Search

The emotions of cows could be reflected in their body temperature, productivity and behaviours. We tested whether there is a positive correlation between non-invasive infrared temperature (IRT) and right-side laterality (presumed to indicate anxiety), and negative correlation with milk production in a large group of randomly selected cows. Lactating cows (n = 171) were examined individually in 3 consecutive one-month periods. Each month maximum infrared temperatures of the head and coronary bands of forelimbs were recorded daily for 6 days and lateralisation was determined from ten daily forced lateralisation tests. In the first month right-lateralised cows had higher IRT in their eyes than left-lateralised cows. The absence of an association between IRT and laterality in periods 2 and 3 suggests habituation to the test conditions. Right lateralised cows waited for longer before milking than left lateralised cows, and limb IRTs were negatively related to the waiting time before milking. We conclude that the connection between lateralised behaviour and eye IRT in this study provides evidence of differences in cows' emotional response to the forced lateralisation test. • Non-invasive infrared temperature (IRT) of cows appeared to be related to emotions. • Cows with apparently negative emotions had greater eye IRT temperature. • Higher IRT of eyes was also linked to poor milk quality. • IRT only related to emotional responses in the first month.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Milk productivity of Vietnamese smallholder dairy cows is reported to be relatively low. Thorough analysis of lactating cow diets and feeding regimes in those smallholder dairy farms could help define the limitations of diets and feeding regimes relative to milk production. This study analysed and compared the feeding regimes and nutrient balance for lactating cows among four typical dairy regions including both highlands and lowlands located in both the north and south of Vietnam and evaluated the possibility of systematic dietary imbalance. The results show that the diets in all regions were excessive in protein, fibre and most mineral concentrations but insufficient in energy and non-fibre carbohydrates. The most used roughages including Napier grass, corn silage, fresh corn with cob, and rice straw were all relatively high in fibre concentrations. Feed efficiency of the diets across regions were sub-optimal. Thus, increasing dietary net energy concentration by increasing the use of starch and fat and decreasing the fibre concentration of the diet by decreasing the use of Napier grass or rice straw to balance the diets might help improve the milk production and thereby increase feed efficiency. A limited literature suggests relatively simple feeding regimes and diet formulation strategies for dairy cows in Vietnamese smallholder dairy farms (SDFs). This study aimed to classify and compare feeding regimes and nutrient balance for lactating cows between four typical dairy regions (south lowland, south highland, north lowland, and north highland) in Vietnam and evaluate the possibility of systematic dietary imbalance. Eight SDFs from each of the four regions were visited for two adjacent milking periods per farm. For each visit, frequency and methods of feed and water supply to the lactating cows were recorded, and individual fat corrected milk yield (ECM) of lactating cows were calculated from milk yield and fat concentration. The amount of each diet ingredient offered and refused by each lactating group was weighed and sampled for calculation of dry matter intake per cow (DMI) and analysis of nutrient composition in the component offered. PCDairy, a diet formulation computer model, was used to calculate actual and recommended dietary nutrient concentrations and predict potential milk production. Factor analysis, cluster analysis, and ANOVA were applied to determine grouping effects across as well as between regions. Feeding regimes and diets were grouped into three and nine clusters, respectively. Farmers in the same region tended to apply similar diets and feeding regimes. Across regions, only 47% of all SDFs supplied water ad libitum to the cows. The most used roughages including Napier grass, corn silage, fresh corn with cob, and rice straw were all relatively high in neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), and acid detergent lignin (ADL). The diets in all regions were excessive in crude protein, NDF, ADF, ADL, and most minerals (Ca, P, Mg, K, Na, S, Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn) but insufficient in net energy and non-fibre carbohydrate. Feed efficiency (1.06 kg FCM/kg DMI) of the diets were sub-optimal. Feeding regimes and dietary nutrient balance of the south lowland SDFs were most problematic. Increasing dietary net energy concentration by increasing the use of starch and fat and decreasing dietary fibre concentration by decreasing the use of Napier grass or rice straw to balance the diets might help improve the milk production and thereby increase feed efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Smallholder dairy farms are the most popular type of dairy farm in Vietnam and distribute widely from north to south in both lowland and highland regions. Currently, there are limited data on productivity and especially the welfare of cows in these systems. This study was conducted on 32 farms located across four contrasting dairy regions of Vietnam to directly estimate and compare key descriptors of productivity and welfare such as herd structure, milk yield, and responses to heat stress. Level of