Péter Póti

Welfare implication of measuring heart rate and heart rate variability in dairy cattle: literature review and conclusions for future research

Heart rate (HR) measurements have been used to determine stress in livestock species since the beginning of the 1970s. However, according to the latest studies in veterinary and behaviour-physiological sciences, heart rate variability (HRV) proved to be more precise for studying the activity of the autonomic nervous system. In dairy cattle, HR and HRV indices have been used to detect stress caused by routine management practices, pain or milking. This review provides the significance of HR and HRV measurements in dairy cattle by summarising current knowledge and research results in this area. First, the biological background and the interrelation of the autonomic regulation of cardiovascular function, stress, HR and HRV are discussed. Equipment and methodological approaches developed to measure interbeat intervals and estimate HRV in dairy cattle are described. The methods of HRV analysis in time, frequency and non-linear domains are also explained in detail emphasising their physiological background. Finally, the most important scientific results and potential possibilities for future research are presented.

Effect of micro-alga supplementation on goat and cow milk fatty acid composition

The microalgae cultivation has been developed over the last decades because it is capable of producing valuable metabolites, such as n-3 fatty acids for nutraceutical purposes. Aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the micro-alga as fat supplement on fatty acid profile of goat and cow milk, with particular reference to n-3 fatty acids and rumenic acid. Twenty dairy goats and 16 dairy cows were randomly allocated to two isonitrogenous treatment groups to investigate the effect of micro-alga supplementation on the composition and fatty acid profile of milk. The 1st goat group was fed with alfalfa hay and concentrate; the 2nd goat group received the same forages but the concentrate was supplemented with 10 g kg-1 DM intake micro-alga. The control group cows were fed with alfalfa hay, corn silage and concentrate, while the experimental animals were fed with the same forages but the concentrate was supplemented with 7.4 g kg-1 DM intake micro-alga. The experimental periods lasted for 17 d. The micro-alga supplements considerably increased rumenic acid concentration in milk (1.20% vi. 1.54%, P < 0.001 for goats; 0.75% vs. 0.85%, P < 0.05 for cows). The n-3 fatty acids were higher in milk (1.02 vs. 1.35; P < 0.001 for goats; 0.47 vs. 0.56; P < 0.05 for cows) and in addition the n-6/n-3 ratio was also more favorable in the micro-alga supplemented groups (3.53 vs. 2.88; P < 0.01 for goats; 4.18 vs. 3.36; P < 0.05 for cows). It is concluded that the diet with micro-alga supplementation significantly increased the concentration of beneficial fatty acids in both goat and cow milk.

Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability in Dairy Cows with Different Temperament and Behavioural Reactivity to Humans.

From the 1990s, extensive research was started on the physiological aspects of individual traits in animals. Previous research has established two extreme (proactive and reactive) coping styles in several animal species, but the means of reactivity with the autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity has not yet been investigated in cattle. The aim of this study was the characterization of cardiac autonomic activity under different conditions in cows with different individual characteristics. For this purpose, we investigated heart rate and ANS-related heart rate variability (HRV) parameters of dairy cows (N = 282) on smaller- and larger-scale farms grouped by (1) temperament and (2) behavioural reactivity to humans (BRH). Animals with high BRH scores were defined as impulsive, while animals with low BRH scores were defined as reserved. Cardiac parameters were calculated for undisturbed lying (baseline) and for milking bouts, the latter with the presence of an unfamiliar person (stressful situation). Sympathetic tone was higher, while vagal activity was lower in temperamental cows than in calm animals during rest both on smaller- and larger-scale farms. During milking, HRV parameters were indicative of a higher sympathetic and a lower vagal activity of temperamental cows as compared to calm ones in farms of both sizes. Basal heart rate did not differ between BRH groups either on smaller- or larger-scale farms. Differences between basal ANS activity of impulsive and reserved cows reflected a higher resting vagal and lower sympathetic activity of reserved animals compared to impulsive ones both on smaller- and larger-scale farms. There was no difference either in heart rate or in HRV parameters between groups during milking neither in smaller- nor in larger-scale farms. These two groupings allowed to draw possible parallels between personality and cardiac autonomic activity during both rest and milking in dairy cows. Heart rate and HRV seem to be useful for characterisation of physiological differences related to temperament and BRH.

