Feed Supplements for Young Dairy Breed Calves After Turn-Out to Pasture: Effect on Weight Gain and Subclinical Coccidiosis in Organic Production Systems

On two organic farms, the effect of supplementation with either home-grown barley or organic commercial concentrates primarily based on local protein sources and barley, on weight gain and subclinical coccidiosis was investigated in 3-5 months old dairy breed calves in the period after turn-out to ryegrass/clover pastures. The calves (mean liveweight ± SD, 124 ± 24 kg and 133 ± 24 kg on Farm I and II respectively) were supplemented daily with 3 kg energy and protein-rich commercial concentrates (group EP), 3 kg barley (group E) or ½ kg barley (group Eres) for 8 weeks following turn-out on pasture. Daily weight gains in the 8 weeks were for Farm I: 1216 and 1042 g/day for group EP and E (P < 0.01) and for Farm II: 1071, 671 and 770 g/day for group EP, E and Eres respectively (P < 0.001). However, liveweights were similar between groups at housing, although group EP had significantly higher liveweight at housing on Farm I (P < 0.01). Initial liveweight had effects on daily gain in the grazing season, but supplementation with energy and protein reduced this effect on Farm I. No clinical signs of coccidiosis were observed, but markedly higher levels of oocysts per gram faeces (opg) were observed on Farm II, using pastures previously grazed by cattle compared to Farm I. Calves having a maximum oocyst count above 5 000 opg were subclinically affected by coccidiosis, as indicated by low faecal dry matter and reduction in daily gain of 222 g/day (P < 0.05). It is concluded that liveweight can be increased when supplementing calves with organic concentrates rich in energy and protein in the period following turn-out compared to supplementation with barley alone. However, the overall gain at the end of the grazing season is limited due to compensatory growth in the grazing period following supplementation

Herbage intake in Danish Jersey and Danish Holstein steers on perennial ryegrass/white clover pasture

The objective of this study was to estimate herbage intake in Danish Friesian and Danish Jersey steers at an age of 8-9 months on ryegrass / white clover pasture. The steers were turned out on pasture in late April and herbage intake was estimated in June in steers of a mean live weight (± S.D.) of 264 ± 14 kg and 185 ± 25 kg for Danish Friesian and Danish Jersey respectively. Faeces and herbage samples were analysed for alkanes to estimate herbage dry matter intake, dry matter digestibility (DMD) and botanical composition of intake. The weight gains at the time of herbage intake estimation in June (kg/day) were 1.142 ± 265 kg/day and 0.927 ± 168 kg/day for Danish Friesian and Danish Jersey respectively. Daily herbage intake (kg dry matter (DM)) estimated by alkanes C32 /C33 was 8.33 ± 0.97 and 6.28 ± 0.61 per day (P<0.001) and 3.15 ± 0.32 and 3.43 ± 0.30 per 100 kg liveweight (LW) (P<0.05) for Danish Friesian and Danish Jersey respectively. The botanical composition of the diet was the same for Danish Friesian and Danish Jersey with about half of the diet being grass leaves and the other half clover leaves. It is concluded that Danish Jersey steers have higher herbage intake per 100 kg LW than Danish Friesian steers of the same age, but herbage intake per kg metabolic LW is not different between the two breeds

Spolorm er en udfordring for økosvin

Parasitter, især spolorm, er et problem i den økologiske slagtesvineproduktion, men forskningsprojektet PAROL (Organic RDD) har vist, at det kan lade sig gøre at reducere smitten betydeligt. Projektet har kortlagt smitten parasitterne knudeorm, piskeorm og spoleorm i fem danske økologiske svinebesætninger. Det var primært søerne, som havde knudeorm. Piskeorm var ikke særligt udbredte, mens 64 pct. af slagtesvinene var inficeret med den op til 30 cm lange spoleorm. Hver hunorm lægger op mod 2 millioner æg pr. dag, og et mindre antal æg kan overleve i mindst 13 år i jorden og stadig smitte grise. Moderate smitteniveauer er ikke et problem, men ved høje niveauer bør der sættes ind - ellers kan smittepresset blive for voldsomt

PAROL

Parasitter i økologiske produktionsdyr: Innovative løsninger til nye udfordringe

Development and Daily Management of an Explicit Strategy of Nonuse of Antimicrobial Drugs in Twelve Danish Organic Dairy Herds