heat stress was determined to be the most important constraint to productivity and welfare of the cows; even in the highlands where the mildest temperatures were found. Low milk yield, body weight, and body condition were also of concern. Poor productivity and welfare were most evident in the south lowland region. However, reasonable productivity in the north lowland indicated the potential to manage high temperature and humidity to improve dairy cow welfare and productivity in Vietnam. Smallholder dairy farms (SDFs) are distributed widely across lowland and highland regions in Vietnam, but data on the productivity and welfare status of these cows remains limited. This cross-sectional study was conducted to describe and compare the productivity and welfare status of SDF cows across contrasting regions. It was conducted in autumn 2017 on 32 SDFs randomly selected from four typical but contrasting dairy regions (eight SDFs per region); a south lowland, a south highland, a north lowland, and a north highland region. Each farm was visited over a 24-h period (an afternoon followed by a morning milking and adjacent husbandry activities) to collect data of individual lactating cows (n = 345) and dry cows (n = 123), which included: milk yield and concentrations, body weight (BW), body condition score (BCS, 5-point scale, 5 = very fat), inseminations per conception, and level of heat stress experienced (panting score, 4.5-point scale, 0 = no stress). The high level of heat stress (96% of lactating cows were moderate to highly heat-stressed in the afternoon), low energy corrected milk yield (15.7 kg/cow/d), low percentage of lactating cows (37.3% herd), low BW (498 and 521 kg in lactating and dry cows, respectively), and low BCS of lactating cows (2.8) were the most important productivity and welfare concerns determined and these were most serious in the south lowland. By contrast, cows in the north lowland, a relatively hot but new dairying region, performed similarly to those in the south highland; a region historically considered to be one of the most suitable for dairy cows in Vietnam due to its cool environment. This indicates the potential to mitigate heat stress through new husbandry strategies. Cows in the north highland had the highest BW (535 and 569 kg in lactating and dry cows, respectively) and the highest energy corrected milk yield (19.2 kg/cow/d). Cows in all regions were heat-stressed during the daytime, although less so in the highlands compared to the lowlands. Opportunities for research into improving the productivity and welfare of Vietnamese SDF cows are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Panting score (PS) is a common research tool used to assess the physiological state of cows exposed to heat stress, but it is subjective. Infrared temperature (IRT), measured by either infrared thermometers or cameras, may be a more objective and reliable alternative. Very few studies thus far have evaluated the associations between PS, IRT, and milk production. We investigated the applicability of IRT compared with PS as a means of assessing heat stress and milk yield reduction in dairy cows in tropical smallholder dairy farms (SDF). In autumn 2017, SDF located across 4 typical dairy regions of Vietnam were each visited once to collect farm (n = 32) and individual cow data (n = 344). For each SDF, heat load index (HLI) inside the cowsheds, an indicator of environmental heat load calculated from ambient temperature, humidity, and wind speed, was measured. For each cow, PS (0 indicates a cow breathing normally, not panting; 4.5 indicates an extremely heat-stressed cow with excessive panting, tongue fully extended, and excessive drooling), IRT of the cow's body, single-day energy-corrected milk yield (ECM), body weight, and body condition score were measured. Cow genotype, age, lactation number, and days in milk were recorded. The IRT of the cows' inner vulval lip (IVuT) were measured with an infrared thermometer; and the IRT of the cows' vulval surface (OVuT), inner tail base surface (ITBT), ocular area, muzzle, armpit area, paralumbar fossa area, fore udder, rear udder, fore hoof, and hind hoof were also measured with an infrared camera. Multivariate mixed-effects models were used to assess the associations between HLI with PS and IRT, and associations between PS and IRT with ECM while accounting for the effects of other cow variables. All IRT correlated positively with PS (Pearson correlation, r = 0.23–0.50). Each unit increase in HLI was associated with increases of 0.07 units in PS and 0.09 to 0.23°C in IRT. Each degree (°C) increase in IVuT, OVuT, and ITBT was associated with decreases of 0.75, 0.87, and 0.70 kg/cow per day in ECM, respectively, whereas PS and other IRT were not significantly associated with ECM. Thus, all IRT showed potential to assess the heat stress level of cows; and IVuT, OVuT, and ITBT, but not PS and other IRT, showed potential to predict ECM reduction in cows during heat stress. First cross (F1) Holstein Brown Swiss and F1 Holstein Jersey showed lower PS and yielded higher ECM than the third backcross (B3) Holstein Zebu (7/8 Holstein + 1/8 Zebu) and pure Holstein. Thus, F1 Holstein Brown Swiss and F1 Holstein Jersey could be more suitable for tropical SDF than B3 Holstein Zebu and pure Holstein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marked improvements in milk production, health and reproduction have resulted from manipulations of the pre-calving diet. An understanding of the underlying physiological changes resulting from manipulation of late gestational diets is needed in order to refine and enhance