Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/21
Outputs
Target Audience:Dairy producers, employees, youth producers, undergraduate and graduate students, and veterinarians are the target audience for this project. The main objective of this project is to conduct applied research on dairy cattle behavior to improve animal well-being and production on dairies. Recent research has focused on determining: 1) how pest birds affect dairy cattle well-being and dairy profitability; 2) which training methods for dairy cattle handling training are most effective at improving dairy employee safety and, ultimately, dairy cattle well-being; and 3) how behavioral changes and automated technologies can be used to identify disease (hoof disorders) in dairy cattle. Changes/Problems:No major changes/problems in approach were encountered for this project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During 2020-2021, 5 undergraduate research technicians and 2 graduate students assisted with data collection, presented research results, and prepared manuscripts (Extension and research). The hands-on research conducted for this project also allowed the WSU Cooperative of University Dairy Students (CUDS) members to become involved with dairy cattle well-being research that will benefit their dairy animals as well as enhance student learning. Project Summary Over the last five years, 6 graduate students (M.S. and Ph.D.) and 35 undergraduate researchers were trained in animal behavior and well-being methods. Two of the mentioned graduate students were M.S. students from the Netherlands that completed a semester of training in my laboratory as part of their graduate program. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Information collected from this project led to the development of Extension factsheets, scientific presentations, producer workshops, and peer-reviewed publications. This project also resulted in the publication of lay magazine articles and Extension newsletter articles. Additionally, the results of this project were used to develop curricula for an interactive animal safety website for youth that is currently under development. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
2020-2021 My laboratory conducted three research studies to address both objectives of this project. One study aimed to detect the onset of digital dermatitis in dairy cows using thermal imaging and changes in behavior. Thermal images of the rear feet of about 200 cows were collected daily for two months. Behavior data were collected using activity monitoring technologies, in which daily behavior data were continuously recorded. We concluded from the results of this study that thermal imaging can detect inflammation in cattle feet before a digital dermatitis lesion is visually present. Behavior monitoring technologies were not as effective as thermal imaging for the detection of the onset of digital dermatitis. The second study evaluated wild bird movement patterns on dairies and interactions between wild birds and dairy cattle. Video cameras were installed in three different areas of a dairy, where bird movement among the locations and bird population numbers were recorded over several weeks. We also recorded cow behavior and documented interactions between cows and wild birds. As environmental conditions decreased, especially overnight, more birds flocked to the freestall barns. During the daylight hours, a large population of birds were located at the feedbunks and in the calf barns. We are still analyzing this data, including the wild bird-cow interaction data. The third study is still underway, but should be completed before the end of October 2021. This study focuses on identifying relationships between a cow's social status and ease of handling. The ten most dominant and ten least dominant (most subordinate) cows in each of five pens were identified. We will measure the flight zone distance for each cow during approach tests. This data, coupled with previous data, will help us understand which cows may be more difficult to handle. We will share this information with dairy employees to promote safer work environments and low-stress cattle handling. Project Summary This project resulted in 53 products (journal articles, conference proceedings, Extension factsheets, conference abstracts, and Extension newsletter articles) and 14 other products (training curricula, lay magazine articles, and Extension workshops) over its entirety.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Reguero, A., E. Impala, and A. Adams Progar. 2021. Attracting native raptors to dairies for pest bird management. WSU Extension factsheet, peer-reviewed.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Maga�a, J. 2021. Early detection of digital dermatitis in lactating dairy cattle. M.S. Thesis.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Highsmith, R. 2020. Quantifying wellbeing: the relationship between chronic digital dermatitis, hair cortisol concentrations, and behavior
in dairy cattle. Honors Thesis.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Denham, J. 2021. The effect of classical music on salivary cortisol concentrations and behavior in Holstein heifers during regrouping. Honors Thesis.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Elder, A. 2021. Effect of digital dermatitis on circulatory cytokine concentrations. Honors Thesis.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Adams Progar, A. 2021. Dairy Safety Network Available: Lets Talk Safety. WSU Dairy Newsletter article.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Caskin, T., H. Cameron, C. Lichtenwalter, E. Impala, and A. Adams-Progar. Bovine-avian interactions on dairies: Wild bird influence on pathogen prevalence, cow nutrition, and cow behaviour.
|
Progress 10/01/19 to 09/30/20
Outputs
Target Audience:Dairy producers, employees, youth producers, and veterinarians are the target audience for this project. The main objective of this project is to conduct applied research on dairy cattle behavior to improve animal well-being and production on dairies. Recent research has focused on determining: 1) how pest birds affect dairy cattle well-being; 2) which training methods for dairy cattle handling training are most effective at improving dairy employee knowledge retention and, ultimately, dairy cattle well-being; and 3) how behavioral changes can be used to identify hoof disorders in dairy cattle. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During this reporting period, 6 undergraduate research technicians and 3 graduate students assisted with data collection, presented research results (university and national conferences), and prepared manuscripts (Extension and research). The hands-on research conducted for this project also allowed the WSU Cooperative of University Dairy Students (CUDS) members to become involved with dairy cattle well-being research that will benefit their dairy animals as well as enhance student learning. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Information collected from this project led to the development of Extension factsheets, scientific presentations, producer workshops, and peer-reviewed publications. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Goals for the next reporting period 1) Completion and submission of manuscripts related to 2020 project results 2) Design and implement hoof health study aimed at detecting the onset of hoof disease, using behavior technology 3) Complete study that measures avian-bovine disease transmission 4) Test effects of novel pest bird management tools on cattle well-being
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Impact: Without intervention, the five-year impact of pest bird depredation of dairy cattle feed will cause a $14.7 million reduction in Washington State's GDP and a loss of 154 jobs. The early adopters (20% - 40% of participants) that attended my pest bird deterrence workshops and implemented alternative deterrence methods can, based on our work, potentially anticipate a 52% reduction of feed losses. The expected combined cost savings for these dairies is $1.7 million. An average of 24% of heifer losses are due to respiratory disease, in which environmental stress plays a key role in disease susceptibility in calves. Heifer survival rate is one of the top six factors affecting dairy net farm income, which contributes an average of $200 - $250 in additional lifetime net farm income per animal. By implementing best management practices for calf care and lowering the average heifer calf mortality rate to 5%, the Washington State dairy industry will gain $784,000 - $980,000 per year. We found that by implementing best management practices for hoof care, dairy producers across the state can expect at least an 8% reduction in digital dermatitis, enhancing cow well-being and resulting in a savings of $358,400 per year for the Washington State dairy industry. Our pest bird managment team now understands the economic impact pest birds have on dairies, based on our dairy producer survey. Our team has evidence that the number of pest birds at a feedbunk affects dairy cow aggression. We installed several kestrel nestboxes on farms and will continue to monitor whether these nestboxes attract American kestrels to the farms and deter pest birds. In regards to calf management and environmental conditions, my lab determined how Holstein heifer calves respond physiologically and behaviorally during hot weather conditions within two different types of housing. Our lab completed a study that aimed to determine how chronic digital dermatitis affects dairy cow behavior and hair cortisol concentrations.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Young, H., B. Parchment, A. Lopez Ayala, and A. Adams Progar. 2020. Physiological responses of Holstein calves to hot weather. Int. J. Biometeorol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-020-01994-x .
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Adams Progar, A., K. Steensma, S. Shwiff, S. Kerr, T. Caskin, and J. Elser. 2020. Understanding and preventing bird damage on dairies. Vertebrate Pest Conference, March 2020, Santa Barbara, CA.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Adams Progar, A. 2019. Top ten tips: human-dairy heifer interactions. WSU Dairy News September (https://dairynews.puyallup.wsu.edu/news/2019/09/).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Adams Progar, A. 2019. LEADS graduates ready to teach safety. WSU Dairy News December (https://dairynews.puyallup.wsu.edu/news/2019/12/).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Adams Progar, A. 2020. Top ten tips: impact of heat stress on dairy cattle well-being. WSU Dairy News June (https://dairynews.puyallup.wsu.edu/2020/06/).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Adams Progar, A. 2020. Impact of heat stress on dairy cattle well-being. WSU Veterinary Medicine Extension Newsletter Summer (https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2147/2020/06/Summer-2020.pdf).
|
Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19
Outputs
Target Audience:Dairy producers, employees, youth producers, and veterinarians are the target audience for this project. The main objective of this project is to conduct applied research on dairy cattle behavior to improve animal well-being and production on dairies. Recent research has focused on determining: 1) how pest birds affect dairy cattle well-being; 2) which training methods for dairy cattle handling training are most effective at improving dairy employee knowledge retention and, ultimately, dairy cattle well-being; and 3) how behavioral changes can be used to identify hoof disorders in dairy cattle. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During this reporting period, 4 undergraduate research technicians and 1 graduate student assisted with data collection, presented research results (university and national conferences), and prepared manuscripts (Extension and research). The hands-on research conducted for this project also allowed the WSU Cooperative of University Dairy Students (CUDS) members to become involved with dairy cattle well-being research that will benefit their dairy animals as well as enhance student learning. Furthermore, 2 international graduate student interns received training in dairy cattle behavior and well-being research. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Information collected from this project led to the development of Extension factsheets, scientific presentations, producer workshops, and peer-reviewed publications. Over 500 people (undergraduate students, producers, youth, and veterinarians) attended my workshops related to this project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Goals for the next reporting period 1) Completion and submission of manuscripts related to 2019 project results 2) Design and implement hoof health study aimed at detecting the onset of hoof disease, using behavior technology 3) Complete study that measures chronic stress in dairy cattle via hair cortisol concentrations 4) Design study to further investigate pest bird deterrence methods on dairies 5) Publish and disseminate targeted dairy cattle handling training materials to prevent cattle-related injuries
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Pest bird management. A statewide survey of dairy producers showed that pest bird depredation at feed bunks causes, on average, a 4.4% loss of cattle feed. On-farm collection of European starling droppings and cattle feed after pest bird presence at dairy feed bunks revealed that pest birds negatively affect dairy cow nutrition and health. My team is currently implementing alternative pest bird deterrence methods on dairies to measure long-term efficacy. Impact: Without intervention, the five-year impact of pest bird depredation of dairy cattle feed will cause a $14.7 million reduction in Washington State's GDP and a loss of 154 jobs. The early adopters (20% - 40% of participants) that attended my pest bird deterrence workshops and implemented alternative deterrence methods can, based on our work, potentially anticipate a 52% reduction of feed losses. The expected combined cost savings for these dairies is $1.7 million. Dairy calf management. A graduate student thesis project resulted in data that explains the relationship between cold environmental temperatures and calf body temperatures, as well as calf behavioral and physiological responses to cold environmental conditions. An undergraduate Honors student thesis project compared two calf housing systems during hot weather conditions to determine which system mitigates heat stress in dairy calves. Impact: On average, the mortality rate for preweaned dairy heifer calves is 7.8%. An average of 24% of these heifer losses are due to respiratory disease, in which environmental stress plays a key role in disease susceptibility in calves. The goal of my Extension and applied research program is to determine which management practices minimize the detrimental health effects of environmental stress in calves and share this information with dairy producers to decrease preweaned heifer calf mortality rates (goal is 5% or less). Heifer survival rate is one of the top six factors affecting dairy net farm income, which contributes an average of $200 - $250 in additional lifetime net farm income per animal. By implementing best management practices for calf care and lowering the average heifer calf mortality rate to 5%, the Washington State dairy industry will gain $784,000 - $980,000 per year. Hoof health management. The average prevalence rate of digital dermatitis on dairies is 25%, with the average cost of each case at $64. Digital dermatitis costs Washington State dairy producers approximately $4.4 million per year. I recently completed a two-year-long project that compared two footbath products for efficacy in preventing digital dermatitis and examined how digital dermatitis affects cow behavior. Results of the study and recommendations for hoof health management practices are being disseminated through scientific presentations, popular magazine articles, and peer-reviewed journal articles. Impact: We found that by implementing best management practices for hoof care, dairy producers across the state can expect at least an 8% reduction in digital dermatitis, enhancing cow well-being and resulting in a savings of $358,400 per year for the Washington State dairy industry. Dairy cattle handling. Over 220 dairy workers, in addition to 225 4-H youth and adult leaders, participated in dairy cattle handling safety workshops. My work in this area led to collaborations with University of Pennsylvania veterinary school faculty, University of Washington researchers, and the Washington State Dairy Federation. Impact: Dairy cattle-related injuries and slips, trips, and falls are the two most common causes of workers' compensation claims on Washington State dairies. Because of these injury risks, Washington State workers' compensation premium rates for 2019 are $11.2 million for Washington State dairies, which includes a total increase of 8% over the last few years. Our goal is to offer effective worker safety training programs, including dairy cattle handling and slips, trips, and falls training, to reduce worker injuries by at least 25% and decrease statewide workers' compensation claim costs by 8%. This would result in a savings of at least $900,000 per year.
Publications
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Parchment, B. 2019. M.S. in Effect of feeding a yeast supplement to transition Holstein cows on colostrum quality and calf well-being. Animal Sciences. Washington State University.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Elser, J., A. Adams-Progar, K. Steensma, T. Caskin, S. Kerr, and S. Shwiff. Economic impacts of birds on dairies: Evidence from a survey of Washington dairy operators.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Foust, B., B. Parchment, S. Shwiff, K. Steensma, J. Elser, T. Caskin, and A. Adams Progar. Technical bulletin: The economic impact of bird damage on dairies. Submitted to WSU Extension FastTrack.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Young, H., B. Parchment, A. Lopez Ayala, and A. Adams Progar. Physiological responses of Holstein calves to hot weather conditions. Submitted to Int. J. Biometeorol.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Adams Progar, A., M. Kristula, and M. V. Hain. 2019. Dairy cattle handling Extension programs: training workers and cattle. J Extension https://joe.org/joe/2019august/rb8.php.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Caskin, T., K. Cirillo, and A. Adams-Progar. 2018. Physical management of pest birds in agricultural settings. WSU Extension FastTrack (https://research.wsulibs.wsu.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/2376/12901/FS294E.pdf).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Austin, E., A. Adams-Progar, P. Palm�ndez, S. Dilley, and M. Yost. 2019. Dairy safety kit: a Washington focused dairy training solution. Western Regional Ag Safety and Health Conference, August 2019, Seattle, WA.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Foust, B., E. Austin, P. Palm�ndez, M. Yost, and A. Adams Progar. 2019. Injury prevention on Pacific Northwest dairies: needs assessment and curriculum development. Western Regional Ag Safety and Health Conference, August 2019, Seattle, WA.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Toet, C., and A. Adams Progar. 2019. Age affects Holstein cow behavioral responses to hoof disorders. ADSA Annual Meeting, June 2019, Cincinnati, OH.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Adams Progar, A. 2019. Top ten tips: cow behavior and automated milking systems. WSU Dairy News June (https://dairynews.puyallup.wsu.edu/news/)
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Adams Progar, A. 2019. Using technology to monitor animal health. WSU Veterinary Medicine Extension Newsletter Spring (https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2147/2019/04/Spring_2019-1.pdf).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Adams Progar, A. 2018. Top ten tips: what we learned about pest birds on Washington dairies. WSU Dairy News December (https://dairynews.puyallup.wsu.edu/2018/12/21/).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Adams Progar, A. 2018. Do pest birds affect cow well-being? WSU Veterinary Medicine Extension Newsletter Winter (https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2147/2018/12/Winter_2019.pdf)
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Adams Progar, A. July 2019. Top ten tips: cow behavior and automated milking systems. Dairy Business magazine (https://www.dairybusiness.com/top-ten-tips-cow-behavior-and-automated-milking-systems)
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Adams Progar, A. March 2019. Pest birds cause real problems on dairies. Progressive Dairyman Canada magazine (https://www.progressivedairy.com/topics/herd-health/pest-birds-cause-real-problems-for-dairies).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Adams Progar, A. February 2019. Do hoof lesions affect heat detection? Hoards Dairyman in Spanish magazine.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Adams Progar, A. December 2018. Do hoof lesions affect heat detection? Hoards Dairyman magazine.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Adams Progar, A. October 2018. Pest birds cause real problems on dairies. Progressive Dairyman magazine (https://www.progressivedairy.com/topics/herd-health/pest-birds-cause-real-problems-for-dairies).
|
Progress 10/01/17 to 09/30/18
Outputs
Target Audience:Dairy producers, employees, youth producers, and veterinarians are the target audience for this project. The main objective of this project is to conduct applied research on dairy cattle behavior to improve animal well-being and production on dairies. More specifically, the topics addressed in this project are: 1) effects of on-farm pest bird management strategies on dairy cow well-being; 2) dairy cattle handling training for dairy employees and youth producers; and 3) use of emerging technology to identify cows and calves with compromised welfare. Changes/Problems:No major problems or delays, significant deviations, or changes to report at this time. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project has provided opportunities for graduate student and undergraduate student research experience and training. Two M.S. students and eight undergraduate students have participated in this project over the past year. One M.S. student completed his thesis research under this project and graduated in May 2018. Four of the undergraduate researchers acquired professional presentation skills as they presented at the WSU Showcase for Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities in 2018. One undergraduate researcher and gained experience in a national setting when she presented her research at the 2018 American Dairy Science Association Annual Meeting. Two Honor's thesis undergraduate projects were also supported by this project. Involvement in this project offered the opportunity for the PI to present research at national meetings that led to larger collaborations across the U.S. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results from this project have been disseminated through presentations (scientific and outreach), factsheets, newsletter articles, lay magazine articles, and exhibits (such as booth exhibits). Presentations targeted a wide variety of audiences that included animal scientists, nutritionists, veterinarians, physicians, and dairy industry representatives. Articles in the WSU Dairy Newsletter and lay magazines reach a national audience. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we plan to conduct a study that tests the effectiveness of several non-lethal pest bird management practices on dairies, offer an educational workshop on pest bird management to dairy producers, publish our results from the hoof health and behavior study in a peer-reviewed scientific journal article, offer additional dairy cattle handling safety trainings, and conduct a study to determine the effectiveness of different training strategies on dairy employee learning.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
An economic analysis survey was distributed to all Washington dairy producers this year to measure the true economic damage pest birds cause on dairies. With the results from this survey, we demonstrated that most Washington dairy producers are using ineffective pest bird management strategies. Pest birds cause feed loss, feed spoilage, and contribute to pathogenic transmission. The economic analysis predicts that these damages will result in a net loss of 73 jobs and $6.7 million in GDP over five years in Western Washington state, and a net loss of 81 jobs and $5.9 million in GDP over five years in Eastern Washington state. Additionally, dairies with a bird abundance greater than 10,000 birds per day were more likely to report that Johne's disease and Salmonella were present within their herds. To measure the impact of pest birds on cow behavior at the feed bunk, continuous video footage was collected at the feed bunks of 17 lactating cow pens. This video footage was analyzed for bird density, number of cows at the feed bunk, cow-cow displacements at the feed bunk, cow aggression towards birds. Higher bird densities at the feed bunk were associated with more displays of cow aggression towards birds, but cow-cow displacements were not affected. The dairy cattle handling safety training program expanded this year to include a workshop offered at the national level. Over 100 dairy employees completed the dairy cattle handling safety training so far. More than 180 animal scientists, undergraduate students, and 4-H youth participated in the dairy cattle handling safety workshops supported by this project. Through the administration of pre- and post-training assessments, we found that participants increased their performance on some assessment questions by as much as 80% after completing a one-hour-long training. We will continue to offer these dairy cattle handling safety training programs through the next year. One of our goals for the next year is to recruit additional farms for the training and begin testing the effectiveness of an interactive training in comparison to a video-based training. Dairy producers are increasingly interested in using activity monitors to assess heat detection and well-being in dairy cattle. Activity monitors may also be well-suited to detect the early on-set of hoof disorders in cattle. We conducted a two-year-long study that aimed to use activity monitors to compare behavior between cows with hoof lesions and cows without hoof lesions. Additionally, we documented and analyzed differences in the size and healing status (digressing or active) of hoof lesions. From our results, we concluded that cows with any lesion (regardless of size or healing status) spent less time (72 minutes less) eating than cows without a lesion. We also found that cows with active lesions spent less time (42 minutes less) displaying high activity. Our goal for the next year is to continue analyzing this data and report these results in a peer-reviewed scientific journal article.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Adams Progar, A. Do hoof lesions affect heat detection? Hoard's Dairyman magazine.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Adams Progar, A. 2018. Pest birds cause real problems on dairies. Progressive Dairyman magazine (https://www.progressivedairy.com/topics/herd-health/pest-birds-cause-real-problems-for-dairies).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Adams Progar, A. 2018. New hoof health research reveals cows with hoof lesions spend less time eating. Progressive Dairyman magazine (https://www.progressivedairy.com/topics/herd-health/new-hoof-health-research-reveals-cows-with-hoof-lesions-spend-less-time-eating).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Adams Progar, A. 2017. Understanding dairy cattle welfare from an international perspective. WSU Dairy News (https://dairynews.pyuallup.wsu.edu/2017/09/).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Caskin, T., K. Cirillo, and A. Adams-Progar. 2018. Physical management of pest birds in agricultural settings. WSU Extension Factsheet (https://research.wsulibs.wsu.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/2376/12901/FS294E.pdf).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Adams Progar, A. L., L. R. Dearmin, and A. R. Allen. 2018. Impact of hoof health on Holstein cow behavior. ADSA Annual Meeting, June 2018, Knoxville, TN.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Caskin, T. P., A. Adams Progar, K. Steensma, S. Kerr, J. Harrison, J. Gay, and B. Garries. 2018. Evaluation of wild bird species populations on Washington dairy farms. SARE Conference, April 2018, St. Louis, MO.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Caskin, T. P., J. M. Gay, K. M. M. Steensma, J. H. Harrison, B. Garries, A. Sarchet, and A. L. Adams Progar. 2018. Impacts of wild birds on pathogen dissemination and behavioral interactions in dairy cattle. ADSA Annual Meeting, June 2018, Knoxville, TN.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Adams Progar, A., M. Kristula, and M. V. Hain. Dairy cattle handling Extension programs: training workers and cattle. Submission to Journal of Extension.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Elser, J., A. Adams-Progar, K. Steensma, T. Caskin, S. Kerr, and S. Shwiff. Economic impacts of birds on dairies: Evidence from a survey of Washington dairy operators. Submission to Journal of Dairy Science.
|
Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17
Outputs
Target Audience:Dairy producers, employees, youth producers, and veterinarians are the target audience for this project. The main objective of this project is to conduct applied research on dairy cattle behavior to improve animal well-being and production on dairies. More specifically, the topics addressed in this project are: 1) effects of on-farm pest bird management strategies on dairy cow well-being; 2) dairy cattle handling training for dairy employees and youth producers; and 3) use of emerging technology to identify cows and calves with compromised welfare. Changes/Problems:No major problems or delays, significant deviations, or changes to report at this time. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project has provided opportunities for graduate student and undergraduate student research experience and training. Three M.S. students and ten undergraduate students have participated in this project. One M.S. student completed her thesis research under this project and graduated in May 2017. Five of the undergraduate researchers acquired professional presentation skills as they presented at the WSU Showcase for Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities in 2017. One undergraduate researcher gained experience in a national setting when she presented her research at the 2017 American Dairy Science Association Annual Meeting. Three Honor's thesis undergraduate projects were also supported by this project. Involvement in this project offered the opportunity for the PI to present research at one international conference and attend another international conference. These opportunities led to potential international collaborations. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results from this project have been disseminated through presentations (scientific and outreach), factsheets, newsletter articles, lay magazine articles, exhibits (such as booth exhibits), and one book chapter. Presentations targeted a wide variety of audiences that included animal scientists, physicians, veterinarians, and dairy industry representatives. Articles in the WSU Dairy Newsletter reach a national audience. The book chapter is included in a book that is widely used in educating veterinary students across the United States. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Goals for the next reporting period include: - Submit calf heat stress manuscript to peer-reviewed journal - Submit hoof health and behavior manuscript to peer-reviewed journal - Develop hoof health and behavior lay magazine article - Develop pest bird management lay magazine article - Recruit a Ph.D. student to assist with this project
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Two research studies implemented novel technology techniques (iButtons and HOBO devices) to investigate how dairy cattle respond behaviorally and physiologically to environmental stress (cold stress and heat stress). The cold stress study focused on determining the effectiveness of calf jackets to minimize the impact of cold weather on Jersey calves. Calf body temperatures, behaviors, growth and health were monitored for calves with jackets and calves without jackets during cold weather. Results from this study indicated that the use of calf jackets did not affect calf growth, health, or behavior. However, calf body temperatures increased by 0.01 ºC with every 1 unit drop in the hutch temperature-humidity index. Sixty-five percent of disease diagnoses occurred when calves were 2 - 3 weeks of age. The heat stress study specifically measured Holstein calf behavioral and physiological responses during hot weather in two different housing systems. Results from this study showed that differences between the housing systems existed, in which the use of one housing system led to lower calf body temperatures and almost 10% more lying behavior in calves. Additionally, one study implemented emerging technology (CowManager ear tags) to monitor behavioral changes in dairy cows. This behavioral data was coupled with hoof health measurements to identify how hoof lesion size and severity impacts cow behavior. Preliminary results from this study demonstrate that a cow's ear temperature and hoof lesion status (active or digressing) may be correlated to the amount of time a cow spends eating each day. These three studies will provide useful insight into behavioral cues producers may use to identify dairy cattle illnesses. The dairy cattle handling training program expanded this year to include trainings for undergraduate students and teen 4-H leaders. During both workshops, 95% of participants gained knowledge from this program and at least 70% of participants gained confidence in teaching safe dairy cattle handling skills. Dairy cattle handling traininig offered through this program has evolved over the course of the last year as the collaboration with the Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Handling Center at the University of Washington continues to strengthen. Two research projects support the methods of distribution and content used during the trainings. The first study aims to determine whether a general, non-site specific lecture-based training or a site-specific, interactive training is more effective at instilling long-term behavior changes in dairy employees. Thus far, participants tend to gain more knowledge by participating in site-specific training, but long-term impacts are yet to be determined. The second study aims to examine whether the amount of handling a calf receives during the preweaning period influences how the animal handles as a weaned calf and as a lactating cow. The hypothesis is that calves that require extra attention and handling (due to an illness, for example) during the preweaning period will be more difficult to handle later in life. An economic analysis survey was distributed to all Washington dairy producers this year to measure the true economic damage pest birds cause on dairies. This survey is currently being analyzed and results will soon be available for distribution. Protocols were developed to conduct a nutrition analysis of the feed birds consume at dairy feed bunks and conduct a pathogen analysis of the types of bacteria birds deposit at feed bunks. Additionally, video cameras were installed on four commercial dairy farms to observe and record behavioral interactions between pest birds and cows at the feed bunk. This data is currently being collected and this phase of the study will conclude during early 2018.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Young, H. A., A. L. Adams Progar, and A. Lopez Ayala. 2017. Comparison of two housing systems and dairy calf physiological responses during hot weather. WSU SURCA poster presentation.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Wen, X., D. A. Moore, J. H. Harrison, J. Schafer, and A. L. Adams Progar. 2017. Using calf jackets to minimize cold stress in Jersey calves. American Dairy Science Association Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, June 2017.
- Type:
Book Chapters
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Adams-Progar, A. L. Dairy Cattle Behavior in: Blackwell's Five-Minute Veterinary Consult: Ruminant, 2nd ed., Wiley Publishing, 2017.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Adams Progar, A. L., A. Deml, R. Pernu, H. Young, and J. Callanan. 2017. Holstein calf behavioral responses to acidified milk. American Dairy Science Association Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, June 2017.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Adams Progar, A. L., A. Deml, R. Pernu, H. Young, and J. Callanan. 2017. Feeding acidified milk to Holstein calves:assessment of calf behavior and welfare. Assessment of Animal Welfare at Farm and Group Level Conference, Ede, Netherlands, September 2017.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Young, H. A., A. L. Adams Progar, and A. Lopez Ayala. 2017. Comparison of two housing systems and dairy calf physiological responses during hot weather. American Dairy Science Association Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, June 2017.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Adams-Progar, A., and D. A. Moore. 2017. Group housing preweaned dairy calves: socialization vs. disease transmission. WSU Extension Factsheet FS255E.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Pereira, R., A. Adams Progar, and D. Moore. 2017. Dairy calf treatment for diarrhea: are the drugs we use effective? WSU Extension Factsheet FS254E.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Cirillo, K., A. Adams Progar, T. Caskin, K. Steensma, S. Kerr, and B. Garries. 2017. Evaluation of wild bird species populations on Washington dairy farms. WSU SURCA poster presentation.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Edmondson, A., L. Dearmin, and A. Adams Progar. 2017. Hoof health in dairy cattle. WSU SURCA poster presentation.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Lopez Ayala, A., A. Adams Progar, P. Calderon-Hernandez, J. Swain, and J. Harrison. 2017. The key to animal welfare: communication. WSU SURCA poster presentation.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Schafer, J., A. Adams Progar, and X. Wen. 2017. Behavioral indicators of illness in Jersey calves during cold weather. WSU SURCA poster presentation.
|
|