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Extensive summer grazing is a dairy herd management practice frequently adopted in mountainous areas. Nowadays, this activity is threatened by its high labour demand, but it is fundamental for environmental, touristic and economic implications, as well as for the preservation of social and cultural traditions. Scarce information on the effects of such low-input farming systems on cattle health is available. Therefore, the present case study aimed at investigating how grazing may affect the health status of dairy cows by using milk traits routinely available from the national milk recording scheme. The research involved a dairy herd of 52 Simmental and 19 Holstein × Simmental crossbred cows. The herd had access to the pasture according to a rotational grazing scheme from late spring up to the end of summer. A total of 616 test day records collected immediately before and during the grazing season were used. Individual milk yield was registered during the milking procedure. Milk samples were analysed for composition (fat, protein, casein and lactose contents) and health-related milk indicators (electrical conductivity, urea and β-hydroxybutyrate) using mid-infrared spectroscopy. Somatic cell count (SCC) and differential SCC were also determined. Data were analysed with a linear mixed model, which included the fixed effects of the period of sampling, cow breed, stage of lactation and parity, and the random effects of cow nested within breed and the residual. The transition from barn farming to pasture had a negative effect on milk yield, together with a small deterioration of fat and protein percentages. Health-related milk indicators showed a minor deterioration of the fat to protein ratio, differential SCC and electrical conductivity, particularly towards the end of the grazing season, whereas the somatic cell score and β-hydroxybutyrate were relatively constant. Overall, the study showed that, when properly managed, pasture grazing does not have detrimental effects on dairy cows in terms of udder health and efficiency. Therefore, the proper management of cows on pasture can be a valuable solution to preserve the economic, social and environmental sustainability of small dairy farms in the alpine regions, without impairing cows’ health.
Giovanni Niero; Tania Bobbo; Simone Callegaro; Giulio Visentin; Cristina Pornaro; Mauro Penasa; Giulio Cozzi; Massimo De Marchi; Martino Cassandro. Dairy Cows’ Health during Alpine Summer Grazing as Assessed by Milk Traits, Including Differential Somatic Cell Count: A Case Study from Italy. Animals 2021, 11, 981 .
AMA StyleGiovanni Niero, Tania Bobbo, Simone Callegaro, Giulio Visentin, Cristina Pornaro, Mauro Penasa, Giulio Cozzi, Massimo De Marchi, Martino Cassandro. Dairy Cows’ Health during Alpine Summer Grazing as Assessed by Milk Traits, Including Differential Somatic Cell Count: A Case Study from Italy. Animals. 2021; 11 (4):981.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiovanni Niero; Tania Bobbo; Simone Callegaro; Giulio Visentin; Cristina Pornaro; Mauro Penasa; Giulio Cozzi; Massimo De Marchi; Martino Cassandro. 2021. "Dairy Cows’ Health during Alpine Summer Grazing as Assessed by Milk Traits, Including Differential Somatic Cell Count: A Case Study from Italy." Animals 11, no. 4: 981.
Abattoir post-mortem inspections offer a useful tool for animal disease surveillance. The present cross-sectional study aimed at assessing the prevalence of rumen mucosa, lung, and liver lesions in 153 randomly selected batches of finishing beef cattle through a post-mortem inspection at the abattoir. At least 15 animals per batch were inspected at slaughter by two veterinarians for a total of 2,161 animals (1,376 bulls; 785 heifers) coming from 80 Italian commercial farms. Rumens were inspected by recording as binary variables (presence/absence) signs of hyperkeratosis, ruminitis, ulcer, and star scars. Similarly, lungs were inspected for signs of pneumonia and livers for signs of lipidosis, abscesses, and/or adherence. Hyperkeratosis of the mucosa and signs of ruminitis were detected in 58 and 30% of the inspected rumens, respectively. Ruminal star scars were more prevalent in bulls than in heifers (18 vs. 11%; P < 0.05). Signs of severe pneumonia were observed in 10% of the lungs; abscess and/or adherence in 4% of the livers. Hyperkeratosis of rumen mucosa was correlated to signs of ruminitis, and signs of ruminitis were correlated to star scars. No correlations were found between hepatic lesions and any other rumen or lung disorders. The wide variability observed among batches for the prevalence of specific lesions suggested the development of a benchmarking system to provide feedback to the farm veterinarians, as these lesions can be reflective of a subclinical disease status not easy to be detected in the live animal. Quartiles of the batch prevalence of rumen, lung, and liver alterations (if ≥1%) were calculated as a benchmarking tool, and third quartile value was proposed as an alarm threshold for each lesion. The use of the benchmarking system could allow to allocate each inspected batch to a specific “health class.” Critical batches with a prevalence above the alarm threshold for a given lesion should be reported to veterinarians of the origin farms where actions should be taken in order to identify and lower the risk factors for that specific health issue. Knowledge of post-mortem inspection data along with the implementation of the proposed benchmarking system should help farm veterinarians to improve herd management from a health and welfare perspective.
Luisa Magrin; Marta Brscic; Isabella Lora; Paola Prevedello; Barbara Contiero; Giulio Cozzi; Flaviana Gottardo. Assessment of Rumen Mucosa, Lung, and Liver Lesions at Slaughter as Benchmarking Tool for the Improvement of Finishing Beef Cattle Health and Welfare. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2021, 7, 1 .
AMA StyleLuisa Magrin, Marta Brscic, Isabella Lora, Paola Prevedello, Barbara Contiero, Giulio Cozzi, Flaviana Gottardo. Assessment of Rumen Mucosa, Lung, and Liver Lesions at Slaughter as Benchmarking Tool for the Improvement of Finishing Beef Cattle Health and Welfare. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 2021; 7 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuisa Magrin; Marta Brscic; Isabella Lora; Paola Prevedello; Barbara Contiero; Giulio Cozzi; Flaviana Gottardo. 2021. "Assessment of Rumen Mucosa, Lung, and Liver Lesions at Slaughter as Benchmarking Tool for the Improvement of Finishing Beef Cattle Health and Welfare." Frontiers in Veterinary Science 7, no. : 1.
