Donata Cattaneo

EFFECTS OF RECOMBINANT BOVINE SOMATOTROPIN (RBST) ON PRODUCTIVE AND PHYSIOLOGICAL-PARAMETERS RELATED TO DAIRY-COW WELFARE

Two trials have been carried out to evaluate welfare implications or rbST treatment in dairy cows. 1st trial: effects of rbST and F/C ratio on milk production traits, reproductive, metabolic and endocrine parameters were examined. Forty Italian Holstein Friesians (70 d post-partum) were divided into 4 groups: low concentrate (LC); high concentrate (HC); LC+rbST; HC=rbST. LC and HC groups were fed 0.35 and 0.50 kg concentrate/kg of milk yield >18kg. rbST (640 mg/cow) was injected at 28 d intervals for 112 d. 2nd trial: 4 dairy cows (191 d post-partum), each fitted with rumen cannula, were used in a crossover design to examine influence of rbST (640 mg/28 d) on rumen parameters. There was an average increase of 19% in 4% FCM for rbST versus control cows (24.6 vs. 21.0; 18.33 vs. 15.15 kg/d). Milk composition was unaffected except for a decrease (P<0.01) in milk protein percentage of LC+rbST group (2.87% vs. 2.94%). Days open were unaffected by rbST. Seven days post-injection, rbST significantly increased plasma GH, glucose, NEFA, triglyceride, phospholipid, insulin, somatostatin, lowered plasma urea and did not affect plasma total protein, albumin and total cholesterol. Somatotropin did not influence ruminal pH (6.08 vs. 6.10), concentrations of ruminal ammonia (8.28 mg/100 ml vs. 10.48 mg/100 ml), trotal ruminal VFA (111.73 mmol/1 vs. 114.09 mmol/1) and their molar proportion and liquid passage rate (14%/h).

Development of a Machine Vision Method for the Monitoring of Laying Hens and Detection of Multiple Nest Occupations

Free range systems can improve the welfare of laying hens. However, the access to environmental resources can be partially limited by social interactions, feeding of hens, and productivity, can be not stable and damaging behaviors, or negative events, can be observed more frequently than in conventional housing systems. In order to reach a real improvement of the hens’ welfare the study of their laying performances and behaviors is necessary. With this purpose, many systems have been developed. However, most of them do not detect a multiple occupation of the nest negatively affecting the accuracy of data collected. To overcome this issue, a new “nest-usage-sensor” was developed and tested. It was based on the evaluation of thermografic images, as acquired by a thermo-camera, and the performing of patter recognitions on images acquired from the nest interior. The sensor was setup with a “Multiple Nest Occupation Threshold” of 796 colored pixels and a template of triangular shape and sizes of 43 × 33 pixels (high per base). It was tested through an experimental nesting system where 10 hens were reared for a month. Results showed that the evaluation of thermografic images could increase the detection performance of a multiple occupation of the nest and to apply an image pattern recognition technique could allow for counting the number of hens in the nest in case of a multiple occupation. As a consequence, the accuracy of data collected in studies on laying performances and behaviors of hens, reared in a free-range housing system, could result to be improved.

Selenium and Poultry Products: Nutritional and Safety Implications

Selenium (Se) is both an essential nutrient for humans and animals and a toxicant at excess levels in foods. Its content in animal products reflects that of the feeds consumed.

First Evaluation of Infrared Thermography as a Tool for the Monitoring of Udder Health Status in Farms of Dairy Cows

The aim of the present study was to test infrared thermography (IRT), under field conditions, as a possible tool for the evaluation of cow udder health status. Thermographic images (n. 310) from different farms (n. 3) were collected and evaluated using a dedicated software application to calculate automatically and in a standardized way, thermographic indices of each udder. Results obtained have confirmed a significant relationship between udder surface skin temperature (USST) and classes of somatic cell count in collected milk samples. Sensitivity and specificity in the classification of udder health were: 78.6% and 77.9%, respectively, considering a level of somatic cell count (SCC) of 200,000 cells/mL as a threshold to classify a subclinical mastitis or 71.4% and 71.6%, respectively when a threshold of 400,000 cells/mL was adopted. Even though the sensitivity and specificity were lower than in other published papers dealing with non-automated analysis of IRT images, they were considered acceptable as a first field application of this new and developing technology. Future research will permit further improvements in the use of IRT, at farm level. Such improvements could be attained through further image processing and enhancement, and the application of indicators developed and tested in the present study with the purpose of developing a monitoring system for the automatic and early detection of mastitis in individual animals on commercial farms.

Through ruminant nutrition to human health: role of fatty acids

In the last decades, a new awareness on human nutrition has increased and the concept of ‘food’ has changed from ‘source of nutrients for body’s needs’ to ‘health promoter’. Fruits and vegetables have always been considered beneficial for human health. More recent studies have demonstrated that bioactive components are also present in animal-derived foods, such as milk and dairy products. A broader concept of ‘nutritional safety’ implies the knowledge of how the nutrients contained in animal-derived foods positively affect human health, and how to increase their content. The improvement of dairy products fatty acid (FA) composition can involve strategies in animal nutrition. This review aims to discuss the role of FAs supplementation in ameliorating milk fat composition, environmental impact and animal health. In particular, we have focused on the role of n-3 and CLA FAs and how animal nutrition strategies can positively affect both human and animal health. Several studies have demonstrated that through adequate nutritional strategies is possible to manipulate and improve FA composition of milk and derived products (cheese). Moreover, feeding animals with n-3 FAs has proved to reduce emission of methane (CH 4 ), but further nutritional strategies are needed in order to address this crucial environmental issue. In relation to animal health, n-3 FAs have been proved to modulate immune and inflammatory response in dairy ruminants. Recent studies have addressed the potential programming effects of increased maternal n-3 polyunsaturated FAs intake on offspring’s immune functions showing that feeding bioactive FAs to pregnant animals can affect progeny health status.