A participatory approach to design monitoring indicators of production diseases in organic dairy farms

Invited review: Qualitative research in dairy science-A narrative review

The use of qualitative research in dairy science has increased considerably in recent years, providing the opportunity to inform research and practice. This review aims to enhance the accessibility of qualitative research among a range of audiences and specifically: (1) provide an overview of what qualitative research is and the value it can bring to scientific inquiries in the dairy context, (2) illustrate the emergence of qualitative dairy science research in the past 15 to 20 years, (3) outline the role of the researcher and key philosophical assumptions underlying qualitative research, (4) describe qualitative research approaches and methods used in dairy science research, and (5) highlight key aspects of qualitative inquiry used to ensure research trustworthiness. Qualitative approaches in dairy science enable researchers to understand myriad topics including stakeholder relationships, decision-making, and behaviors regarding dairy cattle management, animal welfare, and disease prevention and control measures. Approaches that were used often for qualitative data collection were individual interviews and focus groups, and variations of thematic analysis were common analytical frameworks. To assess public values, attitudes, and perceptions, mixed methods questionnaires that combined quantitative data with qualitative data from open-ended questions were used regularly. Although still used infrequently, action research and participatory approaches have the potential to bridge the research-implementation gap by facilitating group-based learning and on-farm changes. Some publications described the philosophical assumptions inherent to qualitative research, and many authors included reflexivity and positionality statements. Although a comprehensive description of strategies to meet trustworthiness criteria for qualitative research was uncommon, many publications mentioned certain aspects of trustworthiness, such as member checking, researcher triangulation, and the recording of reflexive notes. Qualitative research has been used to deepen our understanding of phenomena relevant to the dairy sector and has opened the door for a broad array of new opportunities. In addition to having merit on its own, qualitative research can guide, inform, and expand on quantitative research, and an understanding of the core pillars of qualitative research can foster interdisciplinary collaborations.

Managing organic dairy herd health: Current roles and possible future roles for veterinarians with organic dairy clientele

This study aimed to understand the veterinary-client relationship and perspectives in organic dairy production systems. Twenty-three organic dairy producers and 12 veterinarians were interviewed using semi-structured, one-on-one interviews. Consultation with local veterinarians was typically infrequent, as there was greater reliance on other producers and organic industry professionals for advice on dairy herd health management, perhaps due to a shared focus on organic farming principles. Organic producers generally consulted local veterinarians most frequently to develop vaccine protocols, address animal health emergencies, and gain reproductive services. Common reasons organic producers cited for not regularly consulting a local veterinarian included the cost of veterinary services and a perception that local veterinarians have limited experience with organic systems and products. Some producers also expressed the idea that infrequent veterinarian usage is indicative of a healthy herd. Meanwhile, local veterinarians reported that organic dairy producers often delayed consulting them about individual cases until animal health problems were severe. Local veterinarians also identified challenges in servicing organic herds, such as the lack of standardized regulations between different organic certifiers and limited safety and efficacy data for many herd health products used by organic producers. In addition, their formal training generally did not include organic herd health strategies. Organic dairy clients were typically a small fraction of the overall workload for local veterinarians, which precluded their ability to accumulate experience. In contrast, a handful of specialized veterinarians in the organic milk processing industry work more frequently with organic producers and have published most of the available resource materials on organic dairy herd health. Veterinary-client partnerships could be improved through more open communication and discussion of the challenges identified in this study and through participatory research and outreach engagement that includes local veterinarians, organic certifiers, organic industry veterinarians, and producers.

Invited Review: Ketosis Diagnosis and Monitoring in High-Producing Dairy Cows

This work reviews the current impact and manifestation of ketosis (hyperketonemia) in dairy cattle, emphasizing the practical use of laboratory methods, field tests, and milk data to monitoring this disease. Ketosis is a major issue in high-producing cows, easily reaching a prevalence of 20% during early postpartum when the negative energy balance is well established. Its economic losses, mainly related to decreasing milk yield, fertility, and treatment costs, have been estimated up to €250 per case of ketosis/year, which can double if associated diseases are considered. A deep relationship between subclinical or clinical ketosis and negative energy balance and related production diseases can be observed mainly in the first two months postpartum. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry methods gradually take place in laboratory routine to evaluates body ketones (e.g., beta-hydroxybutyrate) and probably will accurately substitute cowside blood and milk tests at a farm in avenir. Fat to protein ratio and urea in milk are largely evaluated each month in dairy farms indicating animals at risk of hyperketonemia. At preventive levels, other than periodical evaluation of body condition score and controlling modifiable or identifying non-modifiable risk factors, the ruminatory activity assessment during the peripartum seems to be a valuable tool at farms. We conclude that a technological advance progressively takes place to mitigate the effects of these metabolic diseases, which challenge the high-yielding cows.

