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This Research Communication describes the effect of post-operative pain and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) treatment on heart rate variability (HRV) of dairy cows. Postoperative pain in farm animals is often left untreated, and HRV could be a promising tool for assessing pain. The aim of this study was to assess if postoperative state after subcutaneous surgery affects HRV in dairy cows and to determine whether this could be modulated by NSAID. Nine cows were inserted with an implantable electrocardiograph logger. Cows were divided into the NSAID treatment group and the control group. The cows in the NSAID group had higher HRV than the control group, indicating a higher sympathetic activity in control animals, most likely due to untreated post-operative pain. Besides the ethical need for treating pain in production animals, ongoing pain has an adverse effect on animal productivity. Thus post-operative pain alleviation is recommended.

Tail biting behaviour in pigs is a common problem in conventional housing systems. Our study examined the consistency over time in tail biting and tail damage and it explored the predictive value of general behaviours observed in individual pigs and in pens as a whole. Pigs (n = 480), reared in conventional farrowing pens with a sow crate, were followed from pre-weaning to slaughter (23 weeks). Post-weaning, piglets were housed barren (B) or enriched (E). Behaviours were observed pre-weaning (averaged per litter) and post-weaning in three phases (weaner, grower, finisher) (averaged per pig/phase). Tail damage of individual pigs was scored weekly from weaning (4 weeks) onwards (averaged per phase). Relationships between tail biting and tail damage with behaviour were investigated both at individual and pen level using mixed or generalized linear mixed models and Spearman's rank correlations, respectively. Tail biting and tail damage (2.1 ± 0.05, 1 = no tail damage, 4 = tail wound) were already observed pre-weaning. Post-weaning, tail biting and tail damage were less prevalent in E compared to B housing (P

International audience; Under current practices, broiler parent stock (broiler breeders) encounter several welfare problems, such as feed restriction and injury during mating. Intensive selection for production traits, especially growth rate, is associated with increased nutritious requirement and thus feed consumption, but also reproductive dysfunctions and decreased sexual activity in broiler breeders. A resulting serious welfare problem is the subsequent severe feed restriction which is applied during rearing, in order to prevent health problems and to achieve better egg production. This severe feed restriction has negative effects on bird welfare as it causes chronic stress resulting from hunger. Recent research has focused on management practices to alleviate the negative effect of this feed restriction. Using both a more fibrous feed and an appetite suppressant seems most successful. There are welfare concerns involved in the mating of broiler breeders. In many countries mutilations (beak trimming, despurring and toe clipping) are carried out in male broiler breeders as a standard procedure to prevent excessive damage to the hens during mating. It has been reported that broiler breeder males show low libido but, at the same time, may be aggressive and show rough behaviour during mating, which can cause severe injuries to the hens, although some injuries may be caused by over-mating hens. Current studies aim to develop management practices to reduce hen injury due to over-mating and improve the sexual behaviour in both males and females. In the last part of the review, an examination of how breeding companies are taking welfare into consideration in their commercial selection scheme is made. In practice, although for example reduced mortality and some health criteria are included in selection programs and some alternative breeds as used, other welfare issues remain, such as feed restriction during rearing.

International audience; To obtain quantitative information that can be later used in animal welfare modelling, the relationship between the lying behaviour of growing-finishing pigs (initial body weight (BW) between 19 and 87 kg) and different factors related to the housing conditions, with a potential negative effect on their welfare, was studied by means of a meta-analytical approach. Data from 22 experiments reported in 21 scientific publications were collected. The space allowance, expressed on an allometric basis by means of a k-value 072 (m(2)/BW(0.667)), the group size (n) and the floor characteristics (fully and partly slatted v. non-slatted floor), as well as their significant two-way interactions were used as fixed effects, and the experiment was used as a random factor to take into account the interexperiment effect. Further regression analyses were performed on the predicted values of observations in order to improve the adjustment of data. A significant quadratic relationship was established between space allowance (k-value, P < 0.05; squared k-value, P < 0.01) and the percentage of time spent lying. A significant interaction between the k-value and the floor type was also found (P < 0.05), showing that the relationship between space allowance and lying behaviour is affected by the presence or absence of slats. Threshold k-values were obtained using broken-line analyses, being about 0.039 for slatted floors and almost double for non-slatted floors. Compared to other studies, these values suggest that the ability to rest as space availability decreases may be compromised before a reduced performance becomes apparent. Group size did not show a significant effect. Additional information should be added to the model, as further data become available, to adjust the proposed parameters as well as to try to include the effect of other important aspects such as that of ambient temperature.