Beef cattle are the third most numerous terrestrial farmed animals worldwide. Factors such as geographical region, animal category, breed, and rearing system pose specific animal welfare challenges that can have an impact on animal and public health. This article uses text mining (TM) and topic analysis (TA) to explore the scientific literature on beef cattle welfare published in English from 1990 to 2019. Our aim was to reveal the main research topics and their evolution over time. Our analysis showed that the three most relevant themes in research since 1990 have to do with calf behaviour and management, efficiency, and environmental sustainability, and the effects of transport and slaughter on meat quality. Topics showing the most marked increase in the number of papers published deal with stakeholders' perceptions and market opportunities for added-value beef products and risk factors for morbidity and mortality, especially in relation to calf health, antimicrobial use, and antimicrobial resistance. The results indicate a particular focus on the welfare of calves, especially in the veal industry. Pain relief during the castration of calves and bulls also featured prominently. Research is also increasingly assessing aspects of beef cattle welfare that are interlinked to meat quality, the social and environmental sustainability of the sector in relation to market opportunities, and public health. The identified topics represent a basic source of information that can be used for further and more detailed analyses (e.g., systematic reviews) focussed on specific research themes or geographical areas.
Elena Nalon; Barbara Contiero; Flaviana Gottardo; Giulio Cozzi. The Welfare of Beef Cattle in the Scientific Literature From 1990 to 2019: A Text Mining Approach. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2021, 7, 1 .
AMA StyleElena Nalon, Barbara Contiero, Flaviana Gottardo, Giulio Cozzi. The Welfare of Beef Cattle in the Scientific Literature From 1990 to 2019: A Text Mining Approach. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 2021; 7 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElena Nalon; Barbara Contiero; Flaviana Gottardo; Giulio Cozzi. 2021. "The Welfare of Beef Cattle in the Scientific Literature From 1990 to 2019: A Text Mining Approach." Frontiers in Veterinary Science 7, no. : 1.
This study analysed potential associations between the prevalence of rumen, abomasum, liver, and claw disorders detected in 26 batches of Holstein veal calves through a post-mortem inspection at the slaughterhouse, and on-farm mortality and feeding management data. Organs of 15–16 calves per batch (16.5 rumens, 15.9 abomasa, 15.1 livers, and 31.1 claws) were inspected by 3 veterinarians in the slaughter-line. ‘Batch’ refers to group of calves belonging to the same farm and slaughter group. Hyperkeratosis and plaques were detected in over 60% of rumens per batch, and some cases, in all rumens. More than 85% of abomasa showed ulcerations. Sole haemorrhages were detected in 64 to 97% of claws. During fattening, calves received on average 312 kg of milk-replacer (MR) and 162 kg of solid feed (SF), composed mainly of corn grain (85–93% as-fed basis). Rumens with hyperkeratosis were positively correlated to the percentage of corn grain. Abomasa with large-sized-lesions in the pyloric area were positively correlated to the SF amount. Ulcerated abomasa were positively correlated to calves’ mortality reported by farmers. Cluster analysis identified 3 feeding plans. The first, based on MR administration and moderate SF amount, produced lighter carcasses and low-developed rumens, but reduced the prevalence of rumen hyperkeratosis and sole haemorrhages; the other two, more ‘aggressive’ by increasing the amount of SF or both SF and MR, produced heavier carcasses but worsened rumen and claw conditions. This study suggests the existence of different feeding practices used by veal producers that should be reviewed to improve calves’ welfare.
Luisa Magrin; Flaviana Gottardo; Barbara Contiero; Giulio Cozzi. Association between gastrointestinal tract, claw disorders,on-farmmortality and feeding management in veal calves. Italian Journal of Animal Science 2020, 20, 6 -13.
AMA StyleLuisa Magrin, Flaviana Gottardo, Barbara Contiero, Giulio Cozzi. Association between gastrointestinal tract, claw disorders,on-farmmortality and feeding management in veal calves. Italian Journal of Animal Science. 2020; 20 (1):6-13.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuisa Magrin; Flaviana Gottardo; Barbara Contiero; Giulio Cozzi. 2020. "Association between gastrointestinal tract, claw disorders,on-farmmortality and feeding management in veal calves." Italian Journal of Animal Science 20, no. 1: 6-13.
The impact of the current practice of feeding veal calves with large amounts of solid feed (SF) on the prevalence of specific disorders on rumen, abomasum, liver and claws was investigated through a post-mortem inspection at the abattoir. Forty-one batches (“batch” referred to a group of calves of the same breed, coming from the same farm and belonging to the same slaughter group) of crossbred male calves from dairy breed were randomly inspected at 213.6 days old. On average 16.0 rumens, 15.6 abomasa, 15.1 livers, and 30.5 hind claws were checked per batch. Rumens were evaluated for the presence of hyperkeratosis and plaques; abomasa for the presence of lesions in the pyloric area; livers for the presence of lipidosis, abscess or fibrous adherence; and claws for the presence of sole hemorrhages. More than 60% of rumens per batch had signs of hyperkeratosis and plaques, and 80 to 100% of abomasa per batch showed at least 1 lesion in the pyloric area. On average 24% of livers per batch were diseased and about 65% of claws per batch had sole hemorrhages. Affected abomasa were positively correlated to rumens with plaques. Claws with sole hemorrhages tended to be positively correlated to rumens with hyperkeratosis. Calves of inspected batches were fed 311 ± 31 kg DM/cycle of milk-replacer and 158 ± 44 kg DM/cycle of SF containing more than 85% of corn grain. Based on the recorded prevalence of alterations, this feeding strategy should be reconsidered in order to improve veal calves' welfare.
