Animal welfare in organic farming systems

The concept of farm animal welfare can, for practical purposes, be translated into the so‐called Five Freedoms. 1 Organic farming aims to meet animal welfare needs and should therefore comply with these Freedoms. The first Freedom, from hunger and thirst, is met in any system properly managed to organic standards. The Freedom from thermal and physical discomfort is challenged as organic husbandry systems face more climatic extremes. However, they also provide more ‘control’ to the animal by offering a choice when seeking warmth or a cool place to lie. The Freedom from pain, injury and disease is the most complicated one. Organic farming virtually bans mutilations (e.g. debeaking, tail docking), although some are still allowed and practised (e.g. castration). Organic animals are more exposed to wildlife and at risk of contracting infectious diseases. However, it is possible (although not proven) that organically managed animals are more resistant to illness. The Freedom to express normal behaviour is met through environmental enrichment and group housing. The Freedom from fear and distress is supported by e.g. extra (social) space. In conclusion, if animal health can be maintained, organic farming is very well placed to provide good animal welfare. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

我国畜产品质量安全管理的发展及启示

畜产品质量安全管理的公共品属性、外部性和信息不对称性,决定了政府必须承担起畜产品质量安全监管体系建设与管理的义务和职责。改革开放30多年来,我国畜产品质量安全水平大幅度提高,畜产品质量安全法律法规、标准、检测体系初步建成。总结经验,应进一步转变思想、革新畜产品质量安全管理理念、加强畜产品质量安全管理保障体系建设、提高科研水平、加强信息交流。     

Influence of pooled colostrum or colostrum replacement on IgG and evaluation of animal plasma in milk replacer

Newborn Holstein (n = 48) and Jersey (n = 30) calves were studied to compare absorption of immunoglobulin G (IgG) from maternal colostrum (n = 39) or colostrum replacement containing an Ig concentrate derived from bovine serum (n = 39). Calves were also fed milk replacer with (n = 38) or without (n = 40) animal plasma (20% of crude protein) to 29 d of age to determine effect of plasma protein on IgG status, health, and growth. Calves were fed maternal colostrum or colostrum replacement at 1.5 and 13.5 h of age and provided a total of 250 or 249 and 180 or 186 g of IgG for Holsteins and Jerseys fed maternal colostrum or colostrum replacement, respectively. Milk replacer (12.5% DM) was fed at 31% of metabolic birth weight (2 feedings/d). Plasma was sampled at 0 h, 24 h, and weekly to determine IgG by turbidimetric immunoassay. At blood collection, calves were weighed and measured to determine growth. Health scores, fecal scores, and grain intake were measured daily. Plasma IgG at 24 h did not differ between calves fed maternal colostrum (13.78 +/- 0.39 g/ L) and colostrum replacement (13.96 +/- 0.38 g/L). Average daily gain, withers height, hip height, body length, heart girth, health, and incidence of diarrhea were not different between treatment groups. Calves fed maternal colostrum used feed more efficiently than calves fed colostrum replacement. Plasma IgG and performance were not affected by the addition of animal plasma to milk replacer. The colostrum replacement used in this study provided adequate IgG for newborn calves. Animal plasma was an acceptable source of protein but did not enhance growth or immunity under the conditions of this study.     

动物源性食品相关兽药基体标准物质的研究进展

兽药残留检测中,样品基体涉及各种动物组织以及动物性加工食品,由于样品基体本身所存在的差异性使得在分析过程中不能简单地使用纯度标准物质去作对照,而需要使用更加接近实际样品的基体标准物质来满足检测需要。近些年,国内标准物质研发速度较快,数量也在稳步增长,但是动物源性食品相关的兽药基体标准物质数量却很少,远不能满足检测需求,被国家标准物质资源共享平台收录的仅40多种,存在着较大的缺口。本文重点综述了国内外动物源性食品相关兽药基体标准物质的研究进展和关键技术,分析了我国当前存在的问题短板和出现这些问题的原因,以期后续能为相关的研究提供一些参考。     

Is the profitability of Canadian freestall farms associated with their performance on an animal welfare assessment?

