Characteristics, socioeconomic benefits and household livelihoods of beef buffalo and beef cattle farming in Northeast Thailand

Since the Thai economy experiences rapid growth, agricultural systems, i.e. crop-livestock systems, are changing rapidly. On account of these changes, buffalo and cattle production has to be re-examined in terms of performance characteristics and roles of livestock for farm households in order to initiate suitable development programmes. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the present characteristics of beef buffalo and beef cattle farms in Northeast Thailand. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, 121 randomly selected beef buffalo and beef cattle farms were interviewed in Nakhon Ratchasima province between October 2007 and May 2008. Both buffaloes and cattle were mostly integrated in mixed crop-livestock systems with medium to large farm sizes (7.9 ha), whereof less than half of the area was used for livestock. Family members were mainly responsible for the different activities of livestock farming and salaried labourers were only found on large-scale farms. The dominant roles of livestock were income generation to build up wealth or savings, the coverage of expected and unexpected expenses and earning of regular and additional income. Another important issue was the improvement of the social status, which increased with herd size. In order to improve farmers’ livelihoods and develop sustainable farming systems in Northeast Thailand the changing economic circumstances of cattle and especially buffalo production should receive more attention of researchers, governmental institutions and stakeholders.

Sensor-based Control of Chewing and Rumination Behavior of Dairy Cows

The measurement of feed intake, feeding time and rumination time, summarized by the term feeding behavior, are helpful indicators for early recognition of animals which show deviations in their behavior. The overall objective of this work was the development of an early warning system for inadequate feeding rations and digestive and metabolic disorders, which prevention constitutes the basis for health, performance, and reproduction. In a literature review, the current state of the art and the suitability of different measurement tools to determine feeding behavior of ruminants was discussed. Five measurement methods based on different methodological approaches (visual observance, pressure transducer, electrical switches, electrical deformation sensors and acoustic biotelemetry), and three selected measurement techniques (the IGER Behavior Recorder, the Hi-Tag rumination monitoring system and RumiWatchSystem) were described, assessed and compared to each other within this review. In the second study, the new system for measuring feeding behavior of dairy cows was evaluated. The measurement of feeding behavior ensues through electromyography (EMG). For validation, the feeding behavior of 14 cows was determined by both the EMG system and by visual observation. The high correlation coefficients indicate that the current system is a reliable and suitable tool for monitoring the feeding behavior of dairy cows. The aim of a further study was to compare the DairyCheck (DC) system and two additional measurement systems for measuring rumination behavior in relation to efficiency, reliability and reproducibility, with respect to each other. The two additional systems were labeled as the Lely Qwes HR (HR) sensor, and the RumiWatchSystem (RW). Results of accordance of RW and DC to each other were high. The last study examined whether rumination time (RT) is affected by the onset of calving and if it might be a useful indicator for the prediction of imminent birth. Data analysis referred to the final 72h before the onset of calving, which were divided into twelve 6h-blocks. The results showed that RT was significantly reduced in the final 6h before imminent birth.

Study of individual lactation patterns of Iranian dairy buffaloes

The aims of the current study were 1) to investigate the effects of some environmental factors on lactation curve traits (LCTs) including initial milk yield (A), peak yield (PY), days to attain peak yield (PD), inclining- and declining slope of lactation (B and C, respectively), persistency (Per), and 240-d milk yield, and 2) to estimate pairwise phenotypic correlations between these traits in two Iranian buffalo ecotypes (Khuzestani and Azeri buffaloes). The dataset consisted of 15396 and 9283 lactations from 6632 Khuzestani and 3558 Azeri buffaloes, respectively (collected during 1992–2009). The results revealed that almost all of the factors had significant effects on the majority of the LCTs, whereby age group, parity and season of calving had greater influence on 240-d milk yield and PY than the other LCTs in both of the ecotypes. These effects were more apparent in Khuzestani buffaloes than in Azeri buffaloes. In the Khuzestani ecotype, the LCTs were significantly correlated with each other. However, in the Azeri ecotype the 240-d milk yield showed no significant relationship with parameters B, PD and Per. In conclusion, the studied factors play an important role in determining both the shape of the lactation curve and the overal performance of Iranian dairy buffaloes.

Metabolic disorders in the transition period indicate that the dairy cows' ability to adapt is overstressed

Metabolic disorders are a key problem in the transition period of dairy cows and often appear before the onset of further health problems. They mainly derive from difficulties the animals have in adapting to changes and disturbances occurring both outside and inside the organisms and due to varying gaps between nutrient supply and demand. Adaptation is a functional and target-oriented process involving the whole organism and thus cannot be narrowed down to single factors. Most problems which challenge the organisms can be solved in a number of different ways. To understand the mechanisms of adaptation, the interconnectedness of variables and the nutrient flow within a metabolic network need to be considered. Metabolic disorders indicate an overstressed ability to balance input, partitioning and output variables. Dairy cows will more easily succeed in adapting and in avoiding dysfunctional processes in the transition period when the gap between nutrient and energy demands and their supply is restricted. Dairy farms vary widely in relation to the living conditions of the animals. The complexity of nutritional and metabolic processes Animals 2015, 5 979 and their large variations on various scales contradict any attempts to predict the outcome of animals’ adaptation in a farm specific situation. Any attempts to reduce the prevalence of metabolic disorders and associated production diseases should rely on continuous and comprehensive monitoring with appropriate indicators on the farm level. Furthermore, low levels of disorders and diseases should be seen as a further significant goal which carries weight in addition to productivity goals. In the long run, low disease levels can only be expected when farmers realize that they can gain a competitive advantage over competitors with higher levels of disease.

Identifying the factors governing attitude towards the e-Agriservice among dairy farmers in Maharashtra, India

Information and communication technology (ICT) projects have a great potential to revolutionise the information delivery system by bridging the gap between farmers and extension personnel. aAQUA (Almost All Questions Answered) portal was launched by the Developmental Informatics Laboratory (DIL) at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India in 2003 as an information providing system to deliver technology options and tailored information for the problems and queries raised by Indian dairy farmers. To measure the effectiveness of this service the attitudinal dimensions of the users of aAQUA e-Agriservice were investigated using a 22 item scale. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 120 dairy farmers from which data were collected and subjected to factor analysis to identify the underlying constructs in this research. From the attitude items, four components were extracted and named as the pessimistic, utility, technical and efficacy perspective, which influenced the development of varied level of attitudinal inclination towards the e-Agriservice. These components explained 64.40 per cent of variation in the attitude of the users towards the aAQUA e-Agriservice. This study provides a framework for technically efficient service provision that might help to reduce the pessimistic attitude of target population to adopt e-Agriservice in their farming system. The results should also be helpful for researchers, academics, ICT based service providers and policy makers to consider these perspectives while planning and implementing ICT projects.

Meat yield and quality of Tanzania Shorthorn Zebu cattle finished on molasses/maize grain with agro-processing by-products in 90 days feedlot period

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding molasses or maize grain with agro-processing by-products on yield and quality of meat from Tanzania shorthorn zebu (TSZ) cattle. Forty five steers aged 2.5 to 3.0 years with 200 +/- 5.4 kg body weight were allocated into five dietary treatments namely hominy feed with molasses (HFMO), rice polishing with molasses (RPMO), hominy feed with maize meal (HFMM), rice polishing with maize meal (RPMM) and maize meal with molasses (MMMO). Ad libitum amount of each dietary treatment and hay were offered to nine steers for 90 days. Cooking loss (CL) and Warner Bratzler shear force (WBSF) values were determined on M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum aged for 3, 6, 9 and 12 days. Steers fed on HFMO diet had higher (P < 0.05) nutrient intake (86.39 MJ/d energy; 867 g/d CP), weight gain (919 g/d) and half carcass weight (75.8 kg) than those fed other diets. Meat of steers from all diets was tender with average WBSF values of 47.9 N cm^(−2). The CL (22.0 +/- 0.61%) and WBSF (53.4 +/- 0.70 N cm^(−2)) were highest in meat aged for 3 days followed by 6, 9 and 12 days. WBSF values for meat aged for 9 and 12 days from steers fed HFMO and RPMM diets were similar and lower than those on other dietary treatments x aging periods. Overall, molasses and hominy feed can be used to replace maize meal in feedlot finishing diets to spare its use in animal feeds.

Análisis de la competitividad del sub sector lechero de los pequeños y medianos productores frente al TLC con la Unión Europea

A través de los años y en busca de ser partícipes del fenómeno de la globalización y de la integración económica entre países, Colombia ha buscado establecer acuerdos comerciales estratégicamente adecuados para transformar la economía interna, expandirse a nivel internacional e intercambiar productos en los que no se es especializado. Ante esto, Colombia firmó el Tratado de Libre Comercio con la Unión Europea en Junio del 2012, que entró en vigencia en Agosto del 2013, y hasta el momento la situación del sector lechero ha sido crítica, pues carece del nivel de competitividad suficiente para garantizar la perdurabilidad de los pequeños y medianos productores de leche. El diagnóstico del sector lechero colombiano permite tener una visión más clara sobre las principales características de los sistemas de producción del país, es aquí donde se conocen las falencias que se presentan en el sector, pues la productividad es baja, los costos de producción son altos y los precios tienen una tendencia al alza, colocando a los productos nacionales en desventaja frente a la gran oferta internacional que invade el mercado interno con precios reducidos y con mejor calidad. Además, se identifica también que gran parte de los productores de leche son informales y por lo tanto es difícil consolidar la información referente al sector y convertirla en conocimiento para efectuar planes de cambio y transformación para mejorar la situación. Del lado contrario y actuando como principal competidor en este caso de estudio, se encuentra la Unión Europea. Su diagnóstico ubica esta zona geográfica en una posición indudablemente privilegiada: precios bajos, mejor calidad, alta productividad, entre otras características que hacen de la UE una verdadera amenaza para los pequeños y medianos productores colombianos. La sobreproducción que se presencia en esta asociación económica y política crea la necesidad de explorar otros mercados para poner a disposición dicha producción, y el Tratado de Libre Comercio con Colombia es una opción para compensar esa oferta con una demanda insatisfecha. Con el fin de conocer profundamente las implicaciones del TLC con la Unión Europea y cómo afecta este acuerdo a los pequeños y medianos productores de leche en Colombia, fue necesario abordar algunos puntos clave en la negociación establecida y a partir de estos determinar si este tratado es realmente una oportunidad para el campesino informal que se dedica a la producción de leche para el autoconsumo y/o la comercialización en veredas y pueblos, o por el contrario, es una plataforma que afecta negativamente a las 450 mil familias que viven de este oficio y que no tienen los niveles de competitividad exigidos para enfrentar una competencia extranjera tan fuerte como lo es la Unión Europea. Por último, el análisis DOFA permite crear estrategias coherentes y viables relacionando las fortalezas y debilidades de Colombia con las oportunidades y amenazas que implica tener un acuerdo de libre comercio con la Unión Europea. Estas estrategias contribuyen a mejorar la competitividad del sector en busca de garantizar una mayor perdurabilidad de los pequeños y medianos productores de leche, y de esta manera se logrará no sólo aprovechar este acuerdo comercial, si no también conquistar otros mercados internacionales con un producto de mejor calidad.