Lameness is a leading animal welfare concern in the dairy industry. Multiple stakeholders are involved in lameness management on a dairy farm, including farmers, hoof trimmers, and veterinarians. This study sought to explore perceptions of lameness, perceptions of roles in lameness management, and barriers to improved lameness management in these groups. Fourteen homogeneous focus groups were held in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and New York from April 2017 to March 2020; 5 with farmers (n = 31), 4 with hoof trimmers (n = 32), and 5 with veterinarians (n = 25). The 1-h facilitated discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and common themes identified through thematic analysis. Lameness was perceived by participants as a complex health problem and one in which the connections between pathogenesis, facilities, and management were not always well understood or easy to change. The complexity of the problem encompassed the lack of agreement on a definition of lameness, normalization to its signs, and the interconnectedness of lameness with other health and management issues. These issues appeared to contribute to resignation by participants that lameness was inevitable. Despite shared concerns about lameness among these groups, respondents reported a lack of communication, especially between hoof trimmers and veterinarians. Participants also voiced a desire to work together more productively, with hoof trimmers and veterinarians valuing the ability to deliver a consistent message to farmers. These findings suggest a need for increased efforts to facilitate collaboration between farmers, hoof trimmers, and veterinarians to improve lameness management on dairy farms.

The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to investigate whether the association of hyperketonemia (HYK) with reproductive performance differs based on milk production during the first week of lactation (wk 1). Data between calving and 150 d in milk (DIM) from 2,091 Holstein dairy cows from 5 commercial dairy herds in Minnesota were collected. The concentration of β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) was measured twice between 3 and 10 DIM in whole blood to diagnose HYK (defined as BHB ≥1.2 mmol/L). The average wk 1 milk yield was classified into 3 levels (low = lower 25th percentile; mid = 25th to 75th percentile; high = upper 75th percentile) according to parity and herd. Log-binomial regression, Cox-proportional hazard regression, and linear regression models were used to investigate the association of HYK with pregnancy to first insemination, pregnancy by 150 DIM, and calving-to-conception interval (CCI) between groups, respectively. To describe the differences in these estimates between each wk 1 milk yield level, an interaction term of HYK and stratified levels of wk 1 milk yield was added. The incidence of HYK between 3 to 10 DIM was 14.2% (4.6% in primiparous cows and 19.4% in multiparous cows). In the study population, the effect of HYK on reproduction was greater in cows with low milk yield. Among cows with low milk yield levels, HYK was associated with lower risk of pregnancy to first insemination [risk ratio = 0.62; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.39-0.98], lower risk of pregnancy up to 150 DIM (hazard ratio = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.51-0.96), and extended days of CCI (mean difference = 13.0; 95% CI: 5.1-20.9). In contrast, among cows with mid and high wk 1 milk yield levels, hyperketonemic (HYK+) cows had a similar reproductive performance to non-HYK (HYK−) cows. Our results suggest that early-lactation milk yield plays a role in the association of hyperketonemia with reproductive performance. These results merit further investigation to determine the role that early milk yield has in the association of hyperketonemia with health and productivity outcomes.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of storage temperature and time from sample collection to analysis on test classification of a commercially available ELISA for diagnosis of pregnancy using the measurement of pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAG) in milk samples from dairy cows. Few studies have evaluated the effects of sample handling on milk PAG results. Using a repeated-measures study design, we evaluated sample storage at 5 temperatures: 37°C, 22°C, 4°C, -20°C, or -80°C. Sample aliquots from 45 cows (20 with a pregnant test result, 10 open, and 15 recheck) were stored for 4, 7, 14, 28, 60, 90, or 365 d. The measured PAG level was influenced by storage duration and condition. Samples stored for 365 d had a slightly increased PAG level, whereas samples stored for all other durations showed a slight decline in PAG level compared with the initial result. The reason for an increase in PAG level following long-term storage is not known. This will not affect dairy producers using the test but may be important in samples stored for research applications. The changes in PAG level were small and within the expected variation for this test. Fewer than 6% of samples changed in classification and, as expected, they were samples near the test interpretation cut-points.

Lameness represents a significant management challenge in the dairy industry worldwide. In addition to farmers, many advisors are involved in lameness management, including veterinarians, hoof trimmers, and nutritionists. These advisors support farmers through lameness prevention practices, treatments, and advice, but little is known about how advisors view others' roles and the extent to which they work together. This study used qualitative participatory methods to facilitate the formation of lameness advisory groups among 13 advisors (4 veterinarians, 5 hoof trimmers, and 4 nutritionists), with the aims of promoting advisors' engagement with one another and documenting their perceptions of the benefits and challenges of the research activities through semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis. Participants shared predominantly positive views toward the project and voiced appreciation about the quality of discussions and the opportunity to connect and build relationships with other advisors. Participants reported improved communication with others via sharing reports and farm information, as well as increased confidence in reaching out to other advisors. Reported challenges included time constraints and discomfort in leading the lameness advisory group meetings. Difficulties were also found in bringing issues to farmers' attention when they might not align with the farmers' goals or priorities, as well as participants' questioning other advisors' knowledge and intentions. This study describes a promising avenue of facilitating advisor engagement, although more work is needed to determine whether such engagement translates to a reduction of lameness on farms.

In Wales, 31,970 carbon dioxide monitors were distributed to education settings to help teaching staff manage ventilation in classrooms as a strategy to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. A cross-sectional survey was sent to 1,494 state funded primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities across Wales by the Welsh Government to gain an understanding of the experiences using the monitors and their perceived effectiveness. The survey included 18 questions with free text answers and covered the following: number of teaching rooms monitored; number of classrooms with mainly green, amber, or red readings; any interventions made; and the monitor’s usefulness in managing ventilation. In total, 265 completed surveys were returned and the majority of the responses were from primary schools (n=211). The survey response rate was 17.7%. The data were analysed using a combination of descriptive summary statistics, content analysis, and thematic analysis. Of the 3402 classrooms being monitored, the percentage with mainly green readings was 56.6% (1926/3402) and the percentage with mainly red readings was 5.6% (191/3402). The percentage of education settings that reported at least one classroom requiring a remedial measure to improve the classroom ventilation was 35% and the most common intervention listed was opening doors and windows. For the respondents’ views on the monitors’ usefulness in managing ventilation, 48.3% of respondents found the monitors useful, 17.3% responded they were not useful, 6.0% responded they were moderately useful, and 22.6% did not respond to this question. Reported benefits of using the monitors included that they were helpful for raising awareness of ventilation issues and providing reassurance that the classrooms were being appropriately ventilated. The challenges of using the monitors included a lack of solutions in relation to remedial action that could be conducted to reduce CO2 levels, despite guidance being available. Overall, many education settings had a positive experience with using the CO2 monitors but for schools or colleges experiencing ventilation issues, further support and guidance along with intervention solutions from property teams within local authorities, further education institutions and higher education institutions are needed.