Effect of a reduced amount of straw bedding on goats’ comfort and hygienic characteristics of milk and straw
The present study aims to understand the influence of a reduced amount of straw litter on goats’ lying comfort and hygienic characteristics of milk and straw. Lying behaviour (frequency, lying posture, location and social context) of 24 Alpine goats subjected to two different straw treatments (Regul...
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doaj-ff58c5196906409998b6cef364bc11d82021-07-26T14:51:00ZengTaylor & Francis GroupItalian Journal of Animal Science1594-40771828-051X2021-01-01201995100110.1080/1828051X.2021.19204831920483Effect of a reduced amount of straw bedding on goats’ comfort and hygienic characteristics of milk and strawStefania Celozzi0Silvana Mattiello1Monica Battini2Maddalena Zucali3Lisa Pirovano4Clara Albano5Milena Brasca6Luciana Bava7Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali – Produzione, Territorio, Agroenergia, University of MilanDipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali – Produzione, Territorio, Agroenergia, University of MilanDipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali – Produzione, Territorio, Agroenergia, University of MilanDipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali – Produzione, Territorio, Agroenergia, University of MilanCascina Baciocca – Section of the experimental farm ANgelo Menozzi of the University of MilanIstituto di Scienze delle Produzioni Alimentari-National Research CouncilIstituto di Scienze delle Produzioni Alimentari-National Research CouncilDipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali – Produzione, Territorio, Agroenergia, University of MilanThe present study aims to understand the influence of a reduced amount of straw litter on goats’ lying comfort and hygienic characteristics of milk and straw. Lying behaviour (frequency, lying posture, location and social context) of 24 Alpine goats subjected to two different straw treatments (Regular: 2 kg/straw/head + 1 kg straw/head/day, n = 12; Scarce: 1 kg straw/head + 0.5 kg straw/head/day, n = 12) was observed from video recordings using a scan sampling method at 15-min scan intervals in March 2017. Moreover, straw and milk samples were submitted to microbiological analysis for the detection of total bacteria (SPC) and Enterobacteriaceae count. No significant differences in the duration of lying were observed between treatments, except at the beginning of the experimental period (Day 1: Regular: 26.0%; Scarce: 20.3% of scans; p < .05). In both treatments lying behaviour followed the normal lying patterns for goats, with a preference for sternal lying (99.4% of scans), in contact with a pen wall (78.2% of scans) and not in contact with other goats (alone: 79.7% of scans). Milk and straw SPC and Enterobacteriaceae count were not affected by the treatment. This preliminary study suggests the possibility to reduce the amount of straw as bedding material in goat farms, without affecting animal welfare and microbiological characteristics of milk and straw litter. However, further studies are required to confirm these results under different climatic conditions.Highlights Reducing the amount of straw bedding does not affect goats’ comfort Microbiological characteristics of milk and straw are not affected by the amount of straw bedding Provided that a daily addition is guaranteed, it seems possible to reduce management costs by reducing the amount of straw as bedding materialhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1828051X.2021.1920483goatsstraw beddingresting behaviourmicrobiological qualityhygiene |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Stefania Celozzi Silvana Mattiello Monica Battini Maddalena Zucali Lisa Pirovano Clara Albano Milena Brasca Luciana Bava |
spellingShingle |
Stefania Celozzi Silvana Mattiello Monica Battini Maddalena Zucali Lisa Pirovano Clara Albano Milena Brasca Luciana Bava Effect of a reduced amount of straw bedding on goats’ comfort and hygienic characteristics of milk and straw Italian Journal of Animal Science goats straw bedding resting behaviour microbiological quality hygiene |
author_facet |
Stefania Celozzi Silvana Mattiello Monica Battini Maddalena Zucali Lisa Pirovano Clara Albano Milena Brasca Luciana Bava |
author_sort |
Stefania Celozzi |
title |
Effect of a reduced amount of straw bedding on goats’ comfort and hygienic characteristics of milk and straw |
title_short |
Effect of a reduced amount of straw bedding on goats’ comfort and hygienic characteristics of milk and straw |
title_full |
Effect of a reduced amount of straw bedding on goats’ comfort and hygienic characteristics of milk and straw |
title_fullStr |
Effect of a reduced amount of straw bedding on goats’ comfort and hygienic characteristics of milk and straw |
title_full_unstemmed |
Effect of a reduced amount of straw bedding on goats’ comfort and hygienic characteristics of milk and straw |
title_sort |
effect of a reduced amount of straw bedding on goats’ comfort and hygienic characteristics of milk and straw |
publisher |
Taylor & Francis Group |
series |
Italian Journal of Animal Science |
issn |
1594-4077 1828-051X |
publishDate |
2021-01-01 |
description |
The present study aims to understand the influence of a reduced amount of straw litter on goats’ lying comfort and hygienic characteristics of milk and straw. Lying behaviour (frequency, lying posture, location and social context) of 24 Alpine goats subjected to two different straw treatments (Regular: 2 kg/straw/head + 1 kg straw/head/day, n = 12; Scarce: 1 kg straw/head + 0.5 kg straw/head/day, n = 12) was observed from video recordings using a scan sampling method at 15-min scan intervals in March 2017. Moreover, straw and milk samples were submitted to microbiological analysis for the detection of total bacteria (SPC) and Enterobacteriaceae count. No significant differences in the duration of lying were observed between treatments, except at the beginning of the experimental period (Day 1: Regular: 26.0%; Scarce: 20.3% of scans; p < .05). In both treatments lying behaviour followed the normal lying patterns for goats, with a preference for sternal lying (99.4% of scans), in contact with a pen wall (78.2% of scans) and not in contact with other goats (alone: 79.7% of scans). Milk and straw SPC and Enterobacteriaceae count were not affected by the treatment. This preliminary study suggests the possibility to reduce the amount of straw as bedding material in goat farms, without affecting animal welfare and microbiological characteristics of milk and straw litter. However, further studies are required to confirm these results under different climatic conditions.Highlights Reducing the amount of straw bedding does not affect goats’ comfort Microbiological characteristics of milk and straw are not affected by the amount of straw bedding Provided that a daily addition is guaranteed, it seems possible to reduce management costs by reducing the amount of straw as bedding material |
topic |
goats straw bedding resting behaviour microbiological quality hygiene |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1828051X.2021.1920483 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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