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The mutually beneficial relationships between improving animal welfare (AW) and achieving the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals (SDGs) were further explored and compared to previous work. This was done in the context of a doctoral training course where students selected at least six SDGs and reasoned around their impact on AW and vice versa. Then, students rated the strength of the SDG—AW links. Lastly, students engaged in an assessment exercise. Students reported an overall mutually beneficial relationship between AW and all SDGs, yet with significant differences in strength for SDGs 4, 11, 10, 12 and 13 to that previously found by experts. Students considered SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production the most promising way to integrate AW targets. This study further supports the positive role of AW in the success of the UN’s strategy. Still, the magnitude of the anticipated impacts is modified by stakeholder, context and experience.
Gabriela Olmos Antillón; Håkan Tunón; Daiana de Oliveira; Michael Jones; Anna Wallenbeck; Janice Swanson; Harry Blokhuis; Linda Keeling. Animal Welfare and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals—Broadening Students’ Perspectives. Sustainability 2021, 13, 3328 .
AMA StyleGabriela Olmos Antillón, Håkan Tunón, Daiana de Oliveira, Michael Jones, Anna Wallenbeck, Janice Swanson, Harry Blokhuis, Linda Keeling. Animal Welfare and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals—Broadening Students’ Perspectives. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (6):3328.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGabriela Olmos Antillón; Håkan Tunón; Daiana de Oliveira; Michael Jones; Anna Wallenbeck; Janice Swanson; Harry Blokhuis; Linda Keeling. 2021. "Animal Welfare and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals—Broadening Students’ Perspectives." Sustainability 13, no. 6: 3328.
Farmers play a key role in conserving native livestock breeds, but without economic support, farms with native breeds may not be viable. We hypothesized that terminal crossbreeding can improve herd economy and decrease the economic support needed from society. Three scenarios were simulated using SimHerd Crossbred: a herd of purebred Swedish Polled Cattle, a herd of purebred Swedish Red, and a herd of 75% Swedish Polled Cattle and 25% F1 crossbreds. The results showed annual contribution margin per cow in the herd can be increased by €181 by crossbreeding compared with pure-breeding with the native breed, giving a 13.6% growth in contribution margin. However, the needed cost in subsidies paid by the government will remain unchanged if the population size of the native breed is to be maintained. Combining a crossbreeding strategy with the marketing of niche products may facilitate the conservation of native cattle.
J. B. Clasen; M. Kargo; W.F. Fikse; E. Strandberg; A. Wallenbeck; S. Østergaard; L. Rydhmer. Conservation of a native dairy cattle breed through terminal crossbreeding with commercial dairy breeds. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A - Animal Science 2021, 70, 1 -12.
AMA StyleJ. B. Clasen, M. Kargo, W.F. Fikse, E. Strandberg, A. Wallenbeck, S. Østergaard, L. Rydhmer. Conservation of a native dairy cattle breed through terminal crossbreeding with commercial dairy breeds. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A - Animal Science. 2021; 70 (1):1-12.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJ. B. Clasen; M. Kargo; W.F. Fikse; E. Strandberg; A. Wallenbeck; S. Østergaard; L. Rydhmer. 2021. "Conservation of a native dairy cattle breed through terminal crossbreeding with commercial dairy breeds." Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A - Animal Science 70, no. 1: 1-12.
Nitrogen gas (N2) delivered in high expansion foam in a closed container could be a feasible method for humanely stunning pigs. This study aimed to evaluate potential aversion in pigs to the N2 foam method and its effect on stun quality. Furthermore, the study aimed to assess potential aversion to the foam itself. Sixty pigs (27.8 ± 4.4 kg) were divided into three treatments and were exposed to either N2-filled foam, air-filled foam, or no foam air. The N2 foam was effective at purging the air from the container and quickly created stable anoxic conditions. The pigs did not show any strong aversive behaviours when exposed to foam. However, they seemed to avoid putting their heads and snouts into the foam when foam levels became high. Escape attempts through the lid also increased when the foam started covering their heads. The mean time to loss of posture was 57.9 s. Based on the results, stunning with the N2 foam technique could be a viable alternative to high concentration CO2 stunning and potentially lead to improved animal welfare at slaughter.
Cecilia Lindahl; Erik Sindhøj; Rebecka Brattlund Hellgren; Charlotte Berg; Anna Wallenbeck. Responses of Pigs to Stunning with Nitrogen Filled High-Expansion Foam. Animals 2020, 10, 2210 .
AMA StyleCecilia Lindahl, Erik Sindhøj, Rebecka Brattlund Hellgren, Charlotte Berg, Anna Wallenbeck. Responses of Pigs to Stunning with Nitrogen Filled High-Expansion Foam. Animals. 2020; 10 (12):2210.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCecilia Lindahl; Erik Sindhøj; Rebecka Brattlund Hellgren; Charlotte Berg; Anna Wallenbeck. 2020. "Responses of Pigs to Stunning with Nitrogen Filled High-Expansion Foam." Animals 10, no. 12: 2210.
