Effects of one hour daily outdoor access on lying and sleeping postures, and immune traits of tethered cows.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effects of outdoor access for 1 h per day on the animal welfare (AW) of tethered cows, in terms of lying and sleeping postures, and immune function. METHODS: A total of five dry cows were tethered all day indoors (tethering) for 30 days and then tethered indoors with 1 h daily outdoor access (ODA-1h) for 30 days. To analyze the effects of ODA-1h, we calculated the total duration and bout frequency per day, and bout duration of lying and sleeping postures during the last five days of each treatment period. We also analyzed the populations of T cells, B cells, and NK cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) by fluorescence-activated cell sorting and determined the concanavalin A (Con A) -induced proliferation rate of T cells. RESULTS: The mean total time per day of lying during the ODA-1h treatment was significantly shorter than that during the tethering treatment (p<0.001). The Con A-induced proliferation rate of T cells during the ODA-1h treatment was significantly higher than that during the tethering treatment (p = 0.007). The proportion of NK cells in PBMC during the ODA-1h treatment tended to be higher than that during the tethering treatment (p = 0.062). CONCLUSION: Although ODA-1h may decrease lying time, it increases the available space for tethered cows towards that typically found in grazing and free barn feeding systems. This increased available space promotes the expression of normal behaviors such as walking and social behaviors except lying and may also improve the immune function of tethered dry cows, thereby improving their overall welfare.

Effect of different cow floor mat on the pressure in anterior knees of Holstein dry cows determined using pressure measurement sheet.

To analyze limb pain in tethered dairy cows, we compared three cow floor mat materials (pasture mat® [PM], KKM rubber mat® [RM], and woodchip [WC]) with soil ground considering the pressure applied to the anterior knee of Holstein cows. Three Holstein dry cows (791.3 ± 44.6 kg, 3.8 ± 1.1 years old) moored at the Education and Research Center of Alpine Field Science of the Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University, were tested. Pressure applied to the anterior knee of the cow by four different floor mat materials was compared using a commercially available pressure measurement sheet. The sustained pressures applied to the anterior knee of the test cow were 7.2 ± 1. 5, 29.3 ± 5.1, 17.0 ± 1.4, and 27.7 ± 2.5 MPa in the control, RM, PM, and WC, respectively, showing significant lower values (P < 0.05) than in the control. Sustained pressure was significantly lower in the PM than in the other treatments (P < 0.05). The RM was 41.7% cheaper than the PM. The pressure applied to the anterior knee of cow is lower on PM than on RM and WC. PM was more costly than RM but the sustained pressure was much lower on PM.

Effects of starvation-induced negative energy balance on endoplasmic reticulum stress in the liver of cows.

OBJECTIVE: Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress engages the unfolded protein response (UPR) that serves as an important mechanism for modulating hepatic fatty acid oxidation and lipogenesis. Chronic fasting in mice induced the UPR activation to regulate lipid metabolism. However, there is no direct evidence of whether negative energy balance (NEB) induces ER stress in the liver of cows. This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between the NEB attributed to feed deprivation and ER stress in bovine hepatocytes. METHODS: Blood samples and liver biopsy tissues were collected from 6 non-lactating cows before and after their starvation for 48 h. The blood non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), ß-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) and glucose level were analyzed. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were used to explore the regulation of genes associated with UPR and lipid metabolism. RESULTS: The starvation increased the plasma BHBA and NEFA levels and decreased the glucose level. Additionally, the starvation caused significant increases in the mRNA expression level of spliced X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1s) and the protein level of phosphorylated inositol-requiring kinase 1 alpha (p-IRE1α; an upstream protein of XBP1) in the liver. The mRNA expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha and its target fatty acid oxidation- and ketogenesis-related genes were significantly upregulated by the starvation-mediated NEB. Furthermore, we found that the mRNA expression levels of lipogenic genes were not significantly changed after starvation. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that in the initial stage of NEB in dairy cows, the liver coordinates an adaptive response by activating the IRE1 arm of the UPR to enhance ketogenesis, thereby avoiding a fatty liver status.

Effects of adding a commercial capsaicin fertilizer on the feeding behavior of sika deer (Cervus nippon).

We investigated the inhibitory effect of capsaicin fertilizer on feeding in deer. We tested four captive adult female deer. In Experiment 1, in addition to the treatment (intact) containing only a solid feed (HC), we mixed the fertilizer not containing capsaicin (F) or the capsaicin fertilizer (CF) in the solid feed. In addition, the solid feed was put on a wire net that capsaicin fertilizer was placed 5 cm below (SCF). We investigated their feeding behavior response. In Experiment 2, we changed the amount of substance (fertilizer and capsaicin fertilizer) mixed in the HC. We mixed different amounts (0, 50, 100, and 200 g) of the treatments other than the intact with HC and presented them to the deer, and investigated their feeding behavior response. In Experiment 1, intake in the F and CF decreased (p < .05). In Experiment 2, HC intake was significantly lower in the 100 and 200 g CF (p < .05). However, HC intake relatively increased by the last day in the CF 200 g too. The capsaicin fertilizer decreased the feeding behavior of deer by directly touching the mucous membranes of the deer nose and lips. However, the effects were decreased over time.