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Introduction: Mothers of very premature infants often have difficulties expressing breastmilk, which can cause distress and potential negative impact on infant health. Clinical recommendations on breastmilk expression are extrapolated from term infants' breastfeeding patterns. This study's objective was to analyse the association of expressing pattern with lactation outcomes after very premature birth. Methods: 132 participants were recruited after birth between 23+0 and 31+6 weeks' gestation. Participants recorded the milk expressed in several 24-hour periods in the three weeks after birth. Results: Expressing frequency was positively associated with 24-hour milk yield, with an adjusted 30.5g increase per expressing session on day four (95% CI 15.7 to 45.3) and 94.4g on day 21 (95% CI 62.7 to 126.2). Expressing ≥8 times per day was associated with higher adjusted milk yield than expressing <6 times (on day four, 146.8g, 95% CI 47.4 to 246.1), but not in comparison to expressing 6–7 times (on day four, 82.1g, 95% CI –25.9 to 190.1). Participants with six months or more prior breastmilk feeding experience had a higher adjusted milk yield than others (on day four, 204.3g, 95% CI 125.2 to 283.3). Night-time (2300–0700 hours) expressing sessions were not associated with increased milk yield after adjustment for time since the prior session. On average, participants who had a longest gap between expressions of less than six hours achieved the UK target of 750g breastmilk, whereas those with a longer gap did not. Conclusion: Expressing frequency was an important determinant of milk yield. Clinical recommendations to express ≥8 times per day were supported but for some, 6–7 times was sufficient. This was particularly likely for those with six months or more of prior breastmilk feeding experience. A need to express during the night-time hours appeared to be related to minimising the gap between expressions rather than an inherent value of night-time expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the dairy industry is facing many challenges that could affect its sustainability, including climate change and public perception of the industry. As a result, interest is increasing in the concept of identifying resilient animals, those with a long productive lifespan, as well as good reproductive performance and milk yield. There is much evidence that events in utero, that is, the developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis, alter the life-course health of offspring and we hypothesized that these could alter resilience in calves, where resilience is identified using lifetime data. The aim of this study was to quantify lifetime resilience scores (LRS) using an existing scoring system, based on longevity with secondary corrections for age at first calving and calving interval, and to quantify the effects of in utero events on the LRS using 2 datasets. The first was a large dataset of cattle on 83 farms in Great Britain born from 2006 to 2015 and the second was a smaller, more granular dataset of cattle born between 2003 and 2015 in the Langhill research herd at Scotland's Rural College. Events during dam's pregnancy included health events (lameness, mastitis, use of an antibiotic or anti-inflammatory medication), the effect of heat stress as measured by temperature-humidity index, and perturbations in milk yield and quality (somatic cell count, percentage fat, percentage protein and fat:protein ratio). Daughters born to dams that experienced higher temperature-humidity indexes while they were in utero during the first and third trimesters of pregnancy had lower LRS. Daughter LRS were also lower where milk yields or median fat percentages in the first trimester were low, and when milk yields were high in the third trimester. Dam LRS was positively associated with LRS of their offspring; however, as parity of the dam increased, LRS of their calves decreased. Similarly, in the Langhill herd, dams of a higher parity produced calves with lower LRS. Additionally, dams that recorded a high maximum locomotion score in the third trimester of pregnancy were negatively associated with lower calf LRS in the Langhill herd. Our results suggest that events that occur during pregnancy have lifelong consequences for the calf's lifetime performance. However, experience of higher temperature-humidity indexes, higher dam LRS, and mothers in higher parities explained a relatively small proportion of variation in offspring LRS, which suggests that other factors play a substantial role in determining calf LRS. Although "big data" can contain a considerable amount of noise, similar findings between the 2 datasets indicate it is likely these findings are real. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dairy production in the UK has undergone substantial restructuring over the last few decades. Farming intensification has led to a reduction in the total numbers of farms and animals, while the average herd size per holding has increased. These ever-changing circumstances have important implications for the health and welfare of dairy cows, as well as the overall business performance of farms. For decision-making in dairy farming, it is essential to understand the underlying causes of the inefficiencies and their relative impact. The investigation of yield gaps regarding dairy cattle has been focused on specific causes. However, in addition to the risk of overestimating the impact of a specific ailment, this approach does not allow understanding of the relative contribution to the total, nor does it allow understanding of how well-described that gap is in terms of underlying causes. Using the English and Welsh dairy sectors as an example, this work estimates the Loss Gap–composed of yield losses and health expenditure ‐ using a benchmarking approach and scenario analysis. The Loss Gap was estimated by comparing the current performance of dairy herds as a baseline with that of scenarios where assumptions were made about the milk production of cows, production costs, market prices, mortality, and expenditure related to health events. A deterministic model was developed, consisting of an enterprise budget, in which the cow was the unit, with milking herd and young stock treated separately. When constraining milk production, the model estimated an annual Loss Gap of £148 to £227 million for the whole sector. The reduction in costs of veterinary services and medicines, alongside herd replacement costs, were important contributors to the estimate with some variation between the scenarios. Milk price had a substantial impact in the estimate, with revenue from milk yield representing more than 30% of the Loss Gap, when milk price was benchmarked against that of the top performing farms. This framework provides the boundaries for understanding the relative burden from specific causes in English and Welsh dairy cattle, ensuring that the sum of the estimated losses due to particular problem does not exceed the losses from all-causes, health or non-health related. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The short-term benefits of pair housing pre-weaning calves have been successfully demonstrated, but the longer-term implications are still relatively unknown, especially for heifers enter the milking herd. This study aimed to investigate the impact of pairs compared to the individual housing of pre-weaning calves on longer-term heifer production. We found that pair-housed calves were less likely to exit the herd, which resulted in pair-housed calves producing more total milk per calf recruited into the original study. However, pair-housed calves also suffered from higher risks of developing udder health issues. The season of birth had an impact on growth rates, with heifers born in the colder winter months having reduced growth, but seasonality did not impact any other variables. Pair housing of pre-weaning dairy calves has previously demonstrated positive impacts on their growth, health and behaviour, but longer-term effects on production are still relatively unknown. This study followed a cohort of 431 Holstein heifers, recruited from a single UK commercial dairy farm, from weaning until either culling or the end of their first lactation. All animals were allocated to either individual or pair housing as a pre-weaning calf. Following weaning, all heifers were similarly managed through group housing, feeding with total mixed rations, the use of automatic heat detection for artificial insemination and weighing every two months until conception. Farm staff identified disease occurrences, which were treated following standard operating procedures. First-lactation monthly milk recording was used to measure milk yields and somatic cell counts. Overall mortality (voluntary and involuntary) was 26.6%, with a decreased hazard of exiting the herd if the heifer was pair housed as a calf (HR 0.70; p = 0.067). The