Improved potential for weight gain and carcass classification traits in calves aimed at slaughter from dairy herds would increase the calves’ economic value, and enable an increased beef production. At present, relatively low economic weights are placed on beef traits in the comprehensive Nordic dairy cattle breeding goal. An effective way to improve beef production from dairy herds is therefore to inseminate a larger proportion of dairy heifers and cows with beef bull semen. In the choice of beef bull breed, both effects on calving traits, carcass weight gain and carcass traits need to be considered. The aim of this study was therefore to compare different beef x dairy crosses regarding calving performance and carcass traits. Field data comprising in total close to 1.6 million calving records from Swedish herds, and more than 1.1 million carcass records from commercial slaughter houses, were analyzed using linear models. Differences in least-square means between different breed combinations were estimated for percentage of calving difficulty, stillbirth, daily carcass gain, carcass weight, EUROP conformation and fat classification. The dams were purebred Swedish Red (SR) or Swedish Holstein (SH), and the sires were either of purebred dairy (SR or SH) or of the beef breeds Angus, Hereford, Limousin, Simmental or Charolais. The results showed that crossbreeding dairy cows with beef bulls, especially of late maturing breeds, has potential to considerably improve beef production from dairy herds. Improvement of carcass characteristics and carcass gain were most noticeable in young crossbred bulls, where the highest increase for single breed combinations was 67% for conformation and 17% for carcass gain. Offspring of different beef x dairy combinations displayed varying average carcass gain and characteristics in terms of fatness and conformation in heifers, steers and young bulls, and would fit different types of production systems. Whereas crossbreeding had small or favorable effects on stillbirth, the use of late maturing beef breed sires negatively influenced the calving performance, especially in primiparous dairy cows. By choosing individual beef bulls with high estimated breeding values for calving ease, the percentage of calving difficulty could be reduced, even when using late maturing beef breed sires for crossbreeding.
Susanne Eriksson; Patricia Ask-Gullstrand; W. Freddy Fikse; Elin Jonsson; Jan-Åke Eriksson; Hans Stålhammar; Anna Wallenbeck; Anna Hessle. Different beef breed sires used for crossbreeding with Swedish dairy cows - effects on calving performance and carcass traits. Livestock Science 2019, 232, 103902 .
AMA StyleSusanne Eriksson, Patricia Ask-Gullstrand, W. Freddy Fikse, Elin Jonsson, Jan-Åke Eriksson, Hans Stålhammar, Anna Wallenbeck, Anna Hessle. Different beef breed sires used for crossbreeding with Swedish dairy cows - effects on calving performance and carcass traits. Livestock Science. 2019; 232 ():103902.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSusanne Eriksson; Patricia Ask-Gullstrand; W. Freddy Fikse; Elin Jonsson; Jan-Åke Eriksson; Hans Stålhammar; Anna Wallenbeck; Anna Hessle. 2019. "Different beef breed sires used for crossbreeding with Swedish dairy cows - effects on calving performance and carcass traits." Livestock Science 232, no. : 103902.
Tail biting is a common issue within commercial pig production. It is mainly an indicator of inadequate housing environment and results in reduced health welfare and production. To reduce the impact of tail biting, pigs are commonly tail docked, without pain relief, within the first week of life. EU Council Directive 2008/120/EC prohibits routine tail docking, but the practice is still widely used in many Member States. Sweden has banned tail docking since 1988 and all pigs have intact tails, yet tail biting is a minor problem. This paper summarises and synthesises experimental findings and practical expertise in production of undocked pigs in Sweden and describes solutions to facilitate a transition to producing pigs with intact tails within intensive pig production in the EU. Swedish pig housing conditions and management differ in many aspects from those in other EU Member States. Swedish experiences show that lower stocking density, provision of sufficient feeding space, no fully slatted flooring, strict maximum levels for noxious gases and regular provision of litter material are crucial for success when rearing pigs with intact tails. To prevent tail biting and to eliminate the need for tail docking, we strongly recommend that EU legislation should more clearly match the biological needs of pigs, as is done in Swedish legislation.
Torun Wallgren; Nils Lundeheim; Anna Wallenbeck; Rebecka Westin; Stefan Gunnarsson. Rearing Pigs with Intact Tails—Experiences and Practical Solutions in Sweden. Animals 2019, 9, 812 .
AMA StyleTorun Wallgren, Nils Lundeheim, Anna Wallenbeck, Rebecka Westin, Stefan Gunnarsson. Rearing Pigs with Intact Tails—Experiences and Practical Solutions in Sweden. Animals. 2019; 9 (10):812.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTorun Wallgren; Nils Lundeheim; Anna Wallenbeck; Rebecka Westin; Stefan Gunnarsson. 2019. "Rearing Pigs with Intact Tails—Experiences and Practical Solutions in Sweden." Animals 9, no. 10: 812.
This paper systematically evaluates the extent to which achieving the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) is compatible with improving animal welfare. The analyses were based on discussion and independent scoring in a group of 12 participants with academic backgrounds within agricultural or veterinary sciences. We considered all categories of animals; those kept for food production, working and companion animals, but also laboratory and wild animals. The strengths of the links between improving animal welfare and achieving an SDG were scored on a 7-point scale, from being completely indivisible, at one end of the scale, to where it is impossible to reach both the SDG and improved animal welfare at the same time. There was good consensus between participants, with the overall scores being positive, indicating that although animal welfare is not explicitly mentioned in the SDGs, working to achieving the SDGs is compatible with working to improve animal welfare. When analyzing the direction of the links, the impact of achieving an SDG was considered, on average, to be slightly better at leading to improved animal welfare, than the impact of improving animal welfare was on achieving the SDG. The exception to this was for SDG 2, dealing with zero hunger. The two SDGs for which there was strongest mutual reinforcing were SDG 12, which deals with responsible production and consumption, and SDG 14, which deals with life below water. Most of the targets under these two SDGs were considered relevant to animal welfare, whereas when all SDGs were considered, 66 targets of the total of 169 were considered relevant. Although the results of this study suggest a mutually beneficial relationship between improving animal welfare and achieving SDGs, this should be confirmed on a wider group of people, for example people from less developed countries and other stakeholders. Showing the relationships between animal welfare and the sustainable development goals helps highlight the importance of animal welfare when implementing these goals in practice. The methodology described in this study could also be useful to researchers working with other societal and environmental issues not yet considered within the overall SDG framework.
Linda Keeling; Håkan Tunon; Gabriela Olmos Antillón; Charlotte Berg; Mike Jones; Leopoldo Stuardo; Janice Swanson; Anna Wallenbeck; Christoph Winckler; Harry Blokhuis. Animal Welfare and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2019, 6, 1 .
AMA StyleLinda Keeling, Håkan Tunon, Gabriela Olmos Antillón, Charlotte Berg, Mike Jones, Leopoldo Stuardo, Janice Swanson, Anna Wallenbeck, Christoph Winckler, Harry Blokhuis. Animal Welfare and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 2019; 6 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLinda Keeling; Håkan Tunon; Gabriela Olmos Antillón; Charlotte Berg; Mike Jones; Leopoldo Stuardo; Janice Swanson; Anna Wallenbeck; Christoph Winckler; Harry Blokhuis. 2019. "Animal Welfare and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals." Frontiers in Veterinary Science 6, no. : 1.
The original version of this article unfortunately contained an error in Figure 1.
A. Wallenbeck; C. Eliasson; N. Lundeheim; K. Nilsson. Correction to: Leg health, growth and carcass characteristics in growing-finishing pigs of two different genotypes reared on Swedish organic farms. Organic Agriculture 2019, 10, 105 -106.
AMA StyleA. Wallenbeck, C. Eliasson, N. Lundeheim, K. Nilsson. Correction to: Leg health, growth and carcass characteristics in growing-finishing pigs of two different genotypes reared on Swedish organic farms. Organic Agriculture. 2019; 10 (1):105-106.
Chicago/Turabian StyleA. Wallenbeck; C. Eliasson; N. Lundeheim; K. Nilsson. 2019. "Correction to: Leg health, growth and carcass characteristics in growing-finishing pigs of two different genotypes reared on Swedish organic farms." Organic Agriculture 10, no. 1: 105-106.
Increased prevalence of joint abnormalities at slaughter among pigs from organically certified herds in Sweden has been reported. Most of these abnormalities are caused by osteochondrosis, which has a genetic background. Thus, we investigated whether changing the sire breed from the commonly used Hampshire to the commercially available sire breed Duroc affected joint health and growth rate. We studied 766 commercially reared growing-finishing pigs from insemination of the mother sow until slaughter. The pigs were raised at four commercial organic farms (integrated or externally integrated, and had 40–160 sows in production) and slaughtered at one slaughter plant. We found no significant difference between the offspring of the two sire breeds regarding back conformation, leg conformation, swollen joints, locomotion or lameness at 13 or 24 weeks of age, or regarding joint abnormalities at slaughter. This indicates that clinical leg health will not be improved by changing sire breed. However, the Hampshire-sired pigs had higher daily growth rate (P < 0.008), allowing earlier slaughter.
A. Wallenbeck; C. Eliasson; N. Lundeheim; K. Nilsson. Leg health, growth and carcass characteristics in growing-finishing pigs of two different genotypes reared on Swedish organic farms. Organic Agriculture 2019, 10, 97 -103.
AMA StyleA. Wallenbeck, C. Eliasson, N. Lundeheim, K. Nilsson. Leg health, growth and carcass characteristics in growing-finishing pigs of two different genotypes reared on Swedish organic farms. Organic Agriculture. 2019; 10 (1):97-103.
Chicago/Turabian StyleA. Wallenbeck; C. Eliasson; N. Lundeheim; K. Nilsson. 2019. "Leg health, growth and carcass characteristics in growing-finishing pigs of two different genotypes reared on Swedish organic farms." Organic Agriculture 10, no. 1: 97-103.
Our aim was to map the performance of local (native) dairy cattle breeds in Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and Sweden with regard to production, fertility, longevity, and health-associated traits and to compare them with commercial (modern) breeds. For this purpose, we analyzed test-day records (July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2014) and treatment records (Austria, Sweden) of cows managed on organic farms. We performed country-wise comparisons of 123,415 lactations from Original Braunvieh (OB) and Grey Cattle (AL) with Braunvieh (BV; Brown Swiss blood >60%) in Switzerland; AL with BV (Brown Swiss blood >50%) in Austria; Polish Black and White (ZB), Polish Red and White (ZR), and Polish Red (RP) with Polish Holstein Friesian (PHF) in Poland; and Swedish Red (SRB) with Swedish Holstein (SH) in Sweden. Average milk yields were substantially lower for local compared with commercial breeds in all countries; differences ranged from 750 kg (Sweden) to 1,822 kg (Austria), albeit on very different average levels. Local breeds showed a longer productive lifetime by 0.64, 0.83, 1.42, and 0.20 lactations in Switzerland, Austria, Poland, and Sweden, respectively, again on very different levels in each country. Regarding fertility traits, calving interval was shorter in local than in commercial breeds by 13 (Sweden), 14 (Switzerland), and 20 d (Austria, Poland). Insemination index was lower in certain local breeds by 0.15 (Switzerland), 0.14 (Austria), 0.21 (Poland), and 0.13 (Sweden). Several local breeds showed a lower proportion of cows with >100,000 somatic cells/mL. This was the case in Switzerland (OB 24.2%; BV 35.8%), Austria (AL 25.3%; BV 36.9%), and Sweden (SRB 42.4%; SH 43.4%). In contrast, the respective proportion in Poland exceeded 82% in all breeds except the commercial PHF (76.1%). In Sweden, lactations with veterinary treatments were considerably less prevalent in SRB (15.6%) than in SH (21.7%). In Austria, breeds differed only in treatments for udder disorders, which favored AL. In conclusion, the markedly lower milk yields of local breeds are partly counterbalanced by (somewhat inconsistent) advantages in longevity, fertility, and health traits across 4 European countries. This indicates that the robustness of local breeds can contribute to improved sustainability of organic dairy systems.
Anna Bieber; Anna Wallenbeck; Florian Leiber; Birgit Fuerst-Waltl; Christoph Winckler; Patricia Gullstrand; Jacek Walczak; Piotr Wójcik; Anet Spengler Neff. Production level, fertility, health traits, and longevity in local and commercial dairy breeds under organic production conditions in Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and Sweden. Journal of Dairy Science 2019, 102, 5330 -5341.
AMA StyleAnna Bieber, Anna Wallenbeck, Florian Leiber, Birgit Fuerst-Waltl, Christoph Winckler, Patricia Gullstrand, Jacek Walczak, Piotr Wójcik, Anet Spengler Neff. Production level, fertility, health traits, and longevity in local and commercial dairy breeds under organic production conditions in Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and Sweden. Journal of Dairy Science. 2019; 102 (6):5330-5341.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAnna Bieber; Anna Wallenbeck; Florian Leiber; Birgit Fuerst-Waltl; Christoph Winckler; Patricia Gullstrand; Jacek Walczak; Piotr Wójcik; Anet Spengler Neff. 2019. "Production level, fertility, health traits, and longevity in local and commercial dairy breeds under organic production conditions in Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and Sweden." Journal of Dairy Science 102, no. 6: 5330-5341.
In Denmark, Finland, and Sweden, the Nordic Total Merit index is used as the breeding selection tool for both organic and conventional dairy farmers based on common economic models for conventional dairy farming. Organic farming is based on the principles of organic agriculture (POA) defined by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements. These principles are not set up with an economic point of view, and therefore it may be questionable to use a breeding goal (BG) for organic dairy production based on economic models. In addition to economics and the principles of organic agriculture, it is important to look at farmers' preferences for improving BG traits when setting up a BG for organic farming. The aim of this research was to set up, simulate, and compare long-term effects of different BG for organic and conventional dairy production systems based on economic models, farmers' preferences, and POA, with particular emphasis on disease resistance or on roughage consumption and feed efficiency. The BG based on economic models and on farmers' preferences were taken from previous studies. The other BG were desired gains indices, set up by means of a questionnaire about relatedness between the POA and BG traits. Each BG was simulated in the stochastic simulation program ADAM. The BG based on POA, with particular emphasis on disease resistance or on roughage consumption and feed efficiency, caused favorable genetic gain in all 12 traits included in this study compared with 6 traits for the other BG. The BG based on POA, with particular emphasis on disease resistance or on roughage consumption and feed efficiency, were very different from BG for organic and conventional production based on economic models and farmers' preferences in both simulated genetic change and correlations between BG. The BG that was created based on the principles of organic agriculture could be used as a specific index for organic dairy farming in Denmark, but this index was economically not very sustainable. Hence, an intermediate breeding goal could be developed by breeding companies to address both economics and the principles of organic agriculture.
M. Slagboom; A. Wallenbeck; L. Hjortø; A.C. Sørensen; Lotta Rydhmer; J.R. Thomasen; M. Kargo. Simulating consequences of choosing a breeding goal for organic dairy production. Journal of Dairy Science 2018, 101, 11086 -11096.
AMA StyleM. Slagboom, A. Wallenbeck, L. Hjortø, A.C. Sørensen, Lotta Rydhmer, J.R. Thomasen, M. Kargo. Simulating consequences of choosing a breeding goal for organic dairy production. Journal of Dairy Science. 2018; 101 (12):11086-11096.
