Improving welfare for dairy cows and calves at separation.

The results indicate that both the intensity and extent of the behavioural reaction to separation is alleviated when cow and calf are separated with physical contact. In dairy herds practicing suckling systems, fence-line separation may increase cow and calf welfare compared to separation into pens allowing merely auditory contact

Effekt av forskjellige separasjonsmetoder på atferden til melkekyr og kalver - foreløpige resultater.

Det er foreløpig undersøkt 4 par i hver gruppe. FK førte til signifikant mindre rauting blant kalvene, (p = 0,001) og videre til at kalver lå signifikant mer i dagene etter separasjonen (p = 0,006) sammenlignet med HK. Generelt ble det observert mindre alert adferd ved denne separasjonsmetoden hos kalvene (p < 0,0001). FK-kalver viste også sjeldnere adferden urolig/vandring sammenlignet med HK kalvene (p < 0,0001). Dette samsvarer med funn av andre som har vist at separasjon med fortsatt mulighet til fysisk kontakt minsker kalvenes rauting og vandring (Haley, 2006; Price et al., 2003; Stookey et al., 1997). Rauting og bevegelse kan gjenspeile motivasjon til gjenforening, noe som ved FK fortsatt var mulig. For kalven kan FK separasjon uten avvenning ligne den første delen av avvenningen slik den foregår i naturen: kalven får ikke die, men har fortsatt mulighet til fysisk kontakt med mor (Haley, 2006). Det var ingen effekt på antall ganger kuene rautet mellom FK og HK Rauting med lukket munn ble hyppigere observert ved FK. Resultatene er gjengitt i tabell . FK-kuer sto mer og hvilte enn HK-kuer (p = 0,017,), og viste mer ”avslappet ” adferd (sove/hvile liggende og stående samt drøvtygging liggende/stående) (p < 0,0001)

Melkefôring av kalv: utredning basert på tilgjengelig litteratur og praktiske erfaringer

Det har vært gitt noe ulike anbefalinger i melkefôringsperioden til kalv fra forskjellige rådgivingsaktører. Spesielt har det vært gitt ulike anbefalinger for melkefôringa. Vi etablerte derfor en arbeidsgruppe med representanter fra Institutt for husdyrfag og akvakulturvitenskap/UMB, Høgskolen i Nord-Trøndelag, Tine og Nortura for å lage en utredning om temaet. Målet med utredningen var å danne et omforent grunnlag for rådgiving om kalvefôring. Innholdet i utredningen er basert på relevant litteratur og praktiske erfaringer innen kalveoppdrett.In order to achieve a base knowledge about feeding of calves we established a work group of experienced people representing The Institute of Animal sciences and aquaculture (UMB), Nord-Trøndelag University College, Tine and Nortura. This report is based on relevant literature and practical experiences from calf raising.Tilskudd fra “Virkemidler for regional FoU og innovasjon i Trøndelag

Melkefôring av kalv: utredning basert på tilgjengelig litteratur og praktiske erfaringer

Det har vært gitt noe ulike anbefalinger i melkefôringsperioden til kalv fra forskjellige rådgivingsaktører. Spesielt har det vært gitt ulike anbefalinger for melkefôringa. Vi etablerte derfor en arbeidsgruppe med representanter fra Institutt for husdyrfag og akvakulturvitenskap/UMB, Høgskolen i Nord-Trøndelag, Tine og Nortura for å lage en utredning om temaet. Målet med utredningen var å danne et omforent grunnlag for rådgiving om kalvefôring. Innholdet i utredningen er basert på relevant litteratur og praktiske erfaringer innen kalveoppdrett.In order to achieve a base knowledge about feeding of calves we established a work group of experienced people representing The Institute of Animal sciences and aquaculture (UMB), Nord-Trøndelag University College, Tine and Nortura. This report is based on relevant literature and practical experiences from calf raising.Tilskudd fra “Virkemidler for regional FoU og innovasjon i Trøndelag

A descriptive study of acute outbreaks of respiratory disease in Norwegian fattening pig herds

Background Respiratory diseases are major health concerns in the pig production sector worldwide, contributing adversely to morbidity and mortality. Over the past years there was a rise in reported incidents of respiratory disease in pigs in Norway, despite population wide freedom from Aujeszky´s disease, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, porcine respiratory corona virus and enzootic pneumonia. The main objective of this study was to investigate acute outbreaks of respiratory disease in conventional Norwegian fattening pig herds. The study included 14 herds. In seven herds with reported outbreaks of acute respiratory disease, data on clinical signs was recorded and samples for laboratory examination were collected. Diagnostic protocols were compared by parallel analysis of clinically healthy pigs from seven non-outbreak herds. Results The most commonly reported clinical signs were sudden deaths and dyspnea. An average compartment morbidity of 60%, mortality of 4% and case fatality of 9% was recorded in the outbreak herds. Post-mortem examinations revealed acute lesions resembling porcine pleuropneumonia in all 28 pigs investigated from the outbreak herds and in 2 of the 24 (8%) pigs from the non-outbreak herds. Chronic lesions were recorded in another 2 pigs (8%) from the non-outbreak herds. Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serovar 8 was isolated from lungs and/or pleura from all tested pigs (n = 28) in the outbreak herds, and from 2 out of 24 pigs (8%) in the non-outbreak herds, one pig with an acute and another pig with a chronic infection. No other significant bacterial findings were made. Seroconversion to A. pleuropneumoniae antibodies was detectable in all outbreak herds analyzed and in six out of seven non-outbreak herds, but the risk ratio for seroconversion of individual pigs was higher (risk ratio 2.3 [1.50- 3.43 95% CI; P < 0.001]) in the outbreak herds. All herds tested positive for porcine circovirus type 2 and negative for influenza A viruses on oral fluid RT-qPCR. Conclusion The main etiological pathogen found during acute outbreaks of respiratory disease was A. pleuropneumoniae serovar 8. All pigs from outbreak herds had typical lesions of acute porcine pleuropneumonia, and only A. pleuropneumoniae serovar 8 was identified. Co-infections were not found to impact disease development.publishedVersio

