Unit "Cattle Herds Health Managament"

Our project

Our project deals with the management of the heealth of dairy and beef herds. We aim at producing knowledge and methods to prevent major health disorders of cattle and to improve welfare and reproduction. The knowledge and methods elaborated shall contributte to the rationalisation of the use of antibiotics and athemintics drugs and also contribute to the profitability of the cattle herds.

To adapt and personalize the control strategies for each herd, our project aims also at taking into acoun for the specifities and the contraints of the herds. The research conudcted within this unit deal with epidemiologu, modelling and simulation for decision making in animal health, animal health economics, elaboration and evaluation of control strategies and intervention methods, but los sociology of the different actors invovling in the management of the health of cattle herds.

Partners of the unit Cattle Herds Health Managament 

This units gathers in the same place Engineers and a veterinarian form the French Livestock Institute And researchers and Fellow from Oniris( National College of Veterinary Medicine, Nantes) and form the Departement Animal Health of INRA (UMR BioEpAR).
	The unit can also benefit of the support from local vet and farmers organisation of Britany and Pays de la Loire: Veterinarians and engineers form Animal Health Services (GDS) (GDS) Practitioners from “Bovine practitioner Organization (GTV)

This network is rather unique and original in France. Depending on the projects, other partners can be solicited.

Research and Work Topics 2014-2018

The projects for this 5 years period will deal with 3 different areas

Topic 1- The assessment of innovative methods and technics for the management of cattle herd health

Up to day, 3 projects are planed

• The assessment of monitoring tools and embedded sensors for the detection of heath disorders (eg thermoboluses)
• The elaboration of a diagnostic method for the detection of Subacute Ruminal Acidosis in dairy cattle based on infra-red technology applied on milk
• The environmental and sanitary impact of the different types of floors (concrete, slatted, sloped, …) in cattle barns

Topic 2- Taking into account for the specificities of the herds to optimize the performances

Up to day, 2 projects are planed

• The elaboration of new tools and reference in terms of reproductive performances and goals in beef and dairy herds
• The cost-benefit analysis of the different kind of sensors to detect heat depending of the characteristics of the cattle herds

Topic 3- Promoting the rationale/reduction use of antibiotics and anthelmintic drugs through the support of farmers and staff involved in cattle health management

Up to day, 2 projects are planed

• The description of the perceptions and attitudes of farmers towards the control of parasitism in their herd and the acceptability/feasibility of selective treatment
• The description of barriers and drawbacks for the implementation of selective treatment at drying off in dairy herds and the development of innovative communication/training programs

Research and Work Topics 2008-2013

The projects conducted in the period 2008-2013 dealt with

The production of knowledge for the control of multifactorial diseases and parasitism in cattle

• Control of Digital Dermatitis in dairy cattle
• The epidemiology of intra-mammary infections due to S. uberis
• The rationale sue of anthelmintic drugs in dairy cattle

The production of knowledge for the control of endemic infectious diseases

• Elaboration of a safe-trade system based on the status of the herds towards Johne’s disease
• Elaboration of a guarantee non PI for young calves based on epidemiologic criteria

Elaboration of intervention methods to improve cattle health

• Mastitis and Lameness
• Fertility disorders
• Mastitis in Milking Robot System
• Prevention off cattle diseases in case of merging herds
• Mortality of beef calves
• Diagnosis of infectious bovine abortions