Observational study of temperature, moisture, pH and bacteria in straw bedding, and faecal consistency, cleanliness and mastitis in cows in four dairy herds

Ward, W. R.; Hughes, J. W.; Faull, WB; Cripps, Peter; Sutherland, Jane P.; Sutherst, J.

doi:10.1136/vr.151.7.199

Cited by 92 publications

(81 citation statements)

References 15 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Veissier et al (2004) reported a tendency for soiling to increase as the number of stall beds per cow decreased. The farm with the cleanest cows had the least mastitis (Ward et al, 2002). Our study found no difference in SCC by bed type.…”

Section: Cow Hygienecontrasting

confidence: 30%

Influence of Free-Stall Base on Tarsal Joint Lesions and Hygiene in Dairy Cows

Fulwider

Grandin

Garrick

et al. 2007

Journal of Dairy Science

111

142

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The objective was to quantify the incidence of tarsal lesions and level of hygiene by stall bed type. Cows were scored on 100 dairies from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, Iowa, and New York in the fall and winter. Thirty-eight dairies used rubber-filled mattresses (RFM), 27 had sand beds, 29 had waterbeds, and 6 used compost packs (CPk). Stocking density, stall dimensions, bedding amount, bedding frequency, and type of bedding were recorded. One pen of early-lactation multiparous cows on each dairy was scored based on injury of the tarsal joints at the lateral and medial surfaces and tuber calcis at the dorsal, lateral, and medial surfaces. A tarsal score of 1 represented hair loss, 2 was moderate, and 3 indicated severe swelling. Differences between bed types in the percentages of cows with lesions were tested with one-way ANOVA by lesion severity and incidence, with farm as the experimental unit. Cows on sand beds or waterbeds had fewer lesion scores of 1, 2, and 3 than those on RFM. The percentages of score 1 were 54.6 ± 4.4 (RFM), 22.5 ± 4.7 (sand), and 29.8 ± 4.3 (waterbed), whereas the percentages of score 2 were 14.0 ± 1.4, 2.3 ± 1.5, and 5.0 ± 1.4, and of score 3 were 3.0 ± 0.4, 0.2 ± 0.4, and 0.4 ± 0.4. Cows on CPk had no lesions. Hygiene scores ranged from 1 to 5, with 1 being clean and 5 soiled. The percentages of hygiene score 1 were 0 (compost), 0.4 (RFM), 0.4 (sand), and 0.4 (waterbeds); those with score 2 were 79.0, 84.0 ± 0.01, 73.2 ± 0.01, and 80.4 ± 0.01; with score 3 were 20.3, 15.2 ± 0.01, 23.8 ± 0.01, and 18.6 ± 0.01; with score 4 were 0.8, 0.005 ± 0.001, 0.006 ± 0.001, and 0.025 ± 0.003; and with score 5 was 0 for all bed types. Cows on RFM and waterbeds had improved hygiene compared with cows on sand beds. There was no difference in somatic cell count (SCC) by bed type. The percentage of cows in fourth lactation or Received November 28, 2006. Accepted March 5, 2007 Corresponding author: Wendy.Fulwider@ColoState.edu 3559 greater on waterbeds (19.8 ± 1.8) was greater than those on RFM (13.3 ± 1.6) or on sand (13.5 ± 1.8). The percentage culled was lower for cows on waterbeds than on RFM (22.8 ± 1.5 vs. 29.4 ± 1.4). Score 3 tarsal lesions were correlated (r = 0.60) with SCC. The length of the sand bed was correlated with a greater percentage of mature cows. The SCC was correlated with the percentage of cows reported lame on the day of the visit (r = 0.45) and with neck rail height (r = −0.26). On dairies with RFM, severe lesions (r = 0.60), death losses (r = 0.52), and percentage of the herd reported lame on the day of the visit (r = 0.52) were all correlated with the SCC. Dairies with higher percentages of lesions had higher SCC, death losses, lameness, and culling rates. Adding bedding several times per week may reduce the incidence of lesions.

show abstract

Section: Cow Hygienecontrasting

confidence: 30%

Influence of Free-Stall Base on Tarsal Joint Lesions and Hygiene in Dairy Cows

Fulwider

Grandin

Garrick

et al. 2007

Journal of Dairy Science

111

142

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Work carried out by Blowey (1999) and a study by Ward et al (2002) have established that a relationship exists between bacterial numbers within bedding materials and the incidence of mastitis infections within the herd. A further study by Rendos et al (1975) identifies similar links, as found within this study, between bedding and bacteria numbers, although their study was carried out upon different bedding materials.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A study conducted by Rendos, Eberhart & Kesler (1975) identified that different bedding materials influenced the types and numbers of bacteria within such materials whilst a later study by Ward, Hughes, Faull, Cripps, Sutherland & Sutherst (2002) studied the effects of straw bedding upon the incidence of mastitic infections from environmental pathogens. The aim of this study, however, is to use three different bedding materials sand, sawdust and straw to examine the relationship between the bacterial numbers within the bedding material and the bacterial numbers found upon the teats within each herd.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mastitis Causing Pathogens within the Dairy Cattle Environment