Improving animal welfare on farm can sometimes require substantial financial investments. The Canadian dairy industry recently updated their Code of Practice for the care of dairy animals and created a mandatory on-farm animal care assessment (proAction Animal Care). Motivating dairy farmers to follow the recommendations of the Code of Practice and successfully meet the targets of the on-farm assessment can be enhanced by financial gain associated with improved animal welfare. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the association between meeting or not meeting several criteria from an on-farm animal welfare assessment and the farms' productivity and profitability indicators. Data from 130 freestall farms (20 using automatic milking systems) were used to calculate the results of the animal care assessment. Productivity and profitability indicators, including milk production, somatic cell count, reproduction, and longevity, were retrieved from the regional dairy herd improvement association databases. Economic margins over replacement costs were also calculated. Univariable and multivariable linear regression models were used to evaluate the associations between welfare and productivity and profitability indicators. The proportion of automatic milking system farms that met the proAction criterion for hock lesions was higher compared with parlor farms and lower for the neck lesion criterion. The proAction criterion for lameness prevalence was significantly associated with average corrected milk production per year. Average days in milk (DIM) at first breeding acted as an effect modifier for this association, resulting in a steeper increase of milk production in farms that met the criterion with increasing average DIM at first breeding. The reproduction and longevity indicators studied were not significantly associated with meeting or not meeting the proAction criteria investigated in this study. Meeting the proAction lameness prevalence parameter was associated with an increased profitability margin per cow over replacement cost by $236 compared with farms that did not. These results suggest that associations are present between meeting the lameness prevalence benchmark of the Animal Care proAction Initiative and freestall farms' productivity and profitability. Overall, meeting the animal-based criteria evaluated in this study was not detrimental to freestall farms' productivity and profitability.     

Development of a real-time PCR protocol for the species origin confirmation of isolated animal particles detected by NIRM

At present, European legislation prohibits totally the use of processed animal proteins in feed for all farmed animals (Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1234/2003–extended feed ban). A softening of the feed ban for non-ruminants would nevertheless be considered if alternative methods could be used to gain more information concerning the species origin of processed animal proteins than that which can be provided by classical optical microscopy. This would allow control provisions such as the ban of feeding animals with proteins from the same species or intra-species recycling (Regulation (EC) No. 1774/2002). Two promising alternative methods, near-infrared microscopy (NIRM) and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), were combined to authenticate, at the species level, the presence of animal particles. The paper describes the improvements of the real-time PCR method made to the DNA extraction protocol, allowing five PCR analyses to be performed with the DNA extracted from a single particle.     

野味的消费行为及其对人体的危害

目的在于让人们清醒地认识到:(1)狂吃野味,加快了濒危野生动物的灭绝;(2)野生动物不是绿色食品;(3)野味对人体危害极大;(4)禁食野味,珍爱地球,尊重自然,是人类必须遵循的准则.     

Validation of a near infrared microscopy method for the detection of animal products in feedingstuffs: results of a collaborative study

The performance characteristics of a near infrared microscopy (NIRM) method, when applied to the detection of animal products in feedingstuffs, were determined via a collaborative study. The method delivers qualitative results in terms of the presence or absence of animal particles in feed and differentiates animal from vegetable feed ingredients on the basis of the evaluation of near infrared spectra obtained from individual particles present in the sample. The specificity ranged from 86% to 100%. The limit of detection obtained on the analysis of the sediment fraction, prepared as for the European official method, was 0.1% processed animal proteins (PAPs) in feed, since all laboratories correctly identified the positive samples. This limit has to be increased up to 2% for the analysis of samples which are not sedimented. The required sensitivity for the official control is therefore achieved in the analysis of the sediment fraction of the samples where the method can be applied for the detection of the presence of animal meal. Criteria for the classification of samples, when fewer than five spectra are found, as being of animal origin needs to be set up in order to harmonise the approach taken by the laboratories when applying NIRM for the detection of the presence of animal meal in feed.     

