5 Enriched Housing Reduces Disease Susceptibility to Co-infection with Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Virus (PRRSV) and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (Research paper; Van Dixhoorn, 2016)

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5 Research paper

Enriched Housing Reduces Disease Susceptibility to Co-Infection with Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Virus (PRRSV) and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (A. pleuropneumoniae) in Young Pigs by van Dixhoorn, I.D.E., Reimert, I., Middelkoop, J., Bolhuis, E.J., Wisselink, H.J., Groot Koerkamp, P.W.G., Kemp, B., and N. Stockhofe-Zurwieden, 2016 PLOS ONE 11: 24p.
in Significant Impact Group(s): Housing and welfare \ Enrichment

Species targeted: Pigs;
Age: Young;
Outcome Parameter(s): Lower disease susceptibility to PRRSV and A. pleuropneumoniae; Improved welfare
Summary: Stress can reduce the ability of the immune system to fight disease, increasing an animal’s susceptibility to infection. Interventions that reduce stress may have positive effects on an animal’s immune system. This study investigated the effect of social and environmental enrichment on the impact of disease in pigs that were infected with PRRS virus and A. pleuropneumoniae bacteria. They compared groups of pigs housed in enriched pens to groups housed in barren pens. Enriched housed (EH) pigs showed faster clearance of the virus in blood and had less lung damage from infection – barren housed (BH) pigs had more lung lesions and tissue damage than EH pigs. EH pigs showed less stress-related
behaviour and differed immunologically and clinically from BH pigs. The research concluded that enriched housing reduces disease susceptibility to PRRSV and A. pleuropneumoniae in pigs. Enrichment positively influences behaviour, immune response and clinical outcomes in pigs. Until today, antimicrobial drugs have been the therapy of choice to combat bacterial diseases. Resistance against antibiotics is of growing concern in man and animals. Stress, caused by demanding environmental conditions, can reduce immune protection in the host, influencing the onset and outcome of infectious diseases. Therefore psychoneuro-immunological intervention may prove to be a successful
approach to diminish the impact of diseases and antibiotics use. This study was designed to investigate the effect of social and environmental enrichment on the impact
of disease, referred to as “disease susceptibility”, in pigs using a co-infection model of PRRSV and A. pleuropneumoniae. Twenty-eight pigs were raised in four pens under barren conditions and twenty-eight other pigs were raised in four pens under enriched conditions. In the enriched pens a combination of established social and environmental enrichment factors were introduced. Two pens of the barren (BH) and two pens of the enriched housed (EH) pigs were infected with PRRSV followed by A. pleuropneumoniae, the other two pens in each housing treatment served as control groups. We tested if differences in disease susceptibility in terms of pathological and clinical outcome were related to the
different housing regimes and if this was reflected in differences in behavioural and immunological states of the animals. Enriched housed pigs showed a faster clearance of viral PRRSV RNA in blood serum (p = 0.014) and histologically 2.8 fold less interstitial pneumonia signs in the lungs (p = 0.014). More barren housed than enriched housed pigs developed lesions in the lungs (OR = 19.2, p = 0.048) and the lesions in the barren housed pigs showed a higher total pathologic tissue damage score (p<0.001) than those in
enriched housed pigs. EH pigs showed less stress-related behaviour and differed immunologically and clinically from BH pigs. We conclude that enriched housing management reduces disease susceptibility to co-infection of PRRSV and A. pleuropneumoniae in pigs. Enrichment positively influences behavioural state, immunological response and clinical outcome in pigs. In our study, the enrichment stimulated the EH pigs psychologically differently as compared to the barren housed pigs and diminished (chronic) stress in the animals. Chronic stress in general is considered a potential influencing factor on disease susceptibility, however the complex pathways that mediate the effects of stress on infectious diseases, are not completely understood [1]. The better psycho-physiological and immunological state of the EH pigs likely positively affected their immune and inflammatory responses [67–71], and in this way, diminished the clinical manifestation. Our results are also in line with the increasing epidemiological evidence in humans and other species that environmentally induced adaptations, occurring at crucial stages of life, can potentially change behaviour, disease susceptibility and survival also known as the ‘early origins of
the adult disease susceptibility’ hypothesis [4, 72]. In conclusion, enriched rearing leads to a less severe onset and outcome of a PRRSV A. pleuropneumoniae co-infection. The enriched housed pigs showed a remarkably reduced impact of infection and were less prone to develop clinical signs of disease. We found more support for implementation of
psychoneuro-immunological intervention strategies to reduce the impact of infectious diseases and by this reducing antibiotics use. Future research should investigate the possible involved explanatory pathophysiological pathways.
5 Research paper – van Dixhoorn – 2016 – Enriched Housing Reduces Disease Susceptibility to Co-Infection with Porcine Repro
Where to find the original material:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5015855/;
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0161832
Country: NL