Luisa Magrin; Marta Brscic; Giulio Cozzi; Leonardo Armato; Flaviana Gottardo. Prevalence of gastrointestinal, liver and claw disorders in veal calves fed large amounts of solid feed through a cross-sectional study. Research in Veterinary Science 2020, 133, 318 -325.
AMA StyleLuisa Magrin, Marta Brscic, Giulio Cozzi, Leonardo Armato, Flaviana Gottardo. Prevalence of gastrointestinal, liver and claw disorders in veal calves fed large amounts of solid feed through a cross-sectional study. Research in Veterinary Science. 2020; 133 ():318-325.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuisa Magrin; Marta Brscic; Giulio Cozzi; Leonardo Armato; Flaviana Gottardo. 2020. "Prevalence of gastrointestinal, liver and claw disorders in veal calves fed large amounts of solid feed through a cross-sectional study." Research in Veterinary Science 133, no. : 318-325.
I. Lora; A. Zidi; L. Magrin; P. Prevedello; G. Cozzi. An insight into the dairy chain of a Protected Designation of Origin cheese: The case study of Asiago cheese. Journal of Dairy Science 2020, 103, 9116 -9123.
AMA StyleI. Lora, A. Zidi, L. Magrin, P. Prevedello, G. Cozzi. An insight into the dairy chain of a Protected Designation of Origin cheese: The case study of Asiago cheese. Journal of Dairy Science. 2020; 103 (10):9116-9123.
Chicago/Turabian StyleI. Lora; A. Zidi; L. Magrin; P. Prevedello; G. Cozzi. 2020. "An insight into the dairy chain of a Protected Designation of Origin cheese: The case study of Asiago cheese." Journal of Dairy Science 103, no. 10: 9116-9123.
I. Lora; F. Gottardo; B. Contiero; A. Zidi; L. Magrin; M. Cassandro; G. Cozzi. A survey on sensor systems used in Italian dairy farms and comparison between performances of similar herds equipped or not equipped with sensors. Journal of Dairy Science 2020, 1 .
AMA StyleI. Lora, F. Gottardo, B. Contiero, A. Zidi, L. Magrin, M. Cassandro, G. Cozzi. A survey on sensor systems used in Italian dairy farms and comparison between performances of similar herds equipped or not equipped with sensors. Journal of Dairy Science. 2020; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleI. Lora; F. Gottardo; B. Contiero; A. Zidi; L. Magrin; M. Cassandro; G. Cozzi. 2020. "A survey on sensor systems used in Italian dairy farms and comparison between performances of similar herds equipped or not equipped with sensors." Journal of Dairy Science , no. : 1.
The collection of phenotypes related to livestock methane emissions is hampered by costly and time-demanding techniques. In the present research, a laser methane detector was used to measure several novel phenotypes, including mean and aggregate of methane records, and mean and number of methane peak records, considering Simmental heifers as a case study. Phenotypes showed satisfactory repeatability and reproducibility for log-transformed data. The number of emission peaks had great variability across animals and thus it is a promising candidate to discriminate between high and low emitters.
Giovanni Niero; Filippo Cendron; Mauro Penasa; Massimo De Marchi; Giulio Cozzi; Martino Cassandro. Repeatability and Reproducibility of Measures of Bovine Methane Emissions Recorded using a Laser Detector. Animals 2020, 10, 606 .
AMA StyleGiovanni Niero, Filippo Cendron, Mauro Penasa, Massimo De Marchi, Giulio Cozzi, Martino Cassandro. Repeatability and Reproducibility of Measures of Bovine Methane Emissions Recorded using a Laser Detector. Animals. 2020; 10 (4):606.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiovanni Niero; Filippo Cendron; Mauro Penasa; Massimo De Marchi; Giulio Cozzi; Martino Cassandro. 2020. "Repeatability and Reproducibility of Measures of Bovine Methane Emissions Recorded using a Laser Detector." Animals 10, no. 4: 606.
This study aimed at calculating reference intervals for specific claws dimensions of healthy feet originating from intensively finished Charolais (CH) and Limousin (LIM) young bulls and heifers. Moreover, within a given breed × gender combination, measurements of healthy and affected claws were compared to investigate how claw conformation might change in relation to the housing on different types of floor. A total of 2237 CH feet (1324 bulls; 913 heifers) and 595 LIM feet (459 bulls; 136 heifers) were analyzed post-mortem during 20 sessions in three slaughterhouses in Northern Italy. Four measurements were performed on lateral claws of each hind foot: dorsal wall (DW) and total hoof (TH) lengths, heel height (HH) and toe angle (TA). Afterwards, a veterinarian trimmed the sole horn and assessed claw health condition by looking for specific disorders. A foot with no claw disorder was classified as -“healthy”, whereas when at least one claw disorder of different etiology was observed, the foot was classified as “affected”. A reduced dataset considering only healthy feet was used to calculate 95% reference intervals (RI) for each claw dimension according to breed (CH/LIM) × gender (bulls/heifers) combination. Relevant batch variance was detected for DW, TH and HH of CH heifers and for DW and TH of LIM heifers. These calculated RI might be used to assess claw condition and its predisposition to diseases in finishing beef cattle belonging to the tested beef categories. Affected claws belonging to both CH young bulls and heifers showed greater HH than healthy claws. In presence of claw disorders, CH young bulls and heifers housed on deep litter had longer DW and TH lengths, but only heifers showed shorter TA compared to healthy ones. Longer claws and higher heels of CH should be carefully monitored as indirect indicators of the presence of some disorders, particularly when housed on less-wearing surfaces. Claw health condition had no effect on conformation in LIM young bulls or heifers housed on different types of floor. The housing of young bulls, regardless of breed, on concrete slatted floor showed the highest occurrence of feet affected by any claw disorders, confirming the harmfulness of this type of floor for finishing beef cattle.
