Investing in health to improve the sustainability of cattle production in the United Kingdom: A narrative review

Capper, Judith L.; Williams, Paul

doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2023.105988

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 47 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The economic viability of livestock is significantly affected by the repercussions of livestock disease. However, there is a lack of comprehensive and up-to-date literature on the economic and environmental consequences of cattle diseases, which is a matter of worry for producers [ 43 ].…”

Section: Dairy Cow Health and Methane Emissionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, an experiment investigating the impact of dairy bovine illness on GHG emission revealed that eliminating BVD would result in a 4% reduction in GHG emission for average UK herds, while the most problematic 10% of herds would see an 11% decrease [ 90 ]. At the herd level, several studies have shown that infected bovine rhinotracheitis results in an 8% increase in GHG emissions per kilogramme of energy-corrected milk and a 20% increase per kilogramme of beef [ 43 ]. Another study has shown that by reducing the incidence of foot and mouth disease in beef cattle from 45% to 5%, there would be an 11.3% decrease in GHG emission intensities (CO 2 eq/kg CW) [ 89 ].…”

Section: Dairy Cow Health and Methane Emissionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Analysing the effects of diseases via a One Health perspective and applying the same framework to evaluate present and future management methods and production systems to enhance animal, human, and ecosystem health should enhance sustainability. However, for this to be successful, it is crucial to properly explain the significance of enhancing cow health as a method to promote sustainability to all parties involved [ 43 ].…”

Section: Future Implications and Progressive Pathwaysmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Relationship between Dairy Cow Health and Intensity of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Džermeikaitė,

Krištolaitytė,

Antanaitis

2024

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The dairy industry is facing criticism for its role in exacerbating global GHG emissions, as climate change becomes an increasingly pressing issue. These emissions mostly originate from methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and carbon dioxide (CO2). An optimal strategy involves the creation of an economical monitoring device to evaluate methane emissions from dairy animals. Livestock production systems encounter difficulties because of escalating food demand and environmental concerns. Enhancing animal productivity via nutrition, feeding management, reproduction, or genetics can result in a decrease in CH4 emissions per unit of meat or milk. This CH4 unit approach allows for a more accurate comparison of emissions across different animal production systems, considering variations in productivity. Expressing methane emissions per unit allows for easier comparison between different sources of emissions. Expressing emissions per unit (e.g., per cow) highlights the relative impact of these sources on the environment. By quantifying emissions on a per unit basis, it becomes easier to identify high-emission sources and target mitigation efforts accordingly. Many environmental policies and regulations focus on reducing emissions per unit of activity or output. By focusing on emissions per unit, policymakers and producers can work together to implement practices that lower emissions without sacrificing productivity. Expressing methane emissions in this way aligns with policy goals aimed at curbing overall greenhouse gas emissions. While it is true that total emissions affect the atmosphere globally, breaking down emissions per unit helps to understand the specific contributions of different activities and sectors to overall greenhouse gas emissions. Tackling cattle health issues can increase productivity, reduce GHG emissions, and improve animal welfare. Addressing livestock health issues can also provide favourable impacts on human health by reducing the prevalence of infectious illnesses in livestock, thereby mitigating the likelihood of zoonotic infections transmitting to humans. The progress in animal health offers the potential for a future in which the likelihood of animal diseases is reduced because of improved immunity, more effective preventative techniques, earlier identification, and innovative treatments. The primary objective of veterinary medicine is to eradicate clinical infectious diseases in small groups of animals. However, as the animal population grows, the emphasis shifts towards proactive treatment to tackle subclinical diseases and enhance production. Proactive treatment encompasses the consistent monitoring and implementation of preventive measures, such as vaccination and adherence to appropriate nutrition. Through the implementation of these measures, the livestock industry may enhance both animal well-being and mitigate the release of methane and nitrous oxide, thereby fostering environmental sustainability. In addition, advocating for sustainable farming methods and providing farmers with education on the significance of mitigating GHG emissions can bolster the industry’s endeavours to tackle climate change and infectious illnesses. This will result in a more robust and environmentally sustainable agriculture industry. This review seeks to conduct a thorough examination of the correlation between the health condition of cattle, the composition of milk produced, and the emissions of methane gas. It aims to identify areas where research is lacking and to provide guidance for future scientific investigations, policy making, and industry practices. The goal is to address the difficulties associated with methane emissions in the cattle industry. The primary global health challenge is to identify the causative relationship between climate change and infectious illnesses. Reducing CH4 and N2O emissions from digestive fermentation and animal manure can be achieved by improving animal well-being and limiting disease and mortality.

show abstract

Section: Dairy Cow Health and Methane Emissionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Dairy Cow Health and Methane Emissionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Future Implications and Progressive Pathwaysmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Relationship between Dairy Cow Health and Intensity of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Džermeikaitė,

Krištolaitytė,

Antanaitis

2024

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…To enhance the sustainability of dairy cattle production, making national and on-farm investments in dairy cattle health is crucial. These investments include implementing biosecurity regulations and ensuring their enforcement, administering vaccines and medicines, and monitoring the herd's overall health (Capper and Williams, 2023). Thus, new technologies have been applied in farming to reduce human labor and monitor cattle health effectively.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Rumination and Milk Yield Alerts Utilizing SCR System for Mastitis, Ketosis, and Abomasal Displacement on the Dairy Cow Farm in Vietnam

Nguyen,

Ho,

Nguyen

et al. 2024

AAVS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study was conducted on the dairy cow farm in Gia Lai Province, Vietnam, from June 2022 to June 2023 using SCR chips and analyzing by DataFlow™ II management software. SCR chips were implanted in cow's necks to monitor their rumination indexes and physical activities. Based on rumination time and milk yield data, the alerts of Health-milked from cows HIS < 75 units were reported daily. Of 250 cows 0-90 days of milking, 205 cows had at least one disease, and 45 were healthy. The SCR system sensitivity was 58.33%. Rumination alerts recorded 345 alerts, including 203 alerts of diseases after clinical examination, in which abomasal displacement was 100% alert effective, ketosis at 73.53% alerts, and mastitis at 63.83% alerts. However, the rates of mastitis, ketosis, and abomasal displacement were 24%, 13.6%, and 10%, respectively. On the alert day, rumination time and milk yield of diseased cows were lower than those of non-diseased cows (P<0.05). Rumination time and milk yield decreased markedly on the alert day compared to 7 days before the alert in diseased cows (P<0.01), while milk production did not change in non-diseased cows (P>0.05). The HF breed had more variation in rumination time than HFxJS, while milk yield was affected more in HFxJS. The parity also affected rumination time and milk yield. SCR systems monitored rumination time and milk yield to identify health disorders and support early diagnosis of mastitis, ketosis, and abomasal displacement in the dairy cow farm.

show abstract

“…The health of dairy cattle can impact their productivity, production profitability, zoonotic risks, international trade (e.g., biosecurity risk associated with transboundary infectious diseases), and animal welfare (4). To improve the sustainability of dairy cattle production, national and on-farm investments in dairy cattle health (e.g., biosecurity regulations and enforcement, vaccine and medicine application, herd health monitoring) are vital to prevent diseases and to manage them effectively if they occur (5).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On-farm investments into dairy cow health: evidence from 15 case study countries

Schrobback,

Gonzalez Fischer,

Mayberry

et al. 2023

Front. Vet. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Managing investments in dairy cow health at a national and global scale, requires an improved understanding of current on-farm expenses for cow health (e.g., expenditure for medicine and veterinary consultations). The aim of this study was to assess on-farm health investments for typical dairy farms in 15 case study countries, including Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, India, China, Colombia, Indonesia, Kenya, New Zealand, Uganda, UK, Uruguay, and USA. The study was conducted using a descriptive analysis of a secondary data set that was obtained from the International Farm Comparison Network (IFCN). The results suggest that health expenditures take up a relatively small proportion (<10%) of the annual total production costs per cow across all countries in the sample. The means of production costs (e.g., feed, machinery) can take up to 90% of the total production costs for highly intensive systems, while these costs can be as low as 9% for extensive systems. This study highlights the importance of understanding on-farm animal health investments as a contribution to improved national and global decision making about animal health in the dairy sector.

show abstract

Investing in health to improve the sustainability of cattle production in the United Kingdom: A narrative review

Cited by 5 publications

References 47 publications

Relationship between Dairy Cow Health and Intensity of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Relationship between Dairy Cow Health and Intensity of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Evaluation of Rumination and Milk Yield Alerts Utilizing SCR System for Mastitis, Ketosis, and Abomasal Displacement on the Dairy Cow Farm in Vietnam

On-farm investments into dairy cow health: evidence from 15 case study countries

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About