Status der Eutergesundheit in Milchviehherden auf der Basis von Daten der Milchleistungsprüfung in Niedersachsen

The monthly individual somatic cell count can be used to interpret udder health status not only for individual animals but also on dairy herd level. 73 dairy herds in Lower Saxony were analyzed based on 2011 milk recording data. The data show that udder health status is driven by very high new infection rates in both dry period and lactation in organic dairy farms. Due to legislative rules antibiotic therapy plays only a small role in combating mastitis. Therefore working standards which are able to reduce the new infection rate must be implemented in dairy herds. The used analyzing system allows the identification of predominant udder health problems on single herd level. Consultants, vets and farmers should be familiar with these epidemiological key figures to understand infection dynamics on herd level

User interface pattern for AR in industrial applications

The background of the paper is that there are currently no specifications or guidelines for the design of a user interface for an augmented reality system in an industrial context. In this area, special requirements apply for the perception and recognition of content, which are given by the framework conditions of the industrial environment, the human-technology interaction, and the work task. This paper addresses the software-technical design of augmented reality surfaces in the industrial environment. The aim is to give first design examples for software tasks by means of sample solutions. For a user-oriented implementation, the methods of personas and an empirical investigation were used. Personas are a stereotypical representation of end users that reflect their characteristics and requirements. For the subsequent development of the pattern catalog, different prototypes with layout and interaction variants were tested in an empirical study with 50 participants. By observing the current realizations, these can be examined more closely in terms of their specific use in an industrial environment. The result is a pattern catalog with 26 solutions for layout and interaction variants. For the layout variants, no direct favorite of the testers could be ascertained; the existing solutions already offer a wide spectrum, which are chosen according to personal preferences. For interaction, on the other hand, it is important to enable fast input. During the study, gesture control revealed weaknesses in this regard. This can be supportive in the development of an industrial augmented reality system regarding a user-oriented representation of the interface

Therapeutisches Eutergesundheitsmanagement in Milchviehbetrieben des ökologischen Landbaus

During a dynamic cohort study performed in 5 selected organic farms of Lower Saxony between January 2004 and May 2005, udder health data and therapeutic measures were collected. The aim of the study was to compare the usually practiced medical treatments of mastitic udders in organic farms with the scientific realizations. The farms in particular distinguish through a good compliance in previous studies. In the entire year 2004 the study farms removed 5.8% +/- 2.8% (min. 2.9 - max. 9.0) of the animals due to mastitis problems. Only little differences regarding the prevalence of mastitis between the five farms were found while the udder health situation in all examined herds improved from summer to winter. Dominating mastitis pathogens were CNS und Streptococcus uberis. The incidence of clinical mastitis was 50 cases per 100-cow-years at risk and pathogens could be detected in 48% of all mastitis cases (CNS 45%, Sc. uberis 27%, Entero-bacteriaceae 17%, Enterococci 9%, Sc. dysgalactiae 2%). Mastitis therapeutic treatments were accomplished on the average 0.9 +/- 0.6 (min. 0.06 - max. 1.44) times per animal of the herds while mastitis thera-peutic treatments had a portion of 54% +/- 24% of all treatments (min. 21% - max. 88%). Contrary to earlier studies more than 70% of all clinical cases were treated allopathically. Homoeopathic remedies were used in 26% of all cases. Contrary to evidence-based requirements 35% of all mastitis treatments were done with animals, which exhibited no more considerable probability of healing due to their mastitis history. At drying off 24.6% of the animals were treated with antibiotics. The new infection rate in the dry period was 35% +/- 18% (min. 22% - max. 65%) and the healing rate amounted to 46% +/- 12% (min. 33% - max. 59%). Large differences in the treatment intensity between the enterprises with comparable mastitis prevalence and incidence indicates possibilities to improve the use of therapeutics. In particular regarding the selection of therapy-resistant animals substantial differences were found