Luisa Magrin; Marta Brscic; Barbara Contiero; Giulio Cozzi; Flaviana Gottardo. Short communication: Reference intervals for claw dimensions of intensively finished Charolais and Limousin young bulls and heifers housed on different flooring systems. Livestock Science 2020, 235, 104012 .
AMA StyleLuisa Magrin, Marta Brscic, Barbara Contiero, Giulio Cozzi, Flaviana Gottardo. Short communication: Reference intervals for claw dimensions of intensively finished Charolais and Limousin young bulls and heifers housed on different flooring systems. Livestock Science. 2020; 235 ():104012.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuisa Magrin; Marta Brscic; Barbara Contiero; Giulio Cozzi; Flaviana Gottardo. 2020. "Short communication: Reference intervals for claw dimensions of intensively finished Charolais and Limousin young bulls and heifers housed on different flooring systems." Livestock Science 235, no. : 104012.
This study investigated health and welfare of 119 Swedish fattening bulls when allowing wider slots in fully slatted rubber mats pens. On arrival Light bulls (around 120 ± 28 kg at 4.7 ± 1.3 mo of age) were allotted to 6 pens with fully slatted rubber mats, of which 3 Control pens had 30 mm slot openings and 100 mm slat width and 3 Test pens had 35 mm slot openings and 90 mm slat width. Reaching >400 kg (Heavy bulls), Control bulls were moved to 3 larger pens having 35 mm slot openings and 100 mm slat width and Test bulls to 3 pens having 40 mm slot openings and 100 mm slat width. Pens hosted 5–7 bulls. Bulls stayed in the same group (Control/Test), and were observed until slaughter (around 600 kg for 20.5 ± 2.1 mo). Total drainage area was 14% for Control and 18% for Test floors. Bull body condition, hygiene, locomotion and leg lesions were assessed on eight days during the 18 months study. At slaughter, hind feet were measured, trimmed, and evaluated for claw disorders. Two pens/floor were filmed during two 14-h sessions to monitor animal activities, social interactions, and lying postures. Wider slots did not affect body condition or hygiene on farm, although 3 Control and 1 Test bulls were penalised at slaughter for poor hygiene. Light bulls were dirtier than Heavy bulls, especially on thigh/flank areas. Bulls became dirtier in winter. Percentage of bulls showing locomotor problems was generally low and not affected by wider slots (1.09 vs. 0.91% for Control and Test bulls, respectively). Test bulls showed a slight tendency to develop more swelling on hock and carpus (0.55 vs. 3.18% for Control and Test bulls, respectively). Rubber mats did not cause toe overgrowth (mean dorsal wall of outer claw = 87.5 mm) and Test bulls showed lower prevalence of asymmetric claws (38.5 vs. 13.3% for Control and Test bulls, respectively). Interdigital hyperplasia and white line fissure were detected only in Control bulls. Outcomes of this study suggested that the 4%-unit increase in drainage area of fully slatted rubber mat floors did not impair bull behaviour, since few atypical transitions and lying sequences were recorded, or even improve flooring and animal hygiene. However, some limitations of the research require further investigations to provide evidence supporting the widening of slot openings in fully slatted rubber mat floors for fattening bulls’ welfare purpose.
Luisa Magrin; Flaviana Gottardo; Giulio Cozzi; Christer Bergsten. Wider slot in pens with fully slatted rubber mat flooring for fattening bulls: Effects on animal hygiene, health and welfare. Livestock Science 2020, 234, 103989 .
AMA StyleLuisa Magrin, Flaviana Gottardo, Giulio Cozzi, Christer Bergsten. Wider slot in pens with fully slatted rubber mat flooring for fattening bulls: Effects on animal hygiene, health and welfare. Livestock Science. 2020; 234 ():103989.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuisa Magrin; Flaviana Gottardo; Giulio Cozzi; Christer Bergsten. 2020. "Wider slot in pens with fully slatted rubber mat flooring for fattening bulls: Effects on animal hygiene, health and welfare." Livestock Science 234, no. : 103989.
This cross-sectional study aimed at performing a risk factor analysis of on-farm housing and management factors associated with infectious and non-infectious claw disorders of intensively finished Charolais young bulls and heifers. Claws’ health condition of a total of 1305 animals belonging to 88 batches finished in farms located in the Eastern Po Valley (Italy) was assessed at slaughterhouse. Batch prevalence of feet affected by sole hemorrhage (SH) and white line abscess (WLA) was calculated and foot condition was summarized by infectious lesion (ILS) and non-infectious lesion (NILS) scores according to diseases’ etiology. Batch prevalence of feet with SH, WLA, and assigned to the worst score classes were the outcomes in the risk factor analysis. Information about rearing facilities and health management of the tested batches were gathered in each origin farm along with a dietary sample used for chemical and physical analyses. Five categorized factors and 30 continuous covariates were considered as independent predictors and a cluster analysis of the continuous covariates was performed to select the most representative ones. Percentage of feet/batch affected by SH was on average 57.0 ± 32.5 % (SD) and by WLA was 9.94 ± 12.7 %. Percentage of feet/batch with the worst ILS and NILS was 29.6 ± 32.8 % and 12.5 ± 14.1 %, respectively. Charolais bulls showed a higher risk of SH and WLA than heifers and an increasing dietary NDF content acted as preventive factor. Concrete slats increased the risk of SH. Animals slaughtered in winter had the highest risk of WLA and the increasing level of dietary water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) was a further risk factor. The risk for the worst NILS was lowest in spring and in presence of ventilation systems. It increased for bulls and in those batches fed diets with higher WSC content. Batches for which the farmer reported a higher prevalence of urgently slaughtered animals during finishing showed a higher risk of WLA and infectious claw diseases. The risk for infectious claw diseases was reduced in animals slaughtered in summer, housed on deep litter and fed diet with increased NDF content. It increased in farms where diet formulation was not under the nutritionist control. As general outcomes of the study, benefits for the claw health of finishing Charolaise may come from the use of the deep litter and ventilation systems, the involvement of a nutritionist in diet formulation, and the provision of diets with reduced WSC and increased NDF contents.
