Effects of udder edema on parlor behavior in first- and second-lactation Holstein dairy cows.

Udder edema (UE) is a metabolic disorder that most commonly occurs around the transition period. However, gaps exist in our knowledge about its effects on parlor behavior. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and effects of UE on behavior in the milking parlor during udder preparation and active milking from 2 to 9 days in milk in first- (FL) and second-lactation (SL) Holstein dairy cattle. Each cow (n = 375) was observed once and monitored from the point of first contact during udder preparation through the first 5 min of active milking. Behavior measurements include step, kick, and kicking off the milking unit. Cows were determined to have UE when the rear udder medial suspensory ligament lost definition and was softened due to the presence of interstitial fluid. In this study, 237 out of 247 (95.6%) FL cows and 104 of 128 (81.3%) SL cows presented with UE. First-lactation cows with UE had a higher step rate (3.97 steps/session) when in contact during udder preparation and attachment (2.80 steps/session), and kick rate during milking (2.68 kicks/milking session) compared with SL cows with UE (2.37 steps/session, 1.25 steps/session, 1.24 kicks/milking session). Those FL cows with UE had a lower step rate during milking (6.04 steps/milking session) compared with FL cows without UE (7.20 steps/milking session). The FL cows with UE had a higher average count of kicking off the milking unit (µ = 0.220 kick-offs) than SL cows with UE (µ = 0.029 kick-offs) and FL cows without UE (µ = 0.091 kick-offs). The results indicate that UE is prevalent among dairy cattle, and the disorder has effects on behaviors presented in the milking parlor. Reducing UE has the potential to decrease step and kick behaviors to improve welfare of transition cows and reduce risk to dairy caretakers in the milking parlor.

Graduate Student Literature Review: Udder edema in dairy cattle-A possible emerging animal welfare issue.

Physiological udder edema is a noninfectious metabolic disorder in dairy cattle, which may be present in a high percentage of dairy cows. This review summarizes the factors associated with udder edema. They include genetics, nutrition, oxidative stress, and physiological changes in freshening heifers. Udder edema negatively affects the productive life of a dairy cow. Udder support structures may be broken down due to tissue damage. Swollen teats may become sensitive, which makes attaching the milking unit more difficult. The amount of milk produced is decreased due to fluid buildup in the tissue spaces. Risk of secondary diseases, such as mastitis or udder cleft dermatitis, is also increased. All of these elements have an economic impact on the dairy farmer, in both the short term and the long term. If severe, damage could lead to early culling. Some possible methods for managing udder edema include (1) providing a separate diet for late-gestation heifers to monitor anionic salt intake, (2) selecting for either genetic lines with lower milk production or a phenotypic reduction of udder edema, and (3) ensuring that adequate exogenous antioxidants, such as vitamin E, vitamin C, carotenoids, and flavonoids, are provided in the diet to mitigate oxidative stress. In conclusion, udder edema may be an emerging issue that has the potential to seriously affect dairy cow welfare. Many of the research studies are outdated, and research with modern dairy cows is needed. The development of a scientifically validated udder edema scoring system is also needed to assess the severity of udder edema.

Impacts of group stunning on the behavioral and physiological parameters of pigs and sheep in a small abattoir.

This study investigated reactions of pigs (N = 148) and sheep (N = 77) to group stunning where animals were present for the slaughter of others. Mock stunning with an isolated animal was used as the control. In both species, there was little evidence to suggest a difference in blood glucose and cortisol with stun order (P ≥ 0.21). In pigs, lactate differed by stun order (P < 0.001). Control pigs had lower lactate than pigs stunned first (P = 0.009) likely due to longer rest time after pre-slaughter handling. Conversely, the control sheep had greater average lactate than other groups. However, due to limited sample size and large variation there was not enough evidence to conclude an effect of stun order on sheep lactate (P = 0.28). Overall, there was limited evidence of an impact of stun order on behavior. The last pigs stunned exhibited a greater likelihood of grunting compared with other stun orders (P ≤ 0.05).