Periodic Reporting for period 3 - HealthyLivestock (Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance through improved livestock Health and Welfare)
Reporting period: 2021-09-01 to 2023-02-28
Modern livestock production systems often constrain natural animal behaviour and may result in health problems and product quality issues. Efforts to maximise production often involve overuse of anti-microbial drugs in farm animals. Drug residues may accumulate in animal products and the environment, antimicrobial resistance and a risk for consumers. The EU and China both face similar challenges.
The main objective of HealthyLivestock is to reduce the use of antimicrobials applied by the pig and broiler industry in China and Europe, and the subsequent residues in the food chain and the environment, by improving on-farm animal health & welfare without compromising productivity.
This involves a multidisciplinary approach aiming at:
• reduction of antimicrobial use on farms through development of technical innovations and farm management solutions;
• validation of the solutions in terms of reduced drug residues, practical feasibility, societal acceptance and economic viability;
• effective technology transfer through tools and standard setting dedicated to different stakeholders.
The main objective of HealthyLivestock is to reduce the use of antimicrobials applied by the pig and broiler industry in China and Europe, and the subsequent residues in the food chain and the environment, by improving on-farm animal health & welfare without compromising productivity.
This involves a multidisciplinary approach aiming at:
• reduction of antimicrobial use on farms through development of technical innovations and farm management solutions;
• validation of the solutions in terms of reduced drug residues, practical feasibility, societal acceptance and economic viability;
• effective technology transfer through tools and standard setting dedicated to different stakeholders.
Strategy 1: Biosecurity
Two innovative tools to assess biosecurity risks were developed and applied to pig and broiler farms, involving farmers and farm vets and resulting in farm specific tailor-made herd health plans. Sets of biomarkers were identified and were used to monitor animal health and welfare in these farms. The effectiveness was assessed of the innovative tools to assess biosecurity risks and of the related tailor-made herd health plans, in terms of improved animal health and welfare.
Strategy 2: Resilience
The resilience program aimed to improve resilience of pigs and broilers against disease challenges through welfare improvements in systems and use of probiotics, prebiotics and Traditional Chinese medicine in diets. The peri-hatching systems X-Treck in broilers and the use of enrichment materials in grower pigs and broilers showed to be effective in improving welfare and performance but not resilience. The use of elevated platforms in broiler houses only showed marginal effects on broiler performance and welfare. Behavioural freedom of pregnant and lactating sows improves resilience of their offspring. Symbiotic (pre-pro biotic combinations) dietary treatments in broilers improves performance of broilers. Various TCVM were tested in both broilers and grower pigs and challenge experiments show that TCVM lowers pro-inflammatory responses and decreases gut health parameters.
Strategy 3: Rapid Detection
The work on individual pig behaviour was completed, but unfortunately without clear early behavioural indicators related to disease. Several suggestions are proposed for future work on early behaviour indicators for disease in pigs. At pig group level, promising results were obtained related to automated detection of tail biting. In the poultry studies data analyses on the use of the weighing platforms was completed. The effects of hatching environment on later behaviour of chicks were confirmed: on farm hatched chickens showed lower activity levels, which may be related with their lower level of fearfulness. The WP3 work resulted in several peer reviewed papers.
Strategy 4: Targeted use of antimicrobials & alternative solutions
The investigations of pharmacokinetics of antibiotics giving in drinking water were performed in pig and poultry farms. They highlighted the extremely high inter-individual variability of antibiotics concentrations in blood, which is the consequence of 1) the expected dramatically high variability of individual drinking behaviour and, 2) the unexpected dramatically high variability of antibiotic concentrations in drinking water, especially for amoxicillin compared to doxycycline. Corrective solutions were proposed to improve to probability of cure of antibiotic treatments.
The pharmaco-statistical model that was developed has a generic value, and it could be proposed to regulatory agencies and policy bodies, for the evaluation of any other antibiotic formulations labelled for delivery in drinking water in pig or poultry production.
The investigations of the effects of alternatives to antibiotics were performed in poultry farms from Cyprus and Greece, and show positive results. In China, Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicines (TCVM) were tested in pig and poultry production, with positive results.
Validation of potential solutions
Full data sets have been created for four countries concerning the analysis of residues of antimicrobials in meat, water and manure on pig and poultry farms before and after the implementation of biosecurity measures. On poultry farms significant differences were detected between residues of antibiotics in water and meat before and after the implementation of biosecurity measures. The collection of technical and economic data of the same farms as well as information about the costs of biosecurity measures have been completed and analysed. The costs and benefits of eight innovations tested in the previous WPs have been analysed. The analysis of the attitudes towards innovation and the use of antimicrobials of 600 pig and 200 broiler farmers in the EU was finalised and results were described. Data collection of 2,178 interviews with consumers in six countries was completed and analysed.
Dissemination and Exploitation
The main objective was to provide stakeholders with tools to improve health & welfare and reduce antimicrobial usage in broiler and pig farming. HealthyLivestock is very active in the social media: we have a Twitter account (with 667 followers), a LinkedIn page (1016 connections), we are on Facebook and have a YouTube channel with videos of the project. In the course of the project 8 Newsletters were produced in Chinese and in English and published via our websites, social media and direct emails to specific target audiences. The mailing list contains over 1500 relevant stakeholders contacts. The fourth annual conference (our fifth consortium meeting) was held on the 15-17th February together with a joint event by the ArMoR cluster of the Horizon Results Booster. We produced 10 Technical Notes and a Policy Brief (long and short version). In addition two digital applications for farmers and veterinarians were produced by consortium partner Zoetis and modules for certification schemes by consortium partner Global G.A.P.
