© Marlene Suntinger
ProYoungStock: ERA-NET Core Organic Cofund: Promoting young stock and cow health and welfare by natural feeding systems
Projektleitung
Birgit Fürst-Waltl
Forschungseinrichtung
BOKU
Projektnummer
101302Projektlaufzeit
-
Finanzierungspartner
Bundesministerium für Nachhaltigkeit und Tourismus| Bundesministerium für Landwirtschaft, Regionen und Tourismus
Allgemeine Projektinformationen
Schlagwörter (deutsch)
Kühe, Kälber, Gesundheit, Fütterungsstrategien, muttergebundene Aufzucht, Tierwohl
Titel (englisch)
Promoting young stock and cow health and welfare by natural feeding systems
Abstract (englisch)
Projektziele
dairy livestock welfare including health in different agro-ecological and regulatory European contexts. This
will be achieved by improving the rearing of calves pre-weaning and designing forage based feeding
strategies for heifers and adult cows, both fostering the animal’s immune status and reducing the use of
antibiotics and anthelmintics without negative impacts on animal performance and farm economy. The
project investigates the hypotheses that
1) replacement and fattening calves benefit from increased milk amounts, enhanced colostrum
quality and/or cow contact in terms of welfare and performance.
2) different extensive grazing and roughage feeding systems for young stock and/or alternative
herbal feed supplements have a positive impact on performance in later life and longevity of
animals.
These hypotheses will be tested and objectives will be reached in six work packages (WPs). In WP1
innovative young stock rearing systems implemented by pioneer farmers that allow calf-cow contact are
identified and described across Europe by a survey. Their economic feasibility is assessed in simulation
studies (WP1) as well as under on-farm conditions (WP2). The impact of these systems on cow and calf
welfare will be evaluated in on-farm trials in female calves (WP2) and in fattening calves (WP3). The
hypothesis that contents of immunoglobulins in colostrum and in milk might be stimulated either due to
cow-calf contact or due to feed supplements is further investigated in WP2.
In most farms, amounts of milk fed to organic dairy calves are restricted, although calves may benefit from
increased milk amounts in terms of welfare, natural behaviour, and performance. Therefore, the effect of
an increased level of milk feeding will be studied. The hypothesis that dairy calves reared by foster cows
and intended for use as veal benefit in terms of welfare and show an improved veal quality and economic
performance will be tested in WP3.
Access of rearing stock to mountain and other extensive pastures as well as certain roughage types are
often claimed to be beneficial with respect to health and longevity, but robust evidence is scarce.
Therefore, long-term effects of different environmental (extensive vs. intensive grazing systems) and
feeding conditions (non-silage versus silage) during rearing on health, longevity and fertility later in life will
be studied in WP4.
The potential of plant bioactive compounds in pasture-based production systems to improve protein use
efficiency, animal health, and immune response (natural anthelmintic) as well as product quality will be
assessed in young stock in WP5.
Farmers, advisors, and other stakeholders will benefit from the results of this project through workshops
and leaflets, guidelines, practice abstracts, articles, and websites. New insights will be shared with the
scientific community through peer reviewed papers (WP6).
Praxisrelevanz
Berichte
Kurzfassung
Berichtsdateien
Abstract (deutsch)
Untersuchungen erfolgten in 8 europäischen Ländern: Österreich (AT), Frankreich (FR), Deutschland (DE), Italien (IT), Polen (PL), Slowenien (SI), Schweden (SE), Schweiz (CH). Interviews mit 104 Milchviehhaltern zeigten viele verschiedene Kuh-Kalb-Kontaktsysteme (CCC) auf. Tierwohl und geringerer Arbeitsaufwand wurden als Vorteile, Stress bei Trennung von Kuh und Kalb, geringere Mengen verkaufsfähiger Milch und bauliche Einschränkungen als Nachteile genannt. EU- und nationale Rechtsvorschriften unterscheiden sich nur geringfügig. Zwei untersuchte CCC-Strategien zeigten verringerten Betriebsgewinn.
Die Milchmenge (MM) von CCC-Kühen (Säugen vor dem morgendlichen Melken, 6 bzw. 9 h Kontakt/d; FR, SE) war im Melkstand niedriger als bei Kontrollkühen. Der beste Kompromiss zwischen MM und Kälberwachstum wird mit 6 – 9 h CCC zwischen Morgen- und Abendmelken erzielt. CCC-Kälber hatten vor dem Absetzen einen geringeren Cortisolgehalt im Haar, vokalisierten aber nach dem Absetzen früher und länger. CCC hatte keinen Einfluss auf den passiven Immuntransfer von Kühen auf neugeborene Kälber.
