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Emergency contingency plans for the U.S. swine industry, including depopulation protocols, that are essential to limit the spread of sudden outbreaks of infectious diseases is currently lacking. Although novel depopulation methods such as water-based foam (WBF) and high-expansion nitrogen foam (N 2 F) are being investigated, carbon dioxide gas (CO 2 ) is currently the only American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)-preferred method capable of depopulation of groups of swine. The AVMA's assessment of depopulation methods evaluates efficacy, animal welfare implications, and caretaker physical and mental health, in addition to logistical aspects of equipment acquisition and use. These criteria are best gauged using input from individuals familiar with the operations within the swine industry. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe swine industry stakeholders' perceptions of WBF, N 2 F and CO 2 depopulation after a large-scale field demonstration. A survey was created based on the criteria outlined in the AVMA Depopulation Guidelines to determine respondent perceptions of each method. Swine industry stakeholders of various backgrounds (N=32) were recruited and invited to observe demonstrations of each method. Mixed linear regression models were built to investigate the association between survey question scores and depopulation method. Respondents varied in occupation, with 37.5 % (12/32) belonging to an academic institution or veterinary medical association, 21.9 % (7/32) to a pork organization, and 18.8 % (6/32) to state or federal regulatory agencies. The remaining 21.8 % (7/32) was a group consisting of one producer (3.1 %), one individual in swine industry retail (3.1 %), one veterinarian in a private practice setting (3.1 %) and four (12.5 %) who did not disclose their affiliation. Average experience (±SD) in the swine industry was 14.4 (±12.4) years, and 40.6 % (13/32) had previous experience of any type in swine depopulation. The overall method impression scores revealed that WBF and N 2 F were perceived as better options compared to CO 2 (P < 0.001). WBF and N 2 F scored higher on pig distress mitigation, protecting emotional and psychological health of personnel, and equipment accessibility compared to CO 2 (P < 0.001). Stakeholders without a clear affiliation provided higher scores compared those affiliated with regulatory agencies, pork associations or academic or veterinary institutions, regarding minimizing pig distress, method safety/accessibility, and overall method impression. Few demographic differences were observed, suggesting similar perceptions of the three depopulation methods during the demonstrations. This industry feedback is valuable for future considerations, method improvements and facilitation for possible implementations into future response plans., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is a contagious coronavirus causing respiratory and urogenital disease in chickens and is responsible for significant economic losses for both the broiler and table egg layer industries. Despite IBV being regularly monitored using standard epidemiologic surveillance practices, knowledge and evidence of risk factors associated with IBV transmission remain limited. The study objective was to compare risk factor modeling outcomes between a traditional stepwise variable selection approach and a machine learning-based random forest Boruta algorithm using routinely collected IBV antibody titer data from broiler flocks. IBV antibody sampling events (n = 1111) from 166 broiler sites between 2016 and 2021 were accessed. Ninety-two geospatial-related and poultry-density variables were obtained using a geographic information system and data sets from publicly available sources. Seventeen and 27 candidate variables were screened to potentially have an association with elevated IBV antibody titers according to the manual selection and machine learning algorithm, respectively. Selected variables from both methods were further investigated by construction of multivariable generalized mixed logistic regression models. Six variables were shortlisted by both screening methods, which included year, distance to urban areas, main roads, landcover, density of layer sites and year, however, final models for both approaches only shared year as an important predictor. Despite limited significance of clinical outcomes, this work showcases the potential of a novel explorative modeling approach in combination with often unutilized resources such as publicly available geospatial data, surveillance health data and machine learning as potential supplementary tools to investigate risk factors related to infectious diseases., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Introduction: Preventing potential foreign animal diseases is a high priority, with re-emerging threats such as African Swine Fever emerging close to North American borders. The Secure Pork Supply (SPS) plan provides a voluntary framework for swine producer biosecurity planning and disease outbreak preparedness. However, biosecurity knowledge varies greatly among swine veterinarians, managers, and caretakers within the industry, which impacts the understanding, quality, implementation and biosecurity plan agreements with the SPS guidelines unless review procedures and quality control mechanisms are in place. Therefore, this study aimed to describe and identify the level of biosecurity planning agreements between producer-and/or swine veterinarian-made biosecurity plans for commercial swine sites and the SPS plan guidelines during a review process., Material and Methods: Biosecurity maps ( N = 368) and written plans ( N = 247) were obtained from six Midwest swine companies/veterinary clinics. Maps were evaluated on accuracy and placement of mandatory map features based on SPS guidelines, and discrepancies between the development of producer-made biosecurity maps and written biosecurity plans. Multivariable mixed logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify differences in SPS planning accuracy based on herd size, production stage, and characteristics related to geographical site location (e.g., land cover type and expected feral swine population density in the region)., Results: In this study, 55.8% (205/368) of all provided biosecurity maps had to be revised due to misplaced or missing map features. In addition, 80.9% (200/247) of the written plans had one or more conflicts with the corresponding biosecurity maps. The main biosecurity planning issues involved feed delivery activities, where the mapping of vehicle movements (89.9%, 222/247) were in direct conflict with the written SPS plans. Sites located in areas with a moderate expected feral swine population density had 3-fold increased odds of needing map revisions compared to sites with low expected feral swine population density. Sites located in predominately farmland had 7.3% lower odds of having biosecurity map and SPS plan conflicts for every 1.0% increase in farmland landcover in a 10-km radius around the swine site., Discussion: Human oversight or lack of knowledge regarding biosecurity planning and implementation is common, which may culminate in important preparedness shortcomings in disease prevention and control strategies for U.S. swine farms. Future efforts should focus on additional biosecurity training for swine producers and veterinarians alongside with quality control benchmarking of producer made plans., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that two of the authors (AA and GM) were editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2024 Campler, Hall, Mills, Galvis, Machado and Arruda.)

