Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Annabelle Beaver, Emma Strazhnik, Marina A. G. von Keyserlingk, Daniel M. Weary
Summary: The study found that cows prefer lying in more open spaces, but traditional stalls can improve cow hygiene. Flexible partitions can enhance cleanliness while also improving comfort.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Elizabeth G. Ross, Carlyn B. Peterson, Yongjing Zhao, Yuee Pan, Frank M. Mitloehner
Summary: The study showed that flushing waste to remove manure in dairy cattle freestalls can reduce emissions of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, while scraping waste may increase emissions of ammonia and greenhouse gases. Ethanol emissions increased with higher frequency of scraping or flushing, and methane emissions were decreased when compared to other treatments.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
B. Foris, L. G. Mangilli, J. M. C. Van Os, M. A. G. von Keyserlingk, J. A. Fregonesi, D. M. Weary
Summary: Cows sometimes defecate while lying down, especially when early in gestation or spending more time lying. Overstocking leads to higher stall use and displacement but does not increase defecating while recumbent frequency.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Claire S. Wegner, Emma Ternman
Summary: Conventional dairy farming practices often separate calves from their dams early on. Cow-calf contact (CCC) systems provide an alternative rearing solution that allows natural behaviors like suckling and bonding. This study aimed to assess the lying behaviors of lactating cows with and without access to a CCC area and the use of freestalls and lying patterns of cows and calves over a 14-week suckling period. The results showed that CCC did not affect daily lying time or lying bout frequency, and lying behaviors were influenced by lactation stage and parity.
APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
V Boyer, A. M. de Passille, S. Adam, E. Vasseur
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the impact of increasing tie chain length on cow movement opportunities and behaviors. Results suggest that increasing the chain length improves cows' ease of movement and transitions.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
V Boyer, E. Vasseur
Summary: The design of stall-based housing systems affects the welfare of dairy cows by influencing their ability to rest and move comfortably. The length of the chain and width of the stall are important factors in modulating cow comfort and injury prevalence. Current industry recommendations are not consistently followed in commercial farms, but compliance seems to have improved in the last decade.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
E. Shepley, E. Vasseur
Summary: Intensification within the dairy industry has led to more restrictive indoor housing systems being used, while the pasture-based housing systems are less common. Providing more movement opportunities can improve cow comfort and leg health, with different housing and management practices affecting cow health and comfort.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
A. M. Wilson, T. C. Wright, J. P. Cant, V. R. Osborne
Summary: This study assessed the impact of a novel free-stall design on dairy cows. The results showed that the novel stalls improved stall use compared to standard stalls, but cleanliness still needs further improvement.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Romain Lardy, Alice de Boyer des Roches, Jacques Capdeville, Renaud Bastien, Luc Mounier, Isabelle Veissier
Summary: Maladjusted cubicles for dairy cattle may lead to skin alterations, lameness, and dirtiness in cows. This study aimed to refine and complete recommendations for cubicle design by analyzing the association between cubicle properties and dimensions relative to cow size, and the prevalence of skin alterations, lameness, and dirtiness. The risk factors identified should be further validated and used to update the International Commission of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering recommendations.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
E. N. Kariuki, J. A. Vanleeuwen, G. K. Gitau, L. C. Heider, S. L. McKenna, D. W. Muasya
Summary: Smallholder dairy farmers in developing countries often lack understanding of cow comfort. An intervention study with 124 cows on 114 Kenyan smallholder farms showed that providing farm-specific recommendations significantly improved cow comfort.
RESEARCH IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Dimo Dimov, Ivaylo Marinov
Summary: The study explores the most commonly used bedding materials in dairy cattle freestall housing systems and the factors influencing their selection. Comfortable resting places, minimal risk of injury and infection are important considerations when designing freestall barns. Bedding must meet multiple criteria such as being affordable, dry, not supporting bacterial growth, pathogen-free, comfortable for resting, and compatible with manure cleaning systems.
JOURNAL OF CENTRAL EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE
(2021)
Review
Veterinary Sciences
L. Papinchak, S. Paudyal, J. Pineiro
Summary: Self-locking feed stanchions provide convenience and save time in handling cattle. Extended lock-up time can have detrimental effects on dairy cow performance, and measures should be taken to minimize restraint time. This is an important issue that needs attention in the dairy industry.
