Judicious antimicrobial stewardship in livestock industry is needed to reduce the use of antimicrobials (AMU) and the associated risk of antimicrobial resistance. Biosecurity measures are acknowledged for their role against the spread of diseases and the importance in reducing AMU in different species. However, their effectiveness in beef production has been scarcely considered. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the quarantine strategy on AMU in beef cattle. A total of 1206 Charolaise animals in five farms were included in the trial. Roughly half of the animals followed the standard procedure of the fattening cycle (no-quarantine; NO-QUA group) and half followed a 30-day period of quarantine (QUA group) since their arrival. Performance and antimicrobial data were recorded and a treatment incidence 100 (TI100it) per animal was calculated. Penicillins was the most used class of antimicrobials. Differences between groups were significant for males only, with NO-QUA group having greater TI100it (3.76 vs. 3.24; p < 0.05) and lower body weight at slaughter (713.4 vs. 723.7 kg; p < 0.05) than QUA group. Results suggest that quarantine strategy can reduce AMU in males without compromising their performance, whereas further investigation is needed for females.

Antimicrobial use (AMU) in the livestock sector is a major driver of antimicrobial resistance. Italian beef industry strongly relies on the import of young cattle from France, which are commingled in sorting facilities before transportation to Italy. Both commingling and transportation are stressors for animals and lead to higher risk of bovine respiratory disease (BRD), which in turn increases the risk of AMU. This study aimed to investigate how the timing of first BRD vaccination and the different vaccination target pathogens affect AMU and performance of young Charolais beef cattle imported from France to Italy. Information on animal performance, antimicrobial treatments, and vaccinations was available for 60,726 Charolais cattle belonging to 1449 batches in 33 Italian specialised fattening farms between January 2016 and December 2021. Antimicrobial use was estimated using the treatment incidence 100 adapted for Italy (TI100it). A mixed linear model was used to quantify the effects of the vaccination and the time of first administration on slaughter age, carcase weight, and average daily carcase gain. Similarly, a generalised linear mixed model was used to analyse the TI100it. The vaccination programme was usually applied the first day after the animals' arrival to the Italian fattening farms. Most animals were vaccinated with a polyvalent vaccine against infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), bovine parainfluenza type 3 virus (PI-3), bovine viral diarrhoea virus type 1 and 2 (BVDV), and bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV). The most used class of antimicrobials to treat BRD were the macrolides, followed by aminoglycosides, amphenicols, tetracyclines, aminopenicillins, and fluoroquinolones. Animals that got vaccinated against any of the considered BRD pathogens upon arrival had significantly lower TI100it, greater average daily carcase gain, and reached slaughter age earlier than animals that got vaccinated later. Animals that received the vaccination against BVDV had lower TI100it and greater average daily carcase gain, and animals that received the vaccination against BRSV were younger at slaughter than unvaccinated animals. The vaccination against Mannheimia haemolytica significantly decreased the slaughter age and increased the carcase weight and average daily carcase gain, and the vaccination against PI-3 and Histophilus somni significantly increased the slaughter age. Thus, even if the vaccination programme is essential to tackle BRD, this practice is questionable if applied at arrival to the Italian fattening farms and it is advisable that the vaccination programme is planned before the commingling procedure in France.

The misuse of antibiotics in the animal sector is the main driver of antibiotic resistance. More than 80% of Italian beef cattle imported from France are Charolais, which undergo a commingling procedure before reaching Italian fattening farms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of commingling Charolais cattle in France on antibiotic use (AMU) and animals’ performances in Italy. A total of 19,756 young bulls from 449 batches transported to Italy between 2016 and 2018 were considered. Carcase weight (CW), slaughter age (SA), antibiotic treatments, vaccinations information and the French department of origin were available for each animal. Also, treatment incidence 100 (TI100it) and average daily carcase gain (ADCG) were calculated. Three classes of commingling were assigned to each animal according to the French department of origin. A linear mixed model was used to investigate sources of variation of CW, SA, ADCG and TI100it. Respiratory diseases were the main reasons for treatment and macrolides were the most used class of antibiotics. The TI100it decreased by 11% from 2016 to 2018 (p < .05). Animals that went through the highest level of commingling had lighter CW, lower ADCG and greater TI100it than animals subjected to lower commingling (p < .05). Younger animals reached higher TI100it than older ones (p < .05). Younger and highly commingled animals had higher TI100it (p < .001) than older animals equally commingled. This first-of-its-kind study showed that commingling procedures increase the risk of AMU and affect the performances of Charolais cattle.