Luisa Magrin; Marta Brscic; Leonardo Armato; Barbara Contiero; Alessandro Lotto; Giulio Cozzi; Flaviana Gottardo. Risk factors for claw disorders in intensively finished Charolais beef cattle. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 2019, 175, 104864 .
AMA StyleLuisa Magrin, Marta Brscic, Leonardo Armato, Barbara Contiero, Alessandro Lotto, Giulio Cozzi, Flaviana Gottardo. Risk factors for claw disorders in intensively finished Charolais beef cattle. Preventive Veterinary Medicine. 2019; 175 ():104864.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuisa Magrin; Marta Brscic; Leonardo Armato; Barbara Contiero; Alessandro Lotto; Giulio Cozzi; Flaviana Gottardo. 2019. "Risk factors for claw disorders in intensively finished Charolais beef cattle." Preventive Veterinary Medicine 175, no. : 104864.
The study was carried out in an alpine area of North-Eastern Italy to assess the reliability of proton nuclear magnetic resonance 1H NMR to fingerprint and discriminate Asiago PDO cheeses processed in the same dairy plant from upland pasture-based milk or from upland hay-based milk. Six experimental types of Asiago cheese were made from raw milk considering 2 cows’ feeding systems (pasture- vs. hay-based milk) and 3 ripening times (2 months, Pressato vs. 4 months, Allevo_4 vs. 6 months, Allevo_6). Samples (n = 55) were submitted to chemical analysis and to 1H NMR coupled with multivariate canonical discriminant analysis. Choline, 2,3-butanediol, lysine, tyrosine, and some signals of sugar-like compounds were suggested as the main water-soluble metabolites useful to discriminate cheese according to cows’ feeding system. A wider pool of polar biomarkers explained the variation due to ripening time. The validation procedure based on a predictive set suggested that 1H NMR based metabolomics was an effective fingerprinting tool to identify pasture-based cheese samples with the shortest ripening period (Pressato). The classification to the actual feeding system of more aged cheese samples was less accurate likely due to their chemical and biochemical changes induced by a prolonged maturation process.
Severino Segato; Augusta Caligiani; Barbara Contiero; Gianni Galaverna; Vittoria Bisutti; Giulio Cozzi. 1H NMR Metabolic Profile to Discriminate Pasture Based Alpine Asiago PDO Cheeses. Animals 2019, 9, 722 .
AMA StyleSeverino Segato, Augusta Caligiani, Barbara Contiero, Gianni Galaverna, Vittoria Bisutti, Giulio Cozzi. 1H NMR Metabolic Profile to Discriminate Pasture Based Alpine Asiago PDO Cheeses. Animals. 2019; 9 (10):722.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSeverino Segato; Augusta Caligiani; Barbara Contiero; Gianni Galaverna; Vittoria Bisutti; Giulio Cozzi. 2019. "1H NMR Metabolic Profile to Discriminate Pasture Based Alpine Asiago PDO Cheeses." Animals 9, no. 10: 722.
Public’s concern about poor animal welfare provided by intensive farming systems has increased over the last decades. This study reviewed the interest of the scientific research on the pain issue in pig production to assess if the societal instances may be a driving force for the research activity. A literature search protocol was set up to identify the peer-reviewed papers published between 1970 and 2017 that covered the topic of ‘pain in pigs’ using Scopus®, database of Elsevier©. One hundred and thirty papers were selected and they were mainly focused on the practice of castration (64%) followed by tail docking (24%). The scientific community first focused on these painful practices as a way to improve production efficiency and quality issues while more recently, due to the increased pressure by the public opinion, turned its interest towards the search of alternative solutions. A text mining analysis on the abstract of the selected papers clearly indicated the effort of the research to explore solutions to alleviate pain. Evocative words of this target were the selected terms ‘pharmacological analgesic’ and ‘anaesthetic treatments’. The text mining highlighted vocalizations as the main pain indicators in pigs as this term was frequently associated to ‘acute stress’. Ethical issues were a minor research topic in the scientific literature on pig breeding but in the short run, they are supposed to become a major subject to justify the acceptance of the modern production systems at the eyes of the consumers.
Barbara Contiero; Giulio Cozzi; Lee Karpf; Flaviana Gottardo. Pain in Pig Production: Text Mining Analysis of the Scientific Literature. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 2019, 32, 401 -412.
AMA StyleBarbara Contiero, Giulio Cozzi, Lee Karpf, Flaviana Gottardo. Pain in Pig Production: Text Mining Analysis of the Scientific Literature. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics. 2019; 32 (3):401-412.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBarbara Contiero; Giulio Cozzi; Lee Karpf; Flaviana Gottardo. 2019. "Pain in Pig Production: Text Mining Analysis of the Scientific Literature." Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 32, no. 3: 401-412.
