MONITORING UDDER HEALTH AND MILK HYGIENE ON-FARM USING QUICK SCREENING METHODS

In this paper the use of on-farm screening methods for monitoring udder health and milk quality are discussed. Special attention was given to evaluation of usefulness of California mastitis test (CMT) as quick field screening test for detection of udder quarters with an intra-mammary infections caused by major mastitis pathogens. Application of CMT in dairy herd health management in period of early lactation is illustrated through the two years cross sectional study that was carried out to screening the quarter milk samples with abnormal milk secretion (AMS) and using of microbiological culture for detection of intramammary infections (IMI). The quarter milk samples were obtained in two periods of early lactation: the period from calving until 21st day in lactation and period from 22nd to 42nd day in lactation. The quarter level prevalence of AMS and IMI in the first 21 days in lactation was 5.33% and 4.03%, and up to the 42 days in lactation the prevalence of AMS and IMI was 5.45% and 4.38%, respectively. The prevalence of AMS and IMI from udder quarters that show positive reaction on CMT in the first 21 days in lactation was 56.96 and 55.42; and 55.42 and 44.58 in the period from 22nd to 42nd day in lactation, respectively. The results indicated that positive CMT reaction in early lactation may be good indicator for IMI; there was a significant association between the frequency of isolation of major pathogens and the CMT score in milk samples obtained in the period of early lactation (Pearson’s χ2=240.031, df=9, P<0.001)

EFFICIENCY OF INSTALLED COOLING SYSTEMS IN DAIRY BARNS DURING HOT SEASON

Hot season of the year has profound effects on the production, health, profitability, and welfare of dairy cows. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of cooling systems in controlling the microclimate condition inside the two dairy barns. There was set out to compare the ambient conditions inside the barn with environmental weather data obtained from local meteorological station. The experiment was carried out at the height of summer (from 15th of June to 31st of August) in two familiar dairy farms. Within the barns air temperature, relative humidity and their ratio expressed as temperature humidity index (THI) were measured hourly during the trial period using data loggers. The Pearson’s coefficient of correlation demonstrates that climate condition inside the barns and the official local meteorological station significantly correlate. The airtemperature and THI were significantly higher in the Farm 1 (1.53±0.2390C higher, t=6.420; p<0.001, and 2.05±0.344 units higher, t=5.973; p<0.001, respectively) and in the Farm 2 (1.65±0.2520C higher, t=6.549; p<0.001, and 2.12±0.357 units higher, t=5.927; p<0.001, respectively) compare with the environmental weather data. The method of GLM, multivariate procedure, showed that there was statistical significant differences in the minimal values for daily microclimate parameters inside the barns before and after installation of cooling equipment. However, the interaction between the farm and cooling system, months and days of hot summer season showed statistical significant influence on the microclimate conditions inside the cow barns with exception for the maximal values for air temperature and THI. In conclusion, due to farm specific and unpredictable variability in climate conditions inside the cow barns and their correlation with environmental weather data, the installed cooling systems could provide better climate zone in the barns for increased milk production butcouldn’t completely satisfy capacity of cooling during the day time with highest air temperature

Udder quarter risk factors associated with prevalence of bovine clinical mastitis

A cross sectional study was carried out to estimate prevalence of clinical mastitis on udder quarters level and to determinate the quarter risk factors associated with the development of clinical mastitis during lactation. The individual risk factors included assessments of parity, season of year when case of clinical mastitis was occurred, conformation characteristics of udder quarters and teats and distance from front and rear teat end to the fl oor. Cows with clinical mastitis were detected by clinical examination of the udder quarters and determination of abnormalities in milk. The quarter level prevalence of clinical mastitis was 15.06% per lactation, out of which 3.32% were front left, 3.10% front right, 4.28% rear left and 4.28% were rear right quarters. The prevalence of udder quarters affected with clinical mastitis tended to increased with increasing the parity, from cows in fi rst to the third parity, and then begins to decline slightly. The rear quarters frequently manifested form of clinical mastitis (49.39%) in relation to the front one (33.04%), and in 17.55% of the cases there were affected e ither, front and rear quarters. In the most cases of clinical mastit there was affected only one quarter of the mammary gland (74.35%), two quarters in 20.13%, three quarters to 3.61% and four quarters were affected in 1.89% of the cases of clinical mastitis. The method of General Linear Model, unvaried procedure, revealed that prevalence of clinical mastitis on quarter level significantly (p<0.01) differed with the season of year when case of clinical mastitis was occured and scoring categories for position of rear udder quarters