Chicago/Turabian StyleM. Slagboom; A. Wallenbeck; L. Hjortø; A.C. Sørensen; Lotta Rydhmer; J.R. Thomasen; M. Kargo. 2018. "Simulating consequences of choosing a breeding goal for organic dairy production." Journal of Dairy Science 101, no. 12: 11086-11096.
Animal welfare is an important aspect of organic broiler (OB) production which involves e.g. up to twice the rearing period compared with conventional production and feedstuffs without prophylactic additives or synthetic amino acids. As market demand for organic broiler meat increases, the formerly modest OB production in Sweden is now rapidly increasing and research is needed to support this development. It is essential to use genotypes that adapt well to the rearing environment, in order to achieve satisfactory animal welfare. Health problems related to fast growth rate are a common animal welfare issue in modern broilers and this applies to systems with long rearing periods. In this study, the Welfare Quality® assessment protocol for poultry was used for assessment of lameness, contact dermatitis, cleanliness, thermal comfort, litter quality and the human-animal relationship in two modern broiler genotypes; the fast-growing Ross 308 (R) and the slower-growing Rowan Ranger (RR). In total, 645 day-old chicks (328 R and 317 RR) were reared until 10 weeks of age, which is the rearing period formerly used in organic production in Sweden, and fed a low-protein (L), high-protein (H) or mussel-meal (M) diet containing 14.5%, 17.0% or 15.6% crude protein, respectively. Broiler welfare was assessed on three occasions (at weeks 2, 6 and 9). The results showed rapid deterioration in welfare for fast-growing broilers when kept beyond 6 weeks. Mortality rate and incidence of lameness and contact dermatitis increased and litter quality, thermal comfort and plumage cleanliness decreased. Indications of poor welfare were also observed in the slower-growing hybrid, but to a lesser extent and later during rearing. Diet type only had minor effects on bird welfare, although R birds grew faster on the M diet. Thus the slower-growing RR hybrid is preferable to the fast-growing broiler type in production systems with a long rearing period. However, the RR growth rate can be regarded as moderate and, to avoid health problems related to fast growth rate, hybrids that grow even more slowly should be considered for OB production systems with a long rearing period.
S. Wilhelmsson; J. Yngvesson; L. Jönsson; S. Gunnarsson; A. Wallenbeck. Welfare Quality® assessment of a fast-growing and a slower-growing broiler hybrid, reared until 10 weeks and fed a low-protein, high-protein or mussel-meal diet. Livestock Science 2018, 219, 71 -79.
AMA StyleS. Wilhelmsson, J. Yngvesson, L. Jönsson, S. Gunnarsson, A. Wallenbeck. Welfare Quality® assessment of a fast-growing and a slower-growing broiler hybrid, reared until 10 weeks and fed a low-protein, high-protein or mussel-meal diet. Livestock Science. 2018; 219 ():71-79.
Chicago/Turabian StyleS. Wilhelmsson; J. Yngvesson; L. Jönsson; S. Gunnarsson; A. Wallenbeck. 2018. "Welfare Quality® assessment of a fast-growing and a slower-growing broiler hybrid, reared until 10 weeks and fed a low-protein, high-protein or mussel-meal diet." Livestock Science 219, no. : 71-79.
This study investigated how intensively manipulated grass/clover silage (finer structure than chopped silage) fed in total mixed ration (TMR), influenced feed consumption, total tract apparent digestibility (TTAD) and pig behaviour. Ten Yorkshire x Hampshire (YH) pigs were included in a digestibility experiment and 64 YH pigs in a behaviour experiment. Pigs received TMR with 20% dry matter inclusion of either intensively manipulated (SI) or chopped silage (SC). Behaviour was registered with instantaneous and continuous sampling. SI pigs consumed more silage (p = 0.001) and spent more time eating from the through (p < 0.01), however no significant difference in TTAD was found (p > 0.05). Less social interactions prior to feeding (p = 0.029) and less rooting after feeding (p < 0.05) were found among SI pigs, indicating SI pigs being more satisfied for a longer time after feeding. We conclude that TMR with intensively manipulated silage benefits feed consumption and increases the opportunities for pigs perform feed-related behaviours.
Magdalena Presto Åkerfeldt; Sara Holmström; Anna Wallenbeck; Emma Ivarsson. Inclusion of intensively manipulated silage in total mixed ration to growing pigs – influence on silage consumption, nutrient digestibility and pig behaviour. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A - Animal Science 2018, 68, 190 -201.
AMA StyleMagdalena Presto Åkerfeldt, Sara Holmström, Anna Wallenbeck, Emma Ivarsson. Inclusion of intensively manipulated silage in total mixed ration to growing pigs – influence on silage consumption, nutrient digestibility and pig behaviour. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A - Animal Science. 2018; 68 (4):190-201.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMagdalena Presto Åkerfeldt; Sara Holmström; Anna Wallenbeck; Emma Ivarsson. 2018. "Inclusion of intensively manipulated silage in total mixed ration to growing pigs – influence on silage consumption, nutrient digestibility and pig behaviour." Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A - Animal Science 68, no. 4: 190-201.
A. Wallenbeck; T. Rousing; J. T. Sørensen; A. Bieber; A. Spengler Neff; B. Fuerst-Waltl; C. Winckler; C. Pfeiffer; F. Steininger; C. Simantke; S. March; J. Brinkmann; Jacek Walczak; P. Wójcik; V. Ribikauskas; S. Wilhelmsson; T. Skjerve; S. Ivemeyer. Correction to: Characteristics of organic dairy major farm types in seven European countries. Organic Agriculture 2018, 9, 293 -293.
AMA StyleA. Wallenbeck, T. Rousing, J. T. Sørensen, A. Bieber, A. Spengler Neff, B. Fuerst-Waltl, C. Winckler, C. Pfeiffer, F. Steininger, C. Simantke, S. March, J. Brinkmann, Jacek Walczak, P. Wójcik, V. Ribikauskas, S. Wilhelmsson, T. Skjerve, S. Ivemeyer. Correction to: Characteristics of organic dairy major farm types in seven European countries. Organic Agriculture. 2018; 9 (3):293-293.
Chicago/Turabian StyleA. Wallenbeck; T. Rousing; J. T. Sørensen; A. Bieber; A. Spengler Neff; B. Fuerst-Waltl; C. Winckler; C. Pfeiffer; F. Steininger; C. Simantke; S. March; J. Brinkmann; Jacek Walczak; P. Wójcik; V. Ribikauskas; S. Wilhelmsson; T. Skjerve; S. Ivemeyer. 2018. "Correction to: Characteristics of organic dairy major farm types in seven European countries." Organic Agriculture 9, no. 3: 293-293.
This study aimed to identify organic dairy major farm types (MFTs) in seven European countries, describe these MFTs in an open research database and assess central characteristics of the MFTs. This was conducted in a three-step procedure including (1) Identification of organic MFTs in seven European countries: Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden, based on existing data from dairy databases and consultations with experts within the respective fields of knowledge; (2) Collection of data on farm characteristics, management procedures, production level and herd health from at least 10 farms per MFT and country and (3) Creating an open research database on MFT characteristics, description of essential characteristics of MFTs and assessment of similarities and differences between farms within and across MFTs. The results indicate variations in herd characteristics such as production level, herd size, farm size, housing system, milking system and cow health status between organic dairy farms in these seven European countries. It also indicates variations in management strategies such as feeding, animal health management and recruitment strategies across the organic dairy sector in Europe. These variations seem to be associated with differences between regions and countries in the conditions for organic dairy production, such as topography, land availability and regulations.
A. Wallenbeck; T. Rousing; J. T. Sørensen; A. Bieber; A. Spengler Neff; B. Fuerst-Waltl; C. Winckler; C. Peiffer; F. Steininger; C. Simantke; S. March; J. Brinkmann; J. Walczak; P. Wójcik; V. Ribikauskas; S. Wilhelmsson; T. Skjerve; S. Ivemeyer. Characteristics of organic dairy major farm types in seven European countries. Organic Agriculture 2018, 9, 275 -291.
AMA StyleA. Wallenbeck, T. Rousing, J. T. Sørensen, A. Bieber, A. Spengler Neff, B. Fuerst-Waltl, C. Winckler, C. Peiffer, F. Steininger, C. Simantke, S. March, J. Brinkmann, J. Walczak, P. Wójcik, V. Ribikauskas, S. Wilhelmsson, T. Skjerve, S. Ivemeyer. Characteristics of organic dairy major farm types in seven European countries. Organic Agriculture. 2018; 9 (3):275-291.
Chicago/Turabian StyleA. Wallenbeck; T. Rousing; J. T. Sørensen; A. Bieber; A. Spengler Neff; B. Fuerst-Waltl; C. Winckler; C. Peiffer; F. Steininger; C. Simantke; S. March; J. Brinkmann; J. Walczak; P. Wójcik; V. Ribikauskas; S. Wilhelmsson; T. Skjerve; S. Ivemeyer. 2018. "Characteristics of organic dairy major farm types in seven European countries." Organic Agriculture 9, no. 3: 275-291.
T. A. Skjerve; L. Grøva; L. K. Sørheim; M. Slagboom; S. Eriksson; M. Kargo; Anna Wallenbeck. Norwegian dairy farmers’ preferences for breeding goal traits and associations with herd and farm characteristics. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A - Animal Science 2018, 68, 117 -123.
AMA StyleT. A. Skjerve, L. Grøva, L. K. Sørheim, M. Slagboom, S. Eriksson, M. Kargo, Anna Wallenbeck. Norwegian dairy farmers’ preferences for breeding goal traits and associations with herd and farm characteristics. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A - Animal Science. 2018; 68 (3):117-123.
Chicago/Turabian StyleT. A. Skjerve; L. Grøva; L. K. Sørheim; M. Slagboom; S. Eriksson; M. Kargo; Anna Wallenbeck. 2018. "Norwegian dairy farmers’ preferences for breeding goal traits and associations with herd and farm characteristics." Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A - Animal Science 68, no. 3: 117-123.
