dairy farms | OZOLEA

Reproductive performance, one of the multiple factors of longevity

Marketing 6 April 2022 News

Longevity in dairy cattle represent a composite aspect. It is a trait with low heritability and is affected by multiple factors, such as parity, reproductive performance, conformation traits, but also external factors (management, nutrition^2,3, feed costs, milk price, and replacement heifers).

Longevity is perceived as a global breeding goal achievable by improving milk productivity, animal health and welfare, fertility: all aspects that, once ameliorated, would reduce culling rates. As a result, there would be an improvement of the economic performance on farms.

All these results are linked with the overall sustainability on farms, along with meeting consumer demand.

The production life of a cow is generally shorter than 3–4.5 years, corresponding to second/third lactation periods. The highest annual milk production occurs in the fifth lactation period, while in the sixth farmers typically achieve the highest annual profit. Aiming at reaching the fifth and sixth lactation periods would correspond to an overall increased cow’s performance.

As we are experiencing in these months, market unbalance due to external events can directly influence the farmer’s decision of keeping cows in the herd or culling. This is nothing having to do with the animals themselves, management or health and animal issues: this is something that famers can hardly control. But a coordinated action along the supply chain could help ease the problem.

Good productive performance and lactation periods occurring with no health issues¹ are both significant reasons to keep a cow in the herd.

Concerning reproductive performance, the age at first calving may be related to increased involuntary culling. How? Calving at around 21 months involves risks for heifers, such as difficulties at parturition (e.g., dystocia), especially when unassisted. Heifers calving at 24-28 months have a lower risk of being culled than older heifers. In the latter, late calving is generally related to issues concerning poor herd management, reduced fertility, health issues and increased rearing costs.

In the past weeks, we had the chance to go deeper into fertility problems, such as those stemming from typical uterine issues in post-partum^4,5 and the repeat breeding syndrome⁶. Here we stress again a simple concept, but complex and challenging in practice: improving overall efficiency on farms is the key towards improved economic performance.

OZOLEA developed their products keeping in mind the farmer’s need to both protect animal health and welfare and to have good productive performance. On the consumer’s side, there is an increasing demand for more sustainable milk production. Thus, striving to boost all the factors contributing to cows’ longevity can be the right key for these goals.

Thinking of uterine minor issues, OZOLEA designed OZOLEA-METR, a non-pharmaceutical and no-withdrawal veterinary device for intra-uterine use. OZOLEA-METR helps dairy farmers manage minor uterine issues that are often the cause of low conception rates.

OZOLEA-METR is composed of a single ingredient: a pure food grade vegetable oil, bio-engineered with exclusive OZOLEA technology, which modifies some of the oil’s fatty acid chains, thereby allowing the product, once in contact with the inner wall of the uterus, to improve late postpartum management and uterine tissue performance after insemination, thus boosting reproductive performance in the herd.

OZOLEA-METR supports tissue functionality by creating a film barrier in contact with the inner wall of the uterus. This physical barrier can temporarily attenuate the causes of bacterial proliferation and metritis occurrence.

OZOLEA-METR can be used in two different situations:

in late post-partum, or about 30 days after calving, when the uterine involution is almost complete, there are no clear symptoms of metritis however abnormal non-severe vaginal discharge may be detected;
24 hours after insemination in repeat breeder cows, when the embryo is forming in the tubes but before it descends towards the uterus for implantation.

Along with improved management, giving a chance to these cows with OZOLEA-METR can be a helping hand for the reduction of culling rates in case of fertility issues, thus a good strategy to extend longevity.

References

¹ Improve SCCs in your dairy cows to extend longevity.

https://www.ozolea.it/improve-sccs-in-your-dairy-cows-to-extend-longevity/

² The fundamental steps towards reproductive efficiency.

https://www.ozolea.it/the-fundamental-steps-towards-reproductive-efficiency/

³ A comfortable pre-calving period for less stressed fresh cows.

https://www.ozolea.it/a-comfortable-pre-calving-period-for-less-stressed-fresh-cows/

⁴ The meaning of vaginal discharge in dairy cows.

https://www.ozolea.it/the-meaning-of-vaginal-discharge-in-dairy-cows/

⁵ Reducing metritis occurrence in dairy cows.

https://www.ozolea.it/reducing-metritis-occurrence-in-dairy-cows/

⁶ Improving fertility in repeat breeders.

https://www.ozolea.it/improving-fertility-in-repeat-breeders/

H. Hu, T. Mu, Y. Ma, X. P. Wang, Y. Ma, 2021. Analysis of Longevity Traits in Holstein Cattle: A Review.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2021.695543

Cover image: Ph. David Sjunnesson. Image available here.

Link Enlarge

The fight against AMR also involves the correct presentation and proper use of biocides

Marketing 29 April 2021 News

Milk producers know what biosecurity means, and they also know how much effort must be made in the stall to manage all the measures aiming at avoiding the introduction, development and spread of diseases in the dairy herd.

Everything we do for the purposes of biosecurity is prevention and control, two elements that need help from chemistry in certain situations.

Here are some examples: at milking, we use pre- and post-dipping products. Or, as per routine, we disinfect environments or the milking machine’s elements, eliminating microorganisms (not just bacteria!) that could infect our animals.

Same issue, with specific procedures, in the dairy processing.

To do this, chemistry must provide us with products that are effective, safe and of proven quality. And also authorised. All this goes through the so-called biocides market, which the European Union has defined by means of a complex legislative framework [BPR, Reg. (EU) no. 528/2012] and which are more types of products than only disinfectants.

Thus, if we want to buy a disinfectant product we must therefore ensure that it has been authorised as a biocide. The authorisation, which takes place at a national level, essentially validates the efficacy and safety of use of these products. It will be the product label that will tell us this.

But why do we need to be sure of this?

The first reason lies in the term biocide (Article 3 of the BPR). Biocides are substances that destroy harmful organisms or in any case, in the broad definition given by the BPR, make them harmless through chemical/biological processes, with the exclusion of mechanical or physical action.

So a detergent, which performs a mechanical or physical action, will never help us effectively in disinfection. On this, in Italy, in 2019 the Ministry of Health clarified any doubts. In the EU, an ongoing process is leading Member States to finalise the review of active substances used in biocides. The process is expected to be completed in 2024 and, from then on, only biocidal products containing substances included in the resulting EU lists can be authorised.

The second reason lies in an international aspect: the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). We know that microorganisms also develop resistance to biocides (which are antimicrobials). Unfortunately, research on specific resistance to biocides has not reached levels of knowledge comparable to what is known about antibiotics.

It remains, as already said, that thinking of using any type of antimicrobial, regardless of its origin, as a weapon against AMR does not appear to be the right solution. Surely, we can safeguard their importance and reduce the impact on AMR by using the right products correctly.

Furthermore, it is equally important to have correct information from those who produce and supply these substances, especially as regards the scope of use and the correct conditions of use since this is what properly addresses the end user.

Let’s go back to veterinary medicines. Reg. (EU) no. 2019/6 establishes rules on the advertising of these products to essentially achieve the goal of proper promotion for adequate use and fair trade practices on the EU market.

Biocides, veterinary medicines and feed (think medicated feed) markets have long been very crowded places with important differences also due to the existence of specific national regulations. Experience has shown that it is necessary “to put emphasis on the distinction between feed and biocidal products, on the one hand, and veterinary medicinal products, on the other, because that distinction is often misrepresented in advertising” (observation no. 80 of the VMP Regulation).

The steps forward made by Reg. (EU) no. 2019/6 in terms of advertising, distinction between products and above all harmonization through various other regulations [such as the BPR, but also the new regulations on medicated feed – Reg. (EU) n. 2019/4] are extremely important for the veterinary, husbandry and dairy world of the European Union.

By giving unitary rules, the final effect will be that of being able to face the AMR with the same common vision and, concerning competitiveness, especially for milk producers, those disparities between one state and another will be reduced in terms of availability of inputs, with a little respite at least of costs for the management of biosecurity.

Link Enlarge

Water quality is important for dairy farmers

Marketing 19 March 2021 News

Water and dairy farming, what a delicate argument. For the third time, we will discuss about being more sustainable while carrying out our activities as dairy farmers and you won’t notice it.

We need good quality water for agricultural crops. It is an essential resource especially during flowering, seed formation or ripening. Thus, irrigation is a really strategic practice for us.

With an improved management of water use along with an optimized use of nutrients and chemicals at field level, irrigation can substantially increase crop productivity: when crops grow under irrigation they generally achieve higher yields than when grown under rainfed conditions.

Water is also the major component of the dairy cows’ diet. Water is used by the cow for nutrient transport, digestion and metabolism, waste elimination, heat balance and maintenance of ionic and water balance.

Thus, even for animal welfare and health, we must strive to keep water clean and free from chemicals by improving the global management at many levels.

Let’s depict an overview about the critical points: this may be a helpful reflection to highlight what actions need an improvement on our dairy farms.

Farming activities involves the use of chemical products such as pesticides, metal-containing inputs and veterinary medicines. Their effects on the environment and human health is due to their spread in water and uptake by aquatic organisms.

In dairy farming, metals reaching water can stem from the application of metal-containing fertilisers, sewage sludge and liquid manure. We can find cadmium in mineral phosphorous fertilisers, and copper and zinc in animal feed, thus introduced in the environment through manure spreading or with copper‐ and zinc‐containing pesticides.

Pesticides can reach the environment by contaminating soil, surface water and groundwater. Aquatic organisms are directly exposed to pesticides via surface run-off or indirectly through trophic chains.

Regarding veterinary medicines, such as antibiotics, we are gaining experience and we know that they reach agricultural soils, surface waters and groundwater directly from our animals (but also from aquaculture) or indirectly when applying manure.

Last time, we discussed how soil biodiversity, in particular microbial biodiversity, has an important role in the maintenance of water quality.

Chemicals not readily degradable will leach into surface waters and groundwaters. They can also be dispersed by wind erosion.

Since soil, with the help of various organisms, filters and buffers the abovementioned and other contaminants, rational use of chemicals according to the manufacturer’s instruction is our responsibility.

Now, what can we do to give the right boost to quality of water?

Using resources more efficiently would mean to release the pressure of chemicals on water and preserve agricultural productivity, with global benefits for us.

As dairy farmers, we can start improving manure storage and application. Organic fertilisers (manure and plant waste) can ameliorate soil structure and microbial activity. We can contribute to circular economy while spreading manure since we would recycle nutrients embedded in organic waste.

We already discussed the limits of spreading manure last time: it is a matter of good management of the dairy herd (responsible use of veterinary medicines) and application of proper quantities of manure to soil in fields.

Soil management is another key point: by avoiding soil compaction and minimising soil disturbances (for instance, through practising zero or conservation/minimum tillage), we can enhance soil fertility, reduce the use of inorganic fertilisers, improve soil water retention and reduce difficult conditions related to dry spells and droughts.

We can then adopt an integrated pest management approach. It is a matter of proper crop and livestock management for the reduction of chemical inputs against pests and diseases on farms. It has a lot to do with water.

Finally, we can think over how to restore a more natural catchment hydrology across the rural landscape and within water bodies, so as to improve nutrient recycling, pollutant breakdown and water storage.

If you want to go deeper into this topic, you can find out more here: https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/water-and-agriculture-towards-sustainable-solutions