voluntary cull rate was highest in the post-insemination period (13.0%) due to poor fertility. Heifers that were pair housed as calves had significantly increased odds of developing udder health issues as a primiparous cow (OR = 1.93, p = 0.022). Despite this, the 305-day milk yields were not associated with the housing group. However, the total milk produced per calf recruited into the original study was greater for pair-housed compared with individually housed calves (8088 kg vs. 7115 kg; p = 0.071), which is likely due to the significantly higher hazard of individually housed calves exiting the herd prematurely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Early lactation health disorders and their treatment are an important cause of welfare issues and production losses in dairy herds. These losses could be mitigated if cows at greater risk of health problems can be identified prior to calving. Cow mounted devices designed to monitor certain aspects of cow behavior may offer the opportunity to predict prior to calving which cows are likely to be at greater risk post calving by providing an alert based on each cow's behavior. This study attempted to determine the level and accuracy of alerts provided by one such monitoring system. Results revealed an alert level of 38.7% with an accuracy of prediction of 62.5%. These findings reflect the level of early health disorders observed in commercial dairy herds. Further research is required to improve the accuracy of prediction for cows receiving treatments for ill health and to develop effective measures to prevent the occurrence of those treatments. Identifying cows that are at greater risk for disease prior to calving would be a valuable addition to transition management. Prior to the commercial release of software features in an automated behavioral monitoring system, designed to identify cows in the dry period at greater risk of disease postpartum, a retrospective analysis was carried out in five dairy herds to evaluate whether the software could identify prepartum cows that subsequently received health treatments postpartum and whether prepartum alerts (transition alerts) are associated with a reduction in milk production in the subsequent lactation. Herd management and production records were analyzed for cows receiving treatment in the first 21 d of lactation (days in milk, DIM) for clinical mastitis, reproductive tract disease (metritis, retained fetal membranes), metabolic disease (hypocalcemia, ketosis and displaced abomasum) and for cows exiting the herd by 60 DIM. Data was gathered for 986 cows, 382 (38.7%) of which received a transition alert and 604 (61.3%) that did not. During the first 21 DIM 312 (31.6%) cows went on to receive a disease treatment, of these 51.9% (n = 162/312) were transition alert cows and 48.1% (n = 150/312) non-transition alert cows, while 8.6% (n = 33/382) alert cows exited the herd by 60 DIM compared to 4.8% (n = 29/604) of cows that did not receive an alert. A cow receiving a transition alert (OR = 1.76, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.27–2.44) and increasing parity (OR = 2.03, 95% CI = 1.44–2.86) were both associated with increased risk of receiving a disease treatment in the first 21 DIM. The occurrence of a transition alert was negatively associated with both week 4 milk yield (daily average yield in fourth week of lactation) and predicted 305 d yield. Transition alerts correctly predicted 62.5% (95% CI: 59.3–65.5) of treatments with a sensitivity of 42.4% (95% CI: 37.4–45.5) and a specificity of 75.2% (95% CI: 71.5–78.6). Associations were identified between postpartum health and production outcomes and prepartum behavioral measures from an automated activity monitoring system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the current study was to investigate using a customized profit and carbon total merit index to identify sustainable milking cows and herd replacements within a commercial dairy herd. Balancing the economic, social and environmental aspects of milk production has gained interest given the increasing global demand for milk products. Furthermore, a farm-level customized breeding index with farm-derived weightings for biological traits would incorporate the effect of the farm environment. This study used a Markov chain approach to model a commercial dairy herd in the UK between the years 2017 and 2022. Production, financial, genetic and nutritional data for the herd were used as input data. The model derived the economic (GBP per unit) and carbon values (kilograms CO2-eq. emissions per unit) for a single phenotypic increase in milk volume, milk fat yield, milk protein yield, somatic cell count, calving interval and lifespan, which were used in a profit and carbon index. The study proposed a methodology for selecting individual milking cows and herd replacements based on their potential to increase herd profitability and reduce carbon emissions as a means to identify more sustainable animals for a given farm environment. Of the 370 cows and herd replacements studied, 76% were classified as sustainable with a desirable increase in profit and reduction in carbon emissions. Customized breeding indices with trait weightings derived from the farm environment and selecting individual animals on economic and carbon metrics will bring permanent and cumulative improvements to the sustainability of milk production with appropriate nutrition and management. The approach used can be applied to any commercial farm to select animals that are more sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schmallenberg orthobunyavirus (SBV) was initially detected in 2011 in Germany from dairy cattle with fever and decreased milk yield. The virus infection is now established in many parts of the world with recurrent epidemics. SBV is transmitted through midges and transplacental. No direct virus transmission including via breeding has ever been demonstrated. In some bulls, however, the virus is detectable transiently, in low to minute quantities, in semen post‐infection. While the infection is considered of low impact for the dairy industry, some SBV‐free countries have adopted a zero‐risk approach requiring bull semen batches to be tested for SBV RNA residues prior to import. This, in turn, obligates a protocol to enable sensitive detection of SBV RNA in semen samples for export purposes. Here, we describe how we established a now ISO/IEC 17025 accredited protocol that can effectively detect minute quantities of SBV RNA in semen and also its application to monitor bull semen during two outbreaks in the United Kingdom in 2012 and 2016. The data demonstrate that only a small number of bulls temporarily shed low amounts of SBV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal welfare is a key pillar of sustainability in livestock farming but can be challenging to deliver improvements when productivity is high. In October 2013, the Red Tractor UK national dairy assurance scheme introduced welfare outcome monitoring on its 11,500 farms, covering 95% of UK milk produced. Here we show that 98 farm assurance assessors achieved high levels of agreement with a gold standard and report data they collected for three years from 248,689 cows, typically 10 cows per farm, during 19,899 audits. Between 2013 and 2014, and 2015 and 2016, the estimated national prevalence fell significantly for lameness (from 10.0% to 7.9%), dirtiness (from 12.4% to 9.2%), 'hairloss, lesions and swellings' (from 9.3% to 6.5%), and fat cows (from 2.4% to 1.9%). This occurred at a time when milk yield per cow increased. We have demonstrated an effective implementation strategy suitable for uptake internationally to align with societal sustainability goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous work has demonstrated some benefit from alternative breeds in low-input dairying, although there has been no systematic analysis of the simultaneous effect of Jersey crossbreeding on productivity, health, fertility parameters or milk nutritional quality. This work aimed to understand the effects of, and interactions/interrelations between, dairy cow genotypes (Holstein-Friesian (HF), Holstein-Friesian × Jersey crossbreds (HF × J)) and season (spring, summer, autumn) on milk yield; basic composition; feed efficiency, health, and fertility parameters; and milk fatty acid (FA) profiles. Milk samples (n = 219) and breed/diet data were collected from 74 cows in four UK low-input dairy farms between March and October 2012. HF × J cows produced milk with more fat (+ 3.2 g/kg milk), protein (+ 2.9 g/kg milk) and casein (+ 2.7 g/kg milk); and showed higher feed, fat, and protein efficiency (expressed as milk, fat and protein outputs per kg DMI) than HF cows. Milk from HF × J cows contained more C4:0 (+ 2.6 g/kg FA), C6:0 (+ 1.9 g/kg FA), C8:0 (+ 1.3 g/kg FA), C10:0 (+ 3.0 g/kg FA), C12:0 (+ 3.7 g/kg FA), C14:0 (+ 4.6 g/kg FA) and saturated FA (SFA; + 27.3 g/kg milk) and less