Präventive Tiergesundheitskonzepte in der ökologischen Milchviehhaltung

Ziel war es, mittels einer Fragebogenerhebung (n=1000), Untersuchungen in Praxisbetrieben (n=50) sowie einer Expertenbefragung den Status quo der Tiergesundheitssituation in der ökologischen Milchviehhaltung zu erfassen, mögliche Beziehungen zu Haltungsbedingungen und vorbeugenden Maßnahmen zu untersuchen sowie Entwicklungsperspektiven für Tiergesundheitskonzepte aufzuzeigen. In den repräsentativ ausgewählten Untersuchungsbetrieben betrug die durchschnittliche Behandlungsinzidenz für Mastitis 33 % (0-101 %). Bei der Einzelbetrachtung von vorbeugenden Maßnahmen (Zitzendesinfektion etc.) konnte in der überwiegenden Zahl der Fälle kein positiver Effekt auf die Mastitisinzidenz festgestellt werden; das Vorhandensein einer Anrüstautomatik zeigte dabei die deutlichsten Effekte. Diese Ergebnisse sind jedoch mit Vorbehalt zu betrachten, da aufgrund der geringen Stichprobengröße keine multivariate Analyse erfolgen konnte. Die mittlere Lahmheitsprävalenz betrug 18% (2–53 %). In Boxenlaufställen gehaltene Herden wiesen signifikant höhere Prävalenzen (20 %, 4-53 %) auf als Herden in Laufställen mit freier eingestreuter Liegefläche (10 %, 2-19 %; p<0.01, Mann-Whitney-U). Zudem bestanden Zusammenhänge mit Mängeln in der Haltungsumwelt wie unzureichende Verformbarkeit des Liegeuntergrunds. Die Häufigkeit von Stoffwechselstörungen zeigte ein hohes Maß an Variabilität zwischen Betrieben. Die Gebärpareseinzidenz bewegte sich zwischen 0 und 25 % (MW 5,9 %), während klinische Ketosen (0–12 %), Azidosen (0–11 %) und Labmagenverlagerungen (0–2 %) deutlich seltener auftraten. Die Ergebnisse der vorliegenden Untersuchung zeigen, dass Produktionskrankheiten wie Mastitis, Lahmheiten und Stoffwechselstörungen in der ökologischen Milchviehhaltung eine wichtige Rolle spielen. In der Expertenbefragung wurde besonders der Bedarf nach verstärktem Wissenstransfer in die Praxis herausgestellt

Status quo der Tiergesundheitssituation in der ökologischen Milchviehhaltung – Mastitis, Lahmheiten, Stoffwechselstörungen

It was the aim of the present study to assess the health state in German organic dairy farming with regard to mastitis, lameness and metabolic disorders, to investigate possible relationships with the specific housing conditions and/or the use of preventive measures, and to point out chances for further development. The project consisted of a questionnaire study (1.000 farms) and on-farm investigations in a representative sub-sample of 50 farms. In each farm, herd health records from 2001 and 2002 were copied and subsequently evaluated with regard to mastitis and metabolic disorders. Lameness prevalence was recorded using a 5-point locomotion scoring system during the farm visit. Mastitis incidence ranged between 1 and 101 % (mean 33,4 %). The average lameness prevalence was 17,6 % (2 – 53 %) with herds housed in cubicles showing significantly more lameness (19,7 %, 4 – 53 %) than herds on straw yard systems (10,0 %, 2 – 19 %; p<0.01, Mann-Whitney-U). Housing and management factors such as comfort of the lying place had further significant effects on lameness prevalence. The incidence of metabolic disorders showed a high level of variation. Milk fever incidence ranged between 0 and 25 % (mean 5,9 %). Treatments of clinical ketosis (0 – 12 %), acidosis (0 – 11 %) and displacement of the abomasum (0 – 2 %) were less frequent and seemed to be only of relevance on single farms. The present study demonstrates that production diseases such as mastitis, lameness and metabolic disorders play a considerable role in German organic dairy farming

Why does the locally induced temperature response to land cover change differ across scenarios