This study aimed at assessing the prevalence of lameness in a large number of batches of Charolais bulls housed in deep litter (DL) or fully slatted concrete (FSC) pens with different space allowance. Data from eight intensive beef farms located in Italy were recorded during 18 months. Five farms housed bulls in DL pens, with space allowance of 5.0 m2/head (two farms) and of 5.5 m2/head (three farms) respectively. Three farms housed bulls in FSC pens, with space allowance of 3.5 m2/head (two farms) and of 4.0 m2/head (one farm) respectively. Lameness events were categorized as: mild, when they did not impair the regular conclusion of the fattening cycle of the affected bull, or severe, when they imposed the early culling of the animal. Date and average body weight of each batch of bulls at arrival to farm and at slaughter were collected as well as those of severely lame bulls at the time of culling. The study analysed data of 314 batches for a total of 7201 bulls. Prevalence of bulls showing mild lameness was 1.23% and was similar between floor types. Severe lameness had a higher prevalence in bulls housed on FSC than on DL (1.86 vs. 0.56%; P<0.001), and the relative risk of early culling in FSC pens was more than three times higher than in DL. An increased space allowance from 3.5 to 4.0 m2/head in FSC pens acted as a preventive measure against both mild and severe lameness. A wider space allowance from 5.0 to 5.5 m2/head in DL pens did not reduce the prevalence of severe lameness, which was always below 1%, however. Regardless of type of floor, severe lameness events were always recorded in the final part of the cycle (178 ± 28 (SEM) days of fattening) and their occurrence was unaffected by the space allowance within type of floor.
Luisa Magrin; Flaviana Gottardo; Barbara Contiero; Marta Brscic; Giulio Cozzi. Time of occurrence and prevalence of severe lameness in fattening Charolais bulls: Impact of type of floor and space allowance within type of floor. Livestock Science 2019, 221, 86 -88.
AMA StyleLuisa Magrin, Flaviana Gottardo, Barbara Contiero, Marta Brscic, Giulio Cozzi. Time of occurrence and prevalence of severe lameness in fattening Charolais bulls: Impact of type of floor and space allowance within type of floor. Livestock Science. 2019; 221 ():86-88.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuisa Magrin; Flaviana Gottardo; Barbara Contiero; Marta Brscic; Giulio Cozzi. 2019. "Time of occurrence and prevalence of severe lameness in fattening Charolais bulls: Impact of type of floor and space allowance within type of floor." Livestock Science 221, no. : 86-88.
Intensive fattening of late-maturing breeds on concrete or rubberized slatted floors is the prevalent beef production system in mainland Europe. The rationale behind this study is that specific beef breeds with different slaughter weights might have a diverse response to different flooring systems. The study aimed at assessing whether growth performance, health, behaviour and claw condition of two beef breeds, Charolais (CH) and Limousine (LIM), would be affected by their housing on concrete (CS) or rubber-covered (RCS) fully slatted floor. A total of 228 CH (116 on CS; 112 on RCS) and 115 LIM (57 on CS; 58 on RCS) were housed in four and two commercial farms, respectively, in groups of 9.0 ± 2.1 animals/pen with an average space allowance of 3.1 ± 0.2 m2. Draining gaps of CS and RCS pens were 16.9 ± 1.7% and 11.6 ± 1.2% of the total surface, respectively. Bulls of both breeds had similar initial body weight (429.4 ± 31.5 kg for CH; 369.6 ± 31.7 kg for LIM), and they were slaughtered when they reached suitable finishing. Charolais had a higher final body weight (BW) than LIM (750.8 ± 8.6 v. 613.7 ± 10.9 kg; P < 0.01), and bulls of both breeds on RCS had higher average daily gain than on CS (1.47 ± 0.02 v. 1.39 ± 0.02 kg/day; P < 0.05). The percentage of bulls early culled or treated for locomotor disorders were reduced by RCS only for LIM, while RCS tended to prevent the occurrence of bursitis for both breeds. During two 8-h behavioural observations, bulls on RCS performed more head butt/displacements and chases than on CS, and they reduced the frequency of abnormal lying down events. The use of RCS increased mounts’ frequency only in LIM, while its reduced drainage capacity impaired only the cleanliness of CH. Postmortem hoof inspection showed longer claw dorsal wall and diagonal lengths, and sharper toe angles for CH on RCS than LIM on both floors. Results of this study point out that fully slatted floors, regardless of being rubberized or not, are not suitable for bulls finished at a final BW above 700 kg due to their detrimental effects on health and welfare. The use of RCS could be recommended as an alternative to CS only if bulls are slaughtered at a lower final BW (around 600 kg), like in the case of LIM breed.
L. Magrin; F. Gottardo; M. Brscic; B. Contiero; G. Cozzi. Health, behaviour and growth performance of Charolais and Limousin bulls fattened on different types of flooring. Animal 2019, 13, 2603 -2611.
AMA StyleL. Magrin, F. Gottardo, M. Brscic, B. Contiero, G. Cozzi. Health, behaviour and growth performance of Charolais and Limousin bulls fattened on different types of flooring. Animal. 2019; 13 (11):2603-2611.
Chicago/Turabian StyleL. Magrin; F. Gottardo; M. Brscic; B. Contiero; G. Cozzi. 2019. "Health, behaviour and growth performance of Charolais and Limousin bulls fattened on different types of flooring." Animal 13, no. 11: 2603-2611.