Ley crops can be preserved as silage and can serve as a locally produced feedstuff/enrichment for pigs. It is important to determine the potential for using ley crops grown on-farm in pig production and to evaluate dietary inclusion of different roughage types on pig performance and behaviour. This study examined the influence of access to chicory or red clover silage, in combination with a restricted feeding regime, on pig performance, time budgets and social behaviour. In total, 72 finishing pigs were evenly allocated to three treatments: chicory silage, red clover silage and a control. Pigs in the control treatment were fed 100% commercial liquid feed according to the standards for growing/finishing pigs, while pigs in the chicory and red clover treatments were fed 80% commercial diet (energy basis) and whole-crop chicory or red clover silage ad libitum. Pigs in the chicory silage and red clover silage treatments grew 15 and 10% slower, respectively, than pigs in the control treatment; however, the slower growth rate was not as pronounced as the reduction of energy allowance in the commercial feed. Further, the pigs fed red clover silage had lower feed conversion ratio (based on the commercial cereal-based feed) than pigs fed chicory silage or the control diet, indicating that the red clover silage contributed some energy and nutrients to the finishing pigs. Moreover, pigs fed chicory or red clover silage were more active than control pigs and performed more feed-directed behaviours and less behaviours directed towards other pigs and pen fitting.
Magdalena Presto Åkerfeldt; J. Nihlstrand; M. Neil; N. Lundeheim; H. K. Andersson; A. Wallenbeck. Chicory and red clover silage in diets to finishing pigs—influence on performance, time budgets and social interactions. Organic Agriculture 2018, 9, 127 -138.
AMA StyleMagdalena Presto Åkerfeldt, J. Nihlstrand, M. Neil, N. Lundeheim, H. K. Andersson, A. Wallenbeck. Chicory and red clover silage in diets to finishing pigs—influence on performance, time budgets and social interactions. Organic Agriculture. 2018; 9 (1):127-138.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMagdalena Presto Åkerfeldt; J. Nihlstrand; M. Neil; N. Lundeheim; H. K. Andersson; A. Wallenbeck. 2018. "Chicory and red clover silage in diets to finishing pigs—influence on performance, time budgets and social interactions." Organic Agriculture 9, no. 1: 127-138.
Current organic agriculture performs well in several sustainability domains, like animal welfare, farm profitability and low pesticide use, but yields are commonly lower than in conventional farming. There is now a re-vitalized interest in increasing yields in organic agriculture to provide more organic food for a growing, more affluent population and reduce negative impacts per unit produced. However, past yield increases have been accompanied by several negative side-effects. Here, we review risks and opportunities related to a broad range of sustainability domains associated with increasing yields in organic agriculture in the Northern European context. We identify increased N input, weed, disease and pest control, improved livestock feeding, breeding for higher yields and reduced losses as the main measures for yield increases. We review the implications of their implementation for biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient losses, soil fertility, animal health and welfare, human nutrition and health and farm profitability. Our findings from this first-of-its-kind integrated analysis reveal which strategies for increasing yields are unlikely to produce negative side-effects and therefore should be a high priority, and which strategies need to be implemented with great attention to trade-offs. For example, increased N inputs in cropping carry many risks and few opportunities, whereas there are many risk-free opportunities for improved pest control through the management of ecosystem services. For most yield increasing strategies, both risks and opportunities arise, and the actual effect depends on management including active mitigation of side-effects. Our review shows that, to be a driving force for increased food system sustainability, organic agriculture may need to reconsider certain fundamental principles. Novel plant nutrient sources, including increased nutrient recycling in society, and in some cases mineral nitrogen fertilisers from renewable sources, and truly alternative animal production systems may need to be developed and accepted.
Elin Röös; Axel Mie; Maria Wivstad; Eva Salomon; Birgitta Johansson; Stefan Gunnarsson; Anna Wallenbeck; Ruben Hoffmann; Ulf Nilsson; Cecilia Sundberg; Christine Watson. Risks and opportunities of increasing yields in organic farming. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 2018, 38, 14 .
AMA StyleElin Röös, Axel Mie, Maria Wivstad, Eva Salomon, Birgitta Johansson, Stefan Gunnarsson, Anna Wallenbeck, Ruben Hoffmann, Ulf Nilsson, Cecilia Sundberg, Christine Watson. Risks and opportunities of increasing yields in organic farming. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development. 2018; 38 (2):14.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElin Röös; Axel Mie; Maria Wivstad; Eva Salomon; Birgitta Johansson; Stefan Gunnarsson; Anna Wallenbeck; Ruben Hoffmann; Ulf Nilsson; Cecilia Sundberg; Christine Watson. 2018. "Risks and opportunities of increasing yields in organic farming. A review." Agronomy for Sustainable Development 38, no. 2: 14.
Perching is important for broiler welfare, however, hampered by body weight. In a mixed flock, resting behaviour and location were compared between three broiler hybrids (Rowan Ranger, Hubbard CYJA57 & Ross 308; n = 100/hybrid), differing in growth. Rearing was in a large littered pen (1.84 birds/m2), with perches. Behaviour and position was observed in focal birds on daytime and as group scans on daytime (days 11, 45, 61 and 80) and night-time (days 63, 70 and 77). Birds were slaughtered at 84 days and accumulated mortality in fast-growing birds was 20% and 2% in slow-growing. Resting frequency did not differ though fast-growing broilers perched less and lower, at night (P < .01) and day (P < .01). On daytime, males disturbed birds resting on the floor more than females did (P < .05). Disrupted rest is a potential welfare issue in broilers, hence perches or other elevated structures would improve welfare.
J. Yngvesson; M. Wedin; S. Gunnarsson; L. Jönsson; H. Blokhuis; Anna Wallenbeck. Let me sleep! Welfare of broilers (Gallus gallus domesticus) with disrupted resting behaviour. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A - Animal Science 2017, 67, 123 -133.
AMA StyleJ. Yngvesson, M. Wedin, S. Gunnarsson, L. Jönsson, H. Blokhuis, Anna Wallenbeck. Let me sleep! Welfare of broilers (Gallus gallus domesticus) with disrupted resting behaviour. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A - Animal Science. 2017; 67 (3-4):123-133.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJ. Yngvesson; M. Wedin; S. Gunnarsson; L. Jönsson; H. Blokhuis; Anna Wallenbeck. 2017. "Let me sleep! Welfare of broilers (Gallus gallus domesticus) with disrupted resting behaviour." Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A - Animal Science 67, no. 3-4: 123-133.
Organic poultry meat production in Sweden is characterized by diets based on organic and locally produced feedstuffs, roughage allowance, a long rearing period (>10 weeks), outdoor access for the birds, and ban of synthetic amino acids and prophylactic use of antibiotics and anthelmintic. Until recently, the main hybrids used in organic broiler chicken production in Sweden were the same as used in conventional broiler chicken production. These birds are bred to reach market weight at 5 to 6 weeks on a high-protein quality non-organic diet. In this study, organic high- and low-protein diets were fed to fast- and slower-growing hybrid broiler chickens with 5 pens per genotype × diet treatment and 21 to 22 broiler chickens per pen. Weight gain, feed conversion, health, and mortality were recorded during a 71-day rearing period. The fast-growing hybrid birds grew faster (55.4 ± 0.7 versus 38.3 ± 0.5 g/day, P = 0.001) and had a better feed conversion ratio (2.6 ± 0.1 versus 2.9 ± 0.1 kg feed/kg body weight, P = 0.001) than the slower-growing hybrid birds. The fast-growing hybrid birds grew slower when fed the high-protein compared to the low-protein diet (55.3 ± 0.5 versus 57.8 ± 1.4 g/day, P = 0.050), while the slower-growing hybrid birds grew faster when fed the high-protein compared to the low-protein diet (39.4 ± 0.7 and 37.2 ± 0.4 g/day, P = 0.038). A higher proportion of fast- compared to slower-growing hybrid birds had sticky droppings at 1 week of age (18.8 ± 1.6 versus 3.8 ± 1.6%, P = 0.001) and were culled because of leg weakness during the 10-week rearing period (10.0 ± 2.0 versus 3.3 ± 2.0%, P = 0.031), indicating poorer welfare among fast-growing hybrid birds when reared for 10 weeks on organic diets.
Mehdi Rezaei; Jenny Yngvesson; Stefan Gunnarsson; Lotta Jönsson; Anna Wallenbeck. Feed efficiency, growth performance, and carcass characteristics of a fast- and a slower-growing broiler hybrid fed low- or high-protein organic diets. Organic Agriculture 2017, 8, 121 -128.
AMA StyleMehdi Rezaei, Jenny Yngvesson, Stefan Gunnarsson, Lotta Jönsson, Anna Wallenbeck. Feed efficiency, growth performance, and carcass characteristics of a fast- and a slower-growing broiler hybrid fed low- or high-protein organic diets. Organic Agriculture. 2017; 8 (2):121-128.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMehdi Rezaei; Jenny Yngvesson; Stefan Gunnarsson; Lotta Jönsson; Anna Wallenbeck. 2017. "Feed efficiency, growth performance, and carcass characteristics of a fast- and a slower-growing broiler hybrid fed low- or high-protein organic diets." Organic Agriculture 8, no. 2: 121-128.
The present study was designed to investigate the effects of additional human contact (AHC) on the human–animal relationship (HAR) in broilers and on the birds’ productivity. A total of 1558 broiler one-day-old chicks were distributed into 12 equally sized pens at two different stocking densities (SDs), calculated on estimated weight at slaughter (4 pens with 32 kg/m2 and 8 pens with 16 kg/m2). Six groups (2 high and 4 low SDs) received AHC, which consisted of 30-min sessions with visual human contact three days/week. The remaining six groups received as little human contact as possible and served as controls. A touch test was used to assess the human–broiler relationship and the production parameters measured were growth rate, mortality, feed consumption and feed conversion. The AHC treatment had a positive effect on the quality of the HAR but failed to affect any production parameter.
A. M. Silvera; A. Wallenbeck; Andrew Butterworth; H. J. Blokhuis. Modification of the human–broiler relationship and its potential effects on production. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A - Animal Science 2016, 66, 161 -167.
AMA StyleA. M. Silvera, A. Wallenbeck, Andrew Butterworth, H. J. Blokhuis. Modification of the human–broiler relationship and its potential effects on production. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A - Animal Science. 2016; 66 (3):161-167.
Chicago/Turabian StyleA. M. Silvera; A. Wallenbeck; Andrew Butterworth; H. J. Blokhuis. 2016. "Modification of the human–broiler relationship and its potential effects on production." Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A - Animal Science 66, no. 3: 161-167.