Opportunities for precision livestock management in the face of climate change: A focus on extensive systems

Climate change and carbon neutrality have become key topics in extensive livestock industries in recent years as mankind attempts to meet its commitments to restricting global warming (United Nations, 2015). Initial impressions are that extensive livestock systems involving low cattle stocking rates over large rangeland areas are inefficient and produce more greenhouse gases (GHG) per harvested animal compared with intensive systems. Extensive livestock enterprises are often located in dry geographical areas with increasingly inconsistent rainfall, making them vulnerable to the impacts of climate change (Huang et al., 2017). Changing and more variable climates require producers to adapt their management practices to remain sustainable and increase enterprise resilience (Rust, 2019). In these environments, understanding the relationship between nutrient availability and animal performance is vital

Oesophageal lumen pH in yearling horses and effects of management and administration of omeprazole

Background: In human subjects, arytenoid chondritis can be caused by chemical trauma of mucosa attributable to gastro-oesophageal reflux. Although a similar process may be involved in the aetiopathogenesis of arytenoid chondritis in horses, the oesophageal lumen pH in this species is poorly understood. Objectives: To determine if gastro-oesophageal reflux occurs in horses by characterising oesophageal lumen pH. Study design: Blinded, randomised, placebo-controlled, crossover, experimental study. Methods: Luminal oesophageal pH in six yearling horses was recorded over four 24 h periods using an ambulatory pH recorder attached to a catheter with two electrodes (proximal and distal) inserted into the oesophagus. Recordings of pH were made during three management protocols. Initially, horses grazed in a paddock (Protocol A). Horses were then moved to stables to simulate sale preparation of Thoroughbred yearlings, and were given either omeprazole (Protocol B) or placebo paste (Protocol C) orally once per day. Protocol A was repeated for each horse (after a 13 day washout period) between Protocols B and C. Summary statistics described pH range and frequency of pH changes. Associations with predictor variables were investigated using linear mixed-effects models. Data are presented as the mean ± s.d. Results: Oesophageal lumen pH ranged from 4.90 to 9.70 (7.36 ± 0.27 and 7.18 ± 0.24 for the proximal and distal electrodes, respectively) and varied frequently (1.2 ± 0.9 changes/min and 0.8 ± 0.8 changes/min for the proximal and distal electrodes, respectively). Oesophageal lumen pH was associated with time since concentrate feeding, activity and time of day, but not with treatment of omeprazole. Main limitations: A small number of horses were used and measurement periods were limited. Conclusions: Gastro-oesophageal reflux occurs in clinically normal yearling horses. Although omeprazole had no detectable effect, oesophageal lumen pH recorded during this study did not fall within the therapeutic range of omeprazole. © 2016 EVJ Lt

Solving new world animal science problems with a multidisciplinary approach

Global demand for livestock products is increasing, driven by continued population growth and rising consumer incomes, particularly in emerging economy countries across Africa and Asia. If we are to produce more meat, milk, and eggs, using less resources, and under increased regulatory and consumer pressure, we must understand that livestock systems are intimately interconnected with the environment and play an important role in supporting the livelihoods of billions of people across the supply chain. Livestock production occurs in many forms and environments, ranging from low-input smallholder farms and pastoral systems to technologically advanced and intensive industrial systems. The challenges and opportunities facing these systems are often framed in the context of global megatrends: climate change (Godde et al., 2021), changing consumer preferences and increased public scrutiny on how and where our food is produced (Lawrence et al., 2019), increased global connectedness and trade intensification (Geyik et al., 2021), biosecurity risks (Begley et al., 2019), and the increasing adoption of digital technology (Bahlo et al., 2019). These challenges are significant and complex, and addressing them requires a multidisciplinary approach based on a sound foundation of animal science (Mayberry et al., 2021). This issue of Animal Frontiers addresses the key global challenges facing livestock production and highlights opportunities for co-learning and achieving greater impact by working together

Sensor-based detection of parturition in beef cattle grazing in an extensive landscape: A case study using a commercial GNSS collar

Context: Neonate management remains a key issue in extensive beef production systems where producers are faced with substantial environmental and management challenges that limit their ability to monitor and manage livestock in a timely manner. Parturition is a critical event and can affect the calf health and survival, particularly in the perinatal period (up to 48 h after birth). As such, monitoring parturition using precision livestock technologies may provide producers with additional tools to manage their cattle and mitigate the impacts of neonatal mortality in extensive beef systems. Aims: The purpose of this study was to determine whether data from a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) collar could be used to detect parturition events in extensively grazed beef cattle. Methods: Forty-eight Bos taurus cows (583.5 kg body weight ± 9.25 s.e.m.) were allocated to a 28 ha paddock between 8 January 2021 and 6 March 2021 during the calving season. Thirty of the animals were fitted with GNSS-equipped collars (Smart Paddock, Vic., Australia) that captured data at 10 min intervals. Parturition events were recorded daily by visual observation. Collected data were used to calculate key predictive features related to calving behaviour. Derived features were compared and assessed for changes in the period surrounding parturition. Key results: Increases were observed in distance to nearest neighbour and to herd aggregate features, and decreases were observed in paddock utilisation and distance travelled features in the lead-up to calving (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the number of animals within a 20 m radius decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in the lead up to parturition, supporting known isolation behaviours. Conclusions: With further development of predictive algorithms, on-animal sensors may be valuable in the prediction of calving events in extensive beef production systems. Implications: Remote management and monitoring with on-animal sensor technologies, such as GNSS collars and tags, will provide producers with an additional means of monitoring their animals, while overcoming many of the management challenges associated with extensive grazing operations

Chitosan oligosaccharide supplementation affects immunity markers in ewes and lambs during gestation and lactation

Chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) is derived through deacetylation of chitin from crustacean shells. Previous studies reported the benefits of COS to gut microbiota, immunity and health of host species. In this study, 120 pregnant composite ewes were subdivided into treatment and control groups in duplicate. COS was supplemented via a loose lick to provide an estimated intake of COS @100–600 mg/d/ewe for five weeks pre-lambing until lamb marking. Body weight was recorded pre-treatment for ewes, and at lamb marking and weaning for both ewes and lambs. Serum immunity markers immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin M (IgM), immunoglobulin A (IgA), secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), interleukin (IL)-2, IL10 and faecal sIgA were determined for ewes and lambs at lamb marking and weaning by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We found that COS can be incorporated in sheep feed without compromising palatability. Maternal COS supplementation did not influence the body weight of ewes or lambs. It did, however, significantly increase the concentrations of serum IL2 in ewes at marking and weaning (p < 0.001). In lambs, COS also significantly increased the IL2 concentration at making (p = 0.018) and weaning (p = 0.029) and serum IgM at marking (p < 0.001). No significant effect was observed in the concentration of any other immune marker or cytokine in either ewes or lambs. In conclusion, maternal COS supplementation significantly modulated some immunity markers in both ewes and lambs. The short duration of maternal COS supplementation and optimal seasonal conditions during the trial may explain the lack of significant body weight in ewes and lambs from the COS supplementation. Implications: Our findings indicate that COS can be incorporated in sheep feed without compromising palatability and maternal COS supplementation significantly modulated some immunity markers in both ewes and lambs, implying the functional role of COS and its use as a feed additive for improving sheep production and immunity. Findings from this study will help to develop alternative nutritional strategies to reduce the incidence of infectious diseases in sheep. COS can thus be proposed as a cost-effective functional feed targeting pregnant and lactating ewes and weaner lambs to improve sheep production

The role of microbiota in animal health and productivity: Misinterpretations and limitations

The rise of sequencing technology brought about a surge of new methodologies that offered a new and deeper level of understanding of the role of the microbiome in the health and performance of livestock. This started a chain reaction in technology evolution, and a decade later, we have developed a new appreciation of a healthy gut and the role of early colonisation and nutrition in developing the microbiome, and its subsequent impact on animal productivity. An abundance of new products flooded the livestock supplement market with the promise of improving the health of intestinal microbiota. However, the impact of these products and any potential gains they might provide have not always been quantified or validated. Further to this, the potential interactions with the microbial community naturally occurring in the feed-base have not commonly been considered. We have recently shown that animal feed carries a complex microbial community that can have various impacts, including negating farm biosecurity measures. The ruminant animal provides an even greater level of complexity where physiological drivers act to maintain ruminal homeostasis. Despite many advances, numerous knowledge gaps remain, and the methodologies are not without their challenges with almost constant evolution in analysing and interpreting data. In this paper, we will discuss the benefits, challenges and shortfalls of microbiome science, its interfaces with multi-omics research and the strategies of its contribution to animal production science

A scoping review of African swine fever virus spread between domestic and free-living pigs

Since 2007, African swine fever virus (ASFV) has spread to countries in Europe, Asia and Oceania and has caused devastating impacts on pigs and the pork industry. Transmission can be direct or indirect, and epidemiologic scenarios have been described in which spread occurs between free-living and domestic pigs. The purpose of this scoping review was to identify primary research in which authors made statements to support ASFV transmission between free-living and domestic pigs and assess the circumstances in which transmission events occurred. A search was conducted in five bibliographic databases and the grey literature. Two reviewers (from a team of ten) independently screened each record and charted data (demographics of the pig populations, their husbandry [domestic pigs] and habitat [free-living pigs], the spatial and temporal distribution of ASF, the occurrence or burden of ASF in the populations, and whether ticks were present in the geographic range of the pig populations). Data synthesis included statistics and a narrative summary. From 1,349 records screened, data were charted from 46 individual studies published from 1985 to 2020. Outbreak investigations revealed that whilst poor biosecurity of domestic pig operations was often reported, direct contact resulting in transmission between free-living and domestic pigs was rarely reported. Studies in which quantitative associations were made generally found that spread within populations was more important than spread between populations, although this was not always the case, particularly when domestic pigs were free-ranging. We conclude that there is limited evidence that transmission of ASFV between free-living and domestic pigs is an important feature of ASF epidemiology, especially in the current ASF epidemic in Europe and the Russian Federation. If ASFV elimination cannot be achieved in free-living pigs, compartmentalization of domestic pig populations from free-living populations via biosecurity strategies could be used to support trade of domestic pigs