotational grazing system also infested with R. microplus, the A. marginale bacteremia ranged from 3.2 to 6.7%, with a mortality of 20%. Before monitoring during outbreak 7, the mortality was 17.9%, but no further deaths were observed after monitoring initiation. In conclusion, possible causes triggering the outbreaks included primary tick infestation, needle/syringe sharing, and stress factors which may have affected the immunological statues of animals in the feedlots. Control measures performed in all outbreaks were effective. The partial msp4 gene sequences of A. marginale generated herein belonged to two haplotypes, but further research would be needed to investigate if this finding has any clinical significance.

Conservation and upgradation of indigenous Cholistani cattle breed of Pakistan: a pathway to sustainable livestock.

Pakistan is endowed with many established indigenous zebu Bos indicus type (humped) cattle breeds including Sahiwal, Red Sindhi, Bhagnari and Cholistani. Amongst these indigenous cattle breeds, Sahiwal and Red Sindhi have extensively been navigated and hence these two are acclaimed as internationally recognized breeds. However, research work on Cholistani cattle breed actually initiated in 2010 and has attained a steady pace. This breed was a new entrant in Livestock Census of Pakistan since 2006. Cholistani is a hardy, tick-resistant, adaptable cattle breed being reared under pastoral nomadism of the Cholistan desert, Pakistan. The present narrative review is the first of its kind intended to sum-up all the research work conducted about this indigenous cattle breed, and to put forth research gaps for this formerly neglected cattle breed. The review discusses the research work conducted on Cholistani cattle breed under five major research subjects/domains i.e. production attributes, theriogenology-related attributes, hematochemical attributes, disease, epidemiologic and therapeutic attributes, and genetic attributes. Future horizon for research avenues has also been given. It is the dire need of time that specific breed-oriented conservation and propagation programs may be initiated in the country so that sustained livestock and enhance socioeconomic profiling of rural communities may be attained.

Farmer's climate smart livestock production adoption and determinant factors in Hidebu Abote District, Central Ethiopia.

This study aimed to identify the status, determining factors, and challenges in adopting climate smart livestock production practices by farmers. Three-staged sampling techniques were used to select the research sites and 233 sample farmer household respondents. Data were collected mainly using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions were also conducted to complement the household survey data. Descriptive statistics and an ordered logistic regression model were applied to analyze the quantitative data. The result revealed that the most adopted practices were composting (85.41%) and manure management (70.39%) while the least adopted technologies were biogas generation (3.86%) and rotation grazing (22.32%). The adoption status of the sampled farmers was also categorized into low (19.74%), medium (67.81%), and high adopter (12.45%). The high cost of improved breed, use of manure for fuel, free grazing, lack of information and awareness were the major constraints to adopting the climate smart livestock production technologies. The result also revealed that education, grazing land, total livestock holding, and extension agent contact contributed significantly and positively to the adoption of smart livestock production technology, while the distance from the water source had an insignificant and negative effect on the adoption status of climate smart livestock production practices. The study suggests the relevance of the cooperation of stakeholders and strengthening extension services for the maximum benefits of climate smart livestock production.

[Homemade herbal remedies - tradition with practical relevance]. / Pflanzliche bäuerliche Hausmittel ­ Tradition mit Praxisrelevanz.

OBJECTIVE: The preparation of homemade herbal remedies has always been practiced by animal keepers and is still employed in farm animals today. In order to document this practice, an ethnoveterinary study was conducted in Bavaria in 2018-2021. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The farmers were interviewed on site and the reported recipes were documented in detail and, where possible, also carried out during the interviews. The plant parts used were weighed using a laboratory balance in order to be able to calculate a daily dose per animal or the concentration in the end product for as many of these traditional use reports (UR) as possible. RESULTS: A total of 716 recipes for 884 UR were named in the 77 interviews by the participating farmers. Two thirds (69%) of the formulations mentioned consisted of one or more medicinal plants and 31% dealt with other natural home remedies (honey, vinegar, etc.). Overall, the farmers surveyed preferred the use of single plants in their formulations. Most UR were for cattle (77% of all reports). These traditional remedies are most often used in Bavarian stables for the treatment and prophylaxis of gastrointestinal diseases and metabolic disorders. Furthermore, there was a high correspondence of the medicinal plants used with described UR from two historical reference books. The study participants used their homemade herbal remedies with a high degree of satisfaction and thereby act within the scope of their own responsibility as farmers. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This traditional knowledge of herbal preparations containing active ingredients, which has been passed on for generations, may also be a good starting point for a phytotherapeutic supplement in the treatment of farm animals in veterinary practice. Pharmaceutical and feed law framework conditions must be adhered to.