VETERINARY QUARTERLY
(2022)
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
H. Sadri, M. H. Ghaffari, H. Sauerwein
Summary: Mobilization of body reserves is necessary for high-yielding dairy cows during the periparturient period. However, the role of skeletal muscle in this process has not been extensively studied. Understanding the regulation and assessment of muscle protein breakdown is important for determining the timing and extent of tissue mobilization in dairy cows.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Hertta Pirkkalainen, Aino Riihimaki, Heli Simojoki, Timo Soveri, Paivi J. Rajala-Schultz, Tuomas Hintikka, Sinikka Pelkonen, Miia Kontturi, Minna Kujala-Wirth
Summary: The study estimated a higher prevalence of DD lesions in Finnish dairy herds than previously thought, with only 1 herd without any DD lesions. However, the animal-level prevalence of active DD lesions was relatively low. Farmers and veterinarians need to be informed of the disease and possible control measures. Due to the low within-herd prevalence, the control of the disease might be easier than in countries where DD is widespread. Further studies are needed to identify factors associated with DD prevalence in Finnish dairy herds.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Boyu Ji, Thomas Banhazi, Clive J. C. Phillips, Chaoyuan Wang, Baoming Li
Summary: Robotic milking systems are used by modern farmers to reduce labor costs and improve animal welfare and productivity. This study developed a machine learning framework that predicts milk yield, composition, and milking frequency with high accuracy using farm data.
BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
C. G. R. Nash, D. F. Kelton, E. Vasseur, T. J. DeVries, D. Parent, D. Pellerin, K. Carrier, E. A. Pajor, J. Rushen, A. M. de Passille, J. B. Coe, D. B. Haley
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2019)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
M. Villettaz Robichaud, J. Rushen, A. M. de Passille, E. Vasseur, D. B. Haley, D. Pellerin
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2018)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
M. Villettaz Robichaud, J. Rushen, A. M. de Passille, E. Vasseur, D. Haley, K. Orsel, D. Pellerin
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2018)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
S. Fournel, S. Godbout, P. Ruel, A. Fortin, K. Duquette-Lozeau, V Letourneau, M. Genereux, J. Lemieux, D. Potvin, C. Cote, C. Duchaine, D. Pellerin
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2019)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
S. Fournel, S. Godbout, P. Ruel, A. Fortin, M. Genereux, C. Cote, C. Landry, D. Pellerin
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2019)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
H. Lapierre, S. Binggeli, M. Sok, D. Pellerin, D. R. Ouellet
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2019)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
M. Duplessis, D. Pellerin, R. Robichaud, L. Fadul-Pacheco, C. L. Girard
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
M. Villettaz Robichaud, J. Rushen, A. M. de Passille, E. Vasseur, D. Haley, D. Pellerin
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2019)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
M. Villettaz Robichaud, J. Rushen, A. M. de Passille, E. Vasseur, K. Orsel, D. Pellerin
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2019)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Marianne Villettaz Robichaud, Anthony Pic, Hector Delgado, Steve Adam, Rene Lacroix, Doris Pellerin, Elsa Vasseur
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
M. Duplessis, D. Pellerin, C. L. Girard, D. E. Santschi, H. Soyeurt
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Melissa Duplessis, Liliana Fadul-Pacheco, Debora E. Santschi, Doris Pellerin
Summary: The analysis compared mineral concentrations in cow diets with recommendations, showing that phosphorus was fed closest to requirements, but other minerals were often overfed. Precision feeding for phosphorus is important for dairy production sustainability, but efforts should be made to limit overfeeding of trace minerals for environmental resiliency.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
S. Binggeli, H. Lapierre, E. Charbonneau, D. R. Ouellet, D. Pellerin
Summary: This research aimed to evaluate the economic and environmental effects of balancing dairy rations for metabolizable protein or 3 essential amino acids in different regions of Canada. The study found that balancing rations for essential amino acids rather than metabolizable protein could potentially increase net incomes and reduce environmental impact on Canadian dairy farms.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
S. Binggeli, H. Lapierre, S. Lemosquet, D. R. Ouellet, D. Pellerin
Summary: This study evaluated four feed evaluation models (FEM) in predicting daily milk protein yield (MPY) in dairy cows, with NorFor model demonstrating the best predictive abilities. The research also found that the use of research models in commercial settings yield acceptable predictions, with within-herd responses varying similarly across the four tested models.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
D. Warner, G. M. Dallago, O. W. Dovoedo, R. Lacroix, H. A. Delgado, R. I. Cue, K. M. Wade, J. Dubuc, D. Pellerin, E. Vasseur
Summary: This study conducted a lifetime cost-benefit analysis based on production and health records to explore different culling decisions among farmers in the dairy industry. The results showed that considering lifetime cumulative costs and revenues is crucial for identifying low-profitable cows at an earlier lactation, and solely focusing on current lactation costs and revenues can lead to an incorrect assessment of profitability. By monitoring cumulative costs and revenues, farmers can identify low-profitable cows at an earlier lactation and increase the productive lifespan and profitability of their herds by keeping the most profitable cows.