Invited review: associations between variables of routine herd data and dairy cattle welfare indicators

As farm animal welfare is high on the political and societal agendas of many countries, considerable pressure exists to establish audit programs in which farm animal welfare is routinely monitored. On-farm assessment of animal welfare, however, is time-consuming and costly. A promising strategy to monitor animal welfare more efficiently is to first estimate the level of animal welfare on a farm based on routine herd data that are available in national databases. It is not currently known which variables of routine herd data (VRHD) are associated with dairy cattle welfare indicators (WI). Our aim was to identify VRHD that are associated with WI in a literature review. The 27 VRHD used in this review included the main types of data that are currently collected in national herd databases of developed countries, and related to identification and registration, management, milk production, and reproduction of dairy herds. The 34 WI used in this review were based on the Welfare Quality Assessment Protocol for Cattle. The search yielded associations in 146 studies. Twenty-three VRHD were associated with 16 WI. The VRHD that related to milk yield, culling, and reproduction were associated with the largest number of WI. Few associations were found for WI that referred to behavioral aspects of animal welfare, nonspecific disease symptoms, or resources-based indicators. For 18 WI, associations with VRHD were not significant (n = 5 WI) or no studies were found that investigated associations with VRHD (n = 13 WI). It was concluded that many VRHD have potential to estimate the level of animal welfare on dairy farms. As strengths of associations were not considered in this review, however, the true value of these VRHD should be further explored. Moreover, associations found at the animal level and in an experimental setting might not appear at the farm level and in common practice and should be investigated. Cross-sectional studies using integrated welfare scores at the farm level are needed to more accurately determine the potential of VRHD to estimate levels of animal welfare on dairy farms.     

动物性食品中盐酸克伦特罗(瘦肉精)残留危害及其检测方法研究进展

介绍了盐酸克伦特罗 (瘦肉精 )的理化特性 ,分析了它在动物性食品中残留对人体和国民经济所造成的危害 ,同时又综述了动物肌肉组织中残留盐酸克伦特罗 (瘦肉精 )的各种分析检测方法并作了展望     

β-烟酰胺单核苷酸对生理机能影响的研究进展

我国处于亚健康状态的超重或肥胖人群与老龄化人口数量都在逐年上升。在衰老和肥胖过程中,细胞内烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸（nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide,NAD＋）水平会发生系统性下降。NAD＋是细胞能量代谢、调节细胞机能、影响衰老的关键靶点,因此,通过补充NAD＋前体以改善生理机能、延缓衰老已经成为目前研究热点。β-烟酰胺单核苷酸（nicotinamide mononucleotide,NMN）是动物体内NAD＋代谢的中间产物,也是目前最直接高效的NAD＋补充前体。但是NMN对生理机能存在多方面多器官的复杂影响,而且人体临床试验与动物实验结果并不一致,服用量也尚未确定。本文综述到目前为止NMN的动物实验和人体临床试验结果,旨在探究补充NMN对动物、人体生理机能的影响、机制及其适宜剂量和不良反应,以期为未来NMN研究与应用提供思路。     

动植物油脂不皂化物测定方法研究

通过对国内外动植物油脂不皂化物检测方法比较,考察不同检测方法对动植物油脂不皂化物测定结果影响,并分析造成结果差异原因。结果表明,美国油脂化学家学会(AOCS)两项方法AOCS Ca 6a-40(09)和AOCS Ca 6b-53(09)较IS03596:2000和IS018609:2000方法适用范围广,可实现对不皂化物含量较高动植物油脂检测,且萃取过程充分、技术路线严谨、测定结果准确可靠。     

Evaluation of herd-level sampling strategies for control of Salmonella in Swedish cattle