Two innovative tools to assess biosecurity risks were developed and applied to pig and broiler farms, involving farmers and farm vets and resulting in farm specific tailor-made herd health plans. Sets of biomarkers were identified and were used to monitor animal health and welfare in these farms. The effectiveness was assessed of the innovative tools to assess biosecurity risks and of the related tailor-made herd health plans, in terms of improved animal health and welfare.
Strategy 2: Resilience
The resilience program aimed to improve resilience of pigs and broilers against disease challenges through welfare improvements in systems and use of probiotics, prebiotics and Traditional Chinese medicine in diets. The peri-hatching systems X-Treck in broilers and the use of enrichment materials in grower pigs and broilers showed to be effective in improving welfare and performance but not resilience. The use of elevated platforms in broiler houses only showed marginal effects on broiler performance and welfare. Behavioural freedom of pregnant and lactating sows improves resilience of their offspring. Symbiotic (pre-pro biotic combinations) dietary treatments in broilers improves performance of broilers. Various TCVM were tested in both broilers and grower pigs and challenge experiments show that TCVM lowers pro-inflammatory responses and decreases gut health parameters.
Strategy 3: Rapid Detection
The work on individual pig behaviour was completed, but unfortunately without clear early behavioural indicators related to disease. Several suggestions are proposed for future work on early behaviour indicators for disease in pigs. At pig group level, promising results were obtained related to automated detection of tail biting. In the poultry studies data analyses on the use of the weighing platforms was completed. The effects of hatching environment on later behaviour of chicks were confirmed: on farm hatched chickens showed lower activity levels, which may be related with their lower level of fearfulness. The WP3 work resulted in several peer reviewed papers.
Strategy 4: Targeted use of antimicrobials & alternative solutions
The investigations of pharmacokinetics of antibiotics giving in drinking water were performed in pig and poultry farms. They highlighted the extremely high inter-individual variability of antibiotics concentrations in blood, which is the consequence of 1) the expected dramatically high variability of individual drinking behaviour and, 2) the unexpected dramatically high variability of antibiotic concentrations in drinking water, especially for amoxicillin compared to doxycycline. Corrective solutions were proposed to improve to probability of cure of antibiotic treatments.
The pharmaco-statistical model that was developed has a generic value, and it could be proposed to regulatory agencies and policy bodies, for the evaluation of any other antibiotic formulations labelled for delivery in drinking water in pig or poultry production.
The investigations of the effects of alternatives to antibiotics were performed in poultry farms from Cyprus and Greece, and show positive results. In China, Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicines (TCVM) were tested in pig and poultry production, with positive results.
Validation of potential solutions
Full data sets have been created for four countries concerning the analysis of residues of antimicrobials in meat, water and manure on pig and poultry farms before and after the implementation of biosecurity measures. On poultry farms significant differences were detected between residues of antibiotics in water and meat before and after the implementation of biosecurity measures. The collection of technical and economic data of the same farms as well as information about the costs of biosecurity measures have been completed and analysed. The costs and benefits of eight innovations tested in the previous WPs have been analysed. The analysis of the attitudes towards innovation and the use of antimicrobials of 600 pig and 200 broiler farmers in the EU was finalised and results were described. Data collection of 2,178 interviews with consumers in six countries was completed and analysed.
Dissemination and Exploitation
The main objective was to provide stakeholders with tools to improve health & welfare and reduce antimicrobial usage in broiler and pig farming. HealthyLivestock is very active in the social media: we have a Twitter account (with 667 followers), a LinkedIn page (1016 connections), we are on Facebook and have a YouTube channel with videos of the project. In the course of the project 8 Newsletters were produced in Chinese and in English and published via our websites, social media and direct emails to specific target audiences. The mailing list contains over 1500 relevant stakeholders contacts. The fourth annual conference (our fifth consortium meeting) was held on the 15-17th February together with a joint event by the ArMoR cluster of the Horizon Results Booster. We produced 10 Technical Notes and a Policy Brief (long and short version). In addition two digital applications for farmers and veterinarians were produced by consortium partner Zoetis and modules for certification schemes by consortium partner Global G.A.P.
Strategy 1, Biosecurity: the project developed novel biosecurity protocols on the basis of animal based biomarkers and recent elaboration of FAO zoning insights.
Strategy 2, Resilience: The project developed marketable probiotic solutions that support a balanced intestinal microbiota in animals during critical transition periods. Moreover, the project will provided indications that animals in welfare friendly systems or subjected to specific aspects of welfare friendly systems will be healthier and more resilient against diseases.
Strategy 3, Early detection: the HealthyLivestock project utilised recently developed sensors (e.g. 3D cameras) to monitor animal behaviour and productivity in an automated way, to develop an early warning system for both generic and specific health & welfare problems.
Strategy 4, Novel Targeted, Precision medication: by investigating the way in which medications is offered and received, we hope to ultimately contribute to an overall reduction of residues found in the products.
Strategy 2, Resilience: The project developed marketable probiotic solutions that support a balanced intestinal microbiota in animals during critical transition periods. Moreover, the project will provided indications that animals in welfare friendly systems or subjected to specific aspects of welfare friendly systems will be healthier and more resilient against diseases.
Strategy 3, Early detection: the HealthyLivestock project utilised recently developed sensors (e.g. 3D cameras) to monitor animