Dairy farmer, hoof trimmer, and veterinarian perceptions of barriers and roles in lameness management.

Lameness is a leading animal welfare concern in the dairy industry. Multiple stakeholders are involved in lameness management on a dairy farm, including farmers, hoof trimmers, and veterinarians. This study sought to explore perceptions of lameness, perceptions of roles in lameness management, and barriers to improved lameness management in these groups. Fourteen homogeneous focus groups were held in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and New York from April 2017 to March 2020; 5 with farmers (n = 31), 4 with hoof trimmers (n = 32), and 5 with veterinarians (n = 25). The 1-h facilitated discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and common themes identified through thematic analysis. Lameness was perceived by participants as a complex health problem and one in which the connections between pathogenesis, facilities, and management were not always well understood or easy to change. The complexity of the problem encompassed the lack of agreement on a definition of lameness, normalization to its signs, and the interconnectedness of lameness with other health and management issues. These issues appeared to contribute to resignation by participants that lameness was inevitable. Despite shared concerns about lameness among these groups, respondents reported a lack of communication, especially between hoof trimmers and veterinarians. Participants also voiced a desire to work together more productively, with hoof trimmers and veterinarians valuing the ability to deliver a consistent message to farmers. These findings suggest a need for increased efforts to facilitate collaboration between farmers, hoof trimmers, and veterinarians to improve lameness management on dairy farms.

Association of prepartum lying time with nonesterified fatty acids and stillbirth in prepartum dairy heifers and cows.

The objective of the present study was to assess the association of prepartum lying time (LT) and the coefficient of variation (CV) of LT within 7 d before calving with prepartum serum nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentration at 7 ± 3 d prepartum (dpp) and stillbirth. Prepartum pregnant Holstein heifers and cows from 3 dairy herds were used (n = 1,044). Animals were housed in freestall barns using a prepartum pen 21 d before the expected calving date and were moved into a contiguous maternity pen at parturition. Monthly, cohorts of 20 to 36 animals (heifers and cows combined) were enrolled at each farm and electronic data loggers (IceQube, IceRobotics, Edinburgh, UK) were fitted to the hind leg of individual animals to assess their behavioral activity. Stillbirth was defined as a calf born dead or died during the first 24 h after parturition in dams with normal gestation length. The LT was recorded for the last 7 dpp to assess differences among dams with stillbirth versus those with a calf born alive. Mean LT within 7 d before blood NEFA collection was assessed to determine the association with prepartum serum NEFA at 7 ± 3 dpp. Blood samples for the assessment of serum NEFA concentration were collected from prepartum animals at 14 ± 3 and at 7 ± 3 dpp. Blood samples for total serum calcium concentration were collected from postpartum cows within 48 h after parturition to assess differences among cows with stillbirth versus those with a calf born alive. Data were analyzed using CORR, MIXED, or GLIMMIX procedures of SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). Dams experiencing dystocic births had a greater proportion of stillbirth, but herd, parity, and season did not have an effect. Dams with a stillborn calf had reduced LT and increased CV of LT within the last 7 dpp compared with dams with a calf born alive, regardless of parity. Multiparous cows with a stillborn calf had higher prepartum serum NEFA concentration compared with multiparous cows with a calf born alive, but this did not differ for first-calf heifers. Regardless of parity, the proportion of postpartum cows with hypocalcemia was higher for dams with a stillborn calf compared with those with a calf born alive. Regardless of parity, LT of prepartum dams was strongly correlated with the CV of LT (as LT increased, the CV decreased), and prepartum dams with a mean LT between 11 and 15 h/d had the lowest serum NEFA concentration compared with dams with LT of 8 to 10 or >16 h/d. Serum NEFA concentrations at 7 ± 3 dpp was positively correlated with the CV of LT within 7 d before blood sample. These results show that the dam's prepartum LT and its consistency over time are associated with prepartum serum NEFA and calf survival at calving.

Perspectives of western Canadian dairy farmers on the future of farming.

Similar to the situation in many countries, the dairy industry in Canada is challenged by the need to adapt to changing societal demands. An industry-led initiative (Dairy Farmers of Canada's proAction Initative, known as proAction) was developed to respond to this challenge, providing mandatory national standards for on-farm practices. Farmers are more likely to follow such standards if they are aligned with their values and beliefs. The aim of this study was to better understand farmers' perspectives on the future of the Canadian dairy industry, with a focus on the role of mandatory policies such as those related to proAction. Seven focus groups were conducted, with discussions based on the principles of appreciative inquiry. Participants were each asked to write down key words that represent the "must-haves" on dairy farms in 20 yr from now. Although participants were encouraged to focus on aspects directly related to animal care, all answers were accepted. Key words were then used to facilitate a discussion and elicit ideas on how to achieve these must-haves. Particular focus was on the direction that participants believed policy should take to meet these goals. Explorative qualitative analysis was used for the written key words, and transcripts of the audio-recorded focus group discussions were analyzed using thematic analysis. Examples of farm-specific considerations that were raised as future must-haves of animal care on dairy farms included cow comfort, employee management, responsible health management, and use of advanced thechnologies. Participants agreed that objectives can only be achieved through collaboration among farmers and between farmers and researchers, and they regarded citizen education as a promising approach to align differing expectations of the public and farmers. Citizen trust in the dairy industry was considered a must-have, and participants believed that one of the benefits of mandatory policies for animal care is their potential to increase trust. These results may help guide the development of new animal care policies and increase understanding of the perceived legitimacy of new policies by dairy farmers.

Fasciola hepatica infection in cattle and the use of simulation models for endemic areas.

Fasciolosis is a food-borne disease that causes great distress to a range of hosts, including humans. The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the liver damage and carcass weight of cattle naturally infected with Fasciola hepatica from the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, and to (2) determine the distribution of adult flukes in 12,236 cattle liver from RS. The data from these experiments were used to calculate the overall economic loss due to F. hepatica infection. Eighteen adult Polled Hereford cows were divided into a triclabendazole (TbG) and a F. hepatica-positive group (FhG). For Experiment 1, a generalized linear mixed model revealed a statistical difference in carcass weight (49.8 kg) between TbG and FhG. The Monte Carlo analysis also revealed that the animals' weight differences were due to the disease. For Experiment 2, the prevalence of infected livers was above 16% (1904/12,236), mostly (20.1%) from the south-west region of RS. The Susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) epidemic model revealed the evolution of the infection using a high infectivity and low recovery rate. Other distinctive scenarios that occur in RS were also established with different rates of infectivity. The economic assessment showed a potential loss of US$45 million to the beef cattle industry of RS, with an overall State cost of US$90.3 million. These novel findings reveal the importance of fasciolosis infection, which can cause a significant health condition and poor animal welfare.

Short communication: Detection and monitoring of metritis in dairy cows using an automated grooming device.

Metritis, a prevalent disease on dairy farms, is negatively associated with reproduction, milk production, and the welfare of cows. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of monitoring low-resilience activities (i.e., behaviors that typically decrease when energy resources are limited or when the cost involved in the activity increases; e.g., brush usage) in the early detection of metritis. Data on daily brush usage (i.e., proportion of cows using the brush and the duration of usage) were collected from 28 metritic and 60 control cows 28 d postpartum using an automated monitoring system developed for the purpose of this study. During the first week following partum (before clinical diagnosis), we found no differences in brush usage between sick and control cows. However, 8 to 21 d postpartum (the week of clinical diagnosis and the first week of medical treatment), a lower proportion of metritic cows used the brush compared with control cows (0.49 compared with 0.64, respectively, at brushes installed away from the feed bunk). In addition, the daily duration of brush usage was 50% lower among cows diagnosed with metritis compared with control cows 8 to 28 d postpartum (44 s/d compared with 88 s/d, respectively). The results of this study suggest that on-farm monitoring of low-resilience behaviors, combined with existing systems that monitor core behaviors (e.g., activity and rumination), may serve as an improved method for detecting events that compromise the welfare of animals. The slow recovery of low-resilience behaviors following medical treatment (wk 4) might serve as a particularly useful indicator of progress of recovery from disease.

Electronic monitoring of rumination activity as an indicator of health status and production traits in high-yielding dairy cows.

In view of the demonstrated relationship between rumination time and health status, the general welfare and metabolic condition of ruminants are often assessed by the examination of rumen function. The main goal of this study was to monitor the daily rumination activity (RA) and its connection with actual liveweight (LW), milk yield (MY) and with two diseases (subclinical hyperketonaemia - SHK, uterine disease - UD) in 96 cows on the basis of a total of 1638 observations in Israel. The studied sample gave a highly significant response, showing that the selected diseases had a diminishing impact on RA and LW and no influence on MY. It can be concluded that the change of RA as determined by electronic monitoring, complemented by the change of LW, is a useful general indicator of health status and subclinical disease before the appearance of clinical signs.

Thermal Comfort of Nelore Cattle (Bos indicus) Managed in Silvopastoral and Traditional Systems Associated with Rumination in a Humid Tropical Environment in the Eastern Amazon, Brazil.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the thermal comfort of Nelore cattle (Bos indicus) managed in silvopastoral and traditional systems associated with rumination behavior in a humid tropical environment in the Eastern Amazon, Brazil. The study was carried out on a rural property in Mojuí dos Campos, Pará, Brazil, during the transition period of the year, from June to July 2023. Over these two months, six consecutive data collection days were held. We selected 20 clinically healthy non-castrated male Nelore cattle, aged between 18 and 20 months, with an average weight of 250 kg and body condition score of 3.5 (1-5). These animals were randomly divided into two groups: traditional system (TS) and silvopastoral system (SS). The physiological variables evaluated included RR, RT and BST. The variables were analyzed using the linear mixed model. For agrometeorological variables, higher values were observed between 10:00 a.m. (33 °C) and 6:00 p.m. (30 °C), with the highest temperature observed at 4:00 p.m. (40 °C). The RR showed interactions (p = 0.0214) between systems and times; in general, higher RR were obtained in the Traditional. The animals' RT showed no significant difference (p < 0.05) between the production systems, but there was a statistically significant difference in relation to the time of collection (p < 0.0001). In the BGHI, it was possible to observe that there was mild stress in the period from 22:00 at night to 6:00 in the morning and moderate stress in the period of greatest increase in temperature, from 10:00 in the morning to 18:00 at night. BST showed no statistical difference between the regions studied or between the SP (35.6 °C) and TS (36.25 °C) systems. RT in the TS showed a positive correlation with AT (r = 0.31507; p = 0.0477). RT in the SP showed a positive correlation with THI (r = 35583; p = 0.0242). On the other hand, RT in the SP (r = 0.42873; p = 0.0058) and ST (r = 0.51015; p = 0.0008) showed a positive correlation with BGHI. RR in the TS showed a positive correlation with BGHI (r = 0.44908; p = 0.0037). The greatest amounts of rumination were carried out by animals in the SP system, generally ruminating lying down (p < 0.05). With regard to rumination behavior in the morning and afternoon, there were higher numbers of WS and LD in the TS (p > 0.05). Most of the time, the cattle were LD during the morning and afternoon shifts, and at night and dawn they were WS in the TS. Therefore, the SP offers more thermal comfort advantages compared to the TS system.

Preslaughter factors affecting mobility, blood parameters, bruising, and muscle pH of finished beef cattle in the United States.

Decades of work have focused on reducing fear, stress, and discomfort in cattle during the preslaughter phase by improving and promoting animal handling, transportation, and management processes. Even still, there is limited information about the effects of preslaughter factors on animal welfare and meat quality outcomes in finished cattle in the United States. This study aimed to track individual animals through the slaughter process to identify preslaughter factors associated with key welfare and quality outcomes. A total of 454 cattle from one commercial slaughter facility were studied. Preslaughter factors assessed included distance traveled, truck waiting time, lairage density, lairage duration, and season. Animal characteristics, i.e., body weight, breed, and sex, were also recorded. One trained observer scored the mobility of all cattle using the North American Meat Institute's 1-4 scale (i.e., normal to extremely reluctant to move). Exsanguination blood was collected and analyzed for cortisol, creatine kinase, and lactate. Carcass bruising was scored using a modified version of the National Beef Quality Audit's bruise-scoring methodology (i.e., no bruise, one bruise ≤ the size of a deck of cards, one bruise > than the size of a deck of cards, and multiple bruises). Ultimate muscle pH was measured 32 to 36 h postmortem. Multi-predictor models were selected for each outcome variable using Akaike Information Criterion. Continuous outcome variables were analyzed using linear mixed-effect models and categorical outcome variables with mixed-effect logistic regression models. Longer truck waiting times were associated with increased cortisol (P = 0.04) and lactate (P = 0.02) concentrations. Similarly, increased lairage duration was associated with increased creatine kinase concentrations (P = 0.05) and the odds of cattle being bruised (P = 0.03). Less space allowance per animal in lairage was associated with increased odds of cattle having impaired mobility (P = 0.01). There was a seasonal effect for many of the measured outcomes; the summer season was associated with greater lactate concentrations (P < 0.0001), increased odds of impaired mobility (P < 0.0001), and increased odds of carcass bruising (P = 0.003). The findings of this study indicate that many of the preslaughter factors assessed influence critical welfare and meat quality outcomes of finished beef cattle, warranting future research and consideration.

Dairy producer attitudes to pain in cattle in relation to disbudding calves.

Pain is an important indicator of poor welfare of livestock. Despite this, pain has largely gone unrecognized in farm animals due to attitudes of producers and veterinarians, although they play a key role in monitoring and managing the perception of animal pain. Producer attitudes toward animal welfare influence livestock management and production. The aim was to quantify dairy producer attitudes to the painfulness of various cattle diseases and disbudding, a painful routine procedure performed on farm to ensure safer handling of cattle. A questionnaire on disbudding-related opinions and practices was sent to 1,000 Finnish dairy producers (response rate: 45%). Attitudes toward disbudding were gauged using a 5-point Likert scale and attitudes to cattle pain scored on an 11-point numerical rating scale. Principal components analysis was used to assess the loadings, which were further tested for differences between producer gender and housing systems with Mann-Whitney U-tests, and between herd milk yield, herd size, and age and work experience of producers with a Kruskal-Wallis test. Four main factors were identified: factor I ("taking disbudding pain seriously"), factor II ("sensitivity to pain caused by cattle diseases"), factor III ("ready to medicate calves myself"), and factor IV ("pro horns"). Female producers took disbudding pain more seriously, were more sensitive to pain caused to cattle by diseases, and were more ready to medicate disbudded calves than male producers. Producers with tie-stalls favored horns over producers with freestalls. Male producers with tie-stalls were sensitive to cattle pain and preferred horns over male producers with freestalls. Female producers with freestalls were more ready to medicate calves, but did not prefer horns more than female producers with tie-stalls. Taking disbudding seriously correlated with sensitivity to pain caused by cattle diseases. Producers with low-milk-yielding herds were less willing to medicate calves and more willing to keep cattle with horns than producers with higher-yielding herds. Older producers were more sensitive to cattle pain than middle-aged and younger producers. No effect was established for taking disbudding pain seriously: the pro-horn factor was associated with work experience, age, and herd size. Women rated pain higher and were more positive toward pain medication for animals than men. Maintaining horns are more important for producers with tie-stalls than for those with freestalls.

Avoidance-related behavioral and blood-based physiological responses of Nguni and Boran cattle subjected to routine handling activities post relocation.

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the avoidance-related behavioral and blood-based physiological responses of Nguni and Boran cattle during routine handling activities post-relocation, with a particular focus on the effect of breed, week, and waiting time. Methods: A total of 20 animals, 10 from each breed, were subjected to handling activities at fortnight intervals post-relocation. The animals were observed for entry time (ES), chute score (CS), kicking score (KS), blood sampling time, cortisol, and glucose concentrations. The data were analyzed using ANOVA and regression analysis. Results and Discussion: Results showed that breed had a significant effect on avoidance-related behavioral responses (ES: p = 0.0032; CS: p = 0.0071; and EX: p = 0.0320), with Nguni cattle displaying more active avoidance behaviors compared to Boran cattle. Additionally, breed differences were observed in physiological responses, with Nguni cattle exhibiting higher cortisol and glucose levels compared to Boran cattle. Waiting time in the race had a greater impact on chute score (CS: p = 0.0037) and cortisol release (p = 0.0375) in the two breeds. Regression analysis revealed that the amount of time spent in the handling facility prior to sampling and the duration of blood collection significantly increased from week 3 to 15. Steers that waited in the race for more than 10 min had higher cortisol levels (p = 0.0031). These findings suggest that breed-specific management practices may be necessary to reduce stress-related responses and improve animal welfare during routine handling activities post-relocation. Overall, this study highlights the importance of considering the effects of breed, week, and waiting time when evaluating the avoidance-related behavioral and blood-based physiological responses of cattle during routine handling activities. These factors play a significant role in understanding and addressing the stress and welfare concerns associated with handling procedures, particularly after relocation.

Development of a novel stall design for dairy cattle: Part I. The effect of an increased slope on lying behavior, rumination, cleanliness, and preference.

The longitudinal slope of a stall is important for positioning cows in the stall and maintaining cleanliness of the stall surface. The objectives of this study were to determine the short-term effect of increasing free-stall slope from 4.5% to 9.3% on dairy cow lying behavior, rumination, milk production, cleanliness, and preference. In experiment 1, 60 multiparous Holstein cows were divided randomly into two groups and exposed to a 4.5% stall slope (standard in the research facility) and a 9.3% stall slope in a replicated crossover design with four 7-day periods. Each group of cows were housed in a pen with 30 free-stalls and switched between treatments weekly. Lying behavior and rumination were recorded continuously, milk yields were recorded twice per day, and cleanliness scores were collected on the last day of each week. Experiment 2 consisted of an 8-day preference test conducted with 14 cows from experiment 1 in an experimental pen with 32 stalls (16 stalls with a 4.5% slope and 16 stalls with a 9.3% slope). Continuous video monitoring was used to record time spent lying, standing, and perching in each treatment during the last 5 days, and lying time was used to assess preference. In experiment 1, cows spent 12 min/day less time lying down (12.8 vs 12.6 ± 0.28 h/d) and had 0.6 more bouts/day (9.5 vs 10.1 ± 0.38 no./d) with a shorter duration by 6 min/day (1.4 vs 1.3 ± 0.03 h/bout) in stalls with a 9.3% slope. Rumination was 5.5 min less per day in stalls with a 9.3% slope (578.4 vs 572.9 ± 16.56 min/d) and milk yield did not differ between treatments (33.6 vs 33.4 ± 0.78 kg/d). Stall slope did not affect cow cleanliness (1.6 vs 1.6 ± 0.05 points on a 1-5 scale). In experiment 2, cows showed no clear preference for lying, standing, or perching in either stall slope (4.5% and 9.3%) when given a choice. These results indicate that increasing stall slope from 4.5% to 9.3% marginally altered lying behavior, but did not interfere with stall use or influence cow preferences.

Relationship between Bruises on Carcasses of Beef Cattle and Transport-Related Factors.

The assessment of bruises on carcasses at the slaughterhouse has been lately indicated as a valid method to evaluate cattle welfare. However, little is known about the prevalence and the causes of bruises of cattle slaughtered in Italy. The aim of this study was to collect information concerning the prevalence of bruises on the carcasses of beef cattle slaughtered in an Italian abattoir and to determine a relationship between fresh bruises and transport-related factors. In total, 1265 animals were included in this study, with 21.6% of them being positive for at least one bruise, either fresh or old. In most cases, the bruising was mild, with lesions exclusively located in one area of the carcass. Most of the bruised animals (63%) showed at least one red lesion. Occurrence of such red, fresh bruises varied significantly depending on the body parts (p < 0.0001), with the flank being the most affected area (39.5%), followed by the butt (36.0%) and the front (23.8%). The probability of fresh bruising varied significantly depending on the category of each animal (p < 0.0001), with steers showing fewer red bruises than both heifers and veal. Finally, animals transported in conditions of a high density had a lower probability of bruising (p = 0.0003). These findings support the use of a monitoring scheme based on the presence of bruises to assess cattle welfare at the abattoir level in order to provide feedback to farmers and to implement procedures carried out during transport.

Understanding the Awareness, Knowledge, and Opinion of Dairy Cattle Welfare among Dairy Farmers in Keningau, Sabah.

This study aimed to assess the knowledge and opinions about DCW among dairy cattle farmers in Keningau, Sabah. A questionnaire was developed, validated, and administered by hand to 30 farmers. The data collected include farmers' and farm demographics, and opinions regarding the criteria and indicators of DCW. Only 17 respondents (57%) had heard of "dairy cattle welfare" before this study. Nine farmers (30.0%) had poor knowledge about DCW criteria, whereas 13 (43.7%) and 8 (26.7%) farmers had satisfactory and good knowledge, respectively. Farmers with higher education, larger herd size, high production level, and exotic cattle breeds showed a better understanding. Farmers understood most of the indicators; however, opinions regarding cattle behavior during milking, their physical appearance and their lying down behaviour need to be improved. Nevertheless, 28 respondents ranked their animals' welfare as either good or satisfactory, which further reflects a poor implementation of DCW measures. The main factors suggested by farmers to influence DCW in their herds were facilities, worker issues, management practices, and animal well-being. In conclusion, guidance from veterinarians and animal welfare specialists may be needed to improve the farmers' understanding and practices of DCW.

Claw disorders as iceberg indicators of cattle welfare: Evidence-based on production system, severity, and associations with final muscle pH.

This study presents a novel approach to use claw disorders in cattle as a retrospective welfare indicator characterized at the abattoir. A total of 1040 cattle (2080 front and back left claws) were analyzed from 143 batches, originating from feedlots, free-range, and dairy systems. Our results indicate that abnormal claw shapes (>55%) and fissures of the claw wall (>25%) had the highest prevalence, regardless of the system of origin. For the seven types of lesions monitored, numerous associations were found between lesions in the front and rear limbs typical of each production system. Ultimate meat pH was higher in animals with white line disease and skin wounds in feedlot and free-range cattle. We conclude that claw disorders can be used as an iceberg indicator to provide valuable information about animal fitness, and the ability to cope with the husbandry and pre-slaughter environment. These indicators can be used to improve the level of welfare of the animals.

Intelligent Perception-Based Cattle Lameness Detection and Behaviour Recognition: A Review.

The growing world population has increased the demand for animal-sourced protein. However, animal farming productivity is faced with challenges from traditional farming practices, socioeconomic status, and climate change. In recent years, smart sensors, big data, and deep learning have been applied to animal welfare measurement and livestock farming applications, including behaviour recognition and health monitoring. In order to facilitate research in this area, this review summarises and analyses some main techniques used in smart livestock farming, focusing on those related to cattle lameness detection and behaviour recognition. In this study, more than 100 relevant papers on cattle lameness detection and behaviour recognition have been evaluated and discussed. Based on a review and a comparison of recent technologies and methods, we anticipate that intelligent perception for cattle behaviour and welfare monitoring will develop towards standardisation, a larger scale, and intelligence, combined with Internet of things (IoT) and deep learning technologies. In addition, the key challenges and opportunities of future research are also highlighted and discussed.

Beef Cattle on Pasture Have Better Performance When Supplied With Water Trough Than Pond.

The behavior and performance of steers on pasture regarding water availability in troughs or in ponds were compared. Eight paddocks were randomly allocated to one treatment: POND (~30 m of diameter) or TROUGH (water trough, 120 cm diameter and 60 cm high and 500 L capacity). Eight groups of six beef steers were randomly assigned to one of the paddocks. The first 10 days were considered for animal habituation. Animals were individually weighed (days 0, 30, 60, and 90). Beginning in the day after each weighing on days 30 (Month 1), 60 (Month 2), and 90 (Month 3), behavior and animal distribution in the paddock were recorded by direct visual observation in three periods of 4 consecutive days. Water temperature and fecal and herbage DM were also recorded in these periods. Water intake was measured during 16 random days in the troughs. Data were analyzed using Generalized Linear Mixed Models, with treatment and period as fixed effects. TROUGH steers gained more weight (0.44 vs. 0.34 kg/day/animal; P ≤ 0.007) during the experiment and were heavier than the others at the end of the study (P ≤ 0.05). POND steers spent more time drinking water, but TROUGH steers increased the number of drinking events throughout the study (P ≤ 0.05), suggesting an adaptation for the new type of water source. Both treatments increased grazing time throughout the study, but not ruminating time (P ≤ 0.05). Walking time differed between treatments in all periods of behavior observation (P ≤ 0.05). Events of animal licking and ingesting salt of POND steers reduced throughout the study (P ≤ 0.05). The number of drinking events of TROUGH steers increased throughout the study, and drinking events were longer for POND steers than TROUGH steers (P ≤ 0.05). TROUGH steers spent more time on pasture on Month 2 (P ≤ 0.05). Period collection did not affect the water intake of TROUGH treatment (P > 0.05). This study demonstrates that water available in troughs rather than ponds for steers on pasture has positive effects on their weight gain and affects cattle behavior.

Cattle welfare assessment at the slaughterhouse level: Integrated risk profiles based on the animal's origin, pre-slaughter logistics, and iceberg indicators.

Detection of on farm and transport animal welfare problems at slaughterhouse level is a key issue for the meat industry; however, usually, the assessments do not include basic aspects of animal health. For that reason, it is necessary to develop an assessment method that has an integrative scope and identifies the risk profiles in animals. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to detect cattle welfare indicators that can be implemented at the slaughterhouse level and to develop integrated risk profiles based on the animal's origin, pre-slaughter logistics, and animal-based indicators. We recorded the origin, commercial category, transportation details, and horn size of 1040 cattle upon arrival at the slaughterhouse. Cattle welfare was measured based on individual scores for vocalizations, stunning shots, carcass bruises, meat pH, severe hoof injuries, and organ condemnations. To characterize operational and logistic practices from the farm to the slaughterhouse, a two-step cluster analysis was applied to the aforementioned variables (production system, cattle type, horn size, journey distance, vehicle type), which identified four clusters: small feedlot and free-range profile (C1, n = 216, 20.8 %), feedlot profile (C2, n = 193, 18.6 %), culled dairy cows profile (C3, n = 262, 25.2 %), and free-range profile (C4, n = 369, 35.5 %). The animal's diet and environmental conditions might have influenced the development of hoof disorders in C1 animals (P = 0.023), the proportion of animals that were re-shot was highest in C2 animals (P = 0.033), and C3 and C4 animals were most likely to suffer injuries such as severe bruising (P = 0.001). In addition, the number of stunning shots, meat pH, carcass bruises, severe hoof injuries, and liver condemnations, explained a significant variation in the incidence of various health and welfare consequences based on an animal's origin, which confirmed their importance as 'welfare iceberg' indicators. The study provided detailed data that can be included into assessment methods for the welfare of slaughter cattle, which can be tailored to specific production systems.

Evaluation of Criminal Sanctions Concerning Violations of Cattle and Pig Welfare.

EU legislation requires the violations of animal welfare standards to be sanctioned. Our aim was to evaluate criminal sanctions concerning violations of cattle and pig welfare on Finnish farms. We analyzed 196 court cases heard in Finnish district courts from 2011 to 2016. Almost all the cases (95%) concerned the violations of cattle welfare, of which 61% occurred on small farms. The lack of cleanliness and inadequate feeding and watering were the most common reported violations. Median time span from the start date of an offending to a judgement was slightly less than two years. Of the cases, 96% resulted in conviction. The court did not perceive the violations as being highly blameworthy as a small fine and a short conditional imprisonment were the most often imposed sanctions. A ban on the keeping of animals was used as a precautionary measure in half of the cases. Veterinarians were shown to have an important role in the initiation of criminal procedures, providing evidence for the police, and acting as witnesses. Therefore, it is crucial to achieve a well-functioning collaboration between veterinarians and the police and prosecutors. The expertise of these authorities on animal welfare legislation should also be emphasized to improve the efficacy of criminal procedures.

Effects of Different Stroking Styles on Behaviour and Cardiac Parameters in Heifers.

Gentle animal-human interactions, such as stroking, can promote positive emotions and thus welfare in cattle. While previous studies showed that stroking at the ventral neck elicited the most positive reactions in cows, intra-specific allogrooming in cattle includes different body regions and is probably guided partly by the receiver. Thus, we compared heifers' (n = 28) reactions to stroking with the experimenter either reactively responding to perceived momentary preferences of the heifers or exclusively stroking the ventral neck. Independently of the stroking style, longer durations of neck stretching and contact occurred during stroking, supporting our hypothesis of a positive perception of stroking. We did not confirm the predicted decrease in heart rate and increase in heart rate variability, but instead found a slightly increased mean heart rate during stroking. The different stroking styles elicited differences in the heifers' ear positions: "reactive" stroking led to longer durations of low ear positions during stroking, while during "ventral neck" stroking, the duration of back up increased. However, no other behaviours differed significantly between different stroking styles, indicating that the exact manner of stroking applied in our treatments seemed to be less important in the promotion of positive affective states in cattle through gentle human-animal interactions.

The Impact of Heat Load on Cattle.

Heat stress and cold stress have a negative influence on cattle welfare and productivity. There have been some studies investigating the influence of cold stress on cattle, however the emphasis within this review is the influence of heat stress on cattle. The impact of hot weather on cattle is of increasing importance due to the changing global environment. Heat stress is a worldwide phenomenon that is associated with reduced animal productivity and welfare, particularly during the summer months. Animal responses to their thermal environment are extremely varied, however, it is clear that the thermal environment influences the health, productivity, and welfare of cattle. Whilst knowledge continues to be developed, managing livestock to reduce the negative impact of hot climatic conditions remains somewhat challenging. This review provides an overview of the impact of heat stress on production and reproduction in bovines.