Based on Swedish legislation, all herds where Salmonella of any serotype is detected are put under restrictions, and measures aiming at eradication are required. Costs for sampling and control have increased in recent years and the aim of this study was to investigate the efficiency of different sampling strategies. We also compiled test results from recent surveillance activities and used these to complement and compare with calculated results. Sensitivities and specificities at group and herd level were calculated for different test strategies. A scenario-tree modeling approach was used to account for the hierarchy of animals within herds, and different relative risk of salmonella in different age groups. Negative and positive predictive values (NPV and PPV), and probability of freedom from Salmonella were calculated to compare the added value of different sampling strategies. Results showed that more fecal samples than serological samples per group are needed to reach a group sensitivity >0.50. This also means that serological testing leads to a higher NPV. For example, with 10 negative test-results from a group of 25 animals in a herd with a suspicion of Salmonella, the NPV based on serology was 0.75 and based on culture was 0.56. For the PPV, testing based on culture from fecal sampling was superior, as specificity of such testing was close to perfect. By changing the threshold for considering a group positive, from 1 test-positive animal to 2, the PPV of serological results could be increased without substantial loss in NPV. The herd sensitivity based on (1) bulk milk sampling, (2) fecal sampling of all animals, and (3) bulk milk sampling and individual sera from 20 animals within each age group was 0.53, 0.88, and 0.95, respectively. In low-prevalence regions, this sensitivity was enough to verify a high probability of freedom (>0.99), as the probability of infection in such Swedish regions has been shown to be 0.01. For herds with a higher prior probability of infection, repeated sampling (2–9 sampling occasions) was needed to reach the same level of confidence. Analysis of surveillance data indicated that boot swabs can be used to replace the standard fecal sampling presently used in Sweden. It was also confirmed that the individual specificity of the tests used for serological testing of Swedish calves is high (0.99). The results can form a basis for fit-for-purpose testing strategies (e.g., surveillance or prepurchase testing).     

A 100-Year Review: Animal welfare in the Journal of Dairy Science—The first 100 years

This paper outlines the history and development of research in the area of animal welfare as reflected in the 100 yr that the Journal of Dairy Science has been published. The first paper using the term “animal welfare” was published in 1983; since then (to May 2017), 244 papers that reflect growing interest regarding how farm animals are cared for have been published. Much of the scientific work to date has focused on issues related to cow health, such as lameness, and methodologically many papers use behavioral measures. In addition to this science-based research, the journal has taken on the role of publishing work of social scientists that addresses the role of the human factors relating to animal welfare, including research on citizen, consumer, and farmer attitudes toward welfare issues. We call for further research focused on societal perspectives and for new biological research focused on developing issues, such as cow–calf separation and pasture access.     

动物性食品源空肠弯曲杆菌二重PCR检测方法的建立及应用

根据GenBank空肠弯曲杆菌(Campylobacter jejuni,Cj)的16S rDNA及hipO(编码马尿酸酶基因)序列设计两对特异引物,建立检测动物性食品源Cj的二重PCR方法,并应用于样品检测。结果显示只对Cj能特异的扩增出699bp和366bp两个基因片段,而大肠杆菌、沙门氏菌等其他11种细菌均未扩增出条带;Cj标准株ATCC33560的16S rDNA及hipO序列与GenBank其他Cj的相应序列具高度相似性(分别为99.7%~99.9%,98.1%~99.7%);该方法可在27h内完成,其灵敏度为2.4~16 CFU/mL;四川省雅安市鸡肉、猪肉、牛肉和牛奶样品中的Cj阳性率分别为38.0%(19/50)、28.3%(15/53)、17.1%(6/35)和8.6%(4/46)。     

欧盟动物福利政策的发展及对我国的启示

随着公众对动物福利的关注度不断上升,近年来欧洲各国出台了一系列改善动物福利的政策。本文介绍了欧盟动物福利政策的发展历程,讨论了动物福利对市场、政策制定与全球国际贸易的影响,阐述与评价了可供选择的动物福利政策,并以欧盟为鉴,对我国动物福利政策的发展提出了政策建议。     

Keeping science in environmental regulations: the role of the animal scientist

Environmental issues continue to be one of the biggest challenges faced by livestock producers. Whereas issues of the past have focused on manure nutrient impacts on water quality with some regulatory activity addressing odors, emerging issues are more diverse. To address emerging air quality issues, such as ammonia emissions, antibiotic transfer, human health impacts of emissions from animal agriculture, and estrogens in the environment, scientists with expertise in physiology, genetics, animal management, and nutrition will need to be enlisted. The objectives of this review are to highlight some of the prominent environmental regulatory activity that has occurred nationally in the past few years, to outline some of the emerging environmental issues, and to move members of the animal science profession toward thinking about what they can contribute toward addressing these issues. Animal scientists are uniquely qualified to engage in environmental research, education, and policymaking because of our comprehensive understanding of the complexity of whole-farm management and the interactions between animal management and manure management. Animal science departments have the opportunity to train students to be leaders in addressing environmental issues related to animal production, provided departments incorporate environmental education into curricula. Animal scientists can contribute greatly to the many areas of research that address emerging and current environmental issues, helping to ensure that policy is science-based and mitigation strategies are feasible.     