The European carcass grading scheme (EUROP) places large emphasis on meat yield and therefore on quantitative traits such as carcass conformation and superficial fat coverage. However, it falls short in considering sensory properties and consumer satisfaction. In contrast, the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) grading scheme considers, among others, animals' ossification, marbling, and ultimate pH as primary indicators of beef eating quality. This study aims to characterize MSA carcass grading scheme applied to the Italian beef production system, considering its significant role in European beef market. The study involved 3204 Charolais, Limousin, and crossbred young bulls and heifers slaughtered in a commercial Italian abattoir. Data collection spanned a broad range of variables, including animal characteristics, MSA traits, and EUROP carcass grading traits. Regardless of the sex of the animal, no significant relationship was observed between MSA traits and EUROP carcass grading scores. Factors such as sex, age, and arrival season at the fattening unit significantly affected most of MSA traits. Females had significantly higher marbling score, and lower ossification score and hump height than males. Animals imported in autumn and winter had significantly lower marbling score, but similar ossification score compared to those imported in spring and summer. Older females had the highest marbling scores. While further research is needed to assess whether the MSA grading scheme can be adapted to all different European rearing systems, results of this study are a prelude to the potential benefits that the MSA grading scheme can bring to the European beef industry.

The age at first calving (AFC) is a critical parameter in dairy herd management due to its impact on feeding costs, genetic progress, longevity, and thus, farm profitability. With the growing global demand for buffalo milk products, recent advancements in reproductive practices and feeding techniques have contributed to a reduction in AFC in Italy. This study investigates the impact of AFC on the productive and reproductive performance of primiparous Italian Mediterranean buffaloes. Data were collected from 50,661 animals across 115 herds, covering 362,703 first-lactation test-day records from 2013 to 2023. The study analyzed productive traits, including milk yield (kg/d), days to milk peak (DMP, d), ECM (kg/d), fat and protein contents (%), and SCS. Reproductive traits, such as calving interval (CIN, d) and days open (DO, d), were analyzed from 2013 to 2021. Repeated mixed linear models were used to assess the effects of AFC on the afore-mentioned traits, accounting for DIM, calving year and season, and, when applicable, their interactions. Results highlighted a significant reduction in AFC (from 36 to 35 mo), CIN (from 457 to 447 d), and DO (from 147 to 136 d) over the studied period. Buffaloes with AFC >42 mo produced 0.52 kg/d more milk and 0.90 kg/d more ECM, with slightly higher fat content (+0.04%) compared with those with AFC ≤32 mo. This trend was consistent throughout DIM categories. Somatic cell score was significantly lower in buffaloes with AFC between 32 and 35 mo (2.78), whereas higher SCS was observed in those with AFC ≤32 mo (2.81) or >35 mo (2.80). Buffaloes with AFC comprised between 34 and 37 mo had significantly lower CIN and DO (449-450 and 137-139 d, respectively) compared with those with both lower or greater AFC (454 and 143 d, respectively), whereas DMP was not significantly affected by AFC. As expected, likely due to the out-of-breeding technique, the highest values for both CIN and DO were observed in buffaloes calving the first time in winter and spring (on average 455 and 145 d, respectively), and lower values were recorded for those calving in autumn and summer (on average 449 and 138 d, respectively). Buffaloes with AFC ≤30 mo that calved during winter exhibited significantly greater DO (>150 d) compared with those calving with AFC >42 mo during the same period (140 d). This is likely due to the lower capacity to restore ovarian activity that may reduce fertility in younger buffaloes compared with older ones. Conversely, buffaloes with AFC >42 mo that calved in summer tended to have extended DO (139 d) in respect to those with lower AFC (≤30 mo) in the same period (135 d). This may be due to the interaction between the increased photoperiod and the reduced feed intake caused by summer heat stress, which may have an effect on older buffaloes' fertility. Therefore, AFC between 34 and 37 mo represents the optimal window for Italian Mediterranean buffaloes, combining shorter CIN and DO with sustained milk production. The reduction of AFC could significantly enhance farm profitability and may be achievable through the integration of breeding programs, better reproductive technologies across seasons, and targeted nutritional strategies during the preweaning and prepartum phases.