monounsaturated FA (MUFA; -23.7 g/kg milk) and polyunsaturated FA (− 22.3 g/kg milk). There was no significant difference for most health and fertility parameters, but HF × J cows had shorter calving interval (by 39 days). The superior feed, fat and protein efficiency of HF × J cows, as well as shorter calving interval can be considered beneficial for the financial sustainability of low-input dairy farms; and using such alternative breeds in crossbreeding schemes may be recommended. Although statistically significant, it is difficult to determine if differences observed between HF and HF × J cows in fat composition are likely to impact human health, considering average population dairy fat intakes and the relatively small difference. Thus, the HF × J cow could be used in low-input dairying to improve efficiency and productivity without impacting milk nutritional properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grassland accounts for a high proportion of the agricultural area of the United Kingdom, but the significance of its contribution to the nation's food supply has been questioned. Using representative figures for the composition of UK ruminant livestock diets, we estimated the total production of human-edible protein from grass and forage crops consumed by cattle and sheep. We found that this equates to 21.5 g of protein per person per day, of which 15.2 g comes from milk, 4.71 g from beef and 1.60 g from sheep meat. This represents 45% of the total amount of human-edible animal protein produced in the UK (46.6 g/head) and is equivalent to one-third of the recommended adult human daily protein intake of 64 g/head. Given the growing pressure to produce food in a more resource-efficient manner, grasslands have a valuable role to play in providing food alongside multiple public goods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective use of antibiotic dry cow treatment can be implemented at the cow or quarter level, with the latter having the potential to further reduce antibiotic use. Our objective was to compare these 2 approaches in 6 herds in the United Kingdom in which environmental mastitis predominated. Eight hundred seven cows were enrolled and categorized as having a high cell count (n = 401) or low cell count (n = 406) in the last 3 mo of lactation and clinical mastitis history. All quarters of all enrolled cows received an internal teat sealant. Within each category, cows were randomly allocated to 1 of 3 groups; in one group antibiotic treatment was allocated at cow level (i.e., all 4 quarters received antibiotic), whereas in the 2 remaining groups antibiotic treatment was allocated at quarter level, based on California Mastitis Test (CMT) findings. Two different thresholds, score 1 and 2, were used to determine likely infection status. Quarter milk samples were collected at dry off and postcalving for bacteriological culture and somatic cell count (SCC). Cows were monitored for clinical mastitis from dry off until 100 d in milk. Cow level SCC and milk yield data were collated from farm records. Within each category, the 2 quarter level treatment groups were compared with cow level treatment at dry off. Leaving quarters untreated with intramammary antibiotic in cows in the high cell count group, with a CMT <2 or <1, reduced antibiotic use by 55% and 31%, respectively, and resulted in no difference in the odds of being infected with any pathogen postcalving, but was associated with a higher SCC at the first test day. Intramammary antibiotic treatment of quarters with a CMT ≥1 in cows in the low cell count category at dry off was not associated with any reduction in the odds of being infected with a major pathogen postcalving but was associated with a decrease in the odds of being infected with a minor mastitis pathogen postcalving. The use of antibiotics in quarters of cows categorized as low cell count at dry off, increased the proportion of quarters treated with antibiotic from 0% at cow level to 31% (CMT ≥ 1) and 12% (CMT ≥ 2) at quarter level, only resulting in a reduction in SCC of around 20,000 cells/mL at the first test day, if all quarters with CMT score ≥1 were treated with antibiotic. No differences in clinical mastitis incidence and milk yield in the first 100 d in milk were detected between any of the treatment groups. These study findings support selective quarter level dry off treatment only in cows with cow level SCC >200,000 cells/mL at dry off. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goat milk production sector is growing in Latvia, therefore detailed studies are required to examine goat milk suitability for cheese production. There is still not enough information about the chemical composition and quality of goat milk, and its connection with milk renneting properties. The objective of this study was to analyse the impact of milk composition and quality on goat milk renneting properties. Fat, protein, lactose, urea content, somatic cell count and freezing point were measured by infrared spectroscopy. The curd firmness was analysed by Texture Analyser TA.HD.plus (Stable Micro Systems, UK). In total, 34 samples, including bulk milk samples (n = 3) were analysed. The analysed breeds included the Latvian Native (n = 9), Saanen (n = 14) and milking crosses (closer to Anglo Nubian) (n = 8). The samples were arranged according to the lactation, somatic cell count and breeds. Obtained fat content varied from 1.72 to 4.67%, and the protein content - from 2.93 to 4.57% in individual goat milk samples. The highest fat to protein ratio was established in the Saanen breed goat milk (0.96), but the lowest - in milking crosses' milk (0.80). The highest somatic cell count was determined in the second lactation goat milk (1421 thous mL-1) and in milking crosses' goat milk (1027 thous mL-1). The somatic cell count influences curd firmness in cheese, and the highest fat to protein ratio was established in the first group samples with lower somatic cell count. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conflicting views between the dairy industry and the public about how dairy cows should be managed, together with an increase in the availability of alternatives to dairy foods, challenge future markets for milk producers. Members of the public value animal welfare as well as naturalness and grazing, but neither the relative importance of specific aspects of management nor the diversity of views underlying these preferences have been established. To better understand these issues, 2,054 UK citizens recruited through a research panel took part in an online survey. They were asked to rank 17 attributes relating to dairy cow management and milk production through the novel application of best–worst scaling, a discrete choice methodology that allows a trade-off between items. Hierarchical Bayesian analysis of the results revealed 3 attributes of equal top importance: (1) access to grazing, (2) cow health and welfare, and (3) cow comfort. Alongside this overarching ranking, underlying differences in preferences were identified in 6 approximately equally sized citizen groups within the sample, which were identified through latent class analysis. Each latent class expressed significantly different priorities from the other, and each had different indicative sociodemographic, attitudinal, experiential, and value-oriented characteristics, as established through a multinomial logistic model. If the diversity of preference between the citizen groups found in the sample is reflected within wider populations, there may be opportunities for the dairy industry to improve communication about positive practices, develop new dairy product markets, and consider changes to dairy farming systems to better meet different citizens' needs. Furthermore, the defining characteristics and priorities of each group raise the question of whether grazing in particular, but also other attributes presented within the study, is understood in different ways by different subgroups of citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Excessive negative energy balance in dairy cows was associated with a number of risk factors. • Significant individual cow risk factors included body condition score, parity and milk yield. • Significantly more cows had excessive negative energy balance in the summer (April to October). • Significant dietary risk factors included not feeding conserved forages to dry cows, and access to grazed grass. This study assessed risk factors associated with excessive negative energy balance (eNEB) in UK dairy cows between April 2006 and March 2015. Blood samples were analysed for β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and glucose. Following removal of all potential duplicate cows, a final dataset of 69,161 unique individual cows was obtained including biochemical results, individual cow and feed data. Generalised linear mixed-effect models and multivariable classification tree-based models showed that individual cow risk factors for eNEB included: (1) days relative to predicted calving date (dry cows); (2) days in milk (lactating cows); (3) body condition score (BCS; lactating cows ≥ BCS 4; OR 2.1); (4) milk yield (around 40 L per day); (5) parity (first lactation heifers; odds ratio [OR] 0.46 compared to older cows during lactation); and (6) chronic inflammatory conditions as assessed by globulin concentrations ≥ 50 g/L (OR 0.79 for cows with evidence of chronic inflammation). There was a higher prevalence during April to October (OR 1.19), and the lowest prevalence was in November. Feeding grass silage and wholecrop (silage made from cereal crops) to dry cows was associated with a reduced prevalence of eNEB, whereas access to grazed grass was associated with a higher prevalence in both the dry period (OR 1.32) and lactation (OR 1.33). Knowledge of the risk factors associated with eNEB in commercial dairy herds assists in both the implementation of herd monitoring programs and reduction of eNEB in dairy herds, with associated reductions in the risk of periparturient diseases and improved dairy cow performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Breastfeeding is one of the foundations of child health, development and survival. Breastmilk substitutes (BMS) are associated with negative influences on breastfeeding practices and subsequent health concerns and, as with all foods, production and consumption of BMS comes with an environmental cost. The carbon footprint (CFP) of production and consumption of BMS was estimated in this study. To illustrate regional differences among the largest producers and consumers, the CFP of BMS production in New Zealand, United States (USA), Brazil and France and the CFP of BMS consumption in United Kingdom (UK), China, Brazil and Vietnam were assessed. The CFP values were then compared with the CFP of breastfeeding arising from production of the additional food needed for breastfeeding mothers to maintain energy balance (approximately 500 kcal per day). The CFP of production was estimated to be 9.2 ± 1.4, 7.0 ± 1.0, 11 ± 2 and 8.4 ± 1.3 kg CO 2 e per kg BMS in New Zealand, USA, Brazil and France, respectively, with the largest contribution (68–82% of the total) coming from production of raw milk. The CFP of consumption, which included BMS production, emissions from transport, production and in-home sterilisation of bottles, and preparation of BMS, was estimated to be 11 ± 1, 14 ± 2, 14 ± 2 and 11 ± 1 kg CO 2 e per kg BMS in UK, China, Brazil and Vietnam, respectively. Comparison of breastfeeding with feeding BMS showed a lower CFP from breastfeeding in all countries studied. However, the results were sensitive to the method used to allocate emissions from raw milk production on different dairy processing co-products (i.e. BMS, cream, cheese and lactose). Using alternative allocation methods still resulted in lower CFP from breastfeeding, but only slightly for UK, Brazil and Vietnam. Care is also needed when interpreting findings about products that are functionally different as regards child health and development. Highlights • Feeding breastmilk substitutes has a larger carbon footprint than breastfeeding. • Dairy farming contributes most to the carbon footprint of breastmilk substitutes. • Sterilisation of bottles contributes most to consumption phase emissions. • The results are sensitive to the allocation method used for dairy co-products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Excessive negative energy balance affected 52% of UK dairy cows in late pregnancy. • In the first 20 days after calving, 75.2% of UK dairy cows were affected. • The herd prevalence of excessive negative energy balance was 37.5% in late pregnancy and 59.8% in early lactation. • Such excessive negative energy balance has been associated with harmful effects on cow health, milk production and fertility. The objectives of this study were to determine the individual animal and herd level prevalence of excessive negative energy balance (eNEB) in commercial UK dairy herds. Between April 2006 and March 2015, blood samples from 84,369 individual cows from 1748 different UK farms were received by a commercial laboratory service specializing in dairy cow nutritional monitoring. Following removal of all potential duplicate cows, the final dataset comprised 69,161 unique individual cows. The prevalence of eNEB was determined using plasma thresholds of β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and glucose. Overall prevalence of subclinical ketosis (SCK) in the first 20 days of lactation was 28.5%, 17.3% and 11.7% using BHB thresholds of 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4 mmol/L respectively. Prevalence of NEFA values ≥0.5 mmol/L in the last 10 days prior to calving was 26.0%, and 40.3% of cows had NEFA values ≥0.7 mmol/L in the first 20 days in milk (DIM). Combining BHB, NEFA and glucose showed that 52.0% of cows had one or more of the three biochemical measures of energy balance outside the respective threshold value in the last 10 days pre-calving, and 75.2% of cows showed a similar biochemical pattern in the first 20 DIM. The median herd prevalence of elevated BHB and/or NEFA was 37.5% in late pregnancy and 59.8% in the first 20 DIM, with substantial herd variation. Using multiple measures for the assessment of energy balance, this study has shown that eNEB affects substantial numbers of UK dairy cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Previous work has hypothesised that cows in low body condition become lame. We tested this in a prospective longitudinal study. Body condition score (BCS), causes of lameness and milk yield were collected from a 600-cow herd over 44-months. Mixed effect binomial models and a continuous outcome model were used to investigate the associations between lameness, BCS and milk yield. In total, 14,320 risk periods were obtained from 1137 cows. There were 1510 lameness treatments: the most common causes of lameness were sole ulcer (SU) (39%), sole haemorrhage (SH) (13%), digital dermatitis (DD) (10%) and white line disease (WLD) (8%). These varied by year and year quarter. Body condition was scored at 60-day intervals. BCS ranged from 1 to 5 with a mean of 2.5, scores were higher in very early lactation but varied widely throughout lactation; approximately 45% of scores were <2.5. The key finding was that BCS<2.5 was associated with an increased risk of treatment for lameness in the following 0–2 months and >2–4 months for all causes of lameness and also specifically for SU/WLD lameness. BCS<2.5 was associated with an increased risk of treatment for SH in the following 0–2 months but not >2–4 months. There was no such association with DD. All lameness, SU/WLD, SH and DD were significantly more likely to occur in cows that had been lame previously, but the effect of BCS was present even when all repeat cases of lameness were excluded from the analysis. Milk yield was significantly higher and fell in the month before treatment in cows lame with SU/WLD but it was not significantly higher for cows that were treated for DD compared with non-lame cows. These findings support the hypothesis that low BCS contributes to the development of horn related claw lameness but not infectious claw diseases in dairy cows. One link between low BCS and lameness is a thin digital cushion which has been proposed as a trigger for claw horn disease. Cows with BCS 2 produced more milk than cows with BCS 2.5, however, this was only approximately 100kg difference in yield over a 305-day lactation. Given the increased risk of lameness in cows with BCS 2, the direct costs of lameness and the small variability in milk yield by BCS, preventing cows from falling to BCS<2.5 would improve cow welfare and be economically beneficial. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Dairy cows are gregarious animals that are able to thrive in a stable social group and form long-lasting dyadic relationships. However, in the modern UK commercial dairy industry, cows are commonly regrouped/relocated as part of the management plan, forcing the cows to change social partners regularly. Social bonding in group-housed adult dairy cows and calves have been shown to be associated with spatial-proximity of conspecifics within the pen, with closer individuals establishing stronger relationships, but little is known about the influence of consistent social associations at the AMS on milk production in dairy cattle in a robotic milking system under commercial conditions. This study determined if there were consistent social associations during milking at AMS between cows in a free traffic system using the time between milking events (i.e. time between the next cow arriving and the preceding cow leaving) in the same pen on the same day retrieved from the AMS and whether these associations influence milk yield, fat and protein content. The relative association strengths, accounting for opportunity to associate, were calculated (i.e., the observed number of associations between pairs was divided by the number of days cows shared the same pen together) and used as the measure of social association between the cows. Multiple linear regression models in R were used to assess whether relative mean and maximum association strength scores (mean-centred) influenced average daily milk yield and for each composition trait depending on the parity. Associations among cows at the AMS were much more variable in strength than expected by chance, indicating the presence of consistent associations that might represent social preferences. Multiparous cows had stronger mean social association strength compared to the primiparous cows. Both mean and maximum association strengths were not related to average milk yield but were related to milk fat and protein percentages depending on the parity group. On average, multiparous cows had greater average daily milk yield compared to primiparous cows, however, a significant decrease in milk fat and protein percentage was found in multiparous (older) cows with increased mean association strength which did not occur in the primiparous (younger) cows. In conclusion, while consistent social associations at the AMS may bring benefits for younger cows, older cows may adjust their daily activity budgets to establish these associations, with consequences for their milk composition. • Lactating cows in an automated milking system possess consistent social associations. • Multiparous cows had stronger mean social association strength than primiparous. • Average daily milk yield was not related to association strengths in all cows. • Stronger associations were associated with lower milk fat and protein % in multiparous cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The goat population in Great Britain (GB), which is mostly oriented to milk production, is small compared to that in other European Union (EU) countries and contributes a very small fraction of the total livestock production. The recent confirmation and cull of scrapie-affected goat herds has raised the concern that the risk of re-introducing scrapie by mass restocking after the cull of a scrapie-affected herd, may not have been fully considered at the time of implementing statutory eradication measures. A conditional probability model has been developed to estimate the probability of introducing at least one animal infected with classical scrapie into a British goat herd under two scenarios: restocking over one year under normal operating conditions (Scenario 1); and restocking post a whole herd cull as part of the compulsory eradication measures (Scenario 2). Several of the parameters were based on expert opinion, as there is a paucity of data regarding goat industry norms for all sectors. Considering all herds, of which 99% have less than 100 animals, the probability of introduction is approximately 2 times higher for Scenario (2) than for Scenario (1). The risk of subsequently re-introducing the disease through the introduction of replacement stock is not insignificant, although it can be considered very low for the vast majority of herds (>99%). In the case of very large herds (>1000 heads), mass restocking would almost certainly reintroduce the disease since it would require purchases from a very large number of herds. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An 'early threshold' protocol for treating cows within 48 h of being detected lame in one or more hind limbs at fortnightly mobility scoring was tested on a randomly selected group of cattle on four commercial dairy farms. The outcomes of the early threshold treatment for first cases of lameness were compared with those of the farmers' conventional approach to treatment. The early threshold schedule resulted in a much shorter time to treatment than the conventional approach, for which the median time from the cow first being scored lame to treatment was 65 days. The early threshold group presented with less severe foot lesions and cattle were less likely to be selected for further treatments by the farmer than conventionally treated cows. Early threshold treatment reduced the prevalence of lameness 4 weeks after treatment, compared with controls. A clear effect of the early treatment on milk yield was not detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigated the effect of lameness, measured by locomotion score (LS) on the somatic cell count (SCC) of UK dairy cows. The data set consisted of 11,141 records of SCC and LS collected monthly on 12 occasions from 1,397 cows kept on 7 farms. The data were analyzed to account for the correlation of repeated measures of SCC within cow. Results were controlled for farm of origin, stage of lactation, parity, season, and test-day milk yield. Compared with the geometric mean SCC for cows with LS 1 on each farm, cows on farm 3 with LS 2 produced milk with 28,000 fewer somatic cells/mL, and cows with LS 2 on farm 6 produced milk with 30,000 fewer somatic cells/mL at a test day within 10 d. Cows that would have LS 3 six months later produced milk with 16,000 fewer somatic cells/mL compared with the geometric mean SCC for cows that would have LS 1 in 6 mo time. These results illustrate differences in disease dynamics between farms, highlight potential conflict between lameness and mastitis control measures, and emphasize the importance of developing farm-specific estimates of disease costs, and hence, health management plans in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the leptin, leptin receptor, and neuropeptide Y (NPY) genes with growth, milk production, and fertility traits. Holstein Friesian heifers from 19 UK dairy farms were recruited at birth, providing an initial population of 509. Animals were monitored until they either reached the end of their second lactation or were culled. Size (weight, height, length, girth) was measured at 1, 6, and 15 mo to assess growth traits. Heifer fertility was assessed by recording age at service, age at conception, age at first calving, and number of services. Cow fertility was assessed by recording days from calving to service and conception, services per conception, percentage of animals in calf at 100 d after calving and the calving interval in each lactation. Milk production was recorded as days in milk, total milk per lactation, 305-d yield, milk per day, and peak yield. Mixed model analyses revealed that leptin SNP were associated with early skeletal growth (height, A1457G; length, A59V), fertility (UASMS1, UASMS2, A1457G, A59V) and milk production (A59V). The leptin receptor SNP (T945M) was only weakly associated with milk per day and days to first service. The NPY SNP (NPY1) was associated with the prevalence of the animal being in calf 100 d after calving and 305d milk yield in the first lactation. The association of leptin SNP with fertility traits in heifers, in addition to lactating cows, suggests that some effects on fertility are direct and not necessarily mediated via altered tissue mobilization. In accord with this, other work has shown that leptin can affect oocyte quality and early embryo development. These results support the use of leptin SNP to inform marker-assisted selection in dairy cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluating the prevalence of lameness within herds of dairy cattle is important for management and certification purposes; however, sampling strategies that could reduce the time taken for an assessment would be valuable. The prevalence of lame and severely lame cows on 224 United Kingdom dairy farms was available for analysis. Presence of more than 1 severely lame cow on a farm was a useful indication of a lameness problem. The vast majority (80%) of the 182 farms that had ⩾1 severely lame cow present had an overall lameness prevalence >25%, whereas only 24% of the 42 farms that had no severely lame cows had an overall prevalence >25%. Information was available on individual milking order through the parlor on the day of the lameness assessment. On 37 farms where cows were housed in a group, lameness prevalence was 11.9% greater in the last third compared with the first third of the milking order. For 36 herds that were larger than 100 cows, sampling a maximum of 100 cows from the middle of the milking order produced an estimate of prevalence within 5% of the true prevalence on 83% of farms. A reasonable sampling strategy may, therefore, be to observe up to 100 cows from the middle of the milking order. Also, presence of severely lame cows at the end of milking may be useful for identifying those farms likely to benefit from further support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment examined the long-term effects of offering diets containing low levels of dietary phosphorus (P) on dairy cow health, fertility and bone composition, and the effect of dietary P level on nutrient utilisation. One hundred winter-calving Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were offered diets containing either 'high' or 'low' levels of dietary P over a 4-year period. Rations offered during the winter included grass silage, maize silage (70 : 30 dry matter (DM) basis, approximately) and concentrates (10.0 to 12.0 kg/cow per day). During the summer periods in years 1 and 2, half of the cows grazed both day and night, while the remaining cows grazed by day, and were housed by night and offered grass silage. During years 3 and 4, all cows grazed both day and night during the summer period. Concentrate feed levels during the summer periods were 3.0 to 4.0 kg/cow per day. Different dietary P levels were achieved by offering concentrates containing either high or low P levels during the winter period (approximately 7.0 or 4.4 g P/kg DM, respectively) and during the summer period (approximately 6.8 or 3.6 g P/kg DM, respectively). Total ration P levels averaged 4.9 and 3.6 g P/kg DM for the high and low P winter diets, respectively, and 4.2 and 3.6 g P/kg DM for the high and low P summer diets, respectively. A total of 95, 70, 50 and 22 cows completed each of lactations from 1 to 4, respectively. Neither the incidence of lameness or mastitis, or milk somatic cell count, were affected by dietary P level (P>0.05), while none of the fertility parameters recorded in any of lactations from 1 to 4 was affected by the dietary P level (P<0.05). Dietary P level had no effect on the specific gravity, ash or calcium content of rib cortical bone cores (n=78 cows), while the P content of cortical bone (g/kg fresh, g/kg DM and mg/ml fresh bone) was lower with cows offered low P diets (P>0.05). Dietary P level had no significant effect on the digestibility of either the DM, nitrogen, energy or acid detergent fibre fraction of the diet (P>0.05), while faecal P excretions were reduced by a mean of 27 g/cow per day with cows offered the low P diets during the winter period. The results of this study indicate that dietary P levels can be reduced to proportionately 0.8 (approximately) of current UK feeding standards (Agricultural and Food Research Council, 1991), with no detrimental effect on dairy cow health or fertility, while having only minor effects on bone composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The degree of relatedness was studied in 3 dairy cow populations from Great Britain (GBR), Italy (ITA), and Ireland (IRL) by using cows born from 2003 to 2006. Effective population size, inbreeding coefficient (F), and average relationship in the top and bottom 4,000 cows ranked on a profit index value (PIV) or milk yield evaluations were studied. Average inbreeding was approximately 2% in GBR and ITA, was 1% in IRL, but was slightly more than 2% when the joint pedigree was used. The average F for the joint population was 10 to 15% higher than estimates averaged across the 3 populations, reflecting the increased completeness of pedigree information in the joint pedigree. Effective population size in the joint pedigree was approximately 12% lower than estimates within the individual countries. The average genetic relationships for the top 4,000 PIV cows were not markedly different from those based on milk evaluation in GBR and ITA, but were approximately 2% lower in IRL. This was due to the use of an index with less weight on production traits in IRL compared with GBR and ITA. However, selection of the top 4,000 cows on PIV reduced the degree of relatedness across the 3 countries. The use of common sires accounted for most of the relatedness across the 3 countries, more than did the use of related sires or common foreign dams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Milk sold as pasteurized has historically been implicated in the UK and worldwide as a vehicle for outbreaks of food-borne gastrointestinal disease, with a number of causative pathogenic organisms. One such organism is Verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli, or E. coli, O157 (VTEC O157). We present a quantitative assessment of likely exposure to VTEC O157 via milk sold as pasteurized in the UK. Particular interest in our assessment concerns whether there is any differential risk between milk which is processed in on- and off-farm dairies. We model the milk production chain from the farm through to the point of retail and make a comparison between these two production environments. Our model is an example of the Modular Process Risk Modelling (MPRM) approach and represents uncertainty and variability in input parameters using probability distributions. We conclude that milk processed on farm poses the comparatively greater risk, although that risk is still small. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

There have been increases in the number of organic dairy farms in the UK in recent years. However, there is little information on the impact of organic regulations on cow welfare. As part of a larger study, we aimed to investigate differences between organic and non-organic farms in management practices and winter housing quality. Forty organic and 40 non-organic farms throughout the UK were visited. Organic and non-organic farms were paired for housing type, and as far as possible for herd size, genetic merit and location. A detailed questionnaire covering key aspects of dairy management was carried out with each farmer. On a subset of twenty pairs, an assessment of the quality of the winter housing for both lactating and dry cows was undertaken, covering the parlour, bedding, loafing and feeding areas. Management practices and building conditions varied greatly within farm types and there was considerable overlap between organic and non-organic farms. Milk yield, level and composition of concentrate feed, management of heifers and calving, and use of ?alternative treatments? to prevent and treat mastitis differed between organic and non-organic farms. In all other respects there were no differences between farm types. Building dimensions per cow did not differ, even though organic recommendations advise greater space per cow than recommended for non-organic farms. The similarity between organic and non-organic farms in most respects indicates that cow housing and health, based on both the described management regimes and the farmers' perceptions of disease incidence, on organic dairy farms is neither compromised by the regulations, nor considerably better than on non-organic farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper we evaluated the distributional effects on actors in the milk market of a hypothetical programme to eradicate bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) from the Scottish dairy herd. With this in mind, we applied an economic welfare methodology which utilizes data on price, on output quantity, on elasticities of supply and demand and on simulated cost and yield effects of an eradication programme. Our analysis is based on Markov-chain Monte Carlo simulation of BVD spread in the dairy herd. We found that consequent upon the eradication of the disease milk yield per cow increased for all herd sizes in Scotland whereas milk price received by farmers fell. Consequently, milk consumers gained around £11 million in discounted economic surplus and producers with infected herds gained around £39 million whereas producers with un-infected herds lost around £2 million in discounted surplus. On balance, however, the eradication programme generated around £ 47 million in discounted economic gain for Scotland. We found that the results are sensitive to changes in yield gains made by owners of the infected herd. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The object of this study was to investigate the genetics of lactation curve parameters derived from a biological model of lactation and the relationships among them. This biological model fitted 2 logistic curves to mimic the initial increase in milk secretory cell numbers in early lactation and the progression of apoptosis in late lactation. Records from 82,255 Holstein-Friesian heifers from commercial dairy herds in the United Kingdom, recorded from 1994 to 2003, were analyzed. The heritabilities of 2 lactation curve parameters, maximum secretion potential and relative cell death rate, were 0.27 and 0.08 respectively. Maximum secretion potential was highly genetically correlated with peak yield (0.99), and relative cell death rate was highly correlated with persistency of lactation (0.84). Heritability values for the traits analyzed showed a characteristic pattern. Total milk yield traits, maximum secretion potential, and peak yield had similar and moderate heritabilities (~0.3). Traits associated with late lactation had lower heritability values (~0.1), whereas day of peak yield and early lactation traits had little genetic variation. The permanent environmental variance of the various traits ranged from 0.08 to 0.26 of the phenotypic variance. Parameters from the 2 logistic curves were not highly correlated, suggesting