Welfare of animals can be defined as the kind of feelings the environmental conditions bring about in the animals. These feelings depend on the needs of the animals and their degree of satisfaction. Needs of animals, and so their welfare, are partly genetically determined. Therefore, welfare can be changed by breeding. The aim of this study was to investigate how welfare of pigs under modern intensive farm conditions can be improved by genetic selection, with emphasis on the precise definition of the breeding goal and determination of the animal characteristics on which selection can be based in practice. The existing thermoregulation model was used to develop a conceptual framework that describes welfare of growing pigs and production sows with respect to each of their needs as a curvilinear function of the respective environmental conditions. The framework assumes that welfare in terms of feelings is reflected by the physiological and behavioural mechanisms the pig has to activate in order to cope with the various environmental conditions it encounters. Based on those physiological and behavioural responses to changing conditions, five welfare zones can be distinguished for each need. Breeding goals for welfare were defined in terms of the transition points between these welfare zones, such that future pigs would better cope with unfavourable or unfamiliar farming conditions, therewith quickening the domestication process, to some extent. However, as long as genetic parameters for these transition points are not available, more common welfare-related characteristics like temperament, stress resistance and robustness can be included in the breeding goal, as an alternative. For selection among potential breeding candidates, transition points between welfare zones can be determined in sib tests, thereby also collecting the data for estimating genetic parameters. As a cheaper alternative, breeding candidates could be tested under hard conditions and selected on their coping success. In addition, various behavioural tests and operant conditioning tests ( to test a pig's motivation to change its actual environment) can be carried out. Under common conditions on the farm, problems associated with coping (like incidences of diseases, injuries, and stereotypies) and/or other relevant traits ( e. g. saliva cortisol levels, longevity and even production traits) should be recorded routinely and used as selection index information. Selection for improved welfare should lead to more tolerant pigs that are better able to cope with possible unfavourable farm conditions by a more efficient use of the adaptation mechanisms they already possess. It should, however, not result in lowering husbandry standards. More research is needed to assess genetic correlations among various welfare aspects and with production traits to prevent undesired side effects in future populations of pigs.

Background The turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is an important agricultural species and the second largest contributor to the world’s poultry meat production. Genetic improvement is attributed largely to selective breeding programs that rely on highly heritable phenotypic traits, such as body size and breast muscle development. Commercial breeding with small effective population sizes and epistasis can result in loss of genetic diversity, which in turn can lead to reduced individual fitness and reduced response to selection. The presence of genomic diversity in domestic livestock species therefore, is of great importance and a prerequisite for rapid and accurate genetic improvement of selected breeds in various environments, as well as to facilitate rapid adaptation to potential changes in breeding goals. Genomic selection requires a large number of genetic markers such as e.g. single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) the most abundant source of genetic variation within the genome. Results Alignment of next generation sequencing data of 32 individual turkeys from different populations was used for the discovery of 5.49 million SNPs, which subsequently were used for the analysis of genetic diversity among the different populations. All of the commercial lines branched from a single node relative to the heritage varieties and the South Mexican turkey population. Heterozygosity of all individuals from the different turkey populations ranged from 0.17-2.73 SNPs/Kb, while heterozygosity of populations ranged from 0.73-1.64 SNPs/Kb. The average frequency of heterozygous SNPs in individual turkeys was 1.07 SNPs/Kb. Five genomic regions with very low nucleotide variation were identified in domestic turkeys that showed state of fixation towards alleles different than wild alleles. Conclusion The turkey genome is much less diverse with a relatively low frequency of heterozygous SNPs as compared to other livestock species like chicken and pig. The whole genome SNP discovery study in turkey resulted in the detection of 5.49 million putative SNPs compared to the reference genome. All commercial lines appear to share a common origin. Presence of different alleles/haplotypes in the SM population highlights that specific haplotypes have been selected in the modern domesticated turkey.

