Identification of suitable housing system for dairy cattle in North East Zone of Tamil Nadu, India, with respect to microclimate

Sivakumar, T.; Suraj, P. T.; Yasotha, A.; Phukon, Jayashree

doi:10.14202/vetworld.2017.1-5

Cited by 8 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…This may explain the high number of infected animals in this study. Roofing is part of animal housing that provides protection from extreme weather [32]. Therefore, without roofs in the cowsheds, stressors such as excess cold or heat compromise animals' immunity, possibly explaining the increased rate of E. ruminantium infections in farms with cowsheds without roofs [33].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence and risk factors associated with Ehrlichia infections in smallholder dairy cattle in Nairobi City County, Kenya

et al. 2019

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Background and Aim: Ehrlichiosis caused by Ehrlichia ruminantium is a tick-borne disease of great economic importance in cattle production worldwide. Despite its economic impact, limited knowledge is available on its epidemiology in Africa, including Kenya. Suspected cases of E. ruminantium infections have been reported in the recent past to the University of Nairobi's Veterinary Hospital, prompting the need to investigate their possible re-emergence. Therefore, this study was aimed at determining the prevalence of E. ruminantium among smallholder dairy cattle in Nairobi City County and to assess potential risk factors. This knowledge may guide the development of appropriate control strategies of ehrlichiosis, subsequently reducing associated losses. Materials and Methods: A total of 107 smallholder dairy farms from Nairobi City County were recruited for the study. Blood samples were collected from 314 apparently healthy dairy cattle, and Giemsa-stained blood smears were screened under the microscope for Ehrlichia species. A commercial antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit was then used to confirm the presence of the infections in serum samples. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data on management practices that may be potential risk factors. A univariate and mixed-effects logistic regression was then used to determine significant risk factors. Results: On microscopy, 79.3% (249/314) of the sampled animals had Ehrlichia-like inclusion bodies in white blood cells, though only 18.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 14.2-23.0) of these were confirmed to be E. ruminantium on ELISA. A farm-level prevalence of 35.5% (95% CI 27.0-45.3) was reported. Female-headed households (p=0.013), farms in Langata region (p=0.027), cleaning of cowsheds fortnightly (p=0.019), and roofing of cowshed (p=0.022) were factors significantly associated with E. ruminantium infections. Conclusion: There is a relatively high prevalence of E. ruminantium infections in apparently healthy cattle in smallholder dairy farms in this area, warranting control measures. It is critical to improve animal welfare-related factors, such as cowshed cleaning and roofing, as well as the strategic location of farms, especially, since reservoirs may reduce infection levels in the farms, in relation to wildlife. However, since Ehrlichia-like inclusion bodies other than those of E. ruminantium were observed in this study, there is a need to investigate further these factors and the possibility of other Ehrlichia species infecting cattle in the study area.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence and risk factors associated with Ehrlichia infections in smallholder dairy cattle in Nairobi City County, Kenya

et al. 2019

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“…In rural areas, only a simple wooden structure with some hay on top is used as shed, offering little protection against heat stress. In consequence, the increase of ambient shed temperature and RT in rural areas might be due to the scarcity of shadow and heat insulation [59,60]. RT is also influenced by MY [61].…”

Section: Rectal Temperature In Dependency Of Ssimentioning

confidence: 99%

Phenotypic Dairy Cattle Trait Expressions in Dependency of Social-Ecological Characteristics along Rural–Urban Gradients

et al. 2020

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The aim of the present study was to infer phenotypic trait expressions via mixed modeling considering both social and ecological continuous descriptors simultaneously. In this regard, we selected a challenging heterogeneous social-ecological environment, with focus on the rising megacity Bangalore, located in southern India. Dairy traits from 517 dairy cattle were recorded in 121 herds, equally distributed along a southern and a northern rural–urban gradient of Bangalore, distinguishing between urban, mixed, and rural areas. Repeated records from three visits per herd included production traits (daily milk yield in liter: MY), energy efficiency indicators (body condition score: BCS), cow wellbeing indicators (udder hygiene score: UddHS, upper leg hygiene score: ULHS, hock assessment score: HAS, rectal temperature in °C: RT), and health traits (locomotion score: LS, subclinical mastitis: SubMast). Associations between a continuous rural–urban gradient and phenotypic trait expressions were analyzed via mixed modeling, additionally considering “classic” environmental explanatory variables such as climatic conditions. MY and BCS were higher in urban than in rural areas, associated with reduced SubMast and improved hygiene scores for UddHS and ULHS. Scores for wellbeing indicators HAS and LS were unfavorable for cows in urban areas, indicating poor leg health conditions in that area. In rural areas, least-squares means for RT were quite large, probably due to the scarcity of shading and heat insulation of the barns. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study disentangling phenotypic trait expressions in the context of social-ecological heterogeneity, contributing to a deeper understanding of physiological mechanisms underlying genotype by environment interactions.

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“…Animal production and health depend on the conditions of the environment in which they live. A favorable livestock environment is the one that not only ensures the optimal productivity, but also meets the animal health needs and their natural behavior [1]. Extremely low and high temperatures are associated with lower milk yield [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of temperature and relative humidity on the milk production of dairy cows

et al. 2021

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The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of environmental housing conditions on the milk yield of dairy cows. Measurements were taken in the summer period from June to September 2020 and in the winter period during January 2021 on a large-capacity farm of Holstein Friesian cattle. Cows were housed in free stall barn with the lying boxes and selected during the second or third lactations, in the summer period from the 51st day to the 135th day and in the winter period from the 64th day to the 120th day of lactation. The average temperature in the housing was 23 °C in summer, and 7.05 °C in winter. The average THI (thermal humidity index) value in summer was 70.43, but during the day the THI values sometimes reached 75. The dairy cows were therefore exposed to heat stress during summer. Increasing THI and temperature values negatively affected the milk yield, as there was a negative correlation between both THI and milk yield (r = -0.641; p <0.01) and temperature and milk yield (r = -0.637; p <0.01). Milk production in winter was at 58.77 kg per day and in summer at 49.55 kg per day. In the summer, the milk had a significantly lower content of fat (p <0.05), proteins (p <0.001), lactose (p <0.001), minerals (p <0.001) and conversely, a higher number of somatic cells (p <0.01). These results show that worse environmental conditions during the summer negatively affected the level of milk yield and the composition of the cows’ milk.

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Identification of suitable housing system for dairy cattle in North East Zone of Tamil Nadu, India, with respect to microclimate

Cited by 8 publications

References 13 publications

Prevalence and risk factors associated with Ehrlichia infections in smallholder dairy cattle in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Prevalence and risk factors associated with Ehrlichia infections in smallholder dairy cattle in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Phenotypic Dairy Cattle Trait Expressions in Dependency of Social-Ecological Characteristics along Rural–Urban Gradients

Effect of temperature and relative humidity on the milk production of dairy cows

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