How to improve animal welfare in organic pig production

Grishälsan inom KRAV-certifierad produktion har förändrats det senaste årtiondet och besiktningsstatistik utmärks numera av fler ledanmärkningar, lunginflammationer och leverskador orsakade av parasiter. Detta i kombination med en markant ökad smågrisdödlighet är bekymrande eftersom det strider mot den ökade välfärd som KRAV eftersträvar och konsumenterna efterfrågar. När djurvälfärd diskuteras måste man dock notera att detta är ett brett och svårbedömt begrepp som kan definieras på olika sätt. Idag talas det framför allt om tre synsätt som utgår antingen från djurets känslor, dess hälsa och funktion eller hur naturligt det lever. KRAV-grisar får genom djurhållningen utlopp för fler naturliga beteenden och därmed ökat välbefinnande men när man ska väga detta mot den ökade ohälsan blir det svårt att avgöra vad som är viktigast. Det har dock utvecklats ett antal mätsystem för djurvälfärd som inkluderar flera kriterier. Det finns flera sätt att förbättra hälsan bland de ekologiska grisarna. En genomtänkt produktion med omgångsuppfödning och en strikt betesrotation samt särskilda avelsprogram för eko-grisar är exempel på detta. Det finns dock fortfarande luckor i forskningen och fler studier, framför allt utförda efter svenska förhållanden och förutsättningar behöver göras.Pigs in Swedish pig production certified by KRAV have stood out for their better health for many years but this has changed the last decades. Nowadays slaughter statistics show a remarkable increase in pneumonias among organic pigs and they have a higher frequency of joint diseases and parasitic lesions compared to conventionally reared animals. This, combined with a markedly increased mortality of piglets, is of major concern since health is an important factor when assessing animal welfare which is considered very important for KRAV-certified production as well as for the consumers. When discussing animal welfare one should be aware that it is very hard to asses since it can be defined in several ways. Today there are three major main views where judgment is based either on the feelings of the animal, its health and physiologic function or to which extent it leads a natural life. Pigs certified by KRAV have the opportunity to live lives which fulfil their needs for natural behaviour which increases their welfare, but when trying to compare this advantage with the loss of welfare due to inferior health it gets hard. However, systems for measuring and weighing several factors have been created. There are several ways to improve animal health in organic production. For example the use of a well-planned all-in-all-out production system with strict pasture rotation and a special breeding program could all give good results. However, there is still a need for more research, especially concerning production under Swedish conditions

En undersökning av sambandet mellan djurvälfärd och utsöndring av kryptosporidier hos unga kalvar i två besättningar

Stress påverkar immunförsvaret och den fysiska hälsan samt individens välfärd och dess psykologiska hälsa men verkningsmekanismerna är fortfarande relativt outforskade. Det finns indikationer på att djur med lägre välfärd är mer stressade och därmed känsligare för infektion samt har svårare att göra sig av med infekterande agens än djur med högre välfärd. Målet med denna studie var att undersöka om det finns ett samband mellan välfärdsfaktorer och utsöndring av patogenen Cryptosporidium spp. hos unga kalvar. Utöver detta avsågs att skapa en modell där parametrar från välfärdsbedömning används för att förutse utsöndring vilket i framtiden kunna ge en mer riktad provtagning i besättningar där smitta misstänks. Sextiofem kalvar, mellan en och åtta veckor gamla, från två svenska besättningar undersöktes och bedömdes i studien. Välfärdsbedömningar gjordes i två delar, dels en beteendestudie, där varje box studerades för sig, och dels en individuell bedömning av varje djur. I samband med den individuella bedömningen samlades träckprover in och analyserades. Proverna renades och analyserades med avseende på Cryptosporidium spp. Sambanden mellan välfärdsbedömningen och utsöndringen analyserades genom enkel korrelationstest (Kendall’s tau). Dessutom analyserades data med Partial Least Squares (PLS) i ett försök att skapa en modell för att förutse utsöndring med hjälp av välfärdsfaktorer. Det fanns ett statistiskt signifikant samband mellan flera välfärdsfaktorer och utsöndring av Cryptosporidium spp. Uttryck av beteenden som stångning och huvudskakning samt förekomst av skador och förhårdnader i huden var positivt kopplade till utsöndring. Uttryck av orala stereotypier var negativt korrelerat till utsöndring. Sambanden är dock svåra att tolka på grund av luckor i forskningen inom välfärdsparametrar för kalv och betydelsen av vissa beteenden. Den begränsade mängden data och olika förhållanden på de två gårdarna vad gäller boxarea, antal kalvar i boxen samt förekomst av olika beteenden ökar osäkerheten. Med hjälp av de högst korrelerade välfärdsparameterna skapades en modell i PLS för att förutse utsöndring i framtiden. Varje parameter tilldelades en vikt i ekvationen med vars hjälp 45 % av variansen i utsöndringen från de provtagna kalvarna kunde förklaras. Vikterna i denna modell speglade till stor del resultaten från den enklare analysen. Den tyngsta negativa vikten var mindre rädsla för nya personer vilket skiljde sig åt jämfört med analysen med Kendall’s tau. Dessa resultat visar att det finns tecken på flera samband mellan utsöndring av Cryptosporidium spp. och välfärd hos kalvar men vidare studier av fler kalvar i mer homogena besättningar samt utökad kunskap om välfärdsbedömning av kalv behövs för att undersöka detta vidare.Stress in individuals affects their immune system and physical health as well as their welfare. Although the mechanisms are not fully understood there are indications that animals with lower welfare are more liable to stress and therefore more susceptible to different infections and eliminate pathogens at a slower rate. This results in increased shedding of pathogens during a prolonged period of time. The aim of this study was to investigate if there are correlations between indicators of animal welfare and shedding of a pathogen and if indicators of animal welfare can be used to target sampling in field to individuals at greater risk of shedding pathogens. The pathogen chosen for the study was Cryptosporidium spp., a group of protozoan parasites causing diarrhea in young calves. Sixty-five calves, from one to eight weeks of age, in two Swedish dairy farms were subject to a welfare assessment. The assessment comprised observations of behavior and clinical status. Fecal samples were taken for analysis of Cryptosporidium spp. The samples were cleaned before being analyzed for presence of oocysts by epifluorescence microscopy. Correlations between welfare indicators and shedding were analyzed using Kendall’s tau. Partial Least Squares (PLS) was used to create a model to predict shedding using welfare indicators. Statistically significant associations between several welfare indicators and shedding of Cryptosporidium spp. were found. Expressions of oral stereotypies were negatively correlated to shedding while butting, headshaking, skin lesions and hardened skin were positively associated with shedding. However the associations were difficult to interpret due to confounding factors as differences between the farms. Using the most highly correlated variables from Kendall’s tau test a model to predict shedding using these variables was created by PLS. Each variable was given a coefficient symbolizing their influence in the final model which explained 45 % of the variance in shedding. The coefficients mirrored the results from the correlation study to large part although fear of humans gained a higher negative weight than presence of stereotypies. This study shows that there are correlations between welfare indicators and shedding of Cryptosporidium spp. although the results need confirmation in a larger data set. There is also a need for an increased knowledge of the connections between expression of different behaviours, stress and welfare in calves to fully understand and interpret the results

Temperature, productivity, and heat tolerance: Evidence from Swedish dairy production

This study aims to identify the effects of temperature on dairy production and the heat tolerance of different dairy breeds under heat stress. Using farm and animal-level data from 1435 dairy farms throughout Sweden for 4 years (from 2016 to 2019), we find that a 7-day average of daily maximum temperatures above similar to 20 degrees C is associated with sharp declines in milk production. We then estimate the farm-level loss in contribution margin for a typical Swedish dairy farm for the year 2018, which consisted of long-lasting heatwaves and extended summer temperatures. We also estimate that, on average, there are no differences in the impact of heatwaves on milk losses for different dairy breeds but that there exists a trade-off between genetic milk production potential and heat tolerance of a dairy cow. The magnitude of this productivity-tolerance trade-off may differ across breeds, suggesting that the high-production potential animals of certain breeds may be less sensitive to heat stress. These findings have important implications in terms of adapting to heat stress, investing in mitigation measures, and development of future breeds that can ameliorate the current trade-off between production capacity of a cow and its heat tolerance

Unraveling the complexity to observe associations between welfare indicators and hair cortisol concentration in dairy calves

Using levels of the stress hormone cortisol as an indicator for welfare is a common, but debated practice. In this observational study, hair cortisol concentration (HCC) of samples from 196 dairy calves from 7 to 302 days of age collected from 12 Swedish farms was determined using a commercially available ELISA. An assessment of animal welfare, assessed using animal-based indicators, was performed on the day of sampling. First, methodological factors with the potential to impact HCC and the effect of age were analyzed using generalized additive models. This revealed a significant peak in hair cortisol in young calves (around 50 days of age) and an association between fecal contamination of hair samples and the level of cortisol extracted. Second, associations between welfare indicators and HCC were explored using cluster analysis and regularized regression. The results show a complex pattern, possibly related to different coping styles of the calves, and indicators of poor welfare were associated with both increased and decreased hair cortisol levels. High cortisol levels were associated with potential indicators of competition, while low cortisol levels were associated with the signs of poor health or a poor environment. When running the regularized regression analysis without the contaminated hair samples and with the contaminated samples (including a contamination score), the results did not change, indicating that it may be possible to use a contamination score to correct for contamination

Performance of four equine pain scales and their association to movement asymmetry in horses with induced orthopedic pain

Objective: This study investigated the relationship between orthopedic pain experienced at rest, and degree of movement asymmetry during trot in horses with induced reversible acute arthritis. Orthopedic pain was assessed with the Horse Grimace Scale (HGS), the Equine Utrecht University Scale of Facial Assessment of Pain (EQUUS-FAP), the Equine Pain Scale (EPS), and the Composite Orthopedic Pain Scale (CPS). Reliability and diagnostic accuracy were evaluated with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and area under the curve (AUC).Study design and animals: Eight healthy horses were included in this experimental study, with each horse acting as its own control.Methods: Orthopedic pain was induced by intra-articular lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration. Serial pain assessments were performed before induction and during pain progression and regression, where three observers independently and simultaneously assessed pain at rest with the four scales. Movement asymmetry was measured once before induction and a minimum of four times after induction, using objective gait analysis.Results: On average 6.6 (standard deviation 1.2) objective gait analyses and 12.1 (2.4) pain assessments were performed per horse. The ICC for each scale was 0.75 (CPS), 0.65 (EPS), 0.52 (HGS), and 0.43 (EQUUS-FAP). Total pain scores of all scales were significantly associated with an increase in movement asymmetry (R2 values ranging from −0.0649 to 0.493); with CPS pain scores being most closely associated with movement asymmetry. AUC varied between scales and observers, and CPS was the only scale where all observers had a good diagnostic accuracy (AUC > 0.72).Conclusions and clinical relevance: This study identified significant associations between pain experienced at rest and degree of movement asymmetry for all scales. Pain scores obtained using CPS were most closely associated with movement asymmetry. CPS was also the most accurate and reliable pain scale. All scales had varying linear and non-linear relations between total pain scores and movement asymmetry, illustrating challenges with orthopedic pain assessment during rest in subtly lame horses since movement asymmetry needs to be rather high before total pain score increase

Systematic Review of Phytotherapeutic Treatments for Different Farm Animals Under European Conditions

The emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance is a growing global threat and has aroused a global interest in limiting antibiotic use in animal agriculture. As we are entering the post-antibiotic era, there is a growing need for identifying alternatives to antibiotics for prevention and treatment. Although phytotherapeutic remedies are available and are used in Europe, evidence of their efficacy is currently very limited but is nevertheless still necessary. A systematic review of phytotherapy used for the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases in farm animals has been conducted using the PICOS approach. Analysis and extraction of information from studies was performed according to a protocol, and included: publication year and source, research body, species, farming system, purpose of application, disease in focus, diagnostic method, remedy used (origin and ingredients of the remedy), producer of remedy, way of administration, study design, and control groups, measure of effect, and outcome of the study. A total of 1,705 papers were screened, but only 44 (comprising 53 independent studies) met the inclusion criteria. The majority of the scientific studies identified show limitations in the study design as well as in presentation and standardization of the botanical remedies studied, which limits the possibilities of drawing firm conclusions. Preventive effect was investigated in 89% of the studies. Half of the studies reported uncertain effects of the botanical remedies on subclinical measures in comparison to a control group. The review highlights unresolved questions such as the need for standardized controlled trials and for improved standardization of the botanical products by analytical methods, such as high-performance liquid chromatography. It is necessary to consider this in order to achieve replicable outcomes and establish efficacy and safety of phytotherapy in farm practice. The manageability of alternative medicine in farm animals also warrants further investigation so as to ascertain whether all necessary preconditions for their use are being granted

Occurrence of Campylobacter spp. in Swedish calves, common sequence types and antibiotic resistance patterns

Aims Cattle are the second most important cause of human campylobacteriosis, after poultry, but there are knowledge gaps regarding Campylobacter in cattle. This study examined the occurrence of Campylobacter, the species present, sequence types and antibiotic resistance in Swedish cattle.Methods and Results Faeces samples collected from 154 calves on seven Swedish farms, and 69 follow-up samples from a second collection occasion, were analysed. Campylobacter were isolated from 77% of calves at the first sampling, with Campylobacter jejuni as the most frequently isolated species. Animals kept on deep straw bedding were less likely to be colonized with Campylobacter. Whole-genome sequencing of 90 C. jejuni samples resulted in 11 sequence types, among which ST-19 and ST-21 were most frequent. Antimicrobial resistance analyses showed that 46% of 142 isolates analysed were resistant to quinolones, while all isolates belonging to ST-19, ST-22 and ST-441 were resistant to ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid.Conclusions Campylobacter jejuni was the species most frequently isolated in calves and a strong association was found between sequence type and antimicrobial resistance pattern.Significance and Impact of the Study The high proportion of calves with quinolone-resistant Campylobacter jejuni should be considered in a One Health perspective