The U.S. pork supply chain is vulnerable to various internal and external threats and in need of prompt, comprehensive response plans. Under urgent circumstances, for example in the case of foreign disease incursions, swine farms will have to perform on-farm animal depopulation to prevent disease spread. Several animal depopulation methods including water-based foam (WBF) have been proposed and are under evaluation for feasibility in the field. However, the psychological/emotional impacts of applying depopulation methods for personnel managing and carrying on the tasks are not currently well understood. Thus, this study aimed to investigate WBF as an alternative for depopulation compared to existing methods approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association. Swine industry stakeholders were invited to voluntarily observe a WBF depopulation trial and to provide their self-reported perspectives before and after the observation. A survey was designed to explore key areas on expected and perceived method effectiveness, efficiency, and animal welfare considerations, as well as to evaluate short-term post-observation psychological impacts. Among 42 recruited stakeholders, 31.0% (13/42) were educators/researchers followed by animal health officials (26.2%, 11/42) and veterinarians (23.8%, 10/42), with an average of 11.7 ± 12.6 (n = 39) years of work experience. After the trial, respondents' positive perception of WBF depopulation increased specifically regarding the animal loading process being less stressful than restrained in-barn depopulation options (P = 0.003) and by the observation of fewer swine escape attempts and vocalizations than expected (P < 0.001). Respondents' positive perception of WBF also increased regarding to the time required to fill the trailer with foam, to stop hearing animal vocalization, and stop hearing animal movement, as the observed trial times were faster than their pre-observation estimates (P < 0.001). Additionally, 79.5% (31/39) of respondents agreed that the rapid destruction of animal populations had priority over animal welfare under urgent scenarios. Minor post-traumatic stress disorder-like (PTSD-like) symptoms from the observed trials were reported (26.7%, 4/15 respondents) one month after the observation. This study showed that the WBF depopulation process was perceived positively by swine stakeholders and may have limited short-term psychological impacts on personnel involved in animal depopulation., Competing Interests: The author(s) declare(s) that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article., (Copyright: This is an open access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication.)

Water-based foam (WBF) depopulation is currently being researched as an alternative for rapid destruction of swine populations under emergency circumstances. Appropriate guidelines are needed to maintain method reliability and depopulation efficacy while minimizing animal distress under field conditions. Finisher pigs were depopulated using WBF with a 7.5-minute dwell time in two trials to evaluate the effect of; trial 1) foam fill level (1.5, 1.75, or 2.0 times the pig's head height) and trial 2) foam fill rate (slow, medium, or fast) on aversive pig responses (surface breaks, vocalization, and escape attempts) and time to cessation of cardiac activity. Activity and cardiac activity were recorded using subcutaneous bio-loggers for swine in trial 2. The average time to cessation of movement (COM) from the start of foam filling was compared for the foam fill rate groups using a generalized linear mixed effect model under Poisson distribution. Foam rate group was used as an independent variable, and replicates as a random effect. For trial 1, the average (mm:ss ± SD) time to fill completion was 01:18 ± 00:00, 00:47 ± 00:05, and 00:54 ± 00:05, for 1.5, 1.75, and 2.0 times the pig's head height, respectively. For trial 2, the average time to fill completion was 03:57 ± 00:32, 01:14 ± 00:23 and 00:44 ± 00:03, and the average time (mm:ss ± SE) to COM was 05:22 ± 00:21, 03:32 ± 00:14, and 03:11 ± 00:13 for slow, medium, and fast fill rate groups, respectively. A higher number of aversive pig responses were observed for the lowest foam fill level and slowest foam fill rate compared to increased fill levels and faster fill rates. For trial 2 the median (mm:ss ± IQR) time to fatal arrhythmia was 09:53 ± 02:48, 11:19 ± 04:04, and 10:57 ± 00:47 post-foam initiation for fast, medium, and slow foam rate groups, respectively. Time to cessation of cardiac activity was significantly shorter for the fast foam rate group compared to medium and slow foam rates groups (P = 0.04). For both trials, vocalizations were absent, and