This cross-sectional study aimed to assess in post-mortem the prevalence of specific claw disorders and their location on the sole in hind feet of finishing beef cattle reared indoors under intensive production systems. Evaluation was made on animals that were introduced in the ordinary slaughterhouse planning, presumably with no signs of impaired locomotion or severe lameness. A total of 4292 hind feet (right and left) belonging to 153 batches were collected (average feet/batch 28.1 ± 5.62 (SD)) in 3 abattoirs in Northern Italy at 3 time points (April-June and September-October 2016; February-March 2017). One veterinarian performed the claw trimming first and then scored the presence of specific claw disorders and their position on the sole considering 7 zones (in the digital and interdigital areas). All claw disorders in a specific zone were recorded as binary (presence/absence). Infectious (ILS), non-infectious (NILS), and global (GLS) scores were calculated considering both the type of claw disorder detected and the number of zones affected. Non-infectious disorders were the most common diagnoses among batches, mainly on the lateral claws and in the heel-sole junction area. In particular, white line abscesses and ulcers (sole and toe ulcers) were also found as two of the most debilitating and painful lesions with a non-negligible frequency. Infectious diseases, when occurring in a batch, spread to almost all feet. As expected, GLS distribution on the total feet inspected showed a non-harmful condition, given that the worst scores from 3 to 13 were assigned to a restricted sample of feet (15%) and were far from the maximum potential value of 50. However, the GLS of all batches monitored revealed 10 critical batches having no healthy feet or more than 50% of feet graded with the worst scores. Since right and left feet of the same animal showed similar clinical diagnoses, a more efficient claw health evaluation system should consider only one foot. Although all cattle inspected were supposed to have no evident locomotory problems before slaughter, the detection of several foot disorders and the considerable distribution in some batches might suggest poor conditions on farms affecting finishing beef cattle health, behaviour, and welfare. It is therefore advisable that possible predisposing factors of specific claw disorders on the farms of origin be investigated more deeply.
Luisa Magrin; Marta Brscic; Leonardo Armato; Barbara Contiero; Giulio Cozzi; Flaviana Gottardo. An overview of claw disorders at slaughter in finishing beef cattle reared in intensive indoor systems through a cross-sectional study. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 2018, 161, 83 -89.
AMA StyleLuisa Magrin, Marta Brscic, Leonardo Armato, Barbara Contiero, Giulio Cozzi, Flaviana Gottardo. An overview of claw disorders at slaughter in finishing beef cattle reared in intensive indoor systems through a cross-sectional study. Preventive Veterinary Medicine. 2018; 161 ():83-89.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuisa Magrin; Marta Brscic; Leonardo Armato; Barbara Contiero; Giulio Cozzi; Flaviana Gottardo. 2018. "An overview of claw disorders at slaughter in finishing beef cattle reared in intensive indoor systems through a cross-sectional study." Preventive Veterinary Medicine 161, no. : 83-89.
Marta Brscic; Luisa Magrin; Paola Prevedello; Andrea Pezzuolo; Flaviana Gottardo; Luigi Sartori; Giulio Cozzi. Effect of the number of daily distributions of solid feed on veal calves’ health status, behaviour, and alterations of rumen and abomasa. Italian Journal of Animal Science 2018, 18, 226 -235.
AMA StyleMarta Brscic, Luisa Magrin, Paola Prevedello, Andrea Pezzuolo, Flaviana Gottardo, Luigi Sartori, Giulio Cozzi. Effect of the number of daily distributions of solid feed on veal calves’ health status, behaviour, and alterations of rumen and abomasa. Italian Journal of Animal Science. 2018; 18 (1):226-235.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarta Brscic; Luisa Magrin; Paola Prevedello; Andrea Pezzuolo; Flaviana Gottardo; Luigi Sartori; Giulio Cozzi. 2018. "Effect of the number of daily distributions of solid feed on veal calves’ health status, behaviour, and alterations of rumen and abomasa." Italian Journal of Animal Science 18, no. 1: 226-235.
The aim of this study was to investigate management and feeding practices associated with on-farm loss rate (mortality) on 63 beef cattle farms in Austria, Germany and Italy with housing systems other than fully slatted pens. Information on mortality and 56 categorised factors relating to the cleanliness of animal facilities, health and feeding management, animal-human interaction, cattle transport and origin were gathered during on-farm visits. Samples of total mixed rations (TMRs) were collected and analysed for chemical composition and particle size distribution. Twenty-eight categorised factors were removed from the initial 56 due to exclusion criteria (missing data ≥ 20% and/or monolevel factors with ≥ 80% answers in one category). Mortality was the response variable in the risk factor analysis and the remaining 10 continuous covariates from TMR analyses and 28 categorised factors were independent predictors. Mean (± standard deviation) mortality, representing the proportion of dead, euthanased and early culled animals over the total number of animals bought in or reared in the previous year, was 2.8 ± 3.5%. Fourteen factors were significantly associated with mortality in the bivariable analyses; seven factors were not considered further in the multivariable analysis due to collinearity. None of the factors related to TMR were associated with mortality. Four categorical factors, referring to biosecurity measures and management, were retained in the final multivariable model, with country effect. Buying cattle from only one farm, no mixing of animals during transport, presence of a dedicated sick pen and keeping production records were associated with lower percentage mortality.
M. Brščić; M.K. Kirchner; U. Knierim; Barbara Contiero; F. Gottardo; C. Winckler; Giulio Cozzi. Risk factors associated with beef cattle losses on intensive fattening farms in Austria, Germany and Italy. The Veterinary Journal 2018, 239, 48 -53.
AMA StyleM. Brščić, M.K. Kirchner, U. Knierim, Barbara Contiero, F. Gottardo, C. Winckler, Giulio Cozzi. Risk factors associated with beef cattle losses on intensive fattening farms in Austria, Germany and Italy. The Veterinary Journal. 2018; 239 ():48-53.
Chicago/Turabian StyleM. Brščić; M.K. Kirchner; U. Knierim; Barbara Contiero; F. Gottardo; C. Winckler; Giulio Cozzi. 2018. "Risk factors associated with beef cattle losses on intensive fattening farms in Austria, Germany and Italy." The Veterinary Journal 239, no. : 48-53.
