Dam-calf contact rearing in Switzerland: Aspects of management and milking.

Cow-calf contact (CCC) rearing is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to the common practice of early separation of cow and calf in dairy management. Milkability can be impaired in nursing cows, which contributes to the loss of machine milk yield caused by calf intake, especially in pure dam-calf contact (DCC) systems. The aims of this study were (1) to describe the current status quo of DCC rearing regarding management and milking and (2) to evaluate the effects of DCC (suckling and milking vs. milking alone) and the effects of different types of DCC on milkability parameters, teat condition, and behavior during milking on Swiss DCC farms. By means of 17 telephone interviews with DCC farmers, we collected data on DCC management, housing, separation and weaning processes, milking procedures and techniques, and perceived milkability problems. Subsequently, we collected data on 10 of the interviewed DCC farms (183 cows): 4 DCC farms with a whole-day contact (WDC) system, 3 farms with DCC before milking (CBM), and 3 farms with DCC after milking (CAM). Five farms on which calves had no contact with dams were chosen as reference farms (178 cows). Using a milk flow meter, the occurrence of ejection disorders, bimodality of the milk flow curve, machine milk yield, duration of the decline phase, and duration of prestimulation were measured. The average mouthpiece chamber vacuum during the main milking phase and hind leg activity during milking were measured using a pressure sensor and an accelerometer, respectively. After cluster removal, the teat condition was evaluated, and a stripping milk sample was taken for fat content analysis. The interview results revealed that 8 of the 17 farms surveyed had a WDC system, and 2 farms operated a daytime DCC system. Contact before milking was applied by 3 farms, and 3 farms allowed CAM. On one farm, calves had access to dams 3 times a day. A great diversity in cow-calf management was found. In the on-farm data collection, 20 milkings of a total of 701 milkings examined met the criteria for a clear ejection disorder, with 17 of these observations occurring on WDC farms and none on reference farms. The stripping milk fat content was lower in nursing cows, indicating a lower degree of udder emptying. Machine milk yield was higher in nursing CAM cows than in nursing WDC and CBM cows. Farm types did not differ regarding teat condition, hind leg activity, or the occurrence of bimodal milk flow curves. In conclusion, the large variation in individual management approaches to DCC rearing even within DCC types, such as calf housing or cow breeds, implies caution when interpreting results. Contact after milking may be the system most beneficial for some productivity parameters, but adequate calf supply must be ensured. Higher amounts of milk remaining in the udder after cluster removal indicate that nursing can affect milkability, but future research should consider the effects of udder filling before milking to better interpret the fat content of stripping milk.

How do different amounts of straw as well as compost in the home pen affect the rooting motivation of growing-finishing pigs?

Rooting is a strongly motivated, species-specific behaviour of pigs. Most housing systems do not provide appropriate materials that enable the full expression of this behaviour, and it remains unclear whether straw is suitable to entirely fulfil the rooting motivation of pigs. We therefore investigated the suitability of small (minimal) and large (deep) amounts of straw as well as large amounts of compost to satisfy rooting motivation in pigs. Fifty-seven growing-finishing pigs were housed in three pens, each providing permanent access to one of the three treatment substrates. Eight pigs per group were tested individually in a classical preference test (PT) and another eight pigs in a conditioned place preference test (CPPT). In the tests, pigs could show their preference to consume freely available feed ("feed") or feed hidden in sawdust ("root"). In the CPPT, feed was only present during training but not during testing. Pigs were exposed to the test situation twice, with approximately 72 kg and 115 kg BW. In both tests, the following variables were measured and used as outcome variables in linear mixed effect models: first decision to choose one of the two stimuli ("feed" or "root"), duration of time spent in proximity to "root", number of changes between stimuli, and latency to the first decision. Overall, the pigs' first decision (by tendency; P = 0.076) and the duration in proximity to "root" (P = 0.034) varied among treatments: Pigs housed with minimal straw tended to be more likely to choose "root" first (posthoc comparison; P = 0.090) and spent more time in proximity to "root" (P = 0.030) than pigs housed with compost, whereas pigs housed with deep straw were intermediate. Interestingly, the patterns of response to the treatment differed depending on the behavioural tests for both, first decision (interaction; P = 0.032) and duration in proximity to "root" (interaction; by tendency; P = 0.006). In addition, pigs in the PT changed more often between stimuli than pigs in the CPPT (P < 0.001). There was a tendency for an interactive effect between test and treatment for latency to first decision (interaction; P = 0.082), though pairwise comparisons did not reveal any differences. We concluded that in this study housing with permanent access to compost satisfied rooting motivation in pigs more than housing with minimal amounts of straw.

Effects of the anti-sucking device «SuckStop Müller¼ on calf behavior.