Successful eradication of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae from the Norwegian pig population – 10 years later

publishedVersio

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae Eradication with Enrofloxacin May Lead to Dissemination and Long-Term Persistence of Quinolone Resistant Escherichia coli in Pig Herds

Norway has a favourable situation with regard to health status and antimicrobial usage in the pig production sector. However, one of the major disease-causing agents in the commercial pig population is Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP). In some herds, APP eradication has been performed by using enrofloxacin in combination with a partial herd depopulation. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term effects of a single treatment event with enrofloxacin on the occurrence of quinolone resistant Escherichia coli (QREC). The study was designed as a retrospective case/control study, where the herds were selected based on treatment history. Faecal samples were taken from sows, gilts, fattening pigs and weaners for all herds where available. A semi-quantitative culturing method was used to identify the relative quantity of QREC in the faecal samples. A significant difference in overall occurrence and relative quantity of QREC was identified between the case and control herds, as well as between each animal age group within the case/control groups. The results indicate that a single treatment event with enrofloxacin significantly increased the occurrence of QREC in the herd, even years after treatment and with no subsequent exposure to quinolones

A cross-sectional study of suckling calves' passive immunity and associations with management routines to ensure colostrum intake on organic dairy farms

Abstract Background: For suckling dairy calves, different management routines to ensure sufficient colostrum intake are applied: visual assessment, hand feeding supplemental colostrum or assistance. However, knowledge on the efficacy of these methods to prevent failure of passive transfer [FPT: serum immunoglobulin (IgG) 50 g/L. Colostrum IgG was significantly higher in samples collected during spring, compared to samples collected during winter, and lower in 2nd parity cows. Conclusions: The results indicate that for calves capable of finding the udder and suckling independently, there is no direct benefit of routinely hand feeding colostrum although herd level factors (e.g. feeding, management etc.) may play an important role. FPT prevalence in this study was high, and comparable to that of calves in conventional herds, separating cow and calf at birth. Still, the findings of a high FPT prevalence and inferior colostrum quality indicates a need for improved awareness among dairy producers practicing cow-calf suckling

A descriptive study of acute outbreaks of respiratory disease in Norwegian fattening pig herds

Background Respiratory diseases are major health concerns in the pig production sector worldwide, contributing adversely to morbidity and mortality. Over the past years there was a rise in reported incidents of respiratory disease in pigs in Norway, despite population wide freedom from Aujeszky´s disease, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, porcine respiratory corona virus and enzootic pneumonia. The main objective of this study was to investigate acute outbreaks of respiratory disease in conventional Norwegian fattening pig herds. The study included 14 herds. In seven herds with reported outbreaks of acute respiratory disease, data on clinical signs was recorded and samples for laboratory examination were collected. Diagnostic protocols were compared by parallel analysis of clinically healthy pigs from seven non-outbreak herds. Results The most commonly reported clinical signs were sudden deaths and dyspnea. An average compartment morbidity of 60%, mortality of 4% and case fatality of 9% was recorded in the outbreak herds. Post-mortem examinations revealed acute lesions resembling porcine pleuropneumonia in all 28 pigs investigated from the outbreak herds and in 2 of the 24 (8%) pigs from the non-outbreak herds. Chronic lesions were recorded in another 2 pigs (8%) from the non-outbreak herds. Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serovar 8 was isolated from lungs and/or pleura from all tested pigs (n = 28) in the outbreak herds, and from 2 out of 24 pigs (8%) in the non-outbreak herds, one pig with an acute and another pig with a chronic infection. No other significant bacterial findings were made. Seroconversion to A. pleuropneumoniae antibodies was detectable in all outbreak herds analyzed and in six out of seven non-outbreak herds, but the risk ratio for seroconversion of individual pigs was higher (risk ratio 2.3 [1.50- 3.43 95% CI; P < 0.001]) in the outbreak herds. All herds tested positive for porcine circovirus type 2 and negative for influenza A viruses on oral fluid RT-qPCR. Conclusion The main etiological pathogen found during acute outbreaks of respiratory disease was A. pleuropneumoniae serovar 8. All pigs from outbreak herds had typical lesions of acute porcine pleuropneumonia, and only A. pleuropneumoniae serovar 8 was identified. Co-infections were not found to impact disease development