Inter-observer reliability for Quality Behavioural Assessment in growing pigs

More recently, growing consumer demand both for quality food products and more ethical food production has meant that farm animal welfare is emerging as an area of potential added value for producers, retailers and other food chain actors. Under the influence of economics and increased yield per animal, pig welfare and behaviour were neglected. Pig farming became more intensive and controlled which resulted in rearing animals under confinement. All these demands dramatically increase the efforts to develop methods for assessing animal welfare and behaviour at farm level. As result, Welfare Quality® (WQ) protocols were developed by the researchers, culminating in the protocols developed by the European Welfare Quality program (Welfare Quality®, 2009). For pigs, protocols exist for growing pigs and for sows in all production stages, including suckling piglets. One method which may be suitable as a screening tool for identifying farms with compromised welfare before applying the full WQ protocol is Qualitative Behavior Assessment (QBA) which relies on a human observer’s ability to integrate perceived details of an animal’s demeanor and its context, using ‘whole animal’ descriptors such as active, fearful, calm, playful, content, indifferent or happy, etc. Based on these premises, many authors (Boissy et al., 2007; Wemelsfelder and Millard, 2009) have argued that QBA could potentially function as an integrative welfare assessment tool, complementing existing tools that focus on specific aspects of behavior and welfare. The main objective of this research was the inter-observer reliability for practical assessment of QBA protocol

Economics of milk yield losses in one dairy farm in Macedonia associated with clinical mastitis

Mastitis remains one of the major disease in dairy herds, causing profound economic losses to the entire milk production chain due to changes in the milk quality and milk yield. A one year cross-sectional longitudinal survey was carried out to evaluate milk yield losses associated with occurrence of clinical mastitis cases in one dairy herd. Cows that had clinical mastitis and clinically healthy cows during lactation were included in the study. The traits analyzed were the average of the monthly test day milk yields, cow parities and days in lactation while first case of clinical mastitis was occurred. For these purpose there were recorded data for monthly test day milk yield of the cows at the 2nd, the 3rd and the 4th monthly test day (TD). TDs were chosen according to the average number of days in lactation to diagnose the first case of clinical mastitis. According these criteria, the 2nd and the 3rd TD were made before the diagnosis of the first lactation case of clinical mastitis, while the 4th TD was made after the diagnosis. Monthly test day milk yields were treated as repeated measurement within an animal in General Linear Model (GLM). Statistical model included fixed effect of cow parity and covariance of days in lactation when the first case of clinical mastitis was occurred. Estimated lactation incidence risk (LIR) for CM in observed population of dairy cows was 21.49%. Regardless parities, the first case of clinical mastitis in dairy herd occurred on the average 108.09±83.182 days in lactation. The LIR tended to significantly increased (p\u3c0.001) with increasing the cow parity, as risk factor for occurrence of clinical mastitis. Before contracting the disease, cows with clinical mastitis yielded more milk than did healthy cows. Mastitis clearly affected the milk yield and the difference between the milk yield of the healthy cows and the cows after clinical mastitis was statistically significant. There was a significant decrease in the milk yield before and after the diagnosis of clinical mastitis case (p\u3c0.001). The estimated daily milk yield losses per cow suffered from case of clinical mastitis, between the 3rd TD and the 4th TD, range from 0.9 kg to 26.0 kg, or average 9.6 kg/day. According this, the monthly milk yield losses per mastitic cow, between the 3rd TD and the 4th TD, were 288 kg. If we take in consideration the price of one kg milk of 0.32 euro, than the total daily economic losses per mastitic cow will be around 3 euro’s and monthly losses per cow will be around 92 euro. Regardless of the time of occurrence during the lactation, mastitis had a long-lasting effect on milk yield; cows with clinical mastitis did not reach their premastitis milk yields during the remainder of the lactation after onset of the disease. The daily milk yield must be taken in consideration for more rapid economic analysis of milk losses associated with occurrence of clinical mastitis in dairy herds

THE INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT CONCENTRATIONS OF PLANT ESSENTIAL OILS ON GROWTH AND REPRODUCTION OF Salmonella enteritidis

