Publications
NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.
2018
Authors
Lise Grøva Boris Fuchs Emma Brunberg Unni Støbet Lande Kristin Sørheim Svein-Olaf Hvasshovd Solveig Marie StubsjøenAbstract
SENSOR TECHNOLOGY TO DETECT TICK-BORNE FEVER IN SHEEP ON RANGE PASTURE? Lise GRØVA 1), Boris Fuchs 2), Emma BRUNBERG 3), Unni Støbet LANDE 2), Kristin SØRHEIM 2), Svein Olav Hvasshovd 4), Solveig Marie Stubsjøen 5) 1) NIBIO, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Gunnars veg 6, 6630 Tingvoll, Norway; lise.grova@nibio.no 2) Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, Elverum, Norway 3) NORSØK, Norwegian Centre for Organic Agriculture, Gunnars veg 6, 6630 Tingvoll, Norway; emma.brunberg@djurskyddet.se 4) NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway 5) VETINST, Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Oslo, Norway More than two million sheep graze on unimproved, rough grazing land during the summer months each year in Norway. Free ranging sheep are perceived to experience high level of animal welfare through their opportunity to perform natural behaviour, but these benefits are compromised when sheep experience predator attacks, disease and accidents. Ensuring animal health and welfare in farming systems gets increased attention, and new policies and legislations are implemented. About 125 000 sheep (6-7%) are lost on such pastures every year. Tick-borne fever (TBF) is a disease considered to be a major challenge in sheep farming during the grazing season along the coast of south-western Norway. Clinical signs of TBF is ofte observed within 14 days of infection, starting with an abrupt rise in rectal temperature (often above 41o C). Being able to monitor farm animals on range pastures is increasingly important and implementing available technology for this purpose should be exploited. Implementation of sensor technology in rangeland sheep farming can monitor physiological parameters, such as body temperature (T). Integrating such sensors in a GPS tracking system may contribute to detect, locate and treat sick animals, as well as improve our knowledge of animal health in time and space in rangeland farming systems. The objective of the work presented here is to evaluate if a temperature sensor can be used for early detection of Tick-borne fever (TBF). In 2016, temperature sensors (Star Oddi, Iceland) were implanted in the abdomen of 20 lambs in a one sheep flock in a TBF risk area and in 20 lambs from one flock in a non-TBF risk area in Norway. The sensors were programmed to log temperature every 10 minutes, and were implanted in lambs in early June and collected in early September to retrieve data. Temperature data were obtained from 13 temperature loggers from lambs in the TBF risk are and 14 loggers in the non-TBF risk area. The telemetry system (Telespor, Norway) was used on all lambs, and provided accelerometer information and real-time positioning data that was used for continuous surveillance on range pasture. All animals were monitored twice a day for approximately one month period after turned out on tick infested pastures. Number and magnitude of fever was calculated for each lamb. Preliminary results from this study will be presented at the conference. Keywords: sheep, sensor technology, temperature, tick-borne fever, rangeland
Abstract
CAN THE ALERTNESS OF ICELANDIC LEADERSHEEP HELP TO PROTECT SHEEP FLOCKS AGAINST PREDATORS? Emma BRUNBERG 1), Lise GRØVA 2), Emma EYTHÓRSDÓTTIR 3), Ólafur R. DÝRMUNDSSON 4) 1) NORSØK, Norwegian Centre for Organic Agriculture, Gunnars veg 6, 6630 Tingvoll, Norway; emma.brunberg@djurskyddet.se 2) NIBIO, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Gunnars veg 6, 6630 Tingvoll, Norway; lise.grova@nibio.no 3) LBHÍ, Agricultural University of Iceland, Árleyni 22, 112 Reykjavík, Iceland , emma@lbhi.is 4) Jórusel 12, 109 Reykjavík, Iceland, oldyrm@gmail.com Icelandic leadersheep, a unique sub-breed of the North European short-tailed Iceland breed, are known for their strongly inherited alertness and urge to lead their flock. They have been known through centuries for their outstanding behavioural abilities and intelligence and have not been selected for production traits like other Icelandic sheep. The behavioural traits of these sheep have attracted attention; particularly their alertness and the possibility that this could play a role in protecting sheep flocks against predator attacks. Norwegian scientists have shown breed differences in sheep mortality at summer pastures due to predators. A joint Icelandic/Norwegian project was initiated to test the hypothesis that the presence of Icelandic leadersheep affects flock behaviour when exposed to a predator model. Detecting such differences can clearly be regarded as being of both economic and welfare importance. Since it was not feasible to transport Icelandic leadersheep to Norway it was decided to test their alertness in comparison with that of other sheep in Iceland. An experiment was carried out on Hestur Sheep Experimental Farm in W- Iceland during two days in November 2016 using a total of 66 ewes divided into 11 groups. Six of the groups consisted of one Icelandic leadersheep and five Icelandic sheep (LSG), the remaining five groups consisted of six Icelandic sheep (ISG). The predator model tests took place within a fenced, rectangular pasture of 50m x 25m adjacent to a sheep house. All 11 groups were exposed to the same three treatments: human-, dog- and drone test, after a 10 minutes habituation period. The order of the treatments was randomized and there was a minimum 5 minutes interval between each test. All tests were video recorded. The behaviour observations recorded were; eat, stand walk, run and „other“. Recordings were made every 5 seconds during a two-minute period before and after test period, as well as every 5 seconds in 5*30second periods during each of the human, dog and drone treatment. Statistical analyses were conducted using the GLIMMIX procedure in SAS. There was a significant difference in behaviour between the groups with LSG compared to ISG. The LSG spent significantly more time feeding than the ISG groups for all tests, especially in the period after each test was finished, and it hence seems the LSG recover more quickly after a predator test. Including an Icelandic leadersheep into the flock affects behaviour. This should be further elaborated in commercial settings in order to understand the impact and relevance of including this genetic trait in sheep farming. Keywords: sheep, behaviour, predators, Icelandic leadersheep, predator model
Authors
Lillian ØygardenAbstract
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Conference lecture – Improving national CSC estimates using global forest watch
Johannes Breidenbach
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Johannes BreidenbachAbstract
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Johannes BreidenbachAbstract
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Authors
Hermine Mitter Martin Schönhart Franz Sinabell Anja Techen Katharina Helming Benjamin Leon Bodirsky Ian Holman Kasper Kok Heikki Lehtonen Adrian Leip Hermann Lotze- Kampen Erik Mathijs Bano Mehdi Melania Michetti Klaus Mittenzwei Lillian Øygarden Jörg A. Priess Pytrik Reidsma Rudiger Schaldach Erwin Schmid Heidi A. WebberAbstract
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Mette ThomsenAbstract
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Mette Thomsen Trude Wicklund Rune Andreassen Peter Martin Hilde Halland Magnus Göransson Morten RasmussenAbstract
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Authors
Anush Panosyan Martina Paponov Michel J. Verheul Ivan PaponovAbstract
No abstract has been registered