Clinical features and treatment response to differentiate idiopathic peritonitis from non-strangulating intestinal infarction of the pelvic flexure associated with Strongylus vulgaris infection in the horse

Background Peritonitis in horses secondary to non-strangulating infarction (NSII) has a guarded prognosis, even after intestinal resection. In contrast, horses with idiopathic peritonitis respond well to medical treatment. Affected horses in both cases often show signs of both colic and systemic inflammation, but early diagnosis is crucial for optimal treatment and an accurate prognosis. One cause of NSII is thrombus formation secondary to Strongylus vulgaris larval migration. There has been a documented increase in S. vulgaris prevalence in Sweden since the implementation of selective anthelmintic treatment in 2007, which subsequently could result in a rise in NSII cases. In a retrospective clinical study, medical records from cases diagnosed with NSII of the pelvic flexure or idiopathic peritonitis from three equine referral hospitals in Sweden during 2017-2020 were reviewed. Information including demographic data, relevant medical history, and clinical- and laboratory parameters were obtained from patient records. To facilitate the differentiation between cases of idiopathic peritonitis and cases with confirmed NSII of the pelvic flexure, the aim of the study was to compare clinical and laboratory parameters, clinical progression and initial response to antimicrobial treatment. A secondary aim was to compare survival-rates. Results Horses with NSII (n = 20) were significantly more likely to present during the winter months with a poorer response to medical treatment within 48 h. Cases of idiopathic peritonitis (n = 107) had a 100% survival rate with medical treatment, although one case required surgical correction of a colon displacement. In comparison, all confirmed NSII cases were non-responsive to antimicrobial treatment, with a survival rate to discharge of 50% after colon resection. Specific rectal findings and peripheral blood neutropenia were strongly associated with NSII. Conclusions In Sweden, idiopathic peritonitis cases still predominate over S. vulgaris associated NSII cases and have an excellent survival rate with antimicrobial treatment. However, horses presenting with septic peritonitis during the winter months with a palpable rectal mass and displaying fever and colic signs beyond 48 h of medical treatment are likely to suffer from NSII of the pelvic flexure and should be considered for abdominal surgery

Risk factors and dynamics of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli O157:H7 on cattle farms: An observational study combining information from questionnaires, spatial data and molecular analyses

The increasing number of human cases infected with a highly virulent type of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) O157:H7 in Sweden is the result of domestic transmission originating in regional clusters of infected cattle farms. To control the spread of the bacteria a comprehensive picture of infection dynamics, routes of transmission between farms and risk factors for persistence is urgently needed. The aim of the study was to investigate different aspects of the epidemiology of VTEC O157:H7 on the Swedish island of Öland by combining information from environmental sampling of VTEC O157:H7 from 80 farms with information from farmer questionnaires, spatial and molecular analyses. The farms were sampled in the spring and fall of 2014 and on four of them additional samples were collected during summer and winter. The results show a high prevalence of VTEC O157:H7 and a high proportion of strains belonging to the virulent clade 8. Farms that became infected between samplings were all located in an area with high cattle density. The most important risk factors identified are generally associated with biosecurity and indicate that visitors travelling between farms may be important for transmission. In addition, whole genome sequencing of a subset of isolates from the four farms where additional sampling was performed revealed ongoing local transmission that cannot be observed with a lower resolution typing method. Our observations also show that VTEC O157:H7 may persist in the farm environment for extended periods of time, suggesting that specific on-farm measures to reduce environmental prevalence and spread between groups of animals may be required in these cases

Priorities and Future Actions for an Effective Use of Phytotherapy in Livestock-Outputs from an Expert Workshop

This study reflects on the recognised need for more joined-up, high-quality research on phytotherapy that addresses the current societal challenges in finding alternatives to the use of antibiotics. The study applied a multidisciplinary participatory approach in an expert workshop exercise within the FP7 EU IMPRO project. Prior to this study, a literature review was elaborated on research in the field of phytotherapy as applied to farm animals, cooperation between research bodies and initiatives to reduce the use of antibiotics by using phytotherapeutic remedies. The review was delivered to the participants of the workshop so as to receive feedback on it and enrich the discussion. Different expertise, background in research or veterinary practice, and varying positions regarding phytotherapy were the criteria in targeting participants. A structured workshop was subsequently organised, with questions to experts addressing scientific validation of phytotherapy, effective treatment under farm conditions and necessary developments for the future. Challenges identified by the experts were as follows: poor study designs, lack of reproducibility of studies, poor standardisation of products, cost-benefit concerns, lack of veterinarian training and poor data availability. To overcome obstacles, the need for improved study designs for clinical trials was given priority in order to prove the efficacy of remedies and to implement a monitoring system which enables the assessment of the effectiveness of treatments in farm practice. Reflections in this report are intended to be a resource for scientists, policy makers and end users for an effective use of phytotherapy at farm level