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In this paper, some indicators covering milk production, weight gain and feeding efficiency are studied, such as the duration of lactation, total amount of milk, daily amount of milk, percentage of fat, protein, lactose in milk, for a representative sample taken from S.C.D.A Simnic. In the first part, a descriptive statistical analysis is made of the indicators in the zootechnical field presented, followed by econometric methods regarding confidence intervals for the average of the entire population, at a threshold of 5%. Also, the correlation matrix between the indicators is analyzed and three validated linear regression models are presented with the interpretation of the results. These results help to optimize management in the zootechnical field by making decisions based on quantitative analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proper management of livestock invariably includes sustainable methods of reusing their manure. Considering the global scenario of animal manure handling and the need for sustained agricultural production, there is clear lack of a focused approach in achieving the environmental and economical resilience in small-scale farms. Present study reviews the possibility of employing co-composting as a suitable technology for safe and effective handling of animal manure along with other wasted materials of organic nature. The review identifies the scope of effective co-composting using different mixtures of manure, greens and bulking agents to achieve required stability and nutrient content of the product. The study highlights the state of the art in terms of (i) carbon and nitrogen transformation after composting, (ii) challenges in preparing ambient conditions, and (iii) feedstock selection to optimize the mix proportions. The study also highlights the challenges in preparation and application as well as the risks involved in handling emerging contaminants (toxins) such as hormones and antibiotics in manure in producing good quality compost, thereby breaking the chain of their reentry to the food cycles. The results of the study would impart sound technological interventions required to make the best use of animal manure compost in low fertile soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tick-borne diseases are a major human and animal health problem for Western countries, particularly in view of climate change. However, farmers' practices and knowledge of tick management remain poorly addressed. This paper examines this issue through a micro-local case study in a Corsican valley, France. Interviews using several methods were conducted with 17 ruminant or horse farmers. Despite considerable field experience, the farmers exhibit poor spatial and biological knowledge of ticks and related diseases, thus leading to a lack of appropriate management practices. However, the data collected show that these farmers could be an effective sentinel population. More efficient prevention could be developed locally through a hybridization of knowledge among farmers and scientists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agricultural sector in the UK is facing unprecedented challenges as a result of changes in the macroeconomic environment and the future of the livestock sub-sector is particularly uncertain. Farmer's businesses and livelihoods are at risk with the planned removal of subsidy payments as a consequence of emerging agricultural policy change as a result of Brexit. Farmers are forced to seek adaptive strategies to survive because of changing socio-political circumstances. This study explores the potential of an analytical tool, Discrete Event Simulation (DES) applied within the agricultural sub-sector of livestock management. It utilises a multi methodological approach using both interviews with farmers and a simulation of a real case; Colclough livestock farm, located in Yorkshire, England. The findings show that DES can be used by livestock farmers, helping to simulate potential growth strategies and observe the impact in relation to existing farm processes. Barriers to the sector wide adoption of new farm technologies are presented. This research captures the current views of farmers regarding technology adoption, showing empirically that technologies and software exist which can improve economic performance of farming enterprises, however, contingent factors, such as age, attitudes, skillsets and broadband connectivity, limits successful adoption. • Discrete Event Simulation in farming contexts are neglected in research. • Uncertainty in the UK farming sector. • UK Agricultural policy will have a dramatic effect on the UK farm sector. • Successful farm entrepreneurs utilise complementary technology skill sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The taxonomic and functional diversity of dung beetles depend on canopy management in cattle ranching systems. • Cattle ranching systems with trees, while preserving microclimatic and soil conditions, maximize diversity. • Dung beetle diversity was strongly reduced in open pastures. Abstract The disturbance of natural environments affects, among others, the diversity of dung beetle assemblages, which could have serious consequences for the ecological processes regulated by these insects. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare species diversity and functional groups of dung beetle assemblages both in the native forest and in three livestock systems that differed in their structure and composition of vegetation: a livestock system with native trees, a livestock system with exotic trees (Pinus taeda), and traditional open pastures, in the semideciduous Atlantic forest of Argentina, in an area previously covered by continuous forest and currently with a heterogeneous landscape of native forest and different land uses. Pitfall traps baited with cow dung were used in the natural forests and the livestock systems studied. A total of 2461 beetles belonging to 38 species were captured. Treed livestock systems showed the highest species richness (0D) and diversity (1D and 2D). Twelve functional groups were identified. The native forest showed the highest functional group richness, while open pastures had the lowest. In general, livestock systems showed a low proportional abundance of telecoprid, diurnal