Using Realistic Evaluation to understand how interventions work on dairy farms

Interventions that aim to help farmers change on-farm practices recommend that advisors communicate effectively with farmers, work collaboratively to set goals and provide farmers with resources that are applicable to the farm context. We developed an intervention that aimed to help farmers modify and use a standard operating procedure (SOP) for colostrum management; failure of passive transfer of immunoglobulins is common on dairy farms and SOPs for colostrum management are increasingly required by farm animal welfare assurance programs. We used Realistic Evaluation to evaluate whether, how and why our intervention to help farmers modify and use SOPs for colostrum management facilitated change and provide recommendations based on our approach that can improve the design and implementation of future interventions. We used a multiple case study on five farms over 8 months, collecting data through interviews, participant observation, document analysis and field notes. We identified three mechanisms that influenced whether participants modified and used their SOP. The purpose mechanism distinguished between participants who thought the aim of the SOP was for farm staff to learn and understand how to complete a task versus those who thought that the SOP was only useful for compliance with assurance programs. The utility mechanism distinguished between participants who thought that the SOP would be helpful for daily use on their farm, versus those who did not. The physical text mechanism distinguished between participants who used the templates we provided to modify and use their SOP, versus those who did not. A key contextual factor on all farms was participant belief of having capable and engaged staff on their farm; modification and use of the SOP did not occur unless this was the case. To facilitate change, intervention developers should actively participate in the intervention to develop an understanding of farmer needs, understand the purpose behind different goals set by farmers and integrate tools, advice and resource demonstrations when possible. We conclude that Realistic Evaluation is a useful framework for evaluating how contexts and mechanisms generate outcomes on farms, and to understand how, and in which contexts, complex interventions facilitate change. We suggest that this approach can improve the success of interventions and help direct the approaches used on different farms.

A Perspective on the Use of Sexed Semen to Reduce the Number of Surplus Male Dairy Calves in Ireland: A Pilot Study

The production of surplus male offspring illustrates a socioethical concern in the dairy industry. In this article, we highlight the animal health and welfare implications of production outputs for surplus dairy calves, namely veal production, dairy calf to beef production, and euthanasia. Moreover, we present a pilot study focus on exploring the perception of key industry actors within the dairy industry in Ireland regarding the use of sexed semen as a mitigation strategy to reduce the production of surplus male dairy calves. A pilot survey was completed by farmers (n = 6), veterinarians (n = 17), and dairy farm advisors (n = 11). All the veterinarians, 80% of the farmers, and 62% of the advisors believed that the use of sexed semen had a positive influence on herd welfare. All participants identified the same barriers to the implementation of sexed semen: lower conception rate, lower availability, and higher cost. The reviewed literature highlights the importance of tailored communication to support knowledge exchange between stakeholders and key industry actors such as dairy farmers, their veterinarians, and advisors. Research to understand stakeholders' perception is pivotal to address socioethical concerns such as the surplus male dairy calves.

Organic dairy producer experiences and decisions related to disease prevention and treatment

Organic dairy producers have distinct perspectives, approaches, challenges, and experiences when managing herd health, but little research has been conducted to develop a deeper understanding of producer decision-making related to disease-prevention and treatment strategies. We used 23 semi-structured interviews with organic dairy producers to better understand their perceived herd health challenges and overall disease-prevention strategies; decision-making and attitudes related to vaccination; and approaches to the treatment of infectious diseases using alternative or conventional antimicrobial therapies. Organic dairy producers reported improvements in overall animal health after they transitioned from a conventional to an organic system. Outdoor access, a balanced forage-based diet, and animal and environmental cleanliness were reported as the predominant disease-prevention measures. Over half of producers vaccinated their animals, and almost all preferred to use vaccines sparingly. Among producers who did not use vaccines, reasons cited were low perceived risk for infectious disease and minor vaccine safety concerns, yet many were not opposed to using vaccines in the future. Non-antimicrobial therapies were viewed as alternative effective treatment strategies for most common infectious diseases. Producers used antimicrobials very rarely and generally reserved them for severe cases when alternative treatments failed. Because US organic standards prohibit selling milk from cows that have ever been treated with antimicrobials, producers described the decision to use antimicrobials as extremely challenging and involved balancing considerations of economics, convenience, and animal welfare. This research fosters a better understanding of organic dairy producers' disease-prevention and treatment strategies and could be used by veterinarians and other animal health specialists to facilitate services for organic clients.

Hunters' view on the control of African swine fever in wild boar. A participatory study in Latvia

African swine fever (ASF) has massively spread in recent years and threatens the global pig industry. ASF has been present in Latvia since 2014. Hunters play a major role in the implementation of measures to control ASF and in passive disease surveillance. The probability to detect an ASF-positive wild boar is much higher in animals found dead than in hunted animals. Thus, the willingness and the motivation of hunters to support passive surveillance is of utmost importance. Using participatory methods, this study aimed to assess the acceptability of control measures for ASF in wild boar among hunters. In addition, new approaches to increase hunters' motivation to report wild boar found dead were investigated. A total of ten focus group discussions with hunters from different regions in Latvia were conducted. To assess the quantity and quality of contacts between hunters and stakeholders involved in the control of ASF, relation diagrams were used. Using ranking tools, the trust of the participants in stakeholders to implement control measures successfully was evaluated. Defined control measures were presented to the hunters and their acceptability investigated. An impact diagram and a list of defined motivation options for passive surveillance were offered to identify new ways to increase the willingness of hunters to support passive surveillance actively. A satisfactory and regular relationship was identified between the hunters, the Food and Veterinary Service (FVS) and the State Forest Service (SFS). The hunters' trust in these authorities was high. Although there is no vaccine against ASF, hunters were convinced of the potential of vaccination in controlling ASF. However, building fences was considered as useless and ineffective. To increase the willingness of hunters to support passive surveillance, reducing the infection pressure in the forests was regarded as most motivating. Furthermore, hunters would appreciate a decrease in their costs and workload. The study provides new insight into the concerns and experiences of hunters. Including their views and expectations in the further design and implementation of control and surveillance activities may help to improve current efforts to control ASF in wild boar populations. Although representing the perceptions of Latvian hunters, the main conclusions may be adaptable to adjust ASF control and surveillance in other countries.

Farm-specific failure costs of production disorders in European organic dairy herds

On-farm decision support in animal health management requires a tailor-made failure costs (FCs) assessment of production disorders for the individual farm. In our study we defined a generic framework to estimate the FC of production disorders in dairy cows. We converted the framework to a practical tool in which the farm-specific FC of mastitis, ketosis, lameness and metritis were estimated for 162 organic dairy farms in four European countries. Along with the structure of the framework, the FC estimation required three distinct types of model input: performance input (related to herd performance parameters), consequential input (related to the consequences of the disorders) and economic input (related to price levels). Input was derived from official herd recordings (e.g. test-day records and animal health recordings) and farmers' responses (e.g. questionnaire replies). The average FC of mastitis, ketosis, lameness and metritis amounted to € 96, € 21, € 43 and € 10 per cow per year, respectively. The variation in FC outcomes was high among farmers and countries. Overall ranking of the disorders based on absolute values was the same for all countries, with mastitis being the costliest disorder followed in order by lameness, ketosis, and metritis. Farm specific estimates can be used to rank production related disorders in terms of their associated failure costs and thus provide valuable insights for herd health management. The practical calculation tool developed in this study should be considered by farmers or herd health advisors to support their animal health practices or advice.

Assessing the impact of tailored biosecurity advice on farmer behaviour and pathogen presence in beef herds in England and Wales

The term 'biosecurity' encompasses many measures farmers can take to reduce the risk of pathogen incursion or spread. As the best strategy will vary between settings, veterinarians play an important role in assessing risk and providing advice, but effectiveness requires farmer acceptance and implementation. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of specifically-tailored biosecurity advice packages in reducing endemic pathogen presence on UK beef suckler farms. One hundred and sixteen farms recruited by 10 veterinary practices were followed for three years. Farms were randomly allocated to intervention (receiving specifically-tailored advice, with veterinarians and farmers collaborating to develop an improved biosecurity strategy) or control (receiving general advice) groups. A spreadsheet-based tool was used annually to attribute a score to each farm reflecting risk of entry or spread of bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV), bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV1), Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo (L. hardjo) and Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis). Objectives of these analyses were to identify evidence of reduction in risk behaviours during the study, as well as evidence of reductions in pathogen presence, as indications of effectiveness. Risk behaviours and pathogen prevalences were examined across study years, and on intervention compared with control farms, using descriptive statistics and multilevel regression. There were significant reductions in risk scores for all five pathogens, regardless of intervention status, in every study year compared with the outset. Animals on intervention farms were significantly less likely than those on control farms to be seropositive for BVDV in years 2 and 3 and for L. hardjo in year 3 of the study. Variations by study year in animal-level odds of seropositivity to BHV1 or MAP were not associated with farm intervention status. All farms had significantly reduced odds of BHV1 seropositivity in year 2 than at the outset. Variations in farm-level MAP seropositivity were not associated with intervention status. There were increased odds of M. bovis on intervention farms compared with control farms at the end of the study. Results suggest a structured annual risk assessment process, conducted as a collaboration between veterinarian and farmer, is valuable in encouraging improved biosecurity practices. There were some indications, but not conclusive evidence, that tailored biosecurity advice packages have potential to reduce pathogen presence. These findings will inform development of a collaborative approach to biosecurity between veterinarians and farmers, including adoption of cost-effective strategies effective across pathogens.