Dairy goat performance in two grazing regimes: silvopastoral rangeland or abandoned agricultural land, and two supplementation treatments in central Mexico.

Twenty Saanen third parturition dairy goats were used in an on-farm 2 × 2 factorial arrangement that ran for 12 weeks, with two grazing regimes and two concentrate types. The grazing regimes evaluated were an extensive silvopastoral native rangeland (SPR) and grazing in an abandoned agricultural land (AAL). Grazing happened between 9:00 and 17:00 h. The two types of concentrate supplement were a high protein concentrate (HP = 180 g CP/kg DM and 13 MJ ME/kg DM) or high energy concentrate (HE = 110  g CP/kg DM and 14.3 MJ ME/kg DM). Goats were milked once a day, providing 250 g of concentrate supplement per goat and day. Animal variables were fat and protein corrected milk yield recorded every day, and milk composition determined for two consecutive days at the end of each experimental week. Flora in the experimental paddocks was characerised and sampled, including grasses, shrubs, trees, legumes and cacti. The data was analysed with the R software using a mixed model with day nested in period as random effect and goat as repeated measure. The SPR had greater (P = 0.002) fat and protein corrected milk yield than AAL, with no differences between concentrate type and no interaction (P > 0.05). There was an interaction (P < 0.01) between grazing regime and concentrate type for fat content in milk, where a reduction in fat content was notorious in the SPR regime. Protein content of milk was greater (P < 0.01) in SPR with no significant effects of concentrate type or the interaction. The number of plant species in SPR was greater. The native silvopastoral system supplemented with the high energy concentrate was the strategy with higher milk yield, and protein and milk fat content, although the interaction between grazing regime and supplement was significant only for milk fat content.

How do grazing beef and dairy cattle respond to virtual fences? A review.

Virtual fencing (VF) is a modern fencing technology that requires the animal to wear a device (e.g., a collar) that emits acoustic signals to replace the visual cue of traditional physical fences (PF) and, if necessary, mild electric signals. The use of devices that provide electric signals leads to concerns regarding the welfare of virtually fenced animals. The objective of this review is to give an overview of the current state of VF research into the welfare and learning behavior of cattle. Therefore, a systematic literature search was conducted using two online databases and reference lists of relevant articles. Studies included were peer-reviewed and written in English, used beef or dairy cattle, and tested neck-mounted VF devices. Further inclusion criteria were a combination of audio and electrical signals and a setup as a pasture trial, which implied that animals grazed in groups on grassland for 4 h minimum while at least one fence side was virtually fenced. The eligible studies (n = 13) were assigned to one or two of the following categories: animal welfare (n studies = 8) or learning behavior (n studies = 9). As data availability for conducting a meta-analysis was not sufficient, a comparison of the means of welfare indicators (daily weight gain, daily lying time, steps per hour, daily number of lying bouts, and fecal cortisol metabolites [FCM]) for virtually and physically fenced animals was done instead. In an additional qualitative approach, the results from the welfare-related studies were assembled and discussed. For the learning behavior, the number of acoustic and electric signals and their ratio were used in a linear regression model with duration in days as a numeric predictor to assess the learning trends over time. There were no significant differences between VF and PF for most welfare indicators (except FCM with lower values for VF; P = 0.0165). The duration in days did not have a significant effect on the number of acoustic and electric signals. However, a significant effect of trial duration on the ratio of electric-to-acoustic signals (P = 0.0014) could be detected, resulting in a decreasing trend of the ratio over time, which suggests successful learning. Overall, we conclude that the VF research done so far is promising but is not yet sufficient to ensure that the technology could not have impacts on the welfare of certain cattle types. More research is necessary to investigate especially possible long-term effects of VF.