and large beetles. Microclimate (average temperature and humidity) and soil conditions (soil composition: sandy or clayey) were closely associated with the species and functional group composition. Results confirm that cattle ranching with tree retention preserves dung beetle diversity, and suggest that cattle systems without canopy cover have higher impact (negative effects) than silvopastoral systems on both species and functional groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-elevation rangelands of the Saiq Plateau are degraded and require new management strategies. Three livestock species consume many of the same plants throughout the year, placing continual grazing pressure on the ecosystem. Plant canopy cover is generally low (0-13%) and large areas of bare soil exist between perennial vegetation. Soils are shallow, erosive and low in organic matter. The poor ecological condition of the range poses a threat to endangered and endemic mountain species, contributes to eutrophication of freshwater and decreases animal production and income for local farmers. Feral donkeys must be removed from the environment, goat and sheep herds reduced to levels sufficient to sustain their owners, and traditional livestock-free pastures should be resumed. This or similar management plans could restore the natural vegetation in 10-20 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Societe et Environnement is the property of Les Presses Agronomiques de Gembloux and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: Due to the European Habitats Directive, Quercus pyrenaica habitat has been protected within the Natura 2000 network for biodiversity conservation. Many of these habitats have been widely managed as coppice forest with silvopastoral use throughout Spain. Currently, in many of these oak coppices fuelwood extraction is neglected and grazing is the main use. Management plans required in the Directive should consider all these circumstances and offer an integrated approach to ensure a favourable conservation status of these habitats. We propose a three phase methodology to assess the ability of the habitat to support a given livestock density annually and seasonally, and to evaluate some of the physical impacts of grazing animals on the physical structure and development of the habitat. We applied the methodology to a neglected coppice forest that supports livestock at different periods. Results show that there is a possible compatibility between annual livestock food requirements and pasture production. Current grazing periods seem to fit the seasonal pasture productivity. Negative impacts were assessed on oak shrubland stands due to intense browsing and on low polewood owing to the high density of broken trees. On more developed stands, positive livestock impact was due to the control of the regrowth of coppice shoots. Acorn absence is a result of the previous coppice management. This negative impact may endanger long-term viability of Q. pyrenaica in the study area. We propose a process of conversion into high forest through a sequence of thinning to start sexual regeneration. In this proposal, livestock have an important role to ensure biodiversity, control the regrowth of coppice shoots and thinning low polewood stands. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Forest and livestock management puts pressure on forests and the wildlife they support. Although many species may be negatively affected by these human activities, the abundance of other species may be promoted, although this has perhaps received less attention in livestock, logging, and conservation management plans. Wild boar and red fox, two common mammals distributed throughout Europe, occupy a wide variety of Mediterranean environments. Little is known about how increases in logging and livestock management have changed their status. This work models the response of wild boar and red fox to these pressures in the human-altered Mediterranean forest landscapes of the central Iberian Peninsula (NHR), where the predominant land uses in the last hundred years have focused on livestock and logging (thinning and selective cutting). We collapsed land use and habitat structure variables into independent habitat vectors using principle component analysis (PCA) and then used a general linear model (GLM) to explain the relationships between red fox and wild boar abundance and the independent habitat vectors observed in human-altered forests. Livestock and logging activity was positively correlated with wild boar abundance, and negatively correlated with red fox abundance, although red fox tolerated open scrubland that had been logged. Red fox abundance remained negatively correlated with the same variables when boar abundance was added as an environmental predictor in the model, but some additional variance was explained, demonstrating the need to include indirect interspecific relationships in the habitat-species models. The combined effects of wild boar, logging and livestock are indirectly important factors which modify habitat structure and negatively affect red fox. Therefore, common mammal species are influenced by livestock and logging in different ways which necessarily may be taken into account in management and conservation decisions in Mediterranean human-altered forests. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Terrain is the property of Mission Patrimoine Ethnologiq and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The high elevational areas in the Himalayas of India are dominated by forests and alpine pastures. There are many protected areas in the region, including Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR) and Valley of Flowers (VOF) where natural resource management plan (NRMP) has been implemented for the conservation of biodiversity. This has affected the traditional animal husbandry system, as well as the vegetation dynamics of alpine pastures. An integrated approach to studying the impact of NRMP in the region has been applied by us. First, a survey was conducted regarding livestock management, data pertaining the livestock husbandry, the role of animal husbandry in economics of rural household, and socioeconomics. Second, field based study on phytosociology of some important alpine herbs was done to enumerate the density and species richness in different land mark of the region. Thereafter, satellite data and Geographic Information System (GIS) were used to develop a land cover map of the area and to note changes in the landscape over time after implementation of NRMP. From an economic point of view the implementation of such plan is a setback to the rural economy. However, the ecological perspective of such models is a threat to the diversity of alpine pastures. The invasion of bushes/thorny bushes/shrubs and weeds with their luxuriant growth is changing the vegetation index and dynamics. Consequently, the diversity of herbs in alpine pastures of the Himalayan Mountains is in jeopardy. Overall, the situation is leading to landscape change in the region. This study is helpful for generating useful outcomes and strategies considering the question or debate “is grazing good or bad for pasture ecosystems in the Himalayas?”. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• An integrated socio-ecological analysis was applied to livestock management in forests. • Regional drivers (climate, native vegetation, markets) influence livestock management. • Local factors, such as resource access, determine management strategies. • Adaptive management involves knowledge, objectives, perceptions and preferences. Understanding traditional livestock management is essential in the design of more sustainable systems, given the forest loss associated to the growing demand for meat. In Latin America, where extensive livestock production is increasing, along with tropical dry forest (TDF) transformation, the role of small holders is critical for designing more sustainable management practices. This study is an integrated socioecological analysis of traditional livestock systems in a region with TDF in Mexico. The objectives were to: a) characterise the historical development and current state of livestock systems and silvopastoral practices, b) define the management strategies and their impacts on forests, and c) identify the regional and local socioecological drivers that influence decision-making processes in livestock and forest management. In-depth interviews were carried out to 32 cattle farmers and analysed using a qualitative-interpretative approach which included multivariate and narrative analyses. Three historical stages (colonization, promotion of livestock and forest conservation) had a strong impact in the development and current state of livestock systems. Access to natural and economic resources and proportion of plant cover (grassland/forest) were essential in defining four groups of management strategies. The main regional drivers favouring or restricting production include climate, native vegetation, markets and public policies; at the local scale, socioecological factors, such as water availability, native vegetation, economic assets, local knowledge and their interactions determine heterogeneity in management strategies, decision-making processes and their impacts on forests. Adaptive management of livestock and forests in a context of limited economic resources has allowed the conservation of forest areas and the use of silvopastoral practices with local tree species. The integrated socio-ecological approach and the use of mixed methods allowed a better understanding of drivers and their interrelationships, the local knowledge, objectives and perceptions of farmers in the decision-making processes regarding livestock and forest management. Perspectives of farmers on resource use can contribute to the design of more effective and inclusive policies for sustainable livestock systems in the dry tropics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dairy industry represents 13% of the turnover of the European food industry and north-west Europe produces 60% of the European milk. However, in 2014 the milk market has experienced a substantial fall in milk prices of some 50%. At these lower prices for milk the business of many milk producers is not sustainable. Due to recent advances, the mid-infrared (MIR) analysis of milk performed within milk recording (MR) promises more information than used traditionally. Beside the established MR parameters (protein, fat, lactose, and urea), the spectra could provide additional information on cows' status for a range of characteristics (e.g. fertility, health, energy balance, feeding and methane emission). Thus, the spectra routinely obtained from the MIR analysis of milk offer a possibility to develop novel, cost-effective tools which enable milk producers to improve the management of their dairy herds and in turn reduce the costs for milk production. The OptiMIR project aims to improve the sustainability of the dairy sector by developing and providing innovative, economical and standardized MIR-based tools for the management of dairy herds. Additionally, the project aims to create and promote a framework for the cross-border exchange of information and practices to enhance the service of milk recording organizations (MROs) in north-west Europe and to strengthen their competitiveness. In order to achieve these objectives, in 2011 the European OptiMIR project was officially launched for a 5-year-period. The INTERREG IV B funded OptiMIR project is a cooperation between three research centers, three universities, 11 MROs, and one laboratory from six north-western European countries. To accomplish the goals, the different processes from the identification of the priority areas to the development, validation, and implementation of the novel tools were outlined in three working packages comprising 10 actions. A common transnational database combines the phenotypic data of the cows and the MIR spectra from the European MR, which enables the detection of relevant phenotypic traits and their reflection in the MIR spectra. Additionally, a standardization has been installed among all instruments of the milk analyzing laboratories involved in the OptiMIR project to ensure a stable prediction over time and a correction of deviations. Due to the monthly standardization process the developed prediction equations can be used in routine on all instruments taking part in the standardization. Different models for the prediction of the pregnancy status, energy balance, the methane emission as well as the detection of ketosis and acidosis have been developed within OptiMIR. It is worth mentioning, that those models predict the status of the animal with different accuracies and that progress on development and implementation differs between the models. Some of the tools developed within OptiMIR are already used in the field and provide dairy farmers with useful information e.g. about the health status or methane emission of a certain cow. The OptiMIR project also resulted in a collaborative planning on an economic interest group formation of the participating MROs. The final OptiMIR scientific and expert meeting disseminates the results obtained through OptiMIR more detailed and also provides an overview of recent advances in the development of management tools for the dairy sector. Initial application of the MIR-based tools has shown their potential for providing dairy farmers with information to improve their herd management in a cost-effective way. However, further research and development is required to finish a greater extend of MIR-based tools so that north-western European stakeholders can acquire competitive advantage in the dairy sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Societe et Environnement is the property of Les Presses Agronomiques de Gembloux and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: We explore the degree to which the consideration of infectious diseases may be of importance in the formulation of land use policy. We look at the diseases of humans, domestic livestock and wild vertebrates, and distinguish two types of human disease: those which form epidemics involving transmission from person to person, and those which are contracted from non-human sources and spread very little through the population. Land use affects the density and distribution of people, and urbanisation typically increases the risk of an epidemic and the speed with which it spreads. More subtle effects may occur through changes in the network of contacts between individuals. Land use policy that affects the distribution of breeding sites for disease vectors (e.g. mosquitoes) or the passage of potential pathogenic microorganisms through the environment from farm animals to humans can also influence non-epidemic disease risk. Livestock disease is critically affected by stocking density and the network of contacts between individuals and herds. Land use and agricultural policy can be very important in reducing the risks of disease outbreaks. We explore the complex relationship between intensification and disease risks. We suspect that land use policy may affect the viability of threatened species of vertebrates, though our relatively poor knowledge of disease epidemiology in wild animals makes policy formation difficult. Though climate change may act together with land use policy to determine disease risk, we consider this interaction to less important than that between land use and the socioeconomic drivers of global change. We conclude by assessing the importance of disease in the three types of host to land use policy. We suggest that the consideration of wildlife diseases is a low to medium priority for land use policy, though we attach high uncertainty to our conclusion; the consideration of human diseases we think a low priority (with medium uncertainty); while that of livestock diseases we argue is a high priority (with low uncertainty). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Many producers believe cattle grazing wheat pasture during the winter are likely to graze actively growing locoweed when turned onto short-grass prairie in the spring. White locoweed (Oxytropis sericea Nutt, ex T&G) consumption was compared in a spring grazing study between steers wintered on irrigated 'TAM 105' wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) pasture (Wheat) and steers wintered on native range (Range). Range steers consumed locoweed for 43% of bites compared to 17% for the Wheat steers, and began eating locoweed before steers in the Wheat group. We rejected the hypothesis that steers wintered on wheat are more inclined to graze locoweed than steers wintered on native range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most rangelands in northern Nuevo Leon, Mexico, have been grazed intensely for more than 10 years simultaneously by cattle and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus texanus). There is a lack of information concerning diet selection of white-tailed deer and cattle in thisregion. We observed the dietary preferences of these ungulates in northeastern Nuevo Leon for a 6 month period. Two adjacent areas were subjected to rotational grazing (RG) and continuous cattle grazing (CG). Fecal analysis was used to determine dietary overlap of these 2 sympatric ruminants. Cattle diets averaged 70% grasses, 23% browse, and4% forbs. Deer diets were 63% browse, 24% forbs and 12% grasses in both areas. The preferred species for cattle in both areas were grasses. Deer preferred forbs on the continuous grazed area and grasses on rotational grazed area. Zacate toboso [Hilaria mutica (Buckl.] Benth.) was the most preferred species by both ruminants in both managementsystems. Differences between cattle and deer diets were significant (P< 0.05). The similarity index was higher on the rotational grazed (23%) than on the continuous grazed area (15%) (P< 0.05). The higher similarity index in RG area may have been a result of the altered forage preferences of deer. Zacate toboso under RG could be an important feed resource in those areas where white-tailed deer and cattle grazein common. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study to assess characteristics of coyotes (Canis latrans Say) that attack livestock was conducted in southern New Mexico. During 4--16April 1991, 38 Angora does (Capra hircus L.) and their 38 offspring (kids) were exposed to coyote predation in 3 small experimental free-ranging flocks on the study area. One doe and 14 kids were killed by predators, including at least 12 cases of coyote predation. Coyotes selectively preyed on the smaller kids, and on goats in relatively small groups. Remains of 11 kids killed by predators were cached within the core areas of territorial coyotes. Six of 8 territorial coyotes and 5 of 9 transients (nonterritorial coyotes), with ranges that overlapped the distribution of flocks, consumed goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]