Giuseppe De Rosa

Lambs prevented from suckling their mothers display behavioral, immune and endocrine disturbances.

The aim of the experiment was to assess the effects of either maternal deprivation or prevented suckling on lambs. Thirty Comisana lambs were assigned to a control dam-suckled group (DS) and two test groups of 10 each. Test lambs were maintained with their mothers 24 to 30 h after parturition and subsequently offered ewe milk from buckets: EM lambs were separated from their mothers, while EM+D animals were reared with their dams but suckling was denied by covering ewe udders with juta bags. Behavioral, immune and cortisol responses of lambs were assessed throughout the experiment. EM+D lambs spent less time (P<.001) on investigative behavior compared to the two other groups. When isolated in a novel environment, EM+D lambs exhibited a shorter duration of movement (P<.01) and a longer latency time compared to DS and EM lambs (P<.001 and P<.05, respectively) as well as a higher number of bleats (P<.01) than EM lambs. EM+D lambs also displayed higher (P<.001) plasma cortisol levels than the other two groups when isolated at 4 days of age. When subjected to discrimination tests, EM+D lambs spent less time near their companions (P<.01) than EM lambs and took a longer time to reach their pen mates (P<.01) than DS and EM lambs. EM+D lambs displayed reduced growth (P<.001) compared to DS animals during the 0-7 and 8-14-day periods. We conclude that frustration arising from maternal feeding deprivation results in altered endocrine and behavioral responses and reduced growth suggesting emotional disturbances of lambs.

Positive indicators of cattle welfare and their applicability to on-farm protocols

Abstract Most of the research on animal welfare has focused on the negative aspects of the matter including an array of stress categories, whereas little has been done about the positive states of well being. The present study aims to describe indicators of positive animal welfare suitable for on-farm assessment. Appropriate environmental stimulation favours good welfare and, in an adequately enriched environment, positive indicators of welfare such as play behaviour tend to be more common. In addition, animals are motivated to perform these behaviours only if their primary needs are satisfied. In cattle, beneficial effects of social licking have been observed with positive correlation between being licked vs. milk production and weight gain, respectively. Ruminants are gregarious and a high degree of synchronisation within the herd may indicate a positive welfare state, in particular for subordinate animals. They may be able to meet their basic feeding and resting requirements performing these behaviours when the competition for a particular resource is low, however their welfare state would be improved if they could choose when and where (i.e. along with the other members of the group) to perform such behaviours. Due to the reduced applicability (mainly young animals), low feasibility (time consuming) and lack of research on reliability, play behaviour, albeit of proven validity, does not appear to be suitable for a rapid implementation in a welfare assessment scheme. Social licking is rarely expressed and its detection may be time consuming and scarcely feasible. Although validity and reliability need more studies, behaviour synchrony seems to be a promising positive welfare indicator as the instantaneous scan sampling technique makes this indicator easily applicable. Recently, a new methodology called “qualitative assessment of animal behaviour” has been developed. The method relies on a number of terms which are freely generated by observers. Thus, when positive aspects are observed they can be rated on a quantitative scale. Because of its high inter- and intra-observer reliability, this method appears to be the most promising.

On-farm welfare assessment in dairy cattle and buffaloes: evaluation of some animal-based parameters

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the repeatability of some animal related variables, which could be used in protocols developed for assessing animal welfare at farm level. Recordings were performed in seven dairy farms (four for cattle and three for buffaloes). The animals were observed on three occasions at three-week intervals. The variables collected for each animal were the following: behaviour during milking (stepping and kicking), avoidance distance, lameness and cleanliness. For each farm and each variable repeatability was computed using the Kendall coefficient of concordance (W). In buffalo farms avoidance distance may be considered highly reliable (W > 0.64), whereas in dairy cattle its reliability ranged from medium (W = 0.43 to 0.59) to high (W = 0.64). Behavioural recordings at milking showed that the reliability of stepping was either medium or high for both buffaloes and cattle (W = 0.51 to 0.66 and W = 0.52 to 0.76 for buffaloes and cattle, respectively). Conversely, kicking was less reliable. In cattle farms the reliability for cleanliness ranged from medium (W = 0.51) to high (W = 0.62 to 0.71), whereas, it was not reliable in the sole buffalo farm where this variable was monitored. In cattle farms, the concordance for lameness score was high in two farms (W = 0.62 and 0.66) and moderate in one farm (W = 0.43), whereas no animals displayed lameness in the fourth farm. In all buffalo farms no animals showed lameness. For each species, the Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance with one factor (farm) was performed to evaluate the effect of farm on recorded variables. For cattle, avoidance distance (P<0.001), stepping (P<0.001), cleanliness (P<0.001) and lameness (P<0.01) were affected by farm, whereas kicking was not significantly different between farms. In buffaloes a significant effect of farm was observed only for avoidance distance (P<0.01). The Mann-Whitney U test performed on data obtained from the farm where both species were present showed that avoidance distance was lower in buffaloes than cattle (P<0.001). This variable is reliable, feasible and able to discriminate among farms. Lameness and cleanliness scores were able to discriminate only cattle farms, whereas these two parameters, albeit feasible, seem to have low significance for buffaloes. Although stepping during milking was reliable and different among cattle farms, its use in on-farm assessment may be difficult because it is more time consuming, thus less feasible.

