Animal welfare implications of neonatal mortality and morbidity in farm animals

Mellor, D. J.; Stafford, Kevin J.

doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2003.08.004

Cited by 236 publications

(167 citation statements)

References 111 publications

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“…Neonatal mortality with respect to dairy heifers in the UK has been variously estimated at 0% to 10% (reviewed by Mellor and Stafford, 2004). In our study (Brickell et al, 2007a), neonatal mortality averaged 3.4%, ranging from 0% to 12% on individual farms.…”

Section: Neonatalsupporting

confidence: 46%

Factors influencing heifer survival and fertility on commercial dairy farms

Wathes

Brickell

Bourne

et al. 2008

Animal

131

106

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The average dairy cow survives only three lactations, reducing the availability of replacement heifers. Prenatal losses occur due to early embryonic mortality (about 40%), later embryo loss (up to 20% in high-yielding herds) or abortion (about 5%). A recent survey of 19 UK herds showed that 7.9% of calves were born dead and 3.4% died within 1 month. During the rearing phase, 6.7% of animals were lost before reaching first service at 15 months due to disease or accident and another 2.3% failed to conceive. Many potential replacements therefore never enter the milking herd. This severely limits opportunities for on-farm selection of breeding cows in addition to presenting a welfare issue and causing economic loss. The most profitable animals once lactation is reached combine good milk production with a regular calving pattern. Some aspects of performance are related to age at first calving (AFC), which in turn is influenced by heifer growth rates. Poorly growing animals required more services to conceive, calved later and subsequently performed badly. Optimum fertility and maximum yield in the first lactation were associated with an AFC of 24 to 25 months. However, heifers calving at 22 to 23 months performed best in terms of total milk yield and survival over the first 5 years, partly because good heifer fertility was associated with better fertility later. We have investigated some possible juvenile predictors of future performance. Low-birth-weight calves were more likely to come from either primiparous mothers or older dams (31 lactations) with higher peak milk yields, suggesting that the uterine environment may limit prenatal calf growth due to competition for nutrients with maternal growth or milk production. Linear trait classification scores for frame size show genetic correlations with longevity. The skeletal measures of height and crown rump length in 1-month-old calves was correlated to subsequent stature, and frame size was correlated to weight at 15 months. It may thus be possible to predict performance from simple size measurements as juveniles. Neither endogenous nor stimulated growth hormone (GH) release in 6-month-old calves were related to milk yield in the first three lactations, but size of a stimulated GH peak was positively related to milk energy values in the first lactation. Cows with delayed ovulation (.45 days) in the first lactation had a higher GH pulse amplitude and lower IGF-I as a juvenile. Cows that partition excess energy into milk in their first lactation may suffer reduced longevity.

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Section: Neonatalsupporting

confidence: 46%

Factors influencing heifer survival and fertility on commercial dairy farms

Wathes

Brickell

Bourne

et al. 2008

Animal

131

106

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“…The use of S. aureus bioparticles to assess phagocytic uptake of bacteria in lambs appears to be an appropriate bacterial model based on the findings of Dennis (1974) and Hughes et al (1971), who observed that S. aureuswas one of the major bacterial species infecting lambs and, furthermore, that this bacterium was associated with pneumonia, polyarthritis and peritonitis, which are recognised to be common causes of infection-related death in lambs (Mellor and Stafford 2004). However, the interactions between the plasma vitamin D concentrations of the lambs and the antimicrobial killing and inflammatory responses of lamb monocytes and PMNLs, including the production of reactive oxygen species, anti-microbial peptides and cytokines, should be investigated.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Supplementation of Merino ewes with cholecalciferol in late pregnancy improves the vitamin D status of ewes and lambs at birth but is not correlated with an improvement in immune function in lambs

et al. 2016

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Functional deficiencies of the immune system are known to predispose human and animal neonates to death. Thus, immune competency may be a significant factor influencing the mortality of lambs.Vitamin D has been recognised to improve immune function and is transferred across the placenta.This study tested the hypotheses that (1) supplementation of Merino ewes with cholecalciferol during late pregnancy will increase the concentrations of vitamin D in the ewe and lamb at birth and (2) supplementation of Merino ewes with cholecalciferol during late pregnancy is correlated with an increase in innate phagocytic and adaptive antibody immune responses in the lamb. Merino ewes Supplementation with cholecalciferol had no significant effect on the phagocytic capacity of monocytes or polymorphonuclear leukocytes, the concentration of IgG in the colostrum or plasma of lambs, or the vaccine-specific antibody response against tetanus toxoid. Overall, the results support our first hypothesis, but suggest that maternal supplementation with 1 × 10 6 IU cholecalciferol does not improve innate, passive or adaptive immune function in lambs.

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“…Stillbirth of calves is of economic importance for dairy farmers, affects animal welfare (Mellor and Stafford, 2004) and is linked with possible societal concerns regarding dairy farming (Mee et al, 2008). In general, stillbirth rates are considerably higher for calves of heifers than for calves of older cows (Harbers et al, 2000;Steinbock et al, 2003;Eriksson et al, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genotype by environment interaction for livability of dairy calves from first parity cows

Ouweltjes

Windig

Pelt

et al. 2015

Animal

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Death of calves around parturition is a matter of concern for dairy farmers. Relatively high stillbirth rates and unfavourable trends have been reported for Holstein heifers in the Netherlands and several other countries. In our study, we investigated herd differences, genetic parameters and genotype by environment interaction for heifer calf livability. A large dataset with data from calvings between 1993 and 2012 of Dutch dairy farms was used. There were considerable differences between herds in livability of calves from heifers, with averages ranging from 74% to 95%. Both herds with relatively high and low averages showed the same negative trend between 1993 and 2012, with largest declines in herds with the lowest averages. We found that heritability and genetic variation of first parity livability were substantially larger in herd environments where the likelihood of stillbirth was high v. environments where stillbirth was at a low level. The genetic correlations between herd environment levels were all very close to unity, indicating that ranking of sires was similar for all environments. However, for herds with a relatively high stillbirth incidence selecting sires with favourable breeding values is expected to be twice as profitable as in herds with a relatively low stillbirth incidence.

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Animal welfare implications of neonatal mortality and morbidity in farm animals

Cited by 236 publications

References 111 publications

Factors influencing heifer survival and fertility on commercial dairy farms

Factors influencing heifer survival and fertility on commercial dairy farms

Supplementation of Merino ewes with cholecalciferol in late pregnancy improves the vitamin D status of ewes and lambs at birth but is not correlated with an improvement in immune function in lambs

Genotype by environment interaction for livability of dairy calves from first parity cows

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