Plant essential oils have been reported to possess antimicrobial properties and therefore have potential usage as natural antimicrobials of food. The aim of the study was to examined the antimicrobial effect of sweet basil and thyme essential oils against growth and reproduction of Salmonella enteritidis reference strain ATCC 13076 (S. enteritidis RS) and Salmonella enteritidis epidemical strain (S. enteritidis ES) cultivated on plate. Therefore, the samples were prepared as a dip application from different concentrations of sweet basil and thyme essential oils (1; 2.5 and 5%) with initial concentration of bacteria from 109 CFU/mL and were cultivated on plate. The control samples were prepared as dip application of bacteria without added essential oils. All samples were exposed at 37°C and 46°C. The growth of S. enteritidis RS and S. enteritidis ES was observed only in the control samples without added sweet basil and thyme essential oils. There wasn’t any growth of both Salmonella еnteritidis strains in the samples dipped in the 1; 2.5 and 5% sweet basil and thyme essential oils. The results from the ANOVA indicate that the utilized essential oils in combination with temperature regime was significantly (p &lt;0.001) reduced the CFU number of the both strains of Salmonella enteritidis. These results support the possibility of using sweet basil and thyme essential oil as natural preservatives in food to contribute in the reduction of Salmonella enteritidis at acceptable levels in view to prevent the risk for consumers

Rizični čimbenici vimena važni za pojavu kliničkog mastitisa u mliječnih krava.

A cross-sectional longitudinal survey was carried out between February 2009 and January 2010 to evaluate udder-related risk factors for clinical mastitis occurring in dairy herds. Data were used from three dairy farms. Research was divided into four calendar seasons. Cows with clinical mastitis were detected by clinical examination of the udder and determination of abnormalities in milk. Udder level variables, conformation characteristics of udder and teats and teat end to floor distances were included in the logistic regression analysis. The estimated incidence risk for CM in the population of dairy cows observed was 85.02 cases per 100 cowyears at risk. The relative risk of CM was lower for primiparous cows, and increased with further parity. The median number of days in milk at diagnosis was 108 days, ranging from a median of 55 to 150 days in lactation. The rear udder quarters had a higher risk of CM incidence compared to the front udder quarters. A Chi square test revealed that farm management and cow parity were significantly connected with incidence of clinical mastitis. Spring was the season with the highest percentage of diagnosed cases of CM, with the exception of farm A, where Fall was the season with the highest percentage of cases. All udder level factors entered in the models were significantly linked with the occurrence of CM. The odds ratio of CM increased significantly as udder morphology worsened, teat ends were flat and the distance from teat ends to floor decreased. It was concluded that conformation udder traits could be used for the genetic selection of dairy cows for mastitis resistance.Između veljače 2009. i siječnja 2010. provedeno je presječno longitudinalno istraživanje s ciljem procjene vimena kao rizičnog čimbenika kod pojave kliničkog mastitisa u stadima mliječnih krava. Korišteni su podatci s tri farme, a istraživanje je podijeljeno u četiri kalendarske sezone. Krave s kliničkim mastitisom otkrivane su uz pomoć kliničkog pregleda vimena i utvrđivanjem abnormalnosti u mlijeku. Vime, konformacija vimena i sisa, te udaljenost od vrha sisa do poda uključeni su kao varijable u analizu logističkom regresijom. Procijenjeni rizik incidencije za klinički mastitis u promatranoj populaciji mliječnih krava bio je 85,02 slučaja na 100 krava s rizikom. Relativni rizik za klinički mastitis bio je niži kod prvotelki i povišen kod višetelki. Medijan za vrijeme postavljene dijagnoze iznosio je 108 dana, uz granične vrijednosti od 55 do 150 dana laktacije. Stražnje četvrti vimena imale su veći rizik incidencije za klinički mastitis u usporedbi s prednjim četvrtima. Hi-kvadrat testom utvrđeno je da management farme i redni broj telenja krave pokazaju signifikantnu povezanost s incidencijom kliničkog mastitisa. Proljeće je bila sezona s najvišim postotkom dijagnosticiranih slučajeva kliničkog mastitisa, uz izuzetak farme A na kojoj je to bila jesen. Svi čimbenici koji se odnose na vime uključeni u model bili su signifikantno povezani s pojavom kliničkog mastitisa. Omjer izgleda za klinički mastitis signifikantno je porastao s pogoršanjem morfologije vimena, vrhovi sisa bili su pločasti, a udaljenost od vrha sisa do poda je opadala. Zaključeno je da obilježja konformacije vimena mogu biti korištena u genetskoj selekciji mliječnih krava s ciljem veće otpornosti na mastitis

Economics of milk yield losses in one dairy farm in Macedonia associated with clinical mastitis