The influence of temperament on cortisol concentration and metabolic profile in Tsigai lambs

Abstract. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationships between temperament score and blood cortisol concentration, as well as energy metabolic parameters (glucose, triglyceride, non-esterified fatty acid and cholesterol) in Tsigai lambs during fattening. The temperament of lambs was assessed (scored) by a temperament score test, where the behaviour of animals was evaluated in a 5-score system (1: calm, 5: nervous) while spending 30 sec on the scale during weighing. Based on temperament scoring at the beginning of fattening 7, 6 and 7 lambs were selected according to temperament categories as calm (1 score 1), intermediate (score 3) and nervous lambs (scores 4 and 5), respectively. At this time, our study did not show any correlation between temperament score, blood cortisol concentration and the metabolic profile. However, at the end of fattening, the calmer lambs had lower cortisol concentrations (2.60 nmol/l) compared to the more nervous lambs (8.07 nmol/l). The calm lambs had lower (P

Goat place in the sustainable agriculture: Compare some growth traits of meat type and dual-purpose type goats in Hungary

nature to develop systems for raising crops and livestock that are, like nature, selfsustaining. Sustainable agricultu e is also the agriculture of ocial values, on whose success is indistinguishable from vibrant rural communities, rich lives for families on the farms, and wholesome food for everyone. But in the first decade of the 21st Century, sustainable agriculture, as a set of commonly accepted practices or a model farm economy, is still in its infancy-more than an idea, but only just. Although sustainability in agriculture is tied to broader issues of the global economy, declining petroleum reserves, and domestic food security, its midwives were not government policy makers but small farmers, environmentalists, and a persistent cadre of agricultural scientists. These people saw the devastation that late 20th-century farming was causing to the very means of agricultural production-the water and soil-and so began a search for better ways to farm, an exploration that continues to this day (Richard, 2005). The area care-taking, environment protection, using districts, and stopping countryside migration have big importance in the EU. One alternative of this using goat, because it has good capability, for example great adaptibility, lonly, resistance ability. The goat was one of the first animals to be domesticated by humans, about 9,000 years ago (Holcomb, 1994). Goats are bred and used for fleece, dairy (milk and cheese) and meat. They are also used for controlling weeds (Mason, 2003). Today, there are some 200 different breeds of goats that produce a variety of products, including milk, meat, and fiber (mohair and cashmere). Worldwide, goat meat production is higher than meat production from cattle or hogs (Holcomb, 1994). Improving pasture and extending the grazing season are important in a forage-based goat operation e. g. winter grazing (Boberfeld et al., 2006a). The results of Boberfeld et al. (2006b) demonstrate that under Central European conditions saved herbage could provide adequate quantity and quality for grazing animals.Raising goats can be a valuable part of a sustainable farm. Integrating livestock into a farm system can increase its economic and environmental health and diversity, thereby making important contributions to the farms sustainability. Goats often fit well into the biological and economic niches on a farm that otherwise go untapped. Goats can be incorporated into existing grazing operations with sheep and cattle, and they can also be used to control weeds and brush to help make use of a pastures diversity (Coffey et al. 2004). Seven goats can produce the same quantity of milk as one cow and can be maintained on a similar amount of fedd and water as one cow. They are, however, only 10 % of the size of a cow, and easier to maintain. Goats can be used to improve poorer farmland, grazing together with cattle and sheep. The goat eat large amounts of brush and

Wetland habitats of the Kis-Sárrét 1860–2008 (Körös-Maros National Park, Hungary)

The manuscript presents maps of internationally important wetlands located in the Kis-Sárrét (Hungary) from 1860 to 2008. The study area is located in south-east Hungary, in the Körös-Maros National Park and covers 8048 ha. For the historic map review, we used digitized data of topographic maps from the period of two military surveys and the Second World War. We also made habitat maps of the area in 2007 and 2008. Data processing, and the establishment of a database of the mapped area, was made using QuantumGIS 1.7.0 and Esri ArcView GIS 3.2. Maps were produced using Esri ArcGIS 10.0 and show where and in what ratio the once extensive wetlands occurred, how they changed and in which part of the area they survived in different mapping periods. They provide a point of reference for the monitoring of wetlands, contributing to the long-term conservation of these valuable habitats. Maps and diagrams show that between 1860 and 1944 wetland extent decreased by half. The ratio of natural, ‘purely’ wet habitats reaches only 4.67% now. Wetlands typically occur in habitat complexes, therefore not ‘purely’ wet habitats (20.77%) also have to be taken into account. Considering this, and a recent habitat reconstruction, the extent of wetlands is more favourable today than it was in 1944. However, to sustain them requires care and well-planned management to which the maps presented here provide an important basis.