these responses. The physiology of late gestation and early lactation of the dairy cow is examined in the context of exploring the hypothesis that changes in physiology occur not only through homeostatic, but also homeorhetic change. Studies in mice and man have identified a pivotal role for skeleton, particularly through production of active forms of osteocalcin, in integrating energy metabolism. Skeleton appears to particularly influence lipid metabolism and vice versa. Further insights into the factors influencing skeletal function and calcium (Ca) metabolism are emerging, including the potential for negative dietary cation anion difference (DCAD) diets to upregulate the responses of the skeleton in metabolism through increased bone mobilisation and in enhancing responses to parathyroid hormone. The rumen appears to be an important site of absorption of Ca, but physiological mechanisms influencing this uptake are not clear. We provide quantitative evidence of the magnitude of responses that reflect relationships linking Ca metabolism, skeleton and production, using meta-analytic methods. Negative DCAD diets increase milk production in multiparous cattle, but not in heifers. Further, examination of concentrations of metabolites related to energy metabolism obtained from cattle exposed to a negative DCAD diet over calving identified a dominant role for Ca concentrations, which were associated with blood-free fatty acids (NEFA), blood 3-hydroxybutyrate, glucose and cholesterol. These relationships were homeostatic, occurring on the same day, but also homeorhetic with concentrations of Ca and NEFA being significantly associated over 21 days. The findings in cattle are consistent with those in the murine models. However, Ca and the skeleton are not the only significant factors in the transition period influencing future performance as hormonal treatments, metabolic demands and sex of the conceptus, and inflammation and the factors controlling this play a role in future performance. Homeorhetic, longer-term, adaptive responses are critical to achieving orchestrated longer-term adaptive responses to calving and lactation. We consider that the teleological question 'why would a bone-specific hormone (osteocalcin) regulate energy metabolism?' is answered by the specific needs for integrated metabolism to address the extreme metabolic demands of lactation in many species. The surprising findings in mice of an important role in energy metabolism of osteocalcin raised the question 'why would a bone-specific hormone (osteocalcin) regulate energy metabolism'. We identify evidence to support a similar role for calcium and bone in energy metabolism of cattle to that found in mice. These relationships, identified in mice and cattle, and probably represent important adaptations of metabolism in mammals to the challenges of lactation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Maximum IRT in a thermogram was a more useful measure than average IRT. • Cows that were more right than left lateralised had higher limb and eye IRT. • The IRT best associated with behaviour and lactation variables was ratio of eye to limb. • Results show the potential of IRT to monitor stress related behaviours in dairy cows. The aim of this study was to test for associations between infrared temperatures (IRT) of relevant external body surface regions, lateralised behaviours, and milk productivity in dairy cows (N = 31 in a herd of 202 cows). The cows were selected according to their laterality, based on their response (left: N = 15, right: N = 16) in forced lateralisation tests conducted more than a year earlier. Behavioural variables additional to previously determined laterality, and measured daily for 10 days as they returned to pasture after the afternoon milking, included: stopped while walking towards a person in the laneway, standing on the left or right side of the person, speed of walking to the person; and head, ear and tail positions as they passed the person. Then for 6 of the next 7 days, the IRT, waiting time in the loafing area prior to afternoon milking and milk yield variables were measured. IRT measures included maximum and average IRT from replicate daily thermograms of the eyes, ears, muzzle, coronary band of the forelimbs, and the ratio of the eye to coronary band IRTs. Milk yield was determined from the sum of morning and afternoon milking volumes averaged over 6 days. Milk composition, somatic cell count, days in milk and parity were determined by averaging the monthly herd test data either side of the current IRT/ behavioural period. From ANOVA, cows previously determined as right lateralised had higher maximum eye (Both Eyes: Right = 36.5, Left = 36.1, SED =0.16 °C, P = 0.01) and average coronary band (Both Forelimbs: Right = 31.9, Left = 30.8, SED =0.41 °C, P = 0.02) IRT than left lateralised cows. Using multivariate regression, the IRT measure best associated with the behavioural and milk parameters was the ratio of the eye to coronary band maximum IRT (R2 = 92%). The higher the ratio, the more likely the cow was to: be left lateralised, not stop whilst walking, stand on the right rather than left side prior to passing, not pass too slowly or too fast, wait for longer in the loafing yard prior to milking, be of lower parity, have a lower somatic cell count and a higher days in milk. These behavioral and productivity parameters could indicate level of stress or anxiety. Therefore it is concluded that eye and coronary band IRT deserves further investigation as predictors of stress or anxiety in dairy cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]