Evolution raciale du cheptel bovin français des années 1970 aux années 2000 : analyse à partir des données des Recensements Généraux agricoles de 1979, 1988 et 2000

L'évolution de l'élevage bovin au cours de la seconde moitié de XXème siècle, largement influencée par le contexte politique, se manifeste principalement par une progression des rendements, une augmentation de la taille des troupeaux et une diminution du nombre d'exploitations et d'exploitants. Dans ce contexte, le troupeau de vaches laitières diminue alors que celui des vaches allaitantes progresse. Le tracé des cartes de densité des principales races bovines en France à partir des données des recensements généraux agricoles de 1979, 1988 et 2000 permet de suivre l'évolution géographique et numérique des races. Pour successivement le troupeau laitier et allaitant, une étude globale comparative puis individuelle est présentée. Les caractéristiques des principaux systèmes d'élevage actuels en France sont étudiées. L'adoption récente du compromis de Luxembourg justifie un exercice de prospective concernant ces systèmes d'élevage bovins

Approche institutionnelle de la santé animale : place des compétences, des territoires et des collectifs dans la gestion de la santé des bovins laitiers en France

Ce travail propose une analyse institutionnelle commonsienne de la gestion sanitaire des bovins en termes de compétences collectives et individuelles. Un modèle conceptuel institutionnel d'analyse de la santé animale est proposé comme alternative possible au modèle micro-économique néoclassique. La gestion de la santé est d'abord abordée à travers les compétences et capacités de l'éleveur au sein de l'exploitation, en mobilisant les relations individus - collectifs inorganisés. Le rôle des collectifs organisés dans la santé animale est ensuite identifié, avec l'identification de collectifs productifs et de collectifs sanitaires. Les compétences individuelles et collectives apparaissent territorialisées. Ce modèle est ensuite validé à partir de données issues de la Base de Données Nationale d'Identification des bovins et du Contrôle Laitier, pour 2005 et 2006. La mortalité des bovins laitiers et la qualité cytologique du lait (cellules somatiques, témoins d'infection de la mamelle) de chaque exploitation sont respectivement analysées à l'aide de modèles linéaires et de panels statiques et dynamiques. Un effet global des compétences de l'éleveur sur l'ensemble des troubles sanitaires de l'exploitation est observé. Les compétences doivent être au préalable révélées pour se traduire en capacités (actions). La spatialisation des modèles démontre enfin la dimension institutionnelle, souvent territorialisée, de la santé animale. L'analyse institutionnelle montre qu'une large part de la santé du troupeau repose sur les compétences individuelles des éleveurs et sur des compétences collectives. Ces compétences peuvent être révélées par un renforcement des interventions préventives et de la formation en élevage. ABSTRACT : This research analyzes cattle health through individual and collective competencies, based on Commons institutionalism. The first part defines a new institutional conceptual framework, alternative to the neoclassic microeconomic models, to study animal health. Health management is analyzed at farm level in terms of farmers' competencies and capabilities considering the relationship between individuals and unorganized going concern. It integrates thereafter organized going concerns and defines production focused organizations and health focused organizations. The competencies and capabilities have both territorial components. The model is validated empirically in the second part, using the national cattle identification database and the milk control program database, for 2005 and 2006. Dairy cattle mortality and milk bacteriological quality (somatic counts) are explained with linear models and static and dynamic panel models, respectively. A global effect of farmer's health competencies on the overall health issues of the farm is shown, but competencies must be translated into capabilities (actions) before impacting on health. The spatialization of the models reveals some territorial correlations that clearly show the effect of institutions on animal health. The institutional analysis shows that an important part of the herd health rests on the farmer's individual competencies, as well as on some collective competencies. These competencies can be strengthened and revealed into capabilities with more accurate and regular preventive interventions in farms and with more farmers' education

POSTPARTUM ELEVATED Β-HYDROXYBUTYRATE AND NON-ESTERIFIED FATTY ACIDS TOGETHER OR SEPARATELY AND THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH PLASMA METABOLITES, BODY CONDITION AND REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE IN DAIRY COWS

This study aimed to assess post-partum elevated nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) and β hydroxybutyrate (BHB), considered either togetheror separately,relative to the estrus cyclicity and first service pregnancy status of cows and their association withbody condition scores and some metabolites.Blood samples from 50 Montbéliarde dairy cowswere collected from 15 to 52 DIMto measure serum  BHB, NEFA,glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, urea nitrogen, total protein, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), γ-glutamyltransferase (γGT), calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, sodium;and progesterone concentrations.Body condition score (BCS) was assessed at calving and at each time when blood samples were taken.Cows were considered as having post-partum elevated NEFA (H-NEFA) concentration if the concentration was≥0.70 mM and post-partum elevated BHB (H-BHB) concentration if the concentration was≥1.20 mM at 30 DIM. Overall, 93.33 % of cows having an elevated BHB show an elevated of NEFA and 51.61% of cows having an elevated NEFA have not an elevated BHB. Indeed, considering postpartum elevated NEFA as a predictor of sub-clinical ketotic cows can overrateresults. Whereas, considering postpartum elevated BHB as a predictor of cows with NEB can underestimate results. Excessive BCS at calving results in increasing the risk of post-partum elevated BHB. Cholesterol, triglycerides, AST, ALT, and urea were increased in cows having elevated BHB and NEFA compared with those having elevated NEFA only or healthy cows. Further, the risk of estrus cyclicity and pregnancy rate at first insemination (P/AI) was decreased in cows having both elevated BHB and NEFA or NEFA only

The Association Between French Veterinary Practice Characteristics and Their Revenues and Veterinarian's Time Use

The provision of healthcare by veterinarians consists of a blend of activities ensuring welfare for animals. It also contributes in the control of infectious diseases and food safety. In general practices, most of the activities generate incomes for veterinarians, notably acts (consultations, surgery, etc.) and sales (drugs, pet food, etc.). Increased size of veterinary practices and the arrival of corporate companies modify the veterinary landscape in many countries. In a context of rapid growth of the companion animal health market, the question of the profitability of veterinary activities is relevant. Indeed, beyond a certain threshold, veterinarians may be tempted to leave behind food-producing animals' acts and focus on companion animals' acts, which are generally recognized to be more profitable and more attractive for new generations of veterinarians. A survey was conducted in French veterinary mixed practices, and a regression analysis was used to quantify the relationships between the turnover and the characteristics of veterinary practices, the time to perform veterinary acts, and the characteristics of veterinarians. We found that the characteristics of veterinary practices are positively associated with the turnover and the price of acts, and that there was an association between the status of veterinarians (associate, collaborator, or employee) and the time required to perform companion animals' and food-producing animals' acts. The present study is the first study showing the association between the characteristics of veterinary practices and the turnover, by investigating the price of veterinary acts and the time required

Profiling Detection and Classification of Lameness Methods in British Dairy Cattle Research: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Lameness is a serious concern in the dairy sector, reflecting its high incidence and impact on animal welfare and productivity. Research has provided figures on its frequency using different methodologies, making it difficult to compare results and hindering farm-level decision-making. The study's objectives were to determine the frequency levels of lameness in British dairy cattle through a meta-analysis approach, and to understand the chronological patterns of how lameness cases are detected and classified in scientific research. A systematic review was conducted using PRISMA-P guidelines for article selection. Random-effects models estimated the pooled frequency measure of lameness with heterogeneity managed through subgroup analysis and meta-regression. Sixty-eight papers were identified, 50 included prevalence and 36 incidence data. The pooled prevalence of lameness in British dairy cattle was estimated at 29.5% (95% CI 26.7–32.4%) whilst all-cause lameness incidence rate indicated 30.9 cases of lameness per 100 cow-years (95% CI 24.5–37.9). The pooled cause-specific lameness incidence rate per 100 cow-years was 66.1 (95% CI 24.1–128.8) for white line disease, 53.2 (95% CI 20.5–101.2) for sole ulcer, 53.6 (95% CI 19.2–105.34) for digital dermatitis, with 51.9 (95% CI 9.3–129.2) attributable to other lameness-related lesions. Heterogeneity levels remained high. Sixty-nine papers contributed to a chronological overview of lameness data source. Although the AHDB Dairy mobility scoring system (MSS) was launched in the UK in 2008 and adopted shortly after by the British Dairy sector as the standard tool for assessing lameness, other methods are used depending on the investigator. Automated lameness detection systems may offer a solution for the subjective nature of MSSs, yet it was utilized in one study only. Despite the recognition of under-reporting of lameness from farm records 22 (31.9%) studies used this data source. The diversity of lameness data collection methods and sources was a key finding. It limits the understanding of lameness burden and the refinement of policy making for lameness. Standardizing case definition and research methods would improve knowledge of and ability to manage lameness. Regardless of the measurement method lameness in British dairy cattle is high

Linking disease epidemiology and livestock productivity: the case of bovine respiratory disease in France