An enteroaggregative Verotoxin (Vtx)-producing Escherichia coli strain of serotype O104:H4 has recently been associated with an outbreak of haemolytic-uremic syndrome and bloody diarrhoea in humans mainly in Germany, but also in 14 other European countries, USA and Canada. This O104:H4 E. coli strain has often been described as an enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), i.e. a Vtx-producing E. coli with attaching and effacing properties. Although both EHEC and the German O104:H4 E. coli strains indeed produce Vtx, they nevertheless differ in several other virulence traits, as well as in epidemiological characteristics. For instance, the primary sources and vehicles of typical EHEC infections in humans are ruminants, whereas no animal reservoir has been identified for enteroaggregative E. coli (EAggEC). The present article is introduced by a brief overview of the main characteristics of Vtx-producing E. coli and EAggEC. Thereafter, the O104:H4 E. coli outbreak is compared to typical EHEC outbreaks and the virulence factors and host specificity of EHEC and EAggEC are discussed. Finally, a renewed nomenclature of Vtx-producing E. coli is proposed to avoid more confusion in communication during future outbreaks and to replace the acronym EHEC that only refers to a clinical condition.

For the welfare of group-housed animals, such as pigs, the emotional state of an individual pig is relevant, but also the extent to which pen mates are affected by the distress or pleasure of other individuals, i.e. emotional contagion, a simple form of empathy. Therefore, indicators of positive and negative emotions were investigated in pigs during anticipation and experience of a rewarding (access in pairs to a compartment with straw, peat and chocolate raisins) or aversive (social isolation combined with negative, unpredictable interventions) event. Thereafter the same indicators were investigated in naive pigs during anticipation and experience of a rewarding or aversive event by their trained pen mates. Positive emotions could be indicated by play, barks and tail movements, while negative emotions could be indicated by freezing, defecating, urinating, escape attempts, high-pitched vocalizations (screams, squeals or grunt-squeals), tail low, ears back and ear movements. Salivary cortisol measurements supported these behavioral observations. During anticipation of the aversive event, naive pigs tended to show more tail low. During the aversive event, naive pigs tended to defecate more, while they played more during the rewarding event. These results suggest that pigs might be sensitive to emotional contagion, which could have implications for the welfare of group-housed pigs. Pig emotions and the process of emotional contagion merit, therefore, further research.

Aims: The behaviour of an E. coli isolate of broiler origin harbouring a blaTEM-52-carrying plasmid (lactose negative mutant of B1-54, IncII group) was studied in an in situ continuous flow culture system, simulating the human caecum and the ascending colon during cefotaxime administration. Methods and Results: Fresh faeces from a healthy volunteer, negative for cephalosporin-resistant E. coli, were selected to prepare inocula. The microbiota was monitored by plating on diverse selective media, and a shift in the populations of bacteria was examined by 16S rDNA PCR denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. E. coli transconjugants were verified by plasmid and pulsed field gel electrophoresis profiles (PFGE). The avian extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) positive E. coli was able to proliferate without selective pressure of cefotaxime and E. coli transconjugants of human origin were detected 24 h after inoculation of the donor strain. Upon administration of cefotaxime to the fresh medium, an increase of the population size of E. coli B1-54 and the transconjugants was observed. PFGE and plasmid analysis revealed a limited number of human E. coli clones receptive for the blaTEM-52-carrying plasmid. Conclusions: These observations provide evidence of the maintenance of an E. coli strain of poultry origin and the horizontal gene transfer in the human commensal bowel microbiota even without antimicrobial treatment. Significance and Impact of Study: The fact that an E. coli strain of poultry origin might establish itself and transfer its bla gene to commensal human E. coli raises public health concerns.