that selection programs could be devised to exploit genetic variation in both aspects of lactation independently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent decline in dairy cow fertility appears to be a feature of several countries and is often linked to increased milk production, but its causes are not always obvious. A fully recorded 200-cow dairy herd, split into 2 genetic lines maintained on 2 production systems, was used to investigate the relationship between several measures of fertility, production, and energy balance. The 2 genetic lines were composed of a selection line, derived from the highest genetic merit bulls available, and a control line, maintained at the average of UK genetic merit at the time of mating. The production systems were a high-concentrate and a high-forage system. Thrice-weekly milk progesterone samples allowed an objective measurement of luteal cycling activity, and farm observations of estrus, services, and calving provided data on various measures of fertility. Energy balance in early lactation was calculated from daily live weight and weekly BCS measurements. Control line cows commenced luteal activity (C-LA) 6 d before selection line cows, had their first heat 14 d earlier, and had longer gestation periods by 3.7 d. They also had a lower incidence of silent heats. Cows on the high-forage system commenced luteal activity 6 d before those on the high-concentrate system, had longer gestation intervals by 3.9 d, held to first service better, had longer luteal phases and shorter interluteal periods in their estrus cycles. Characteristics of energy balance were used to see if they could account for the fertility differences between both genetic lines and systems. The commencement of luteal activity and day of first heat were analyzed using a REML mixed model approach. Mean energy content and mean energy balance over the first 25 d of lactation had an effect on C-LA and accounted for the differences found between production systems but not genetic lines. Day of energy balance nadir, mean energy content in the first 25 d, and C-LA affected day of first heat, but the differences between genetic lines were still apparent. These results suggest a link between high performance and reduced dairy cow fertility; high performance originating from different feeding systems was largely due to differences in energy balance, whereas those originating from genetics remained when energy balance characteristics were taken into account. This suggests a real genetic change in fertility due to selection for high genetic merit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper undertakes a critical examination of the rationalisation of British dairy farming in the early twentieth century, with a particular focus upon the emergence of milk yield recording as a vehicle of rationalisation. The historical analysis is used to rework and rethink the concept of rationalisation itself, by conceiving it as a disciplinary technology of ontological purification, which reconfigures the relations between humans and nonhumans, and between humans and animals in particular. In this way I seek to integrate contrasting approaches to modernity, showing how the core sociological narrative of rationalisation can be re-worked in terms of a Foucauldian conception of disciplinary power and a symmetrical or ‘actor-network’ approach to ontological politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financially, mastitis is one of the most important diseases affecting dairy cattle in the United Kingdom. Seven commercial farms were monitored over a 2.5 year period and data from 1040 cows were included in a study that examined both straw yard and cubicle housing systems. The influence of genetic merit for milk production PIN95 and PTAf+p) on somatic cell counts (SCC) as an indicator of mastitis under commercial farm conditions was assessed. The mean genetic potential (£PIN95) was 39.0 (±0.80) and the mean 305-day milk yield (kg) was 7980 (±54.2). In all, 5618 monthly records of SCC and 1040 records of 305-day SCC were included in the analysis. A multiple regression model was used to assess the influence of genetic merit and the level of concentrate intake on SCC (the log10 transformation was used) under the two housing systems. Significant interactions between genetic merit and housing system, and concentrate intake and housing system were found. Log10 SCC increased with genetic merit when cows were housed in straw yard accommodation, but decreased when cows were housed in cubicle accommodation. The increase in SCC with concentrate feeding was higher for straw yards. For parity 2 animals, there was a significant positive correlation between PIN95 and SCC (rp = 0.184, P = 0.003) but the correlations between 305-day milk production and SCC were negative for animals greater than parity 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sample of dairy farms in Great Britain with a monthly bulk milk somatic cell count of less than 150,000 cells/mi was enrolled into a 12-month prospective study. At the end of the study, a questionnaire on milking practice and other farm management practices was sent to the 482 farmers who had collected data on the occurrence of mastitis throughout the 12 months. The response rate was 93 per cent. The reported mean incidence of clinical mastitis was 36-9 cases per 100 cow-years. Factors associated with an increase in the incidence of clinical mastitis were cleaning out the straw yard less frequently than every six weeks, more than 5 per cent of cows leaking milk outside the parlour, checking the foremilk, wearing gloves during milking, an average annual milk yield of more than 7000 litres per cow, dipping or spraying teats before milking and keeping milk with a high somatic cell count out of the bulk tank. Factors associated with a decrease in the incidence of clinical mastitis were using a cloth to dry the teats after washing them as part of premilking preparation, using calving boxes for less than 40 per cent of calvings, and using both cubicles and straw yards to house dry cows, as opposed to other housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluates the presence of previously identified quantitative trait loci for milk production traits in new populations of black and white cattle from Great Britain. Linear transformation of the traits into genetically and phenotypically independent variables normalized by phenotypic variances; Effects of chromosomal regions on untransformed traits; Evidence of loci affecting milk production traits.

Family farming is an important element in British agriculture, particularly dairying. The nature of specialized milk production by family farmers is intricately linked to the activities of the Milk Marketing Board (M.M.B.). This article traces the history of the Milk Marketing Board and assesses its impact on dairy producers. The Board is taken as an example of corporatist arrangements in the political management of the agricultural economy, and the article explores a number of issues central to the debate on corporatism. The Board is seen to be a powerful form of representation of dairy farmers to government, and at the same time a means of regulation of members through the implementation of a number of modernizing policies. Questions of the accountability of the Board to consumers, farmers and government are raised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimates the farm level, econometric, cost function for dairy farms in England and Wales used as a basis for estimating changes in the size structure and regional distribution of milk production. Recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) as a milk yield enhancing factor; Effects of the adoption of rBST.