all pigs were unconscious following the 7.5-minute dwell time and no pigs needed a secondary euthanasia method. This WBF study showed that slower fill rates and low foam fill levels may extend the time until cessation of cardiac activity in swine during depopulation. A conservative recommendation with consideration of swine welfare during an emergency scenario would be a minimum foam fill level twice the pig's head height and a foam fill rate capable of covering pigs in foam within 60 s to minimize aversive responses and expedite cessation of cardiac activity., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The author(s) declare(s) that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Respiratory infections caused by Ornithobacterium rhinotrachealis (ORT) and Pasteurella multocida (PM) bacteria are significant threats to the poultry industry by causing economic losses and welfare issues. Due to characterization difficulties and underutilization of epidemiological tools, description of the spatio-temporal spread of these diseases in the field is limited. The objectives of this retrospective observational cross-sectional study were to (a) investigate the existence of space-time clusters (hotspots); and (b) investigate the association between genetic similarity and spatial proximity for both pathogens using molecular typing and a recently developed Core-Genome Multilocus Sequencing Typing (cgMLST) scheme. ORT ( n = 103) and PM ( n = 69) isolates from confirmed disease outbreaks from one commercial company between 2013 and 2021 were obtained from a veterinary diagnostic laboratory, characterized using a cgMLST scheme and visualized using a minimum spanning tree. Spatio-temporal cluster analysis using SaTScan TM and a Spearman's rank correlation were performed to investigate clustering and any association between allelic diversity and geospatial distance. The cgMLST sequencing revealed three allelic clusters for ORT and thirteen clusters for PM. The spatio-temporal analysis revealed two significant clusters for PM, one with a 259.3 km cluster containing six cases between May and July 2018 and a 9 km cluster containing five cases between February 2019 and February 2021. No spatio-temporal clusters were found for ORT. A weak negative correlation between allelic diversity and geospatial distance was observed for ORT (r = -0.04, p < 0.01) and a weak positive correlation was observed for PM (r = 0.11, p < 0.01). This study revealed regional spatio-temporal clusters for PM in commercial turkey sites between 2018 and 2021 and provided additional insight into bacterial strain subgroups and the geographical spread of ORT and PM over time.

Current options for depopulation of adult cattle are limited, have logistic constraints, and may not be practical on a large scale. Aspirated water-based foam ( WBF ) has been shown to be successful in depopulating poultry and swine but has yet to be tested in cattle. WBF is advantageous because necessary equipment can be readily available, easy to use, and presents minimal personnel risk. With the use of a modified rendering trailer in a field setting, we evaluated the efficacy of aspirated WBF for depopulation of adult cattle. Water-based medium-expansion foam was added to the trailer holding cattle to a depth of approximately 50 cm greater than head height. The study was conducted as a gated design and the initial trial was conducted using six anesthetized and six conscious animals for verification of the process and followed by four replicates each containing 18 conscious cattle. A total of 84 cattle were used, with a subset ( n  = 52) implanted with subcutaneous bio-loggers that recorded activity and electrocardiograms. Cattle were loaded onto the trailer and three gasoline-powered water pumps delivered foam into the trailer followed by a 15-min foam dwell period. Average (± SD) time to completely fill the trailer with foam was 84.8 ± 11.0 s. No animal vocalizations were heard during foam application or the dwell period, and all cattle were confirmed dead upon removal from the trailer after 15 min of immersion. Necropsies of a subset of cattle revealed foam extending to at least the tracheal bifurcation in all cattle and distal to this level in 67% (8/12) animals. Time to cessation of movement, which served as a proxy for loss of consciousness, was 2.5 ± 1.3 min and time to cardiac death was 8.5 ± 2.5 min as determined by data from animals carrying subcutaneous bio-loggers. The results of this study indicate that WBF is a rapid and effective method for depopulation of adult cattle with potential advantages in speed and carcass handling and disposal over current methods., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science.)

The United States' swine industry is under constant threat of foreign animal diseases, which may emerge without warning due to the globalized transportation networks moving people, animals, and products. Therefore, having disease control and elimination protocols in place prior to pathogen introduction is paramount for business continuity and economic recovery. During extraordinary circumstances, it may become necessary to depopulate large populations of animals, including swine, as a disease containment measure. Currently approved depopulation methods for swine present significant logistical challenges when scaled to large populations or performed in field conditions. In the United States, water-based foam is currently approved for poultry depopulation, and recent field studies demonstrate water-based foam is an effective depopulation alternative for swine. While effective, the speed at which water-based foam induces loss of consciousness prior to death, a major welfare consideration, has not been adequately investigated. In this study, 12 nursery pigs were terminated using water-based medium-expansion foam to quantify the time to induce loss of consciousness and ultimately brain death. Each pig was implanted with subdermal electrodes to capture electroencephalographic data, placed in a body sling, and suspended in a plastic bulk container that was subsequently filled with water-based foam. Electroencephalographic data was recorded for 15 min, during which the pigs remained immersed in the water-based foam. Conservatively, average (± SD) time to unconsciousness and brain death was 1 min, 53 s ± 36 s and 3 min, 3 s ± 56 s, respectively. The relatively rapid loss of consciousness compared to other methods limits the amount of distress and is overall a positive finding for the welfare of the pigs that might be depopulated with water-based foam. The findings of this study add additional evidence supporting the use of water-based medium-expansion foam for an emergency depopulation of swine., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Animal disease preparedness plans including depopulation guidelines are paramount to prevent the spread of emerging infectious diseases but difficult to implement for swine under field conditions. However, water-based foam (WBF) is currently an approved and successfully deployed depopulation methodology in poultry. Therefore, the reliability of WBF as a depopulation method and the effectiveness and irreversibility of consciousness and consequential mortality in pigs of different ages was assessed across two trials. Trial 1 investigated the time to loss of consciousness and cessation of cardiac activity in nursery pigs (n = 72) at six different foam immersion time points (2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5 and 15 min) when placed in a 1.47 m 3 (1.2 × 1.2 × 1.02 m, length × width × height) plastic bulk container. One pig per replicate was implanted with an ECG bio-logger. Irreversible loss of consciousness was observed after a 5-min immersion. The average (SD) time to development of a fatal arrhythmia from the initiation of the foam application was 7.3 min (1.82 s). Trial 2 aimed to validate the findings from Trial 1 in 75 larger cull sows across three replicates (n = 25). Sows were loaded into a 41-m 3 sealed trailer (12.2 × 1.5 × 2.24 m), immersed in WBF and left undisturbed for 5 min post foam-filling completion. Six pigs in each replicate were implanted with an ECG bio-logger. A 5-min dwell time resulted in irreversible loss of consciousness and subsequent mortality in all cull sows. The average time (SD) to cessation of movement and fatal arrhythmia post foam-filling completion was 2.2 min (34.8 s) and 8.7 min (138.0 s), respectively. While a 5-min immersion in WBF induced irreversible loss of consciousness and death in both trials, a 7.5-min dwell time followed by observation for confirmation of death post WBF removal would be advisable for pigs of all sizes., (© 2022 The Authors. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has been one of the major health-related concerns in the swine production industry. Through its rapid transmission and mutation, the simultaneous circulation of multiple PRRSV strains can be a challenge in PRRSV diagnostic, control and surveillance. The objective of this longitudinal study was to describe the temporal detection of PRRSV in swine farms with different production types and PRRS management strategies. Tonsil scraping (n = 344) samples were collected from three breeding and two growing herds for approximately one year. In addition, processing fluids (n = 216) were obtained from piglet processing batches within the three breeding farms while pen-based oral fluids (n = 125) were collected in the two growing pig farms. Viral RNA extraction and reverse-transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) were conducted for all samples. The sample positivity threshold was set at quantification cycle (Cq) of ≤ 37. Statistical analyses were performed using generalized linear modelling and post hoc pairwise comparisons with Bonferroni adjustments using R statistical software. The results suggested a higher probability of detection in processing fluids compared to tonsil scraping specimens [odds ratio (OR) = 3.86; p = .096] in breeding farms whereas oral fluids were outperformed by tonsil scrapings (OR = 0.26; p < .01) in growing pig farms. The results described herein may lead to an improvement in PRRSV diagnostic and surveillance by selecting proper specimens., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The detection and co-circulation of multiple variants of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) have been observed and reported in swine. However, the potential long-term impact of multiple prevailing PRRSV variants on pig-performance is not yet fully understood. The primary objective of this study was to describe the genetic variation of PRRSV in processing fluid (PF), oral fluid (OF), and tonsil scraping (TS) specimens from five swine farms with different production types and PRRS status over a period of time (~1 year). Furthermore, the association between PRRSV prevalence and production parameters was investigated. Results showed that PRRSV was detected by RT-qPCR in 21-25% of all types of specimens. In breeding farms, PRRSV detection in PF and/or TS samples was correlated with stillborn and mummified fetuses, and pre-weaning mortality throughout the study period. Although ORF5 sequences were obtained in <16% of all sample types, simultaneous detection of PRRSV variants including field and vaccine strains within a single sampling event was identified in both breeding and growing pig farms. Phylogenetic analyses based on the ORF5 sequence classified the detected field PRRSV into L1A and L1H, two sub-lineages of lineage 1 (L1). Our study demonstrated the presence of multiple PRRSV lineages, sub-lineages, and variants in swine herds and its potential association with swine reproductive performance under field conditions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Cheng, Campler, Schroeder, Yang, Mor, Ferreira and Arruda.)

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is one of the most economically important diseases affecting the swine industry. The main objective of this study was to assess whether sow farm distance to slaughterhouses and meteorological variables were associated with PRRS outbreaks. This case-control study paired 104 sow farms with or without a reported PRRS outbreak (N = 208) during the same period. Data on the distance to the closest slaughterhouse, swine density, presence of an air filtration system, or a neighboring farm, and weather conditions were collected, and a multivariable conditional logistic regression model was created to investigate the association between variables of interest and the occurrence of a PRRS outbreak. Swine density, presence of an air filtration system, presence of a neighboring farm, and PRRS herd-level status before the outbreak were associated with the occurrence of PRRS outbreaks. Farms in areas with higher swine density and nearby swine farms had increased odds of reporting an outbreak compared to farms in low swine density areas and farms having no neighbors. Under the conditions of this study, none of the meteorological variables or the distance to the closest slaughterhouse were associated with occurrence of PRRS outbreaks., (Copyright and/or publishing rights held by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.)

The threat of foreign animal disease introduction through contaminated animal products, feed ingredients, and wildlife vectors have highlighted the need for additional approved methods for mass depopulation of swine under emergency scenarios, especially methods that can be applied to pigs across all production phases. The market disruption within the swine industry due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has demonstrated this lack of preparation. The objective of this study was to validate water-based foam as a mass depopulation method for suckling (18 to 24 days of age) and finisher stage (63 to 100 days of age) pigs. Finisher pigs ( n = 31, originally 32 but one finisher pig died prior to foaming), allocated as 9 triads and 1 set of 4 pigs, in 10 total replicates, and suckling pigs ( n = 32), randomly allocated to two replicates, were completely covered in water-based medium-expansion foam for a 15-min dwell time in a bulk container. Container fill time for the trials were 6.5 ± 0.68 s and 5.3 ± 0.03 s for finisher and suckling pig replicates, respectively. Average (± SD) time for cessation of movement was 105 ± 39.1 s (s) for finisher pigs and 79.5 ± 10.5 s for suckling pigs. After completion of the 15-min dwell time in the foam, all pigs were confirmed dead upon removal from the container. The results from the present study suggest that the use of water-based foam can be an effective means of mass depopulation for suckling and finisher stage pigs, supporting previous research on the application to adult swine.

Body condition scoring (BCS) is a traditional visual technique often using a five-point scale to non-invasively assess fat reserves in cattle. However, recent studies have highlighted the potential in automating body condition scoring using imaging technology. Therefore, the objective was to implement a commercially available automated body condition scoring (ABCS) camera system to collect data for developing a predictive equation of body condition dynamics throughout the lactation period. Holstein cows ( n = 2343, parity = 2.1 ± 1.1, calving BCS = 3.42 ± 0.24), up to 300 days in milk (DIM), were scored daily using two ABCS cameras mounted on sort-gates at the milk parlor exits. Scores were reported on a 1 to 5 scale in 0.1 increments. Lactation number, DIM, disease status, and 305d-predicted-milk-yield (305PMY) were used to create a multivariate prediction model for body condition scores throughout lactation. The equation derived from the model was: ABCS ijk = 1.4838 - 0.00452 × DIM i - 0.03851 × Lactation number j + 0.5970 × Calving ABCS k + 0.02998 × Disease Status(neg) l - 1.52 × 10 -6 × 305PMY m + e ijklm . We identified factors which are significant for predicting the BCS curve during lactation. These could be used to monitor deviations or benchmark ABCS in lactating dairy cows. The advantage of BCS automation is that it may provide objective, frequent, and accurate BCS with a higher degree of sensitivity compared with more sporadic and subjective manual BCS. Applying ABCS technology in future studies on commercial dairies may assist in providing improved dairy management protocols based on more available BCS.