Virtual fencing is a GPS-enabled fencing technology with the potential for improved livestock and pasture management, as well as socioeconomic and environmental benefits. However, the missing visual cue of a physical fence and the use of electric signals to ensure animals stay within the invisible boundary raise ethical and animal welfare concerns regarding the animal's ability to understand and learn the technology and the stress and anxiety associated with these processes. In this review, data from studies investigating the welfare and learning behaviors of virtually fenced animals were collected and analyzed to give an overview of this research field. It shows that the welfare of cattle in extensive systems is not adversely affected by the virtual fencing system, and the animals learn to avoid the electric signals. However, more research is necessary, especially over longer periods of time and with cows in intensive grazing systems, to ensure the welfare of virtually fenced cattle.

Evaluation of risk factors of omphalitis in newborn beef calves with indoor housing.

BACKGROUND: Omphalitis is the third most common cause for diseases and infections in newborn calves. Its risk factors are well described in dairy production, but data in beef production is limited. OBJECTIVE: To identify and quantify the risk factors of omphalitis in cow-calf operations with seasonal indoor calving period. ANIMALS: Nine hundred sixty-four calves included from 22 cow-calf operations in central France were included. METHODS: A prospective cohort study involved data collection during two visits for each calf. Simple and multivariable logistic regression analyses evaluated the association between omphalitis and the variables. RESULTS: Among 964 included calves, 311 (32.3%) calves had an omphalitis. Accounting for farms' random effect, risk factors for omphalitis highlighted by the univariable analysis were: absence of navel disinfection (odds ratio (OR) = 2.3, [1.45-3.04]), wetness of bedding calving area (OR = 1.8-2.1, [0.78-2.83]-[0.63-3.57]), cleanliness of calves' pen (OR =1.6-2.8, [1.22-2.27]-[2.02-3.84]), wetness of calves' pen bedding (OR = 1.7-3.2, [1.12-2.06]-[3.08-3.84]), calf weight at birth >50 kg (OR = 2.0-5.0, [1.02-2.38]-[1.51-11.1]), umbilical cord length <3 cm (OR = 2.2-2.3, [1.53-3.11]-[1.24-4.38]), and sex (male vs female) (OR = 2.6, [2.08-3.69]). The multivariable analysis, accounting for farms' random effect, showed that the absence of navel disinfection (OR= 2.2, [1.44-3.09]), wetness of bedding calving area (OR = 1.9-2.4, [0.55-2.83]-[0.59-3.28]), calf weight at birth >50 kg (OR = 1.9-2.6, [1.03-2.56]-[1.43-12.5]) and sex (male vs female) (OR =2.4, [2.09-3.49]) were risk factors for omphalitis. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: These observations may help identify animals at early risk (>50 kg, male, short umbilical cord) and pay particular attention to the wetness of bedding and cleanliness of housing. This study highlights the importance of calving-pen bedding, calf characteristics and navel disinfection.

The tales of contradiction: A thematic analysis of British sheep farmers' perceptions of managing sheep scab in their flocks.

Sheep scab is endemic in Great Britain with an estimated national herd-level prevalence of 10.9% from a surveyed population of sheep farms. Previous studies have investigated how sheep farmers manage sheep scab on their farms in Great Britain, but there have not been any qualitative studies investigating sheep farmers perceptions on the roles different stakeholders have in the management of sheep scab. This qualitative study aims to explore how sheep farmers perceive their role and the different stakeholders' roles in the management of sheep scab, and how they would like sheep scab to be managed going forward. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 43 sheep farmers from England, Scotland, and Wales. The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, through the theoretical lens of Foucault's notion of 'biopower'. Two themes were generated: 'The feeling of powerlessness leads to a need of rules and regulations', with sub-themes: 'The need for governmental rules and regulations' and 'The need for rules and regulation at livestock markets', and 'An apparent lack of sheep scab surveillance', with sub-themes: 'The farmers perceive that the veterinarians have control over surveillance' and 'The farmers have control over surveillance on their farms'. In the first theme, the respondents suggested that more rules and regulations to control the management of sheep scab was required. This included reinstating of sheep scab as a notifiable disease in England and Wales, as well as more regulations at livestock markets to prevent the trading of infested sheep; both of which would subject the farmers to regulatory power mechanisms. The second theme centred around who has the control of surveillance on the farms. Most of the respondents perceived that the veterinarians had knowledge and expertise of the local area on sheep scab, which they were able to relay to the farmers. Thus, veterinarians exerted disciplinary power by creating 'docile' bodies. However, it also appeared that veterinarians were not regularly called onto farms. Although disciplinary power flows through the interactions between the farmer and veterinarian, the techniques currently used are not always having their desired effect. The study demonstrated that how sheep farmers want sheep scab to be managed is, at times, conflicting and contradictory, which highlights the complexity of sheep scab as a disease to manage.

Impact of diversified grazing systems on milk production, nutrient use and enteric methane emissions in dual-purpose cows.

This study evaluated three continuous grazing systems: Brachiaria Brizantha, Clitoria ternatea and naturalized pastures, complemented with commercial concentrate and C. ternatea silage on milk yield, nutrient use and enteric methane (CH4) emissions. Nine multiparous cows of local Zebu breeds, with an average weight of 448 ± 87 kg, were used. The chemical composition of the food was determined. Live weight, milk production, and quality were assessed. Furthermore, serum urea, urea nitrogen, creatinine and glucose in blood were monitored, and nitrogen use efficiency were calculated. Enteric methane (CH4) emissions were estimated using Tier-2 methodology. A 3 × 3 latin square experimental design was applied. The grazing systems of B. brizantha and C. ternatea had the greater live weights of 465.8 and 453.3 kg/cow, although the latter is similar to naturalized pasture. Milk production and quality were not affected by grazing system, with the exception of the non-fat solids, where the C. ternatea system was lower (102.2 g/kg) than the other grazing systems. The crude protein and N intake, and N excretion in feces and urine were lower in naturalized pasture systems (1139.0 g/day). N outputs in milk was high in the C. ternatea system (56.3 g/cow/day). The naturalized pastures systems showed the better feed use efficiency (25.7%) compared to others. Serum urea and blood urea nitrogen were greater in B. brizantha followed by C. ternatea. Enteric CH4 emissions were indifferent among grazing systems when expressed as a percentage of greenhouse gases (7.1%). In conclusion, the grazing C. ternatea supplemented with commercial concentrate and C. ternatea silage maintains milk production and quality, reduced cow/day emissions (by 2.5%) and lowered energy losses as methane.

Development strategies and application of antimicrobial peptides as future alternatives to in-feed antibiotics.

The use of in-feed antibiotics has been widely restricted due to the significant environmental pollution and food safety concerns they have caused. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted widespread attention as potential future alternatives to in-feed antibiotics owing to their demonstrated antimicrobial activity and environment friendly characteristics. However, the challenges of weak bioactivity, immature stability, and low production yields of natural AMPs impede practical application in the feed industry. To address these problems, efforts have been made to develop strategies for approaching the AMPs with enhanced properties. Herein, we summarize approaches to improving the properties of AMPs as potential alternatives to in-feed antibiotics, mainly including optimization of structural parameters, sequence modification, selection of microbial hosts, fusion expression, and industrially fermentation control. Additionally, the potential for application of AMPs in animal husbandry is discussed. This comprehensive review lays a strong theoretical foundation for the development of in-feed AMPs to achieve the public health globally.

Seroprevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection in goats from South Punjab Province, Pakistan.

Layyah District in South Punjab Province of Pakistan offers the most intensive caprine economy in the country; its Indus riverine and desert environment makes the area peculiar and worthy of specific investigations. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) IgG-antibody in goats in serum samples and the potential risk factors. The prevalence of T. gondii infection was estimated using a two-stage sample design. All caprine farms in the study area were stratified by size, and from these 110 were randomly selected. Twelve goats (>1-year-old) were selected from each farm and a total of 1320 serum samples were collected and tested by ELISA. A questionnaire on the conditions and management practices of each farm was administered to 110 farmers. Four hundred and sixteen out of 1320 sera samples (31.5%) were found positive and 89% of the flock had at least one seropositive goat. The proportion of seropositive goats tested within each flock ranged from 8.3% to 83.3%. with several factors contributing to this heterogeneity. Goat age played a significant role in the presence of cats. Significant interactions were related to goat farms having floor of dirt and kitten presence. Moreover, age class, abortion history and water source supply were modulated by owner education levels. This is the first study to determine the prevalence of anti-T. gondii antibodies in goats sera in Layyah district and the largest carried out so far in Pakistan. The remarkable presence of T. gondii among goats in areas where goat farming plays a significant economic role may pose a production threat to the small-stock industry, as well as to public health and food safety. Therefore, investigations to identify high-risk goat populations are highly recommended in order to facilitate the implementation of local control strategies.

Biosecurity indemnification and attitudes of United States swine producers towards the prevention of an african swine fever outbreak.

Animal disease outbreaks, such as the recent outbreak of African Swine Fever in 2018, are a major concern for stakeholders across the food supply chain due to their potential to disrupt global food security, cause economic losses, and threaten animal welfare. As a result of their transboundary nature, discussions have shifted to preventive measures aimed at protecting livestock while ensuring food security and safety. Emergency assistance has been a critical response option during pandemics. However, this may not be sustainable in the long run because the expectation of government bailout may encourage risk taking behaviours. Our hypothesis is that an indemnity policy that is conditioned on showing biosecurity practices would increase compliance and reduce government expenditure during disease outbreaks. We developed and launched a survey from March to July 2022 targeted at swine producers across the US. From the survey, we examined livestock farmers' attitudes and intentions regarding biosecurity investment and assessed their attitudes towards the purchase of livestock insurance and reporting suspected infected livestock on their farm. We used a partial proportion odds model analysis to examine the model. Our analysis revealed that intention to call a veterinarian, trust in government agencies and risk perception of farmers were instrumental in the willingness to self-invest in biosecurity, purchase livestock insurance, and promptly report infected livestock on their farms. This provides evidence that biosecurity compliance would increase if indemnification was tied to a demonstration of effort to adopt biosecurity practices. We also show that individuals who have been in the industry for a longer period may become complacent and less likely to report outbreaks. Farmers with a higher share of income from their production operations bear a greater risk from their operational income and are more willing to report any suspected infections on their farms. The data suggest that motivating the willingness of farmers to invest in biosecurity while overcoming cost concerns is achievable.

Hotspot sheep scab management: A community-based regional approach in England.

BACKGROUND: Ovine psoroptic mange (sheep scab), caused by an infestation of the mite Psoroptes ovis, leads to clinical disease, economic loss and severely compromised animal welfare. Here, a community-based approach to the management of scab in three high-risk areas of England is described. METHODS: For each of the 254 farms included in the study, an initial survey of their clinical sheep scab history was followed up by a blood test (ELISA) to detect the presence of antibodies to P. ovis. This facilitated the coordination of treatment across groups of farms in each region. Blood testing was then repeated at the end of the treatment programme. RESULTS: On the first blood test in 2021/2022, 25.6% (±5.5%) of the flocks were positive for sheep scab. On the second test in 2022/2023, 9% (±3.94%) of the flocks tested were positive, showing a highly statistically significant reduction in prevalence overall, but with strong regional variation. LIMITATIONS: generating an understanding of the flock-level nature of the blood test and confidence in its detection of scab where clinical signs were not apparent provided ongoing challenges. CONCLUSIONS: The programme demonstrated that a focused community-based approach can be used to significantly reduce the prevalence of sheep scab in high-risk areas of England. The use of the blood test on all farms allowed the identification of subclinical sheep scab. The programme provides an effective model for sheep scab management on a national scale.