Entrance order and side preference of dairy cows in the milking parlour

Abstract Sixty-seven multiparous (group M) and 79 primiparous (group P) Friesian cows were used to assess the consistency of the order of entry and the preference for a determinate side into the milking parlour. The Kendall’s coefficient of concordance showed a constancy of the entrance order into milking parlour for both primiparous and multiparous subjects (0.36, P<0.001). In primiparous cows milk yield was significantly correlated to entrance order (rs=0.22, n=79, P<0.05) and tended to be correlated to SCC (rs=0.25, n=43, P<0.10). In group M, 19 cows out of 67 (28.3%) preferred the right side of the milking parlour, whereas the other 48 (71.7%) showed no preference for one of the two sides. In group P, 8 out of 79 (10.1%) cows chose the right side, 10 the left side (12.7%) and the remaining 61 (77.2%) indifferently used the right or left positions of the milking parlour. We conclude that management practices that disturb entrance order and/or side choice should be avoided in order to minimise stress during farming routines.

On the development of a monitoring scheme of buffalo welfare at farm level

Abstract In the present review some animal-related indicators, possibly relevant for a monitoring scheme of buffalo cow welfare at the farm level, are suggested. The indicators are discussed on the basis of their validity (meaningful with respect to animal welfare), reliability (reflecting the tendency to give the same results on repeated measurements) and feasibility (concerning time and money consume). The attention was focused on the following indicators: excessive thinning or fattening assessed with Body Condition Score (BCS) systems; cleanliness; lameness; resting, social, oral abnormal behaviours; injuries; stockmanship; animal-human relationship; positive indicators (diversity of lying postures, allogrooming, etc.). We have concluded that some of the indicators validated for cattle could be conveniently applied to buffaloes without changes (e.g. injuries and avoidance distance), while others should be appropriately adjusted to this species (e.g. BCS, cleanliness, housing factors). In addition, further studies are needed either to find reliable and feasible registration methods for some indicators (e.g. aggressive and resting behaviours) or to identify additional parameters specific for buffaloes (e.g. prevalence of buffalo cows injected with oxytocin during milking as an indicator of the quality of human-animal relationship).

Influence of housing conditions and calving distance on blood metabolites in water buffalo cows

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate whether housing conditions allowing the animals to lie in the mud and perform more physical exercise can negatively affect reserve mobilization and milk production. In addition, the effect of calving distance on blood metabolites was assessed. The experiment was conducted on twenty-eight lactating buffalo cows, equally allocated to two treatments. Fourteen cows were group-housed in a loose open-sided barn with a concrete floor and equipped with self-locking stanchions, where they received 10 m2/head of space allowance, as in intensive systems (Group IS). Fourteen others were group-housed in a similar barn but they also had the benefit of an outdoor yard with 500 m2/head as space allowance, including spontaneous vegetation and potholes for bathing and wallowing, as in traditional systems (Group TS). Animals were included in the experimental groups 5 days after calving. Daily milk yield, and milk fat, protein and somatic cell content were determined 4 weeks after grouping (about 35 days after calving) and then at monthly intervals (5 recordings). Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein in vacuum tubes 10 days after grouping (i.e. 15 days after calving) and then at 10 day intervals (17 collections). After centrifugation, plasma and serum aliquots were frozen stored until metabolite determinations (glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, NEFA, urea, creatinine, albumins, total proteins, calcium, phosphorus, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase and γglutamyl transferase). Treatment did not affect daily milk yield and milk fat, protein or somatic cell count content. Blood metabolite levels were not affected by treatment and interaction treatment x time. Conversely, as expected, calving distance had an influence on most of these variables (P<0.05÷0.001). In particular, in the first two months after parturition, glucose concentration decreased, whereas NEFA and cholesterol increased as a consequence of the high energetic requirements of animals in the first stage of lactation. The systems that allow the expression of some basic natural behaviour did not have any detrimental effect on buffalo metabolism and production, thus they should be encouraged.

The welfare of dairy buffalo

Abstract The present paper addresses the issue of buffalo welfare. Firstly, the biological characteristics and behavioural needs of buffalo are considered. Subsequently, the effects of intensive farming and some animal-related indicators, to be used for a monitoring scheme of buffalo welfare at farm level, are described. The attention was focused on the following indicators: excessive thinning or fattening assessed with Body Condition Score (BCS) systems; cleanliness (the presence of mud may be considered positively, whereas a thick and compact layer of dung may be regarded negatively); health status (lameness, hoof overgrowth, injuries, etc.); social, aggressive, oral abnormal behaviours; animal-human relationship (avoidance distance at manger); positive indicators (qualitative assessment of behaviour, etc.); housing factors. The indicators are discussed on the basis of their validity (meaningful with respect to animal welfare), reliability (reflecting the tendency to give the same results on repeated measurements) and feasibility (concerning time and money consumed). For some aspects, the differences between buffalo and dairy cattle are also highlighted.

Conditioned inhibition of antibody response and CD4 positive cells

Animals were assigned to three experimental groups, conditioned (cyclophosphamide-glucose treatment; C group), non-conditioned (cyclophosphamide-commercial pellet treatment; NC group) and placebo (saline solution-glucose treatment; P group). The three groups were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with sheep red blood cells. An hemagglutination assay according to standard procedures was performed along with the flow cytofluorometric analysis of leukocyte surface antigens CD4, CD8 and CD45. C group consumed less food on Days 3 and 6 than on Day 0, NC animals showed no changes in food consumption throughout the experimental period, whereas an increasing trend was observed for P animals. The proportion of T lymphocytes expressing CD8 and CD45 did not differ significantly among C, NC and P groups. Group C showed the lowest proportion of T lymphocytes bearing CD4, whereas Group P displayed the highest. The antibody response was lower in the Group C than in the groups NC and P. We conclude that, although the mechanisms by which humoral conditioned immunosuppression occurs in mice is still unknown, a reduced T helper-mediated activation of B-cells may play an important role in producing conditioned humoral response.

Effect of preservative addition on sensory and dynamic profile of Lucanian dry-sausages as assessed by quantitative descriptive analysis and temporal dominance of sensations.

The quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) was combined with temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) to assess the sensory properties of Lucanian dry-sausages either added with nitrate, nitrite and l-ascorbic acid (NS), or not (NNS). Both QDA and TDS differentiated the two groups of sausages. NNS products were perceived with higher intensity of hardness (P<0.05) and tended to be perceived with higher intensities of flavor (P<0.10), pepper (P<0.20), and oiliness (P<0.20), while resulting lower in chewiness (P<0.20). TDS showed that in all the sausages hardness was the first dominant attribute; then, in NNS products flavor remained dominant until the end of tasting, whereas in NS products oiliness prevailed. In conclusion, TDS showed that the perception of some textural parameters, such as oiliness, during mastication was more dominant in NS products, whereas using conventional QDA this attribute appeared higher in sausages manufactured without preservatives. Therefore, TDS provided additional information for the description and differentiation of Lucanian sausages.

Milking behaviour of buffalo cows: entrance order and side preference in the milking parlour.

On two farms, three milking groups of buffalo cows were used to assess the consistency of entrance order and the preference for one side of the milking parlour. On Farm 1 (F1) all animals were primiparous (n=57). On Farm 2, three primiparous, 16 secondiparous and 36 multiparous cows (range 1-8) constituted group F2G1; whereas group F2G2 had 12 primiparous, 10 secondiparous and 14 multiparous cows (range 1-10). Animals were milked in auto-tandem milking parlours (2×5 and 2×6 for Farms 1 and 2, respectively). For each cow, entrance order into milking parlour, side where she was milked, milk yield, time and duration of milking were recorded. These data were derived from the computerised identification of cows. The sequence in which the cows entered the milking parlour ranged from 1 to 57 for group F1, from 1 to 55 for group F2G1 and from 1 to 36 for group F2G2. The analysis of data was conducted on 130, 120 and 92 consecutive milkings for groups F1, F2G1 and F2G2, respectively. Kendalls coefficients of concordance showed a strong constancy of the entrance order into milking parlour for groups F1 (W=0·658; χ2=4792·81; P<0·001), F2G1 (W=0·779; χ2=5046·81; P<0·001) and F2G2 (W=0·624; χ2=2030·48; P<0·001). Spearman rank correlation coefficients indicated that the more productive cows in groups F1 and F2G1 tended to enter the milking parlour first (r s=-0·221 and r s=-0·215; P<0·10; respectively). In group F2G1, a negative correlation was found between duration of milking and order of entry in the milking parlour (r s=-0·265; P<0·05). Animals in group F2G2 (r s=0·334; P<0·05) with higher days in milk entered the milking parlour latterly. In all three groups, 68 cows (45·9%) preferred the right side of the milking parlour, 73 the left side (49·3%) and the remaining seven (4·8%) showed no preference. Finally, negative correlations were found between mean entrance order and parity for both groups of Farm 2 (r s=-0·319; P<0·05 and r s=-0·325; P<0·05 for F2G1 and F2G2, respectively). As buffaloes showed higher entrance order consistency and side preference than other domestic ruminants, it is concluded that management practices that disturb their choice should be avoided in order to minimise stress during farming routines.