Kudi¹,

Bray²,

Niba³

et al. 2009

IJB

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between bacterial numbers found within the bedding material and those found upon the teats in cattle herds bedded on three different bedding materials; sand, sawdust and straw. The bacteria to be studied are known to be responsible for the development of mastitis within the mammary glands resulting in reduced milk quality and poor welfare conditions for the animal. Samples for the analysis were collected under natural housing conditions from the bedding and from the teats of a representative sample of each herd. These were then plated to isolate numbers of the environmental bacteria, Streptococcus uberis and Escherichia coli (E. coli), and to conduct a total viable count for comparison. Statistical analysis showed that six of the nine relationships tested resulted in a P<0.05. The microbial test results also showed that the straw bedding hosted the lowest total number of bacteria at 8.5 x 10. When compared with the incidence of mastitis infections within the herd, the straw bedding had a considerably higher number of infections than from the sand or sawdust with thirty-one cases recorded. In conclusion, minimising pathogen growth within the bedding material, results in lower numbers of pathogens being transmitted onto the cow's teats thereby reducing the possibility of intrammamary infections. It is recommended that further work is carried out through repeating the study on a larger number of farms to identify whether the relationship between the bacterial numbers exists on further farms. In addition to this, it is also recommended that further analysis of the pathogens responsible for the mastitis within the herds be undertaken to identify if the environmental pathogens are responsible for these intrammamary infections.

show abstract

“…Strawbedded yards provide a better environment for animal's welfare but a different environment for pathogens than the bedding of cubicles (Baars and Barkema, 1997). For example, if straw moisture content is too high, this can result in a rapid increase in the temperature of the bedding and an increased risk of Escherichia coli and Streptococcus uberis infections (Ward et al, 2002). The risk of mastitis from environmental pathogens has been found to be higher in straw-bedded yards compared with cubicle housing (Krutzinna et al, 1996;Weller and Bowling, 2000) and average SCC is higher in non-cubicle barns (Baars and Smolders, 2004).…”

Section: Farm Systems and Breedsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Suitability of cross-bred cows for organic farms based on cross-breeding effects on production and functional traits

Haas

Smolders

Hoorneman

et al. 2013

Animal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Data from 113 Dutch organic farms were analysed to determine the effect of cross-breeding on production and functional traits. In total, data on 33 788 lactations between January 2003 and February 2009 from 15 015 cows were available. Holstein-Friesian pure-bred cows produced most kg of milk in 305 days, but with the lowest percentages of fat and protein of all pure-bred cows in the data set. Cross-breeding Holstein dairy cows with other breeds (Brown Swiss, Dutch Friesian, Groningen White Headed, Jersey, Meuse Rhine Yssel, Montbé liarde or Fleckvieh) decreased milk production, but improved fertility and udder health in most crossbred animals. In most breeds, heterosis had a significant effect (P , 0.05) on milk (kg in 305 days), fat and protein-corrected milk production (kg in 305 days) and calving interval (CI) in the favourable direction (i.e. more milk, shorter CI), but unfavourably for somatic cell count (higher cell count). Recombination was unfavourable for the milk production traits, but favourable for the functional traits (fertility and udder health). Farm characteristics, like soil type or housing system, affected the regression coefficients on breed components significantly. The effect of the Holstein breed on milk yield was twice as large in cubicle housing as in other housing systems. Jerseys had a negative effect on fertility only on farms on sandy soils. Hence, breed effects differ across farming systems in the organic farming and farmers can use such information to dovetail their farming system with the type of cow they use.

show abstract

Observational study of temperature, moisture, pH and bacteria in straw bedding, and faecal consistency, cleanliness and mastitis in cows in four dairy herds

Cited by 92 publications

References 15 publications

Influence of Free-Stall Base on Tarsal Joint Lesions and Hygiene in Dairy Cows

Influence of Free-Stall Base on Tarsal Joint Lesions and Hygiene in Dairy Cows

Mastitis Causing Pathogens within the Dairy Cattle Environment

Suitability of cross-bred cows for organic farms based on cross-breeding effects on production and functional traits

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About