Mastitis remains one of the major disease in dairy herds, causing profound economic losses to the entire milk production chain due to changes in the milk quality and milk yield. A one year crosssectional longitudinal survey was carried out to evaluate milk yield losses associated with occurrence of clinical mastitis cases in one dairy herd. Cows that had clinical mastitis and clinically healthy cows during lactation were included in the study. The traits analyzed were the average of the monthly test day milk yields, cow parities and days in lactation while first case of clinical mastitis was occurred. For these purpose there were recorded data for monthly test day milk yield of the cows at the 2nd, the 3rd and the 4th monthly test day (TD). TDs were chosen according to the average number of days in lactation to diagnose the first case of clinical mastitis. According these criteria, the 2nd and the 3rd TD were made before the diagnosis of the first lactation case of clinical mastitis, while the 4th TD was made after the diagnosis. Monthly test day milk yields were treated as repeated measurement within an animal in General Linear Model (GLM). Statistical model included fixed effect of cow parity and covariance of days in lactation when the first case of clinical mastitis was occurred. Estimated lactation incidence risk (LIR) for CM in observed population of dairy cows was 21.49%. Regardless parities, the first case of clinical mastitis in dairy herd occurred on the average 108.09±83.182 days in lactation. The LIR tended to significantly increased (p\u3c0.001) with increasing the cow parity, as risk factor for occurrence of clinical mastitis. Before contracting the disease, cows with clinical mastitis yielded more milk than did healthy cows. Mastitis clearly affected the milk yield and the difference between the milk yield of the healthy cows and the cows after clinical mastitis was statistically significant. There was a significant decrease in the milk yield before and after the diagnosis of clinical mastitis case (p\u3c0.001). The estimated daily milk yield losses per cow suffered from case of clinical mastitis, between the 3rd TD and the 4th TD, range from 0.9 kg to 26.0 kg, or average 9.6 kg/day. According this, the monthly milk yield losses per mastitic cow, between the 3rd TD and the 4th TD, were 288 kg. If we take in consideration the price of one kg milk of 0.32 euro, than the total daily economic losses per mastitic cow will be around 3 euro’s and monthly losses per cow will be around 92 euro. Regardless of the time of occurrence during the lactation, mastitis had a long-lasting effect on milk yield; cows with clinical mastitis did not reach their premastitis milk yields during the remainder of the lactation after onset of the disease. The daily milk yield must be taken in consideration for more rapid economic analysis of milk losses associated with occurrence of clinical mastitis in dairy herds

ANALYSIS OF ANNUAL HEALTH RECORDS IN ONE DAIRY FARM

Modern technologies of dairy cows breeding is followed by a number of health problems. Perhaps no one single factor has the ability to affect the performance of animal populations as severely as diseases. The objective of this study was to obtain information about dairy cow’s health challenges for intensive dairy farm and about the guidelines which should be improved. A one year retrospective study was performed for prevalence determination of the most common health disorders in one dairy farm. The survey included a total of 203 black-white dairy cows in lactation. Cows with health disorders were detected by clinical observation. The data for each cow were obtained from the reproductive board. The annual prevalence of health disorders was 50.25%. The most prevalent health disorder in dairy herd was mastitis (84.31%), than following arthritis (5.88),laminitis (2.94%), abscess (2.94%), indigestion (1.96%), pneumonia (0.98%) and diarrhea (0.98%). The highest prevalence was registered in winter season (88.89%) and the lowest in summer season of the year (38.16%). The older cows had the highest risk to suffer from such health disorder. During the survey, only cows that suffer from mastitis manifested repeated cases of disease during lactation. Regardless parities, the first case of health disorder in dairy herd occurred on the average 96.64±8.532 days in lactation. The average period needed for treatment of diseased cows was 3.69±0.121 days. The method of GLM, univariate procedure, was used to analyze risk factors which are responsible for occurring of health disorders in dairy farm. Among the risk factors that were found to affect the health of dairy cows, season of year had have significant influence at level p&lt;0.001, while total milk yield estimated for 305 days in lactation influenced at level p&lt;0.01

Evaluation of hygiene practices in meat processing plants

Evaluation of meat hygiene practices in meat processing plants was conducted monitoring and evaluation of efficient implementation of hygiene principles. The research activities were lasting for three years. Application of hygiene principles for processing rooms, equipment and meat surfaces were done according working dynamic and hygiene program for implementation of hygiene practices during meat processing. Monitoring of hygiene and sanitary measures implementation was done with swabbing and plate count. The result indicated that from 1661 control swab samples taking during research period, only 61 (3.67%) were positive. Hygiene assessment of equipment indicated 4.03% positive swab samples, and 4.23% positive swab samples were detected when the hygiene of working surfaces and workers was assessed. The lowest number of positive swab samples was registered when the hygiene of processing tools and utensils was assessed. At all levels of meat processing, the highest hygiene parameters were registered in the secound year of study. In coclusion, according the assessed hygiene evaluation, the hygiene principles are implemented in all level of meat processing in agreement with national legislation laing down meat hygiene