Concerns are growing over the impact of livestock farming on environment and public health. The livestock industry is faced with the double constraint of limiting its use of natural resources and antimicrobials while ensuring its economic sustainability. In this context, reliable methods are needed to evaluate the effect of the prevention of endemic animal diseases on the productivity of livestock production systems. In this study, an epidemiological and productivity model was used to link changes in Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) incidence with the productivity of the beef and dairy cattle sectors in France. Cattle production parameters significantly affected by BRD were selected through literature review. Previous field study results and national cattle performance estimates were used to infer growth performances, mortality rates and carcass quality in the cattle affected and not affected by BRD. A steady-state deterministic herd production model was used to predict the productivity of the dairy and beef sector and their defined compartments (breeding-fattening, feedlot young bulls, and feedlot veal) in case of BRD incidence reduction by 20%, 50% or 100%. Results suggested that BRD should be controlled at a priority in beef breeding farms as eradication of BRD in beef calves would increase the whole beef sector’s productivity by 4.7–5.5% while eradication in other production stages would result in lower productivity gain in their respective sectors. However, the analysis performed at compartment level showed that, in both the beef and dairy sector, young bull and veal feedlot enterprises derive more economic benefits from BRD eradication for their own compartment (increase in productivity of 8.7–12.8% for beef young bulls) than the breeding farms (increase in productivity of 5.1–6% for beef calves), which may limit the investments in BRD control

Recording behaviour of indoor-housed farm animals automatically using machine vision technology: a systematic review

Large-scale phenotyping of animal behaviour traits is time consuming and has led to increased demand for technologies that can automate these procedures. Automated tracking of animals has been successful in controlled laboratory settings, but recording from animals in large groups in highly variable farm settings presents challenges. The aim of this review is to provide a systematic overview of the advances that have occurred in automated, high throughput image detection of farm animal behavioural traits with welfare and production implications. Peer-reviewed publications written in English were reviewed systematically following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. After identification, screening, and assessment for eligibility, 108 publications met these specifications and were included for qualitative synthesis. Data collected from the papers included camera specifications, housing conditions, group size, algorithm details, procedures, and results. Most studies utilized standard digital colour video cameras for data collection, with increasing use of 3D cameras in papers published after 2013. Papers including pigs (across production stages) were the most common (n = 63). The most common behaviours recorded included activity level, area occupancy, aggression, gait scores, resource use, and posture. Our review revealed many overlaps in methods applied to analysing behaviour, and most studies started from scratch instead of building upon previous work. Training and validation sample sizes were generally small (mean±s.d. groups = 3.8±5.8) and in data collection and testing took place in relatively controlled environments. To advance our ability to automatically phenotype behaviour, future research should build upon existing knowledge and validate technology under commercial settings and publications should explicitly describe recording conditions in detail to allow studies to be reproduced

Could Contracts between Pharmaceutical Firms and French Veterinarians Bias Prescription Behaviour: A Principal-Agency Theory Approach in the Context of Oligopolies

In France, veterinarians can both prescribe and deliver veterinary medicines, which is a questionable situation from the perspective of antimicrobial use (AMU) reduction to avoid antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This situation places veterinarians in direct commercial relationships with the pharmaceutical industry as purchase contracts are signed between veterinarians and pharmaceutical companies. The aim of the present work is to analyse the relationships between veterinarians and pharmaceutical firms in the oligopoly market context of French veterinary medicine to determine whether the prescription behaviour of practitioners can be biased by joint prescription and delivery. Therefore, we develop an analysis based on principal-agent theory. Contracts between pharmaceutical companies and veterinarians during the 2008–2014 period were analysed based on 382 contracts related to 47 drugs belonging to eight main pharmaceutical firms (2320 observations). The price per unit after rebate of each drug and contract was calculated. The descriptive analysis demonstrated high disparity among the contracts across pharmaceutical firms with regard to the provisions of the contracts and how they are presented. Then, linear regression was used to explain the price per unit after rebate based on the explanatory variables, which included the yearly purchase objective, year, type of drug and type of rebate. The decrease in price per unit after rebate for each extra €1000 purchase objective per drug category was established to be €0.061 per 100 kg body weight for anticoccidiosis treatments, €0.029 per 100 kg body weight for anti-inflammatories, €0.0125 per 100 kg body weight and €0.0845 per animal for antiparasitics, and €0.031 per animal for intramammary antimicrobials. Applying agency theory reveals that veterinarians can be considered agents in the case of monopolistic situations involving pharmaceutical firms; otherwise, veterinarians are considered principals (oligopolistic situations in which at least several medicines have similar indications). The present study does not provide evidence suggesting that joint prescription and delivery may introduce any potential prescription bias linked to conflicts of interest under the market conditions during the 2008–2014 period