TheBeefSite Newsletter - 6 June 2012

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Wednesday 6th June 2012

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Welcome to this week's newsletter

Editorial: More Research Needed to Measure Pain and its Affects on Behaviour Around Calving

Last week, I attended a Farm Animal Well-Being Export Forum, hosted by Boehringer Ingelheim, in Portugal.

One of the interesting discussions at the meeting was that there are very few ways to measure pain during and after calving.

Dr Cathy Dwyer, with the Scottish Agricultural College, said it is well known that parturition is painful, especially when dystocia or a caesarean occurs. However, only 14 per cent of veterinarians in the EU attempt to provide post-surgical pain relief, despite knowing that the pain associated with the process is high.

One reason could be because it is hard to assess pain at parturition.

"There are very few clear physical indicators of pain around calving time," Dr Dwyer said. Whilst cortisol levels and other hormones can be measured, she said that changes in hormone levels are not always related to pain.

One way to potentially assess pain at parturition is to monitor behavioural changes.

Past studies have suggested that pain and discomfort at calving can be associated with higher levels of rubbing, urine discharge, tail rising, kicking and head-turning, a longer time spent lying down and an increase in postural transitions.

Using behaviour to monitor the pain associated with calving, Dr Dwyer has been involved in research looking at the use of meloxicam at the start of a caesarean section and whether it reduces port-partum pain and discomfort.

Meloxicam is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used for pain relief. The study, performed on beef cattle, concluded that cows which received meloxicam lay down for longer and had more bouts of lying in the first 24 hours, compared to cows which received a placebo.

Commonly, lying would be associated with pain and discomfort.

However Dr Dwyer believes this may not be the case. She said that lying behaviour in post-partum C-section cows may not be indicative of pain and could in fact show that cows are comfortable.

The conclusion? More research into the relationship between resting, pain and discomfort at parturition is needed. And in order to assess the pain, validated pain measurements must be developed.

Charlotte Johnston

This Week's Feature Articles

We have 4 new features this week:

Salmonella Harboured in Lymph Nodes of Cattle
Salmonella in beef cattle can evade detection because it becomes hidden in the lymph nodes of the carcase and in consequence can increase the contamination of ground beef products, writes Chris Harris.

Condition Scoring to Improve Cash Flow
Investing in nutrition and genetics to improve cow condition at calving can directly increase annual farm income, says Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA).

Weigh Every Option before Considering Restocking Beef Herds
Restocking may be an option that many ranchers are considering, but rainfall and other factors will weigh heavily into the decision-making process, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service economist.

UK Farm Sector Worth £5.69 billion
Total Income from farming is estimated to have risen by 25 per cent in real terms over the last year after adjusting for inflation, to £5.69 billion, according to Defra's Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2011 report.

Market Reports

» USDA Agricultural Prices - May 2012
» Outlook for US Agricultural Trade - May 2012
» AHDB European Market Survey - 1 June 2012
» AHDB UK Market Survey - 1 June 2012

Company News

Bayer Cattle Symposium Looks at Production
PORTUGAL - Bayer Animal Health (BAH) has confirmed its commitment to transforming cattle production at the 4th International Bayer Cattle Symposium. Reflecting their long-term dedication to meeting the needs of the cattle world, the BAH symposium, held last week, brought together an array of international experts to focus on two key areas of concern for modern cattle production: the management of vectors and vector-borne diseases in ruminants; and current approaches to metabolic disorders in cattle.

Global Beef Cattle Industry News