Technical note: utilization of various allotment strategies to evaluate variation and replications required to detect statistical significance in nursery pig research.

A total of 720 barrows (line 200 × 400, DNA genetics) were used in two 42-d nursery trials (initially 6.20 ±â€…0.12 kg and 5.63 ±â€…0.16 kg, respectively) to evaluate strategies for allotting pigs to pens in randomized controlled trials. At placement, the population was split into three cohorts with similar average weight and standard deviation and randomly assigned to one of the three allotment strategies. Strategy 1 (random) utilized a simple randomization strategy with each pig randomized to pens independent of all other pigs. Strategy 2 (body weight [BW] distribution) sorted each pig within the cohort into one of the five BW groups. One pig from each weight group was then randomly assigned to a pen such that distribution of BW within pen was uniform across pens. Strategy 3 (BW grouping) sorted pigs within the cohort into 3 BW categories: light, medium, and heavy. Within each BW category, pigs were randomized to pen to create pens of pigs from each BW category. Within each experiment, there were 72 pens with five pigs per pen and 24 pens per allotment strategy. For all strategies, once pigs were allotted to pens, pens were allotted to one of the two treatments for a concurrent trial. In experiment 1, environmental enrichment using ropes tied near the pan of the feeder was compared to a control with no enrichment. In experiment 2, treatment diets consisted of basal levels of Zn and Cu from the trace mineral premix for the duration of the study (110 and 17 mg/kg, respectively; control), or diets (supplemented control) with carbadox (50 g/ton; Mecadox, Phibro Animal Health, Teaneck, NJ) fed in phase 1 (days 0 to 22) and 2 (days 22 to 43), pharmacological levels of Zn and Cu (2,414 mg/kg Zn from ZnO; 168 mg/kg Cu from CuSO4) fed in phase 1, and only pharmacological levels of Cu (168 mg/kg Cu from CuSO4) fed in phase 2. These treatment designs were used to determine the impact on coefficient of variation (CV) and to estimate the number of replications required to find significant treatment differences based on allotment strategy. There were no meaningful allotment strategy × treatment interactions for either study. For between-pen CV, pigs allotted using BW distribution and BW grouping strategies had the lowest CV at allotment and final weight in both trials. For overall average daily gain in experiments 1 and 2 in experiment 2, the BW distribution strategy required the fewest replications to detect differences in performance. However, there is no meaningful difference between allotment strategies in replications required to detect significant differences for gain:feed ratio.

Decreasing variation between experimental units increases the likelihood of finding a statistically significant difference if one exists. Assignment of animals to experimental units (pens) may contribute to that variation. Therefore, the purpose of this trial was to investigate the effect that different methods of allotting pigs to pens (experimental unit) have on variation and in turn, the number of replications required to detect a significant difference of a given amount between treatments. The random strategy assigned pigs to pens in a completely random fashion. The body weight (BW) distribution strategy ordered pigs from lightest to heaviest and created five groups based on BW. Each pen was randomly assigned one pig from each of the five groups. The BW grouping strategy again ordered pigs from lightest to heaviest but split pigs into three groups based on BW and each pen was randomly assigned pigs from only one BW group such that there were pens of light pigs, pens of medium pigs, and pens of heavy pigs. Ultimately, the best allotment strategy depends on the parameter of interest. For final BW and overall ADG, the BW grouping method required the fewest pens to detect statistically significant differences.

Trade-offs in the externalities of pig production are not inevitable.

Farming externalities are believed to co-vary negatively, yet trade-offs have rarely been quantified systematically. Here we present data from UK and Brazilian pig production systems representative of most commercial systems across the world ranging from 'intensive' indoor systems through to extensive free range, Organic and woodland systems to explore co-variation among four major externality costs. We found that no specific farming type was consistently associated with good performance across all domains. Generally, systems with low land use have low greenhouse gas emissions but high antimicrobial use and poor animal welfare, and vice versa. Some individual systems performed well in all domains but were not exclusive to any particular type of farming system. Our findings suggest that trade-offs may be avoidable if mitigation focuses on lowering impacts within system types rather than simply changing types of farming.