 

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2 Vetorapid by Innovativefarmers (Farm Innovation)

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2 Farm Innovation
Vetorapid by Innovativefarmers
in Significant Impact Group(s): Pathogen management \ Managing sick animals

Species targeted: Dairy;
Age: Adult;
Summary: Company ‘Innovativefarmers’ with innovation ‘Vetorapid: Improving The Targeting Of Mastitis Treatments’
The field lab aims to demonstrate that following appropriate training, farmers are capable of determining the causative agent of mild or moderate clinical mastitis (Grades 1 or 2 only) using the VetorapidTM system and delivering selective treatment based on the results.
Providing dairy farmers with a consistent procedure for typing bacteria rapidly on-farm has the potential to reduce the use of antimicrobials in lactating cows by up to 50%. The solution to this could be on-farm tests which give results within 24 hours.
The use of a selective treatment approach will: reduce the overall usage of antibiotics on the farms.
The results show that there are significant cost savings to be made when using this technique which identifies types of bacteria in cattle. The expected saving in antibiotic treatments using the culture kit was about 24%.

2 Farm Innovation – Vetorapid by Innovativefarmers
Where to find the original material: (in English)
https://www.innovativefarmers.org/field-lab?id=ac9809d7-6667-e511-80c5-005056ad0bd4;
Country: UK

 

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1 Colostrum is gold – by RUMA – Responsible-Use-Of-Medicines-in-Agricultural-Alliance (Farm Innovation)

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1 Farm Innovation
#ColostrumisGold by RUMA (Responsible Use of Medicines in Agricultural Alliance)
in Significant Impact Group(s): Feed / gut health \ Early feeding (colostrum/feed) – Early feeding (colostrum/feed)

Species targeted: Pigs; Dairy; Beef; Sheep;
Age: Young;
Outcome Parameter(s): Lower disease susceptibility
Summary: #ColostrumisGold, a website from the English company RUMA (RUMA = Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance, see: https://www.ruma.org.uk/)
This easy to read farm innovation is about improving animal health and welfare, in beef and dairy cattle, pigs and sheep. The main topic of the website is colostrum; the first milk from cows, sheep and pigs. According to the website; “Colostrum is chock-full of antibodies, energy and essential nutrients that can benefit the newborn animal.”
The website includes documents with Tech tools & Tips; read antibiotic use case studies, showing implemented management changes on-farm that have reduced, refined or replaced use of their antibiotics. There is a search function to choose from. These are basics on colostrum, storing and administering colostrum and use of colostrum, in different types of material (case study, technical guide and video’s).
1 Farm Innovation – #ColostrumisGold by RUMA (Responsible Use of Medicines in Agricultural Alliance)
Where to find the original material: (in English) https://colostrumisgold.org/;
Country: UK

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#ColostrumisGold, a website from the English company RUMA (RUMA = Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance, see: https://www.ruma.org.uk/)
This easy to read farm innovation is about improving animal health and welfare, in beef and dairy cattle, pigs and sheep. The main topic of the website is colostrum; the first milk from cows, sheep and pigs. According to the website; “Colostrum is chock-full of antibodies, energy and essential nutrients that can benefit the newborn animal.”
The website includes documents with Tech tools & Tips;

Vaccination: a way to reduce the consumption of antibiotics in poultry

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The outbreaks of infectious diseases, especially infectious bronchitis, infectious bursitis, Newcastle disease, and others decreases the overall flock health, in some instances animals must be culled or it might increase the necessity to use antibiotics because of secondary bacterial infection activation. Vaccination is the most effective animal health intervention to prevent dangerous infectious disease outbreaks, decrease overall mortality, economic losses, and antibiotic consumption.

Vaccines in poultry can be applied via drinking water, food, spray, or injection. To ensure a vaccine will provide a desired effect, they have to be stored properly based on the manufacture’s recommendations.

If vaccines are administered via the drinking water line, the line has to be flushed in order to reduce bacterial biofilms and algae formation on its walls. In most cases, appropriate water/vaccine dilution has to be acquired based on the producer’s recommendations. When the correct vaccine dilution for a particular group is prepared, it can be added to an automatic dispenser which is connected to the drinking line. Ensure that the birds do drink the vaccine at the time specified in instruction. For vaccine application via spray attenuate (dilute) the vaccine according to producer or your veterinarian’s instructions and according to your herd needs. Place the prepared working solution in the nebulizer. To improve vaccine correct intake, adjust the droplet size to reach the target tissues. The vaccine should be sprayed systematically and evenly so that each chick receives its dose, but without causing undue stress to the chickens. Check broiler health status after vaccination.