This study investigated the effect of, and interactions between, US Brown Swiss (BS) genetics and season on milk yield, basic composition and fatty acid profiles, from cows on low-input farms in Switzerland. Milk samples (n=1,976) were collected from 1,220 crossbreed cows with differing proportions of BS, Braunvieh and Original Braunvieh genetics on 40 farms during winter-housing and summer-grazing. Cows with more BS genetics produced more milk in winter but not in summer, possibly because of underfeeding potentially high-yielding cows on low-input pasture-based diets. Cows with more Original Braunvieh genetics produced milk with more (i) nutritionally desirable eicosapentaenoic and docosapentaenoic acids, throughout the year, and (ii) vaccenic and α-linolenic acids, total omega-3 fatty acid concentrations and a higher omega-3/omega-6 ratio only during summer-grazing. This suggests that overall milk quality could be improved by re-focussing breeding strategies on cows’ ability to respond to local dietary environments and seasonal dietary changes.
Sokratis Stergiadis; Anna Bieber; Eleni Chatzidimitriou; Enrica Franceschin; Anne Isensee; Leonidas Rempelos; Marcin Baranski; Veronika Maurer; Giulio Cozzi; Beat Bapst; Gillian Butler; Carlo Leifert. Impact of US Brown Swiss genetics on milk quality from low-input herds in Switzerland: Interactions with season. Food Chemistry 2018, 251, 93 -102.
AMA StyleSokratis Stergiadis, Anna Bieber, Eleni Chatzidimitriou, Enrica Franceschin, Anne Isensee, Leonidas Rempelos, Marcin Baranski, Veronika Maurer, Giulio Cozzi, Beat Bapst, Gillian Butler, Carlo Leifert. Impact of US Brown Swiss genetics on milk quality from low-input herds in Switzerland: Interactions with season. Food Chemistry. 2018; 251 ():93-102.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSokratis Stergiadis; Anna Bieber; Eleni Chatzidimitriou; Enrica Franceschin; Anne Isensee; Leonidas Rempelos; Marcin Baranski; Veronika Maurer; Giulio Cozzi; Beat Bapst; Gillian Butler; Carlo Leifert. 2018. "Impact of US Brown Swiss genetics on milk quality from low-input herds in Switzerland: Interactions with season." Food Chemistry 251, no. : 93-102.
Aim of this study was to evaluate effects on growth, slaughter performance, behavior, and rumen environment parameters of dietary supplementation with a live yeast strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a high-concentrate finishing diet fed to young Charolais bulls. A total 171 bulls (initial body weight (BW) = 442 ± 22.8 kg) were stratified by BW and assigned to one of two experimental groups: Control (85 bulls) and Yeast (86 bulls). Each group was allotted to 6 contiguous pens. All bulls were fed the same finishing diet ad libitum as a total mixed ration (TMR) at 0900 h. The live yeast strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-1077 was added to the Yeast bull premix to target a daily dose of 5 g/bull. Bull final BW (743 ± 18.7 kg) and average daily gain (1.64 ± 0.12 kg) did not differ between groups. However, yeast increased dry matter (DM) intake (11.0 versus 10.4 kg/d; P = 0.04) and tended to reduce (P = 0.08) the number of days required for finishing. The effect of yeast on DM intake was particularly relevant in the first weeks of fattening, possibly as a sign of better adaptation by bulls to the high-energy concentration of the finishing diet. Carcass weights and dressing did not differ between treatments, but the likelihood of producing a carcass graded as excellent by conformation score was 2.15 times higher for Yeast than Control bulls (Chi-Square = 14.7 and 95% confidence interval = 1.42–3.27; P < 0.001). Observation of bull behavior assessed during the 8 h after TMR delivery at the end of the 2nd and 4th mo of fattening showed a similar eating and ruminating pattern between treatments. However, yeast provision prevented from the drop in rumination rate (min/kg DM) recorded in Control bulls from the 2nd to the 4th mo of fattening. Physical and chemical analysis of TMR samples collected from the mangers at determined intervals after TMR delivery indicated that bulls of both treatments preferentially selected towards long fibrous particles. Rumen pH, lactic acid and total volatile fatty acid concentrations in samples collected before TMR feeding after the 3rd month of fattening were not affected by treatment but yeast increased acetate and butyrate concentrations as well as acetate:propionate ratio. Post mortem inspection of rumen wall showed that the occurrence of rumen papillae hyperkeratinization was lower for Yeast than Control bulls (relative risk = 0.51 and 95% confidence interval = 0.27–0.95; P = 0.02).
Luisa Magrin; Flaviana Gottardo; Enrico Fiore; Matteo Gianesella; Bruno Martin; Eric Chevaux; Giulio Cozzi. Use of a live yeast strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a high-concentrate diet fed to finishing Charolais bulls: effects on growth, slaughter performance, behavior, and rumen environment. Animal Feed Science and Technology 2018, 241, 84 -93.
AMA StyleLuisa Magrin, Flaviana Gottardo, Enrico Fiore, Matteo Gianesella, Bruno Martin, Eric Chevaux, Giulio Cozzi. Use of a live yeast strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a high-concentrate diet fed to finishing Charolais bulls: effects on growth, slaughter performance, behavior, and rumen environment. Animal Feed Science and Technology. 2018; 241 ():84-93.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuisa Magrin; Flaviana Gottardo; Enrico Fiore; Matteo Gianesella; Bruno Martin; Eric Chevaux; Giulio Cozzi. 2018. "Use of a live yeast strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a high-concentrate diet fed to finishing Charolais bulls: effects on growth, slaughter performance, behavior, and rumen environment." Animal Feed Science and Technology 241, no. : 84-93.