Audit und Benchmarking zur Optimierung der Tiergesundheit

Consumers of organic products expect very high food quality as well as speciesappropriate husbandry, high animal health and best organic feeding. Studies showed that in some sections in organic dairy farms animal health is not better than in conventional farms. Kuh-M is the first quality management system specifically for organic dairy farms. It is based on an internet-database where the results of the monthly milkcontrol and the ingredients of the bulk-milk are presented in a benchmarking. With these results it is possible to appreciate the status quo of the animal health like subclinical metabolic changes, udder health, fertility and yield. Members can use the database to compare their results with the pool of the other members to evaluate their status quo. This is supported by a yearly audit, which is performed by a dairy consultant. Possibilities and acceptance of Kuh-M were checked out within a diploma thesis. Part of this thesis was the implementation of Kuh-M in ten organic dairy farms including all features and one audit. After the implementation the dairy farmers were interviewed and their answers evaluated. The results of the interviews are showing that Kuh-M is a tool for supporting organic dairy farmers to optimize their animal health management. The system has a good acceptance among those farmers who are used to work with the computer

Setzen Betriebsleiterinnen/Betriebsleiter eher Ratschläge der Landwirtskolleginnen/-kollegen oder die der WissenschaftlerInnen um, um die Herdengesundheit zu verbessern?

By the use of a novel coaching program some groups of farmers get together regularly with professionals to discuss critical herd health problems so that both, farmers and professionals, can discuss those problems in a well mapped-out way, give suggestions for the improvement of herd health and the experts can add their academic knowledge and expertise. This analysis focuses on the data of 2012. On closer examination of the data it stands out that professionals gave advice more than two times as much than farmers. The intention of implementing these suggestions of only professionals was on average nine times higher than the intention to realize suggestions made only by farmers. Until the end of the year farm managers realized only one third of all the advice given although they had planned to put into practice almost half of all suggestions. And yet one-third of the advice of only professionals was realized. To get to the point it seems to be worthwhile to have professionals join these meetings because their advice is more often accepted by farmers and put into practice

Einstreumaterialien und -management – ihre Bedeutung für die Entwicklung von Mastitiserregern und das Infektionsgeschehen in der Ökologischen Milchviehhaltung

Der in der ökologischen Tierhaltung geforderte Einsatz natürlicher Einstreumaterialien kann das Risiko für umweltbedingte Eutererkrankungen erhöhen. Im Rahmen des Projektes sollten - der potentiellen Infektionskette Einstreu – Euterhaut – Zitzenkanal – Euterlumen folgend - die kritischen Punkte identifiziert und mögliche Handlungsempfehlungen ableitet werden. Es wurden auf 106 Projektbetrieben eines anderen Vorhabens (FKZ 07OE012…22) Daten zum Einstreumanagement erhoben und das zum Einstreuen verwendete Material subjektiv beurteilt. Zusätzlich wurden auf 30 der Betriebe einmalig in der Stall- und in der Weideperiode Proben der Einstreu, Tupferproben der Zitzenhaut und des -kanals sowie Viertelanfangsgemelksproben für die zytobakteriologische Untersuchung von jeweils zehn zufällig ausgewählten Kühen gewonnen. Die Milchflusskurven der beprobten Tiere wurden aufgezeichnet, um deren Prädisposition für einen Zitzenschließmuskel mit einem geringen Tonus zu erfassen. Die Auswertung der Daten zeigte, dass überwiegend Stroh als Einstreumaterial eingesetzt wurde, das – subjektiv mittels Scoring beurteilt – eine gute bis sehr gute Qualität aufwies. Grundsätzlich im Ökolandbau vorhandene Risikofaktoren konnten nicht identifiziert werden, vielmehr waren nur einzelbetriebliche Schwachpunkte auszumachen. Die Untersuchung auf den 30 Betrieben zeigte, dass nur wenige Betriebe die empfohlenen Grenzwerte für den Besatz der Einstreu mit äskulinpositiven Streptokokken und E. coli überschritten. Dafür wurden in Großteil der Proben coliforme Erreger in kritischer Anzahl gefunden. Diese Grenzwertüberschreitungen konnten jedoch nicht mit speziellen Managementmaßnahmen in Verbindung gebracht werden. Es wurde gezeigt, dass Infektionserreger entlang der untersuchten Kette gefunden werden können und dass sich das Spektrum der koagulase-negativen-Staphylokokkenspezies dabei verschiebt. Der erwartete Einfluss der Melkbarkeit der Kühe auf das Infektionsgeschehen war nicht eindeutig nachzuweisen