Use of pasteurized and acidified milk in calves nutrition

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Use of pasteurized or acidified or combined pasteurized and acidified milk in calf nutrition nowadays becomes more and more popular to prevent gastrointestinal health issues in young calves. Health issues connected to the gastrointestinal tract mostly manifest by diarrhoea, for which treatment protocols often include antibiotic usage.

One option to improve the gastrointestinal health status and reduce the necessity of antibiotic usage is feeding calves with free access to pasteurized and acidified milk. In general milk is a very favourable substance for bacterial growth. To reduce the active bacterial contamination in milk the milk can be pasteurised at 64 degrees C for 30 minutes. After it is important to cool down the pasteurised milk to 10 – 15 degrees C. To prevent diseases of the digestive tract, only pasteurized milk should be fed. But in order to provide calves with an ad libitum milk feeding system, it is advisable that pasteurized milk is additionally acidified. The low pH value of milk slows down the growth of bacteria and the acidified milk can be kept in feeders for calves for longer periods. Milk acidifiers mostly consist of organic acids which are added to pasteurised and cooled milk. Pasteurised and acidified milk can be poured in individual buckets with rubber teats in individual calf housing systems. Use of a milk taxi eases the milk distribution. Automated milk feeders can also be used in group keeping systems. The pasteurization and lowering the pH of milk controls bacterial growth and allows larger quantities of milk to be provided for ad libitum feeding of calves and provides physiological needs, promotes its health status and reduces the need for treatment with antibiotics.

Sheep wellbeing – a holistic approach to management

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The wellbeing of livestock requires a holistic approach to management.  One UK Superfine Merino wool grower demonstrates excellent sheep husbandry that goes above and beyond minimum standards.  

Firstly, biosecurity – keeping a closed flock, breeding all replacements on farm and strict biosecurity measures for any farm visitor (i.e., vets/shearers/hauliers). The flock are certified Scrapie–free and Maedi Visna accredited, which demands a better price for the wool but this poses challenges finding breeding animals of equal status.  

The sheep are housed in any wet weather limiting damage to the fleece, which is the farm’s main product. The sheds are large, airy, with plenty of bedding and space in the pens, and even toys for the sheep to interact and play with when housed. The opportunity to play and space to socialise with (or avoid) certain flock members are important aspects to sheep wellbeing.  

The flock is of high genetic merit and the farmer uses embryo transfer (ET) to maximise the genetic potential and performance of her sheep. They cope well with the steep land and have little issue with their feet – there is not even any detectable footrot on farm. This is attributed to not buying in stock and not trimming feet or footbathing. To ensure their wellbeing, natural mating still occurs alongside artificial mating, which recognises the need for rams to mate. 

To facilitate correct dosing when using anthelmintics, the farmer makes use of a weigh crush that is built into a race and handling system. Here she can automatically identify individuals by electronic ear tags, record weights and administer medicines. The handling system reduces stress for workers and sheep. Handling the flock calmly, quietly and with compassion are key elements to good stockperson-ship.  

Health Benefits of Monitoring Rumination

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It is now common for neckcollars and eartags to measure rumination, as well as activity, in automatic heat detection systems. However there is a greater benefit in the use of rumination data as an early warning health alert. Not only are cows monitored 24 hours a day and alerts sent to the stockman when a problem arises – allowing time to be focused on animals that need attention – but a reduction in rumination rate is an earlier symptom than the more obvious signs of sickness that are traditionally seen. This early diagnosis leads to a wider range of potential treatments, many curative averting the need of antibiotic use, making the symptoms less severe and allowing a much quicker recovery.

For example, at the South West Dairy Development Centre, the Smartbow eartag identified reduced rumination at 3 days post calving, prompting a vet diagnosis of a dilated abomasum – the first stage of a DA. Appropriate treatment avoided the need for an operation – and the corresponding antibiotic use – and resulted in a quickly recovered cow.

Similarly monitoring rumination can identify early stages of ketosis, acidosis, mastitis and even the time of calving. Monitoring rumination at a herd/ group can identify Sub Acute Ruminal Acidosis, suboptimal dry cow transition diets, and even poor forage quality.

Remotely monitoring rumination rate can also indicate if a treatment has been successful. Two technologies – Cow Manager and SmaXtec (a rumen bolus) also include temperature in the health alert algorithm.

Monitoring rumination can save time, improve animal health, reduce stress, improve treatment outcomes, increase production and reduce antibiotic use.

Early Mastitis Detection in Robotic Milkers Reduces Antibiotic Use

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It is usual to identify mastitis on farm by observing clots, or a raised temperature and hard quarter. Often somatic cellcounts are taken, but this is often historic information after laboratory analysis , and the data is an average of all 4 quarters of the cow.

Robotic milkers, such as the GEA monobox used at the SW dairy Development Centre, measure milk conductivity, temperature and colour from each quarter. (There is now also an option to install quarter somatic cellcount detection). Data is collected at each milking, and is analysed by comparing previous data from the same cow, alerting when there is a significant change in a specific quarter. This allows a much earlier diagnosis af mastitis, which gives allows for non antibiotic treatments – such as the application of udder linament, and increasing the frequency of milking – to effect a self-cure. If, in extreme cases, it is decided that the best course of action is to use intramammery antibiotics, the earlier detection can lead to higher cure rates.

This system is much more accurate as it takes quarter information, and algorithms compare to results from the individual cow, rather than generic averages. The real-time nature of the data means diagnosis is earlier which in turn leads to a reduction in antibiotic use, both from reducing the number of cows that need antibiotisc, and having better cure rates in those that do. There is also a finacial benefit with more milk per cow being sold off farm ( less “treated” milk, and less milk reduction due to sick cows)

Artificial Calf Feeding for Good Health

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Good nutrition is key to having healthy calves that grow into healthy adult cattle. Calves are born without rumen function – they rely on milk feeds to provide nutrients and energy while solid feed (concentrates and forage) help them gradually develop into a ruminant.  

When feeding young calves: 

  1. Feed at least two milk meals per day until at least 28 days of age. Before calves are 1 month old, their rumen is not sufficiently developed to digest solid feed well enough to constitute a meal.  
  2. Feed calf milk replacer (CMR) or pasteurized saleable whole milk to avoid transfer of infectious disease to calves. Do not feed non-saleable waste milk – milk from cows treated with antibiotics contains antibiotic residues. Feeding this contributes to the development of antibiotic resistance and harms the friendly bacteria in the calf’s gut, causing diarrhoea. 
  3. Feed at least 750g milk solids per day for the first 4 weeks. This will ensure calves have the energy and nutrients to grow, keep warm, and support their immune function. Feed higher quantities if you are aiming for growth rates of 0.7-0.8 kg/day or more. 
  4. Keep milk-feeding consistent: feed a set amount of milk at a set temperature, at a set time. Make any necessary changes gradually. 
  5. Ensure milk feeding equipment is clean. Wash it with hot water and detergent between every feed to avoid cross-contamination and bacterial build-up.  
  6. From a few days of age, offer small amounts of solid feed (concentrates and forage e.g. chopped straw) so that calves can eat small amounts to develop their rumen. Gradually increase this provision of solid feed. Wean calves when they eat 1kg of concentrate per day for 3-4 days, at approximately 6 weeks of age. 
  7. Ensure calves have access to clean, fresh water at all times. 

Outdoor Autumn Calving System on a UK dairy farm

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The majority of UK dairy cows have access to pasture for a portion of the year. This is governed by the weather and ground conditions. Here we hear why calving outdoors for a UK dairy farmer works for their Autumn block calving system.

Calving outdoors on well managed pasture works for this farming family – they like the cows to be out in the fresh air and it fits in with the rest of their farm management. The near to calving cows are bought in from the calving field once a day for an extra feed and the grass is grown slightly longer than the other grazing fields to provide more fibre in the calving cow diet. This alleviates any metabolic issues, such as milk fever associated with a lack of fibre in the diet.  The farmers also make sure the cows get a fresh patch of grass every day and where they laid the day before is fenced off. This helps keep the cows clean and avoids any build-up of bugs that could cause mastitis around calving. The mastitis rate is ~13% for this herd and they have very low rates of lameness (~6/100 cases per year). They also find calving outdoors is cheaper as there is no need for bedding material and further cleaning. In winter, all the cows are bought in due to poor weather conditions. To optimise cow comfort, soft mattresses are used in the cubicle sheds and there is plenty of space so that every cow can lay down at once. When the cows are grazing, they come in for milking at their own pace and are foot bathed daily with Formalin. These are key factors in preventing lame cows and reducing the need for antibiotics for this farm.