Background: In commercial pig farming, sick or injured sows are often treated by producers or hired staff. To date, limited quantitative data exists on treatment compliance and the possible effect on sow longevity post-treatment. The objective of the study was to quantify on-farm compliance of treatment selection, frequency, and dosage, as well as to investigate the association between body condition scores (BCS) and other sow-level factors on post-treatment cull risk., Results: On-farm treatment records, including culling reason or reason of death up to 6 months post-treatment, production records and sow characteristics were obtained for 134 sows over an 8-week period. Treatment compliance was based on the accuracy of recorded treatments compared to the herd veterinarian's established treatment guidelines. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models including treatment reason, treatment compliance, BCS, parity, production stage and production metrics, were constructed to investigate associations between those variables and sow culling or death. This study found low compliance for on-farm sow treatment protocols, with only 22.4% (30/134) of the sows receiving correct and complete treatment during the duration of the study. No effect of individual treatment components (drug, dosage, or frequency) on sow culling was observed. A trend for an interaction between treatment compliance and BCS was found, and parity and number of piglets born alive were identified as predictors for sow maintenance in the herd., Conclusions: On-farm sow treatment compliance was low, resulting in that approximately 80% of the enrolled sows were not treated according to existing guidelines. Non-compliance of treatment guidelines did not seem to affect the risk of culling in treated sows but may have prolonged any associated pain, recovery time and negatively impacted the sow welfare during that time period., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

The U.S. swine industry is currently inadequately prepared to counteract the increasing threat of high-consequence diseases. Although approved and preferred depopulation guidelines exist, ventilation shutdown (VSD+) is currently the only method being deployed during a state of emergency to depopulate large swine populations. However, the permitted use of VSD+ during constrained circumstances has been criticized due to raised swine welfare concerns. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of carbon dioxide gas (CO 2 ), nitrogen gas (N 2 ), compressed air foam (CAF), compressed nitrogen foam (CAF-N 2 ) and aspirated foam (AF) during a 15-min dwell time on adult swine in an emergency depopulation situation. A small-scale trial using 12 sows per depopulation method showed the highest efficiency to induce cessation of movement for AF and CO 2 (186.0 ± 48 vs. 202.0 ± 41, s ± SD). The ease of implementation and safety favored AF for further investigation. A large-scale field study using AF to depopulate 134 sows in modified rendering trailers showed a mean fill time of 103.8 s (SD: 5.0 s) and cessation of movement of 128.0 s (SD: 18.6 s) post filling. All sows were confirmed dead post-treatment for both trials. The implementation of AF in modified rendering trailers may allow for a safe and reliable method that allows for the expedient and mobile depopulation of both small and large numbers of sows during an emergency.

The present study investigated the effect of straw yard housing during the dry period and 2 d of additional maternity pen housing postcalving on lying and feeding behavior and calving difficulty in Holstein dairy cows. In this study, 122 multiparous cows were moved to either a straw yard or into freestall housing 4 wk before their expected calving date. Cows that had been housed in straw yards stayed in the maternity pen for an additional 2 d after their calving day, but cows that had been housed in freestalls were moved to the general lactation group the morning after calving. Lying time, lying bouts, feeding time, number of feeder visits, feed intake, feeding rate, and assisted calvings were recorded. Observations were divided into 2 periods: precalving (the 4-wk dry period before calving) and postcalving (the day of calving and the 2 d after). During the precalving period, cows housed in straw yards showed a higher number of lying bouts but no difference in lying time compared with cows housed in freestalls. Cows that were housed longer in the straw-bedded maternity pen postcalving spent more time lying during the 2 d postcalving and had a higher number of lying bouts on the day of calving than cows moved to the freestall area on the day postcalving. Additionally, cows that were housed longer in the maternity pen had a slower feeding rate and longer total feeding time during the 2 d after calving than cows with a shorter stay in the maternity pen. We found no difference in the number of assisted calvings. This study suggests that straw yard housing during the dry period may facilitate the transition between standing and lying. Furthermore, the extended stay in the maternity pen postcalving increased lying time, the number of lying bouts, and feeding time, but decreased feeding rate compared with cows that were moved to the general lactation group on the day postcalving. These results suggest potential recovery benefits with an extended stay in a maternity pen postcalving. However, further studies are needed to separate the effects of housing in the dry period and the effects of an extended housing in individual maternity pens., (Copyright © 2019 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The objective of the study was to determine whether feeding a diet supplemented with 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP) affects feeding behavior altering intake and rumen fermentation. Two experiments were conducted with 9 rumen-cannulated beef steers in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design where animals received a high-forage or high-grain diet. Treatments were 1) a basal diet (CON), the CON diet supplemented with 3-NOP (dNOP; 100 mg/kg in dietary DM or 1 g/d), or the CON diet with 3-NOP (1 g/d) infused into the rumen (infNOP). Each experimental period consisted of 14-d diet adaptation and 7-d sample collection. A 7-d washout period was provided between experiment periods. All data were analyzed as a Latin square design using Mixed Procedure of SAS. In Exp. 1 (high-forage diet), methane yield (measured by the Greenfeed system) was lowered by 18% (18.6 vs. 22.7 g/kg DMI; P < 0.01) by dNOP compared with CON. Rumen fermentation was altered similarly by both NOP treatments compared with CON where dNOP and infNOP increased (P < 0.01) rumen pH at 3 h and decreased (P < 0.01) proportion of acetate in total VFA. However, DMI, feed consumption rate (0 to 3, 3 to 6, 6 to 12, and 12 to 24 h after feeding), particle size distribution of orts, and feeding behavior (videotaped for individual animals over 48 h) were not affected by dNOP and infNOP compared with CON. In Exp. 2 (high-grain diet), methane production was not affected by dNOP or infNOP compared with CON. Dry matter intake, feed consumption rate, particle size distribution of orts, and feeding behavior were not altered by dNOP and infNOP compared with CON. However, both dNOP and infNOP affected rumen fermentation where total VFA decreased (P = 0.04) and acetate proportion in total VFA tended to decrease (P = 0.07) compared with CON. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of 3-NOP did not affect feeding behavior of beef steers fed a high-forage or high-grain diet. However, rumen fermentation was similarly changed when 3-NOP was provided in the diet or directly infused in the rumen. Thus, observed changes in rumen fermentation with 3-NOP were not due to changes in feeding behavior indicating no effects on the organoleptic property of the diets. In addition, according to small or no changes in DMI in both experiments and relatively small changes in rumen fermentation in Exp. 2, a greater dosage level of 3-NOP than 100 mg/kg (dietary DM) may need further examination of its effects on feeding behavior of beef cattle., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Body condition scoring (BCS) is the management practice of assessing body reserves of individual animals by visual or tactile estimation of subcutaneous fat and muscle. Both high and low BCS can negatively impact milk production, disease, and reproduction. Visual or tactile estimation of subcutaneous fat reserves in dairy cattle relies on their body shape or thickness of fat layers and muscle on key areas of the body. Although manual BCS has proven beneficial, consistent qualitative scoring can be difficult to implement. The desirable BCS range for dairy cows varies within lactation and should be monitored at multiple time points throughout lactation for the most impact, a practice that can be hard to implement. However, a commercial automatic BCS camera is currently available for dairy cattle (DeLaval Body Condition Scoring, BCS DeLaval International AB, Tumba, Sweden). The objective of this study was to validate the implementation of an automated BCS system in a commercial setting and compare agreement of the automated body condition scores with conventional manual scoring. The study was conducted on a commercial farm in Indiana, USA, in April 2017. Three trained staff members scored 343 cows manually using a 1 to 5 BCS scale, with 0.25 increments. Pearson's correlations (0.85, scorer 1 vs. 2; 0.87, scorer 2 vs. 3; and 0.86, scorer 1 vs. 3) and Cohen's Kappa coefficients (0.62, scorer 1 vs. 2; 0.66, scorer 2 vs. 3; and 0.66, scorer 1 vs. 3) were calculated to assess interobserver reliability, with the correlations being 0.85, 0.87, and 0.86. The automated camera BCS scores were compared with the averaged manual scores. The mean BCS were 3.39 ± 0.32 and 3.27 ± 0.27 (mean ± SD) for manual and automatic camera scores, respectively. We found that the automated body condition scoring technology was strongly correlated with the manual scores, with a correlation of 0.78. The automated BCS camera system accuracy was equivalent to manual scoring, with a mean error of -0.1 BCS and within the acceptable manual error threshold of 0.25 BCS between BCS (3.00 to 3.75) but was less accurate for cows with high (>3.75) or low (<3.00) BCS scores compared to manual scorers. A Bland-Altman plot was constructed which demonstrated a bias in the high and low automated BCS scoring. The initial findings show that the BCS camera system provides accurate BCS between 3.00 to 3.75 but tends to be inaccurate at determining the magnitude of low and high BCS scores. However, the results are promising, as an automated system may encourage more producers to adopt BCS into their practices to detect early signs of BCS change for individual cattle. Future algorithm and software development is likely to increase the accuracy in automated BCS scoring.

Precision dairy technology is important because of the possibility to continuously and accurately measure behavior, biometrics, and productivity on commercial and research dairy farms by an automated method with minimal human intervention. The behavior-monitoring collar (BMC) used in this study is a commercially available precision dairy technology (MooMonitor+, Dairymaster, Co. Kerry, Ireland), designed to measure rumination, heat detection, feeding, and resting behavior of dairy cows. The study objective was to compare cow behavior measured by the BMC with visual observations. Twenty-four lactating, group-housed, Holstein dairy cows (mean ± standard deviation; days in milk: 196 ± 101; parity: 2.0 ± 1.1; milk yield: 40.0 ± 9.8 kg/d) were randomly selected for observation at the University of Kentucky's research dairy farm, Lexington). Behavior-monitoring collars were assigned to cows as per farm protocol. Each cow was observed for 240 min within 1 d (0700 to 0900 h, and 1900 to 2100 h). Recordings of rumination, feeding, and resting time (min) by the BMC were compared with visual observation using Pearson correlation, concordance correlation coefficient (CCC), linear regression, and Bland-Altman plots for validation of precision and accuracy. Data from the BMC were considered precise if the correlation coefficient and coefficient of determination were high (>0.70), and mean bias from the Bland-Altman plots included zero with the 95% interval of agreement. The BMC was considered accurate if the slope from the linear regressions did not differ significantly from 1, and the CCC (ρ c ) were at least moderate (>0.90). We found very high Pearson correlation coefficients (0.99, 0.93, and 0.94) and coefficients of determination (0.97, 0.85, and 0.88) for rumination, feeding, and resting, respectively. Bland-Altman plots were acceptable; the plots did not show any bias. The Bland-Altman mean differences ± standard deviation (BMC - observation) were -7.57 ± 6.31, 15.81 ± 11.84, and -13.03 ± 9.37 min, respectively. The Bland-Altman plot's 95% interval of agreement encompassed 100% of the observations of resting time, and all but one cow's observations for both rumination and feeding time. The slope of the linear regression, however, was different than 1 for all behaviors, and rumination was the only behavior with moderate CCC. In summary, this study validates the high precision of rumination, resting, and feeding behaviors measured by a BMC in lactating dairy cows., (Copyright © 2019 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

With extensive knowledge and training in the prevention, management, and treatment of disease conditions in animals, veterinarians play a critical role in ensuring good welfare on swine farms by training caretakers on the importance of timely euthanasia. To assist veterinarians and other industry professionals in training new and seasoned caretakers, an interactive computer-based training program was created. It consists of three modules, each containing five case studies, which cover three distinct production stages (breeding stock, piglets, and wean to grower-finisher pigs). Case study development was derived from five specific euthanasia criteria defined in the 2015 Common Swine Industry Audit, a nationally recognized auditing program used in the US. Case studies provide information regarding treatment history, clinical signs, and condition severity of the pig and prompt learners to make management decisions regarding pig treatment and care. Once a decision is made, feedback is provided so learners understand the appropriateness of their decision compared to current industry guidelines. In addition to training farm personnel, this program may also be a valuable resource if incorporated into veterinary, graduate, and continuing education curricula. This innovative tool represents the first interactive euthanasia-specific training program in the US swine industry and offers the potential to improve timely and humane on-farm pig euthanasia.