INTRODUCTION: When cross-sucking persists beyond calf-hood, it represents an important problem in dairy heifers and cows. It can cause teat injuries and severe mastitis and lead to significant economic losses. The «SuckStop Müller,¼ a novel anti-sucking device, is designed to give the calf a negative feedback when cross-sucking on a conspecific. The aim of this study was to assess whether wearing a SuckStop would result in behavioral changes other than cross-sucking and thus, impair welfare in the short- and longer-term. Sixteen group-housed calves were observed in groups of four on five days, before and after fitting the SuckStop: day -2, day -1, day 0, day 1, and day 9. Maintenance behaviors (e.g., feeding, drinking, lying) were recorded using instantaneous scan sampling. In addition, the frequency of contact behaviors (e.g., exploring the feeding fence, touching own body) was recorded by means of continuous focal animal observations. Contact behaviors were classified as «impaired¼ or «normal¼ depending on whether or not the calf flinched in response to the contact. Finally, the number of visits to the milk and concentrate feeders was extracted from the computer-controlled feeding system. Fitting a SuckStop resulted in a higher proportion of observations spent lying and less exploration behavior on day 0 and day 1 than on day -2, day -1, and day 9. On day 0 and day 1, 6,3 % of exploration behaviors were classified as impaired, compared to 0,4 % (day -2, day -1) before and 0,2 % (day 9) after fitting the SuckStop. On day 9, all calves had superficial ulcerations on the nasal septum. In four calves, these ulcerations were moderately severe, whereas all other calves had slight ulcerations. In summary, the calves habituated quickly to this novel anti-sucking device. Follow-up studies are necessary to assess the long-term relevance of tissue alterations in the nasal septum for calf welfare as well as the effect of the SuckStop on cross-sucking behavior.

INTRODUCTION: Lorsque la succion croisée persiste au-delà de l'âge de veau, elle représente un problème important chez les génisses et les vaches laitières. Elle peut provoquer des blessures aux trayons et des mastites graves et entraîner ainsi des pertes économiques importantes. Le «SuckStop Müller¼, un nouveau dispositif anti-succion, est conçu pour donner au veau un feedback négatif lorsqu'il suce un congénère. L'objectif de cette étude était de déterminer si le port d'un SuckStop pouvait entraîner des changements de comportement autres que la succion croisée et, par conséquent, nuire au bien-être à court et à long terme. Seize veaux logés en groupe ont été observés par groupes de quatre pendant cinq jours, avant et après la pose du SuckStop: jour ­2, jour ­1, jour 0, jour 1 et jour 9. Les comportements d'entretien (par exemple se nourrir, boire, se coucher) ont été enregistrés à l'aide d'un échantillonnage par balayage instantané. En outre, la fréquence des comportements de contact (par exemple, explorer le râtelier, toucher son propre corps) a été enregistrée au moyen d'observations continues de chaque animal. Les comportements de contact ont été classés comme «altérés¼ ou «normaux¼ selon que le veau a tressailli ou non en réponse au contact. Enfin, le nombre de visites aux distributeurs de lait et de concentré a été extrait du système d'alimentation contrôlé par ordinateur. L'installation d'un SuckStop a entraîné une proportion plus élevée d'observations de comportements couchés et moins de comportements d'exploration le jour 0 et le jour 1 que le jour ­2, le jour ­1 et le jour 9. Le jour 0 et le jour 1, 6,3 % des comportements d'exploration ont été classés comme déficients, contre 0,4 % (jour ­2, jour ­1) avant et 0,2 % (jour 9) après la pose du SuckStop. Au jour 9, tous les veaux présentaient des ulcérations superficielles sur la cloison nasale. Chez quatre veaux, ces ulcérations étaient modérément graves, tandis que tous les autres veaux présentaient de légères ulcérations. En résumé, les veaux se sont rapidement habitués à ce nouveau dispositif anti-suceur. Des études de suivi sont nécessaires pour évaluer la pertinence à long terme des altérations tissulaires de la cloison nasale pour le bien-être des veaux ainsi que l'effet du SuckStop sur le comportement de succion croisée.

Keel bone fractures induce a depressive-like state in laying hens.

In commercial flocks of laying hens, keel bone fractures (KBFs) are prevalent and associated with behavioural indicators of pain. However, whether their impact is severe enough to induce a depressive-like state of chronic stress is unknown. As chronic stress downregulates adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) in mammals and birds, we employ this measure as a neural biomarker of subjective welfare state. Radiographs obtained longitudinally from Lohmann Brown laying hens housed in a commercial multi-tier aviary were used to score the severity of naturally-occurring KBFs between the ages of 21-62 weeks. Individual birds' transitions between aviary zones were also recorded. Focal hens with severe KBFs at 3-4 weeks prior to sampling (n = 15) had lower densities of immature doublecortin-positive (DCX+) multipolar and bipolar neurons in the hippocampal formation than focal hens with minimal fractures (n = 9). KBF severity scores at this time also negatively predicted DCX+ cell numbers on an individual level, while hens that acquired fractures earlier in their lives had fewer DCX+ neurons in the caudal hippocampal formation. Activity levels 3-4 weeks prior to sampling were not associated with AHN. KBFs thus lead to a negative affective state lasting at least 3-4 weeks, and management steps to reduce their occurrence are likely to have significant welfare benefits.

