Rodents in livestock farming constitute a threat to the one health approach. In the present observational case study, livestock farmers worked together with a pest controller within a pilot project. The aim of the study was to assess determinants associated with rodent-prevention potential. The study started in March 2019 on 24 livestock farms in a municipality in North Rhine-Westphalia/Germany. At the beginning of the project a survey on the determinants expected to be related to prevention potential was conducted. To determine the potential for rodent prevention, an expert person, who was not involved in the project before, assessed the on-site conditions of the farms after 1.5 years of project duration in 2020. The potential for rodent prevention was good for about half of the farms. There were significant differences in the willingness to make changes at the project’s start between farms with a high and a low potential for rodent prevention after 1.5 years. There is a general need for action to provide farmers with more practical information on rodent control. This is aggravated by the insufficient advisory services offered to farmers. This study confirms the importance of implementing preventive measures in the control of rodents to ensure that anticoagulant rodenticides are handled responsibly to reduce the impact on non-target species.

Due to the risk of spreading epizootic diseases through rodents, pest control is mandatory in pig farming in European countries. However, there is limited research focused on rodent control practices, usage of anticoagulant rodenticides, and the acceptance of Pest Control Operators (PCOs) in pig farming in Germany. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate current control practices in pig holdings and to analyze the potential of a financial support on the implementation of professional pest control. Data were collected from monitoring records of PCOs and personal interviews with farmers and PCOs. 33 of 47 farmers, who were offered the possibility to outsource rodent control to PCOs supported by financial contribution of the North Rhine-Westphalian Animal Disease Fund (TSK) for a period of 2 years, joined the project. Despite the widespread opinion that the professional would not be beneficial – the authors figured out that farmers could financially benefit in time saved and by improved rodent control measures from the work of the PCOs. Costs of pest control measures per operation on average did not differ significantly between costs incurred by employment of PCOs (1.310 € per year) and calculated costs that arise by farmers themselves (1.217 € per year). All PCOs used Difenacoum and Brodifacoum against pest infestations. In doing so, the infestation with rodents was reduced and most of the participating farmers assessed the project as successful and employ the PCOs permanently. However, mapping the farm locations to resistance areas of the Rodenticide Resistance Action Committee (RRAC) shows that Brodifacoum was frequently used in areas which are marked as areas that are at low risk or rather have no risk for resistance. The environmental risks, however, are increased in these areas. The instrument of temporal start-up financing professional pest control allows ensuring the continuous engagement of PCOs after the project period. This could possibly lead to long-term effects on the individual farm hygiene and on disease prevention. Nevertheless, important research questions with regard to the application of anticoagulant rodenticides of farmers and PCOs in livestock farming and with regard to risk mitigation measures were generated, meriting further investigation.

During the first days of a calf’s life, the foundations are laid for successful growth and thus also for the later performance of the cows. The aim of the present study was to analyze the impact on the weight gain of newborn calves due to important management factors related to colostrum supply, iron supply, feeding regime and microbial load at first feeding. In spring 2017, information of 123 Holstein calves were analyzed with regard to the colostrum supply and management factors on eight commercial dairy farms located in Germany. Additionally, blood samples of newborn calves were analyzed for total immunoglobulin G (IgG) and serum iron content. Furthermore, Brix analysis and analysis of contamination by E. coli were performed on first colostrum samples from teats or buckets. Average daily weight gain of calves at days 14 and 50 was calculated. The colostrum IgG was estimated by Brix refractometer. The volume of initial colostrum supply and the time between birth and colostrum intake significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the serum IgG concentration. The serum IgG concentration, the serum iron concentration and the feeding regimen (restrictive or not restrictive feeding) had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on daily weight gains. In conclusion, this study shows that, in addition to a sufficient supply of immunoglobulins, other aspects, such as an adequate colostrum, iron and milk supply, play an essential role in calf growth rates.