Promotion of animal health and well-being at the individual animal and herd level is an important goal in organic farming. At the same time, chemical products affecting the natural balance among living organisms are prohibited in all areas of the organic farm. From an animal welfare point of view, however, no animal must suffer. Therefore, veterinary drugs are allowed under the European Union’s regulations for organic farming, despite the fact that they are powerful cell toxins affecting both pathogenic and necessary bacteria, and as such in organic terminology, are regarded as “chemical” or “artificial” products. In this article, we present and discuss interviews with 12 Danish organic dairy producers who claim that minimized use or nonuse of antimicrobial drugs is an explicit goal. The dairy producers were at different levels with regard to reduced antimicrobial treatment. An explicit strategy of no antimicrobial treatments is based primarily on a long-term effort to improve herd health, and secondarily, on finding alternative treatments for diseased animals. Improved hygiene, outdoor access, use of nursing cows, and blinding of chronic mastitis quarters were the main techniques in developing a strategy of not using antimicrobial treatments in the herd by dairy producers. Producers’ perception of disease changed from something unavoidable to a disturbing break in the daily rhythm that often could have been avoided. Change toward a nonantimicrobial strategy was gradual and stepwise. All dairy producers in this study desired to preserve the possibility of using antimicrobial drugs in emergencies

Influence of chicory roots /Cichorium intybus L) on boar taint in entire male pigs and female pigs

It is known that pure inulin a fructooligosaccharide extracted from chicory roots can: – reduce boar taint (skatole in backfat and blood) – reduce parasite infection levels when added to specially composed experimental diets • However, the entire chicory roots may, in comparison to inulin: – reduce boar taint more effectively – improve the taste of cooked meat from both male and female pigs – be more effective against parasites when added to normal diet types – contain secondary metabolites that add to the effect of the inulin – be a cheaper solutio

The effect of a diet with fructan-rich chicory roots on intestinal helminths and microbiota with special focus on Bifidobacteria and Campylobacter in piglets around weaning

The restrictions on the use of antibiotic and anthelmintic treatments in organic pig farming necessitate alternative non-medical control strategies. Therefore, the antibiotic and parasite-reducing effect of a fructan-rich (prebiotic) diet of dried chicory was investigated in free-ranging piglets. Approximately half of 67 piglets from 9 litters were experimentally infected with Ascaris suum and Trichuris suis in the suckling period (1 to 7 weeks of age) and 58 of the piglets were challenged daily with E. coli O138:F8 for 9 days after weaning to induce weaning diarrhoea. The litters were fed either chicory (30% DM) or a control diet. The effect of chicory on intestinal helminths, intestinal microbiota, especially Bifidobacteria and Campylobacter spp., and E. coli post-weaning diarrhoea was assessed. The weight gain of the piglets was not impaired significantly by chicory. The intestinal A. suum worm burden was reduced by 64% (P=0.034) in the chicory-fed piglets, whereas these same piglets had 63% more T. suis worms (P=0.016). Feeding with chicory elicited no changes among the main bacterial groups in ileum according to terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis. However, the terminal-restriction fragment (T-RF) 208 bp, which may belong to Lachnospiraceae, was stimulated by the chicory feed (P=0.03), and T-RF 370 bp that matches Enterobacter belonging to the Enterobacteria was reduced (P=0.004). Additionally, chicory increased the level of Bifidobacteria (P=0.001) and the faecal Campylobacter excretion level was transitorily reduced in chicory-fed piglets at 7 weeks of age (P=0.029). Unfortunately, it was not possible to assess the effect of chicory on post-weaning diarrhoea as it did not develop. In conclusion, feeding piglets chicory around the time of weaning caused complex changes of the microbiota and parasite communities within the intestinal tract, and feeding piglets chicory may therefore serve as an animal-friendly strategy to control pathogens

Galloylated proanthocyanidins from shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) meal have potent anthelmintic activity against Ascaris suum

Proanthocyanidins (PA) from shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) meal were investigated by thiolytic degradation with benzyl mercaptan and the reaction products were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. These PA were galloylated (≈40%), contained only B-type linkages and had a high proportion of prodelphinidins (>70%). The mean degree of polymerisation was 8 (i.e. average molecular size was 2384 Da) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) was the major flavan-3-ol subunit in PA. Shea meal also proved to be a potentially valuable source for extracting free flavan-3-ol-O-gallates, especially EGCg (575 mg/kg meal), which is known for its health and anti-parasitic benefits. Proanthocyanidins were isolated and tested for bioactivity against Ascaris suum, which is an important parasite of pigs. Migration and motility tests revealed that these PA have potent activity against this parasitic nematode

Increasing importance of anthelmintic resistance in European livestock: creation and meta-analysis of an open database

Trabajo presentado al: COMBAR meeting (Combatting Anthelmintic Resistance in Ruminants). Atenas (Grecia). Febrero. 2022