Identification of glucagon-producing cells (A cells) in dog gastric mucosa.

An immunocytochemical technique using specific antiglucagon serum reveals the presence of glucagon-containing cells situated exclusively in the oxyntic glandular mucosa of the dog stomach. Electron microscope examination of the mucosa demonstrated endocrine cells containing secretory granules with a round dense core surrounded by a clear halo, indistinguishable from secretory granules of pancreatic A cells. Like the alpha granules of pancreatic A cells, the granules of these gastric endocrine cells exhibited a peripheral distribution of silver grains after Grimelius silver staining. Moreover, the granules of these cells were found to be specifically labeled with reaction product, using the peroxidase immunocytochemical technique at the ultrastructural level. Accordingly, these cells were named gastric A cells. These data suggest that the gastric oxyntic mucosa contains cells indistinguishable cytologically, cytochemically, and immunocytochemically from pancreatic A cells. It is believed that gastric A cells are responsible for the secretion of the gastric glucagon.

Finding hens in a haystack: Consistency of movement patterns within and across individual laying hens maintained in large groups.

We sought to objectively quantify and compare the recorded movement and location patterns of laying hens within a commercial system. Using a custom tracking system, we monitored the location within five zones of a commercial aviary for 13 hens within a flock of 225 animals for a contiguous period of 11 days. Most hens manifested a hen-specific pattern that was (visually) highly consistent across days, though, within that consistency, manifested stark differences between hens. Three different methods were used to classify individual daily datasets into groups based on their similarity: (i) Linear Discriminant Analysis based on six summary variables (transitions into each zone) and total transitions; (ii) Hierarchical Clustering, a naïve clustering analysis technique, applied to summary variables and iii) Hierarchical Clustering applied to dissimilarity matrices produced by Dynamic Time Warping. The three methods correctly classified more than 85% of the hen days and provided a unique means to assess behaviour of a system indicating a considerable degree of complexity and structure. We believe the current effort is the first to document these location and movement patterns within a large, complex commercial system with a large potential to influence the assessment of animal welfare, health, and productivity.

Localization of bovine pancreatic polypeptide (BPP)-like immunoreactivity in rat pancreatic monolayer culture.

Antiserum to bovine pancreatic polypeptide (BPP) has been used for immunofluorescent staining in the light microscope. With this technique it is possible to detect the presence of specific cells in monolayer culture from neonatal rat pancreas which contain BPP or a closely related peptide.

Evidence for the D-cell of the pancreas secreting somatostatin.

By immunofluorescence, somatostatin-, glucagon- and insulin-containing cells are localized in serial sections of the pigeon pancreas. The distribution of the somatostatin immunofluorescent-cells corresponds to that of the D-cells (A1-cells), which are particularly numerous in this animal species. This observation, coupled with the finding of D, A and B-cells at the ultrastructural level, indicates that the D-cell is responsible for the secretion of somatostatin.

Immunofluorescent localization of secretin in pancreatic monolayer culture.

Immunofluorescent cells to synthetic secretin were identified in monolayer culture of neonatal rat pancreas. No cross reaction of anti-secretin was observed with either glucagon, somatostatin or gastrin. The presence of cells containing secretin or a secretin-like peptide adds a new cell type to the three already characterized (insulin, glucagon and somatostatin containing cells) in monolayer culture.

Immuno-fluorescent reactivity to anti-somatostatin in the gastro-intestinal mucosa of the dog.

Evidence is presented that somatostatin-containing cells are present in the gastro-intestinal tract of the dog. Thus immuno-fluorescent cells were detected by the use of antiserum to cyclic somatostatin. These cells were mainly encountered in the antral mucosa and in the neighbourhood of gastrin-producing cells. No cross reaction was observed between gastrin and somatostatin. It is suggested that locally produced somatostatin controls gastrin secretion, and, more generally, that somatostatin-containing cells, multifocally distributed, modulates secretion of a large number of glands.

[Immunocytochemical identification of the glucagon-secreting cells in gastric mucosa]. / Identification par immunocytochimie de la cellule sécrétant le glucagon dans la muqueuse gastrique

Immunocytochemical investigations at the light and electron microscope level, using specific antiglucagon serum, revealed in the gastric oxyntic mucosa of the Dog, the presence of positive cells, undistinguishable ultrastructurally from pancreatic A-cells. No positive reaction was detected in any other gastrointestinal segment. These results suggest that gastric A-cells are responsible for the secretion of gastric glucagon.