Information on the losses associated with lower milk production and reproductive performance, as well as information from a survey of UK dairy herds using beef semen was used to estimate the economic importance of calving difficulties in UK dairy herds. The survey covered information on cow and calf mortality, cow culling and the need for veterinary assistance, the incidences of which were related to the degree of calving difficulty experienced. The total cost of a slightly difficult calving was estimated to be approximately El 10, and of a seriously difficult calving between E350 and E400, depending on assumptions of the veterinary costs. However, the major costs were associated with the labour required at the delivery, the increase in the number of days open, and the costs associated with the deaths of cows and calves, and cow culling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While milk is a major agricultural commodity, dairy farming also supports a large share of global beef production. In Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies of dairy farming systems, dairy-beef production is often ignored or 'allocated off', which may give a distorted view of production efficiencies. This study combines LCA with Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to develop an indicator of eco-efficiency for each of 738 UK dairy farms (3624 data points in 15 years) that aggregates multiple burdens and expresses them per unit of milk and dairy-beef produced. Within the DEA framework, the importance (weight) of dairy-beef relative to milk is iteratively increased to quantify the environmental losses from heavily focussing on milk-production, via e.g. higher yields per cow, with consequent lower burdens per unit of milk, yet with lower dairy-beef production levels, where burdens for beef production are externalized. Then, the relationship between DEA eco-efficiency and a series of indicators of dairy farming intensity at animal- and farm-levels was studied with Generalized Additive Models (GAM). For all sets of DEA weights (proportion of deviance explained ranged between 68% and 82%) indicate that milk yield per cow and forage area, and larger dairy herds all have a positive effect on eco-efficiency, while concentrate fed per unit of milk and the forage area both have a negative effect (p < 0.05 for all modelled relationships). These findings suggest that more intensive and consolidated dairy farms can positively impact on eco-efficiency. However, as the DEA weight for dairy-beef relative to milk increases, the relationship between environmental efficiency and farming specialization (expressed as L milk per kg dairy-beef produced) reverses from positive to negative. In conclusion, dairy-beef production is pivotal in determining the wider environmental efficiency of dairy (and ruminant food) systems, and its under-representation in efficiency studies has generated a misleading approach to meeting emission targets. • An aggregate indicator dairy farm environmental efficiency was calculated. • The indicator accounted for dairy-beef production in addition to milk output. • The relative weight of dairy-beef-to-milk was simulated at varying levels. • The relationship between farming intensity and environmental efficiency was modelled. • Dairy-beef played a key role in determining dairy farm environmental efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dairy products provide a crucial source of dietary iodine for the majority of the UK population, contributing approximately 30–40 % of daily intake. Fluctuations in the iodine content of purchased milk both seasonally and annually implies potential fragility of iodine supply likely through fluctuating supplementation practices in cow herds. We set out to establish the level of national variation in herds and identify factors which might impact milk iodine content. Milk samples were obtained from 98 herds across the UK via the National Milk Laboratories in August and December 2016. Iodine concentration of samples was measured using ICP-MS. Milk samples and feed intake data were additionally taken from 22 cows from the University of Nottingham (UON) dairy herd. There was considerable variation in milk iodine content from < 0.012 (Limit of Detection) to 1558 μg L−1, with a summer median of 197 μg L−1 and winter median 297 μg L−1. Overall, winter values were higher than summer counterparts (P < 0.001) and this held true for samples taken from the North West (P = 0.002) and South West (P = 0.006) but not for other regions studied. Data from the UON herd showed a negative relationship between iodine content and milk yield (P = 0.03) and we found that milk iodine content varied considerably despite apparently similar iodine intakes. Regional differences in milk iodine concentration between summer and winter suggests that feeding practices are far from uniform across the country. The negative association observed between iodine concentration and milk yield in UON samples, suggests that reduced summer values may be influenced by dilution in addition to seasonal differences in concentrate feed provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Milk and beef production generates environmental burdens globally and locally. Across many regions a typical dairy intensification pathway is for dairy farms to specialize on milk production and reduce the co-production of beef (i.e. 'dairy-beef'). Dairy-beef thus reduces and beef needs to be produced elsewhere if beef production is to be maintained. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies quantifying the environmental implications of dairy and beef production have largely focused on the farm level and not captured system connections. Further LCA work has generally represented the 'average' farm of a region, consequently ignoring the range in farm management observed in practice and few studies consider a range of LCA environmental footprints other than carbon footprints. For the first time, we present comprehensive LCA results for multiple environmental burdens based on a large panel dataset for commercial dairy and suckler-beef farms. We present a 15-year LCA assessment of a total of 738 dairy (3624 data points in 15 years) and 1887 suckler-beef (10,340 data points in 15 years) UK farms for five major LCA footprints. We also explore the footprint implications of compensating for reduced dairy-beef through producing this 'displaced' beef on suckler-beef farms. We found a substantial variation in farm footprints not captured in 'average farm' studies. Dairy-beef was much more efficient than beef produced on suckler-beef farms in terms of footprints per unit of beef output. Reducing dairy-beef and replacing it on a suckler-beef farm generally significantly increased environmental burdens. A reduction in carbon footprint was also associated with a reduction in other burdens suggesting no trade-off between local and global emissions. Increasing dairy farm diversification via higher dairy-beef output per unit of milk reduced burdens by up to 11–56%, on average, depending on burden and sensitivity run. We conclude that overspecialization of dairy farms in milk production increases the combined burdens from beef and milk, and that more intensive beef systems that make more efficient use of forage land play a crucial role in mitigating these burdens. Unlabelled Image • A 15-year Life Cycle Assessment of commercial dairy and beef farms was conducted. • Footprint effect of increasing the milk:beef ratio of dairy farms was also studied. • For both farm types, no trade-off was found between local and global emissions. • Reducing the milk:beef ratio of dairy farms decreased burdens by up to 11–56%. • Higher beef farm stocking rates and improved forage utilization mitigated burdens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Johne's disease (JD) is an important disease affecting cows in the UK dairy industry, as is lameness, and both cause milk production losses and cows losing weight. The aim of this work was to see if cows with JD were more likely to be lame and if so, what the order of occurrence of these two events is. We looked at the JD and lameness records of two farms and paired 98 JD cows (half of them with a high response to the test for JD) and compared them with herd mates. We evaluated the timing and the proportion of lameness in JD-positive cows compared to their controls and proportion of lameness before and after the first JD-positive test. JD cows turn lame on average three months earlier and are lame 2.7 times more often than non-JD cows. Further, high positive cows were 2.8 times more likely to develop lameness after JD diagnosis compared to medium positive cows. Results of this study suggest that there is a link between JD and lameness and that JD precedes lameness. The underlying mechanisms for this association remain unknown and were not the scope of this study. Johne's disease (JD) is an important disease affecting the UK dairy industry, as is cattle lameness. An association between JD and lameness has been suggested; however, little evidence exists to support this. The purpose of this study was to determine if cows affected by JD were more likely to be lame and if so, what the temporal association is. Retrospective dairy cow mobility and JD status (based on milk ELISA) data were obtained from two farms of 98 JD cows (49 high and 49 medium positive) and their matched controls. We evaluated the timing and the proportion of (chronic) lameness in JD-positive cows versus controls and proportion of lameness before and after the first ELISA positive test. Compared to their controls, JD cows are lame more often (Odds Ratio = 2.7 (95% Confidence Interval = 1.2–6.0) p = 0.017) and became lame on average three months earlier (p = 0.010). High positive cows were more likely to develop lameness after seroconversion (OR = 2.8 (95% CI = 1.1–7.5), p = 0.038) versus medium positive cows. Results of this study suggest that there is a link between JD and lameness and that JD precedes lameness. The underlying mechanisms for this association remain unknown and were not the scope of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]