Timely euthanasia is a fundamental part of safeguarding swine welfare by reducing suffering when compromised pigs are unable to recover. The quality and appropriateness of timely euthanasia rely mainly on the knowledge and experience of the individual caretaker but may also be affected by caretaker attitudes toward euthanasia. However, literature on caretaker attitudes toward swine euthanasia is lacking. This study investigated caretaker attitudes, perceived knowledge, and confidence in performing on-farm timely euthanasia. A total of 84 caretakers from eight swine farms (ranging in size from 1,300 to 7,000 sows) participated in a survey designed to investigate attitudes toward swine and swine euthanasia. Caretaker's ages ranged from 18 to 59 yr with an average work experience of 8.5 yr. The majority of participants worked in either farrowing or breeding units. Survey questions were designed to assess caretakers' attitudes and attributes (empathy affect, empathy attribution, attitudes toward pigs, feeling bad about euthanizing pigs, and assumptions about pigs' emotional capabilities), decision-making skills (confidence in identifying compromised pigs or relying on coworkers to make decisions), and euthanasia skillset (confidence in performing euthanasia, training, and perceived level of knowledge). Using cluster analysis to analyze survey answers, three distinct groups of caretakers were identified: 1) confident and empathetic; 2) Confident, knowledgeable, and detached; and 3) unconfident and lacking knowledge. The survey results showed that empathy attribution was strongly correlated with empathy affect ( r = 0.571, P < 0.01) and that empathy affect and empathy attribution were higher in female caretakers compared with male caretakers ( P < 0.05). A risk analysis that included previously identified clusters showed that females were more likely to be grouped among caretakers that were confident and empathetic ( P = 0.04), and caretakers with more than 2 yr of swine experience were more likely to be grouped as confident and skilled ( P = 0.01), while the unconfident and empathetic were more likely to have had less than 2 yr of experience ( P = 0.04). This study provides important information about variability in caretaker experience as well as their attitudes toward pigs and timely euthanasia. Increased knowledge about swine caretaker attitudes may be used to implement training and euthanasia protocols to increase both human and pig welfare on farm., (© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science.)

When considering methodologies for collecting behavioral data, continuous sampling provides the most complete and accurate data set whereas instantaneous sampling can provide similar results and also increase the efficiency of data collection. However, instantaneous time intervals require validation to ensure accurate estimation of the data. Therefore, the objective of this study was to validate scan sampling intervals for lambs housed in a feedlot environment. Feeding, lying, standing, drinking, locomotion, and oral manipulation were measured on 18 crossbred lambs housed in an indoor feedlot facility for 14 h (0600-2000 h). Data from continuous sampling were compared with data from instantaneous scan sampling intervals of 5, 10, 15, and 20 min using a linear regression analysis. Three criteria determined if a time interval accurately estimated behaviors: 1) ≥ 0.90, 2) slope not statistically different from 1 ( > 0.05), and 3) intercept not statistically different from 0 ( > 0.05). Estimations for lying behavior were accurate up to 20-min intervals, whereas feeding and standing behaviors were accurate only at 5-min intervals (i.e., met all 3 regression criteria). Drinking, locomotion, and oral manipulation demonstrated poor associations () for all tested intervals. The results from this study suggest that a 5-min instantaneous sampling interval will accurately estimate lying, feeding, and standing behaviors for lambs housed in a feedlot, whereas continuous sampling is recommended for the remaining behaviors. This methodology will contribute toward the efficiency, accuracy, and transparency of future behavioral data collection in lamb behavior research.