Land cover change (LCC) affects temperature locally. The underlying biogeophysical effects are influenced not only by land use (location and extent) but also by natural biogeographic shifts and background climate. We examine the contributions of these three factors to surface temperature changes upon LCC and compare them across Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) scenarios. To this end, we perform global deforestation simulations with an Earth system model to deduce locally induced changes in surface temperature for historical and projected forest cover changes. We find that the dominant factors differ between historical and future scenarios: the local temperature response is historically dominated by the factor land use change, but the two other factors become just as important in scenarios of future land use and climate. An additional factor contributing to differences across scenarios is the dependence on the extent of forests before LCC happens: For most locations, the temperature response is strongest when starting deforestation from low forest cover fractions

Robust identification of local biogeophysical effects of land-cover change in a global climate model

Land-cover change (LCC) happens locally. However, in almost all simulation studies assessing biogeophysical climate effects of LCC, local effects (due to alterations in a model grid box) are mingled with nonlocal effects (due to changes in wide-ranging climate circulation). This study presents a method to robustly identify local effects by changing land surface properties in selected “LCC boxes” (where local plus nonlocal effects are present), while leaving others unchanged (where only nonlocal effects are present). While this study focuses on the climate effects of LCC, the method presented here is applicable to any land surface process that is acting locally but is capable of influencing wide-ranging climate when applied on a larger scale. Concerning LCC, the method is more widely applicable than methods used in earlier studies. The study illustrates the possibility of validating simulated local effects by comparison to observations on a global scale and contrasts the underlying mechanisms of local and nonlocal effects. In the MPI-ESM, the change in background climate induced by extensive deforestation is not strong enough to influence the local effects substantially, at least as long as sea surface temperatures are not affected. Accordingly, the local effects within a grid box are largely independent of the number of LCC boxes in the isolation approach

The new SPIL logo: A face for the future

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Preference for pasture versus freestall housing by dairy cattle when stall availability indoors is reduced

Providing cattle with access to pasture has been shown to yield benefits, including access to more space, fewer agonistic interactions, better air quality, and the ability to perform a greater range of normal behaviors. Preference for pasture appears to depend on several parameters, including weather conditions and availability of shade. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the preference for pasture versus inside a freestall barn with variable stocking densities at the stalls. We also investigated the effect of temperature-humidity index (THI) and precipitation on this preference. Overall, cows spent on average 13.7 ± 2.6 h/d (mean ± SD) on pasture (ranging from 7.2 to 18.0 h/d across days); at night (between 2000 and 0600 h) cows spent the majority of their time (78.5 ± 27.8%) on pasture. Stall availability had no effect on time spent outside, but time spent on pasture decreased with increasing THI during the day and declined during nights with more rainfall. Stall usage changed depending on stall availability; standing with 2 and 4 feet in the stall and lying time indoors decreased with decreasing stall availability. Indoor lying time also increased with higher THI and more precipitation. In conclusion, cows preferred to be outside at night; they were much more likely to remain indoors during the day, even when overstocked

Welcome to EICS 2015

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Preference for pasture versus freestall housing by dairy cattle when stall availability indoors is reduced

Providing cattle with access to pasture has been shown to yield benefits, including access to more space, fewer agonistic interactions, better air quality, and the ability to perform a greater range of normal behaviors. Preference for pasture appears to depend on several parameters, including weather conditions and availability of shade. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the preference for pasture versus inside a freestall barn with variable stocking densities at the stalls. We also investigated the effect of temperature-humidity index (THI) and precipitation on this preference. Overall, cows spent on average 13.7 ± 2.6 h/d (mean ± SD) on pasture (ranging from 7.2 to 18.0 h/d across days); at night (between 2000 and 0600 h) cows spent the majority of their time (78.5 ± 27.8%) on pasture. Stall availability had no effect on time spent outside, but time spent on pasture decreased with increasing THI during the day and declined during nights with more rainfall. Stall usage changed depending on stall availability; standing with 2 and 4 feet in the stall and lying time indoors decreased with decreasing stall availability. Indoor lying time also increased with higher THI and more precipitation. In conclusion, cows preferred to be outside at night; they were much more likely to remain indoors during the day, even when overstocked