Höhere Milchmengen (10 – 12 l/d) für Kälber im Vergleich zu 6 – 8 l/d wurden in 10 Betrieben getestet (DE, AT). Höhere Milchmengen resultierten in höheren Zunahmen, hinsichtlich Gesundheit und Manipulation von Gegenständen bestand kein Unterschied. Mit Zitzeneimern gefütterte Kälber wurden mit Kälbern verglichen (CC), die zweimal/d eingeschränkten Kuh-(CH) oder dauernden Ammenkontakt (PL) hatten. CC-Kälber besaugten sich weniger und manipulierten in PL auch weniger an Gegenständen.
Extensiv aufgezogene Tiere wiesen eine geringere Krankheitsinzidenz auf als Tiere ohne diese Erfahrung (AT, FR), aber es gab keinen Einfluss der extensiven Aufzucht auf die Zwischenkalbezeit (AT, FR, SI). Hinsichtlich der Reproduktion gab es keinen Unterschied zwischen Betrieben mit und ohne Silagefütterung (AT, DE, SI), aber es wurde ein negativer Effekt der silagefreien Aufzucht auf die Mastitishäufigkeit festgestellt (DE). In AT, DE und FR waren Milch- und Fettmenge mit Silagefütterung höher als ohne, in SI aber niedriger.
Die Verfütterung von Tanninextrakten an Kühe während der Trockenzeit (Heufütterung) ergab niedrigere Harnstoffgehalte, ein besseres Fettsäureprofil und eine höhere antioxidative Kapazität in Milch und Käse. In vitro gemischte Tanninextrakte verringerten den Proteinabbau im Pansen sowie die Ammoniak- und Methanemissionen, insbesondere wenn die Heufütterung simuliert wurde (IT).
Abstract (englisch)
Research was conducted in 8 European countries: Austria (AT), France (FR), Germany (DE), Italy (IT), Poland (PL), Slovenia (SI), Sweden (SE), Switzerland (CH). Interviews with 104 dairy farmers revealed many diverse cow-calf contact systems (CCC). Better animal welfare and reduced labour were perceived as benefits, stress during cow and calf separation, lower amounts of saleable milk, and building constraints as challenges. EU- and national legislations influencing dairy production with CCC were only marginally different. Two studied CCC strategies revealed reduced farm profit.
Milk yield (MY) of CCC cows with suckling before morning milking or with 6 h or 9 h cow-calf contact per day (FR, SE) was lower at parlour than in control (CT) cows. The best compromise between MY and calf growth is reached with 6 – 9 h CCC between morning and evening milking. CCC calves had lower hair cortisol contents before weaning, but vocalised earlier and longer after weaning. CCC practices had no effect on the passive immune transfer from cows to neonatal calves.
Increased milk levels (10 – 12 l/d) fed to calves compared to 6 – 8 l/d were tested on 10 farms in DE and AT. Calves fed higher milk yields had higher daily gains. No difference regarding health and manipulation of objects was observed. We observed less cross sucking in calves with permanent foster cow contact and with 2x30 min/d contact to the dam (CH, PL). Calves wit permanent foster cow contact also manipulate less objects compared to bucket fed calves (PL).
Extensively reared animals showed lower disease incidences than animals that didn’t have this experience (AT, FR), but there was no influence of extensive rearing on calving interval (AT, FR, SI). There was no difference between farms with or without silage feeding regarding reproduction (AT, DE, SI), but a negative effect of silage free rearing on udder health was found (DE). Milk and fat yields were higher with silage feeding than without in AT, DE, FR, but lower in SI.
Feeding tannin extracts to cows during the dry season (hay feeding) revealed lower urea contents, a better fatty acid profile and a higher antioxidant capacity in milk and cheese (IT). In vitro blended tannin extracts reduced ruminal protein degradation and ammonia and methane emissions; especially when hay feeding was simulated (IT).
Autor/innen
Fuerst-Waltl, B; Haager, D; Weißensteiner, R.; Winckler, C; Alvåsen, K; Bieber, A; Caccamo, M; Coppa, M; Eriksson, H; Fall, N; Ivemeyer, S; Klopčič, M; Knierim, U; Martin, B; Menci, R; Niderkorn, V; Pomies, D; Priolo, A; Sakowski, T; Simantke, C; Spengler Neff, A; Valenti, B;