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.
2024
Abstract
Ruminants, including sheep, contribute significantly to methane emissions, thus resulting in high emissions per kg of product. However, they can utilise plant material unsuitable for human consumption, thereby transforming it into valuable, protein-rich food. Grazing also preserves cultural landscapes and can contribute to carbon sequestration. Under¬standing the balance between these factors within the climate change context is crucial. This study inves-tigates the environmental impact of meat, milk, and wool production from sheep farming in Norway and Slovenia.
Abstract
Ruminants, including sheep, significantly contribute to methane emissions, which results in high emissions per kg of product. Conversely, ruminants can utilise plant material unsuitable for human consumption, effectively converting it into valuable, protein-rich food. Grazing also maintains cultural landscapes and contributes to carbon sequestration. Therefore, under- standing the balance between these factors in the context of climate change is essential. This study analyses the environmental impact of meat, milk, and wool production from sheep farming in Norway and Slovenia.
Authors
C. Morgan-Davies G. Tesnière J.M. Gautier Grete H. M. Jørgensen E. González-García S.I. Patsios E.N. Sossidou T.W.J. Keady B. McClearn F. Kenyon G. Caja Lise Grøva M. Decandia L. Cziszter I. Halachmi C.M. DwyerAbstract
Small ruminant (sheep and goat) production of meat and milk is undertaken in diverse topographical and climatic environments and the systems range from extensive to intensive. This could lead to different types of welfare compromise, which need to be managed. Implementing Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) and other new or innovative technologies could help to manage or monitor animal welfare. This paper explores such opportunities, seeking to identify promising aspects of PLF that may allow improved management of welfare for small ruminants using literature search (two reviews), workshops in nine countries (France, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Norway, Romania, Spain, and the United Kingdom) with 254 stakeholders, and panels with 52 experts. An investigation of the main welfare challenges that may affect sheep and goats across the different management systems in Europe was undertaken, followed by a prioritisation of animal welfare issues obtained in the nine countries. This suggested that disease and health issues, feed access and undernutrition/malnutrition, maternal behaviour/offspring losses, environmental stressors and issues with agonistic behavioural interactions were important welfare concerns. These welfare issues and their indicators (37 for sheep, 25 for goats) were categorised into four broad welfare indicator categories: weight loss or change in body state (BWC), behavioural change (BC), milk yield and quality (MY), and environmental indicators (Evt). In parallel, 24 potential PLF and innovative technologies (8 for BWC; 10 for BC; 4 for MY; 6 for Evt) that could be relevant to monitor these broad welfare indicator categories and provide novel approaches to manage and monitor welfare have been identified. Some technologies had the capacity to monitor more than one broad indicator. Out of the 24 technologies, only 12 were animal-based sensors, or that could monitor the animal individually. One alternative could be to incorporate a risk management approach to welfare, using aspects of environmental stress. This could provide an early warning system for the potential risks of animal welfare compromise and alert farmers to the need to implement mitigation actions.
2023
Abstract
Supplemental feeding of cervids during winter is a widespread management practice, but feeding may increase the risk of disease transmission. Therefore, legal regulations to limit supplemental feeding are often implemented when dealing with severe infectious diseases, such as chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids. However, it is currently unclear whether these regulations result in decreased spatial clustering and aggregation as intended. Supplemental feeding is expected to restrict the movement of cervids. Therefore, a ban on feeding may also result in wider space use and a risk of geographic spread of disease. The space use of 63 GPS-marked red deer (Cervus elaphus) was investigated before (n = 34) and after (n = 29) the implementation of a legal regulation aimed at limiting the supplemental feeding of cervids during winter in a CWD-affected region of Nordfjella, Norway. Snow depth was the main determinant of the space use for red deer. A moderate reduction in the number of GPS positions in spatial clusters was evident during periods of deep snow once the ban was in place. Sizes of core areas (Kernel 50%), home ranges (Kernel 95%), and dispersion (MCP 100%, number of 1 km2 pixels visited per deer) declined from January to March and with increasing snow depth. Dispersion (number of 1 km2 pixels visited per deer) did not depend on snow depth after the ban, and red deer used larger areas when snow depth was high after the ban compared to before. The ban on supplementary feeding had no effect on size of core areas or home ranges. Several potential factors can explain the overall weak effect of the ban on space use, including the use of agricultural fields by red deer, other anthropogenic feeding, and landscape topography. This study highlights that snow depth is the main factor determining space use during winter, and it remains to be determined whether the moderate reduction in spatial clustering during deep snow after the ban was sufficient to lower the risk of disease transmission.
Authors
Gabriela WagnerAbstract
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Authors
Gabriela WagnerAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Gabriela WagnerAbstract
No abstract has been registered
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No abstract has been registered