High milk production in dairy cattle can have negative side effects on health and fertility traits. This paper explores the genetic relationship of milk yield with health and fertility depending on herd environment. A total of 71,720 lactations from heifers calving in 1997 to 1999 in the Netherlands were analyzed. Herd environment was described by 4 principal components: intensity, average fertility, farm size, and relative performance indicating whether herds had good (poor) health and fertility despite a high (low) production. Fertility was evaluated by days to first service and number of inseminations (NINS); somatic cell score was used as a measure of udder health. Data were analyzed with a multitrait reaction norm model. Genetic correlation within traits across environments ranged from 0.84 to unity. Genetic correlations of the 3 traits with milk yield were antagonistic but varied over environments. Genetic correlation of milk yield with days to first service varied from 0.30 in small herds to 0.48 in herds with low average fertility. Correlations with NINS varied from 0.18 in large herds to 0.64 in high fertility herds, and with somatic cell score from 0.25 in herds with a high fertility relative to production to 0.47 in herds with a relative low fertility. Selection in environments of average value resulted in different predicted responses over environments. For example, selection for a decrease of NINS of 0.1 in an average production environment decreased milk yield by 35 kg in low production herds, but by 178 kg in high production herds.

High levels of milk production in dairy cattle can have negative side effects on health and fertility traits. This paper explores the relationships among milk yield, health, and fertility traits both across and within herd environments on a national scale. A total of 456,574 lactations from 3904 herds recorded from 1995 to 1999 in The Netherlands were analyzed. Herd environment was defined by 41 variables derived from production records and the annual national agricultural survey. Principal components analysis reduced this set to 4 components: intensity, defined as average production per cow, average fertility, farm size, and relative performance indicating whether herds had good (poor) health and fertility despite a high (low) production. Both fertility and health were better for some traits in high-intensity herds and for other traits in low-intensity herds. In high-intensity herds, somatic cell count (SCC) levels were lower, drops in production occurred more often, and first service took place earlier but with lower success. High fertility occurred more often in herds located on sandy soils and in those that had lower SCC levels, had fewer drops in production and higher cow survival. On large farms, drops in production were less frequent and fertility was somewhat better. The within-herd analysis showed that the relationship of milk yield with health and fertility was stronger in herds with high production, fertility, or both. In herds with poor relative performance, there was no difference in production levels between animals with good health or fertility and those with poor health or fertility.

Welfare of animals can be defined as the kind of feelings the environmental conditions bring about in the animals. These feelings depend on the needs of the animals and their degree of satisfaction. Needs of animals, and so their welfare, are partly genetically determined. Therefore, welfare can be changed by breeding. The aim of this study was to investigate how welfare of pigs under modern intensive farm conditions can be improved by genetic selection, with emphasis on the precise definition of the breeding goal and determination of the animal characteristics on which selection can be based in practice.The existing thermoregulation model was used to develop a conceptual framework that describes welfare of growing pigs and production sows with respect to each of their needs as a curvilinear function of the respective environmental conditions. The framework assumes that welfare in terms of feelings is reflected by the physiological and behavioural mechanisms the pig has to activate in order to cope with the various environmental conditions it encounters. Based on those physiological and behavioural responses to changing conditions, five welfare zones can be distinguished for each need. Breeding goals for welfare were defined in terms of the transition points between these welfare zones, such that future pigs would better cope with unfavourable or unfamiliar farming conditions, therewith quickening the domestication process, to some extent. However, as long as genetic parameters for these transition points are not available, more common welfare-related characteristics like temperament, stress resistance and robustness can be included in the breeding goal, as an alternative.For selection among potential breeding candidates, transition points between welfare zones can be determined in sib tests, thereby also collecting the data for estimating genetic parameters. As a cheaper alternative, breeding candidates could be tested under hard conditions and selected on their coping success. In addition, various behavioural tests and operant conditioning tests (to test a pig's motivation to change its actual environment) can be carried out. Under common conditions on the farm, problems associated with coping (like incidences of diseases, injuries, and stereotypies) and/or other relevant traits (e.g. saliva cortisol levels, longevity and even production traits) should be recorded routinely and used as selection index information. Selection for improved welfare should lead to more tolerant pigs that are better able to cope with possible unfavourable farm conditions by a more efficient use of the adaptation mechanisms they already possess. It should, however, not result in lowering husbandry standards. More research is needed to assess genetic correlations among various welfare aspects and with production traits to prevent undesired side effects in future populations of pigs.