Comparison of performance and fitness traits in German Angler, Swedish Red and Swedish Polled with Holstein dairy cattle breeds under organic production

Although the use of local breeds is recommended by organic regulations, breed comparisons performed under organic production conditions with similar production intensities are scarce. Therefore, we compared data of local and widely used Holstein dairy cattle breeds from 2011 to 2015 regarding production, fertility and health from German and Swedish organic farms with similar management intensities within country. In Germany, the energy-corrected total milk yield tended to be lower in the local breed Original Angler Cattle (AAZ, 5193 kg) compared to the modern German Holstein Friesian breed (HO, 5620 kg), but AAZ showed higher milk fat and protein contents (AAZ v. HO: 5.09% v. 4.18% and 3.61% v. 3.31%, respectively). In Sweden, the widely used modern Swedish Holstein (SH) breed had the highest milk yield (9209 kg, fat: 4.10%, protein: 3.31%), while the local Swedish Polled (SKB) showed highest milk yield, fat and protein contents (6169 kg, 4.47%, 3.50%, respectively), followed by the local breed Swedish Red (SRB, 8283 kg, 4.33%, 3.46%, respectively). With regard to fertility characteristics, the German breeds showed no differences, but AAZ tended to have less days open compared to HO (−17 days). In Sweden, breeds did not differ with regard to calving interval, but both local breeds showed a lower number of days open (−10.4 in SRB and −24.1 in SKB compared to SH), and SKB needed fewer inseminations until conception (−0.5 inseminations) compared to SH. Proportion of test day records with a somatic cell count content of ≥100 000 cells per ml milk did not reveal breed differences in any of the two countries. German breeds did not differ regarding the proportion of cows with veterinary treatments. In Sweden, SRB showed the lowest proportion of cows with general veterinary treatment as well as specific treatment due to udder problems (22.8 ± 6.42 and 8.05 ± 2.18, respectively), but the local breed SKB did not differ from SH in either of the two traits. In Sweden, we found no breed differences regarding veterinary treatments due to fertility problems or diagnosis of claw or leg problems during claw trimming. Our results indicate a stronger expression of the antagonism between production and functional traits with increasing production intensity. Future breed comparisons, therefore, need to consider different production intensities within organic farming in order to derive practical recommendations as to how to implement European organic regulations with regard to a suitable choice of breeds

Ein Status Quo: Haben Milchkühe Zahnprobleme?

Dental abnormalities in cows have seldomly been examined in research and veterinary check-up. This study estimated the prevalence of dental problems in cows. The skulls of 151 adult (> 4 years) dairy cows (Brown Swiss cattle n=81, Swiss Fleckvieh n=70) were categorized into three age groups (AK1: 4-6 / AK2: 7-9 / AK3: 10-16 years old) and examined for the existence of 11 dental cheek teeth abnormalities, based on well-known dental pathologies in horses. The four most prevalent dental abnormalities found were presence of abnormal spaces between 2 adjacent cheek teeth (Diastema), parodontosis, wavemouth, and food packing between cheek teeth. In 85% of all recorded skulls, 1 or more abnormalities were recorded. There were no differences in the occurrence of dental abnormalities in the two breeds. Older animals of AK3 showed more abnormalities than younger animals, but also in the lower age categories, in average 2 abnormalities per skull were recorded. 36% of all skulls showed the presence of Diastema, which has been described as one of the most painful oral abnormalities in horse. Dental abnormalities are prevalent in cows and probably a not recognized cause of health disorders

Comparison of native and commercial dairy breeds on organic farms in five European countries

Local and commercial dairy breeds form organic farms were compared regarding production traits, direct health traits and health associated functional or conformation traits. Preliminary results revealded lower milk yield for local breeds, but in many cases better fertility. Analysis of useful lifetime indicates a superiority of locals breeds for this traits, whereas commercial breeds showed a higher lifetime production

Strategies for keeping dairy cows and calves together - a cross-sectional survey study

Although it is still most common to rear dairy calves separately from adult cattle, the interest in pro-longed contact between dairy calves and lactating cows during early life is increasing. Previous research has documented positive effects of cow-calf contact (CCC) on for example early calf growth and udder health of suckled cows, but also negative effects such as increased separation distress and reduced weight gains after weaning. The aim of this study was to use information from European farms with prolonged cow-calf contact to identify innovative solutions to common challenges for CCC farms. Commercial dairy farms that kept calves with adult lactating cows for seven days or more after birth were invited to participate, and interviews were performed with 104 farmers from six countries. During interviews, information about farm management, calf rearing, farmers' perception of animal health on their farm, and farmers' drivers and barriers for implementing CCC were collected. We found that CCC was practised in a large variety of housing and management systems, and that calves could be reared together with their dam, with foster cows, or using a combination of the two. The contact period varied considerably (7-305 days) between farms and about 25% of the farms manually milk fed the calves during parts of the milk feeding period. Daily contact time varied between farms, from 30 minutes per day to permanent contact except at milking. Behaviours indicative of separation distress, most commonly vocalisation in cows and calves, were reported by 87% of the farmers. Strategies to alleviate separation distress, for example simultaneous gradual weaning and separation, were used on some farms. Building constraints were most often mentioned as a barrier for implementing CCC. Our findings suggest that CCC is practised in a variety of commonly used husbandry systems. Reported challenges were primarily related to weaning and separation, and to building constraints; these aspects should be areas of future research.@2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of The Animal Consortium. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Characteristics of organic dairy farm types in seven European countries

Characteristics of organic dairy farm types in seven European countries, in Englis

Strategies for keeping dairy cows and calves together – a cross-sectional survey study

Although it is still most common to rear dairy calves separately from adult cattle, the interest in prolonged contact between dairy calves and lactating cows during early life is increasing. Previous research has documented positive effects of cow-calf contact (CCC) on for example early calf growth and udder health of suckled cows, but also negative effects such as increased separation distress and reduced weight gains after weaning. The aim of this study was to use information from European farms with prolonged cow-calf contact to identify innovative solutions to common challenges for CCC farms. Commercial dairy farms that kept calves with adult lactating cows for seven days or more after birth were invited to participate, and interviews were performed with 104 farmers from six countries. During interviews, information about farm management, calf rearing, farmers’ perception of animal health on their farm, and farmers’ drivers and barriers for implementing CCC were collected. We found that CCC was practised in a large variety of housing and management systems, and that calves could be reared together with their dam, with foster cows, or using a combination of the two. The contact period varied considerably (7–305 days) between farms and about 25% of the farms manually milk fed the calves during parts of the milk feeding period. Daily contact time varied between farms, from 30 minutes per day to permanent contact except at milking. Behaviours indicative of separation distress, most commonly vocalisation in cows and calves, were reported by 87% of the farmers. Strategies to alleviate separation distress, for example simultaneous gradual weaning and separation, were used on some farms. Building constraints were most often mentioned as a barrier for implementing CCC. Our findings suggest that CCC is practised in a variety of commonly used husbandry systems. Reported challenges were primarily related to weaning and separation, and to building constraints; these aspects should be areas of future research

Characteristics of organic dairy major farm types in seven European countries

This study aimed to identify organic dairy major farm types (MFTs) in seven European countries, describe these MFTs in an open research database and assess central characteristics of the MFTs. This was conducted in a three-step procedure including (1) Identification of organic MFTs in seven European countries: Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden, based on existing data from dairy databases and consultations with experts within the respective fields of knowledge; (2) Collection of data on farm characteristics, management procedures, production level and herd health from at least 10 farms per MFT and country and (3) Creating an open research database on MFT characteristics, description of essential characteristics of MFTs and assessment of similarities and differences between farms within and across MFTs. The results indicate variations in herd characteristics such as production level, herd size, farm size, housing system, milking system and cow health status between organic dairy farms in these seven European countries. It also indicates variations in management strategies such as feeding, animal health management and recruitment strategies across the organic dairy sector in Europe. These variations seem to be associated with differences between regions and countries in the conditions for organic dairy production, such as topography, land availability and regulations

Reducing concentrate feeding in organic dairy cows with the help of body condition-monitoring

Starting in 2022 it will be mandatory for Swiss organic farms to feed no more than 5% of concentrates in yearly rations to ruminants; so to put the ‘feed no food’-strategy into effect. It will be a challenge to feed high yielding dairy cows adequately. In the frame of two term papers we tested on two commercial farms whether it would be a suitable method to reduce or to cease concentrate feeding as soon as cows stop mobilising body fat. In 2020 we observed milk production- and body condition (BCS) development after 100%-concentrates reduction (12 Swiss Fleckvieh (SF) and 2 Red Holstein (RH) cows, first lactation) or 50%-reduction (6 multiparous RH cows). Amounts of concentrates were compared to the (fictive) amounts of concentrates that would have been fed in 2020 if the former feeding regime (concentrate amounts according to daily milk yield) would have been used. And we compared milk yields of each cow in 2019 and 2020. In average 35% less concentrates were fed per animal than would have been fed with the former feeding regimes. Average yearly concentrate amounts per cow were reduced from 123 kg to 64 kg and from 348 to 260 kg in SF and RH cows, respectively. 76% of the study animals showed a higher milk production in 2020 than in 2019, in 52% also milk fat content was higher and in 52% milk protein content was higher. 75% of the study animals did not reduce milk production after concentrates had been reduced in their ration. 25% did reduce milk production and 25% started to mobilize body fat again. 40% of the cows did not reduce milk production nor body fat. No animal reduced both. Lactation number was positively and number of concentrate feeding days was negatively correlated with body fat mobilization after concentrates reduction. The method of reducing concentrates after body condition score has become stable seems to be well practicable, but animals mobilising body fat after the reduction might not cope well with that system; they have to be well observed. Further studies with more high yielding animals are needed to prove these results