可食用动物血液资源的开发利用

可食用动物血液，指屠宰家畜时所能收集到的血液，是一种宝贵的资源，具有很高的营养保健价值，它在人类食品中的开发应用正受到广泛重视。中国每年产生１８０万ｔ的动物血液，工业规模的可食用性利用基本属于空白。本文分析了动物血液的生化组成，论述了血液的营养特性和可食用动物血液对人类营养的价值和意义，介绍了动物血液利用的国内外概况和今后的发展方向，并指出社会经济和科学技术的发展为合理开发畜血资源提供了机遇和条件，可食用动物血液的研究和开发将会取得较大的进展。     

An evaluation of detailed animal characteristics influencing the lactation production efficiency of spring-calving,pasture-based dairy cattle

Selection for feed efficiency, the ratio of output (e.g., milk yield) to feed intake, has traditionally been limited on commercial dairy farms by the necessity for detailed individual animal intake and performance data within large animal populations. The objective of the experiment was to evaluate the effects of individual animal characteristics (animal breed, genetic potential, milk production, body weight (BW), daily total dry matter intake (TDMI), and energy balance) on a cost-effective production efficiency parameter calculated as the annual fat and protein (milk solids) production per unit of mid-lactation BW (MSperBW_lact). A total of 1,788 individual animal intake records measured at various stages of lactation (early, mid, and late lactation) from 207 Holstein-Friesian and 200 Jersey × Holstein-Friesian cows were used. The derived efficiency traits included daily kilograms of milk solids produced per 100 kg of BW (dMSperBW_int) and daily kilograms of milk solids produced per kilogram of TDMI (dMSperTDMI). The TDMI per 100 kg of BW was also calculated (TDMI/BW_int) at each stage of lactation. Animals were subsequently either ranked as the top 25% (Heff) or bottom 25% (Leff) based on their lactation production efficiency (MSperBW_lact). Dairy cow breed significantly affected animal characteristics over the entire lactation and during specific periods of intake measurements. Jersey crossbred animals produced more milk, based on a lower TDMI, and achieved an increased intake per kilogram of BW. Similarly, Heff produced more milk over longer lactations, weighed less, were older, and achieved a higher TDMI compared with the Leff animals. Both Jersey × Holstein-Friesian and Heff cows achieved superior production efficiency due to lower maintenance energy requirements, and consequentially increased milk solids production per kilogram of BW and per kilogram of TDMI at all stages of lactation. Indeed, within breed, Heff animals weighed 20 kg less and produced 15% more milk solids over the total lactation than Leff. In addition, Heff achieved increased daily milk solids yield (+0.16 kg) and milk solids yield per kilogram of TDMI (+ 0.23 kg/kg DM) during intake measurement periods. Moreover, the strong and consistently positive correlations between MSperBW_lact and detailed production efficiency traits (dMSperBW_int, dMSperTDMI) reported here demonstrate that MSperBW_lact is a robust measure that can be applied within commercial grazing dairy systems to increase the selection intensity for highly efficient animals.     

Universal primers for species authentication of animal foodstuff in a single polymerase chain reaction

BACKGROUND: There are many DNA‐based systems for detecting animal species present in food and food products, applicable for food quality control and authentication. However, most (if not all) methods require more than one pair of primers and cannot be applied over a wide taxonomic range, e.g. identifying vertebrates and invertebrates with the same primers and protocols. RESULTS: A pair of primers is described here that allows in a single polymerase chain reaction the identification of animal species in food and processed (precooked, canned or smoked) food products over a wide taxonomic range. CONCLUSION: These primers permit the identification of most animal taxa employed in human nutrition, from invertebrates such as molluscs to higher vertebrates, distinguishing between species of the same genus. The short fragment amplified within the 16S rDNA exhibits phylogenetic value and could be considered universal based on the wide taxonomic range assayed. The primers are easy to use and accessible for laboratories with a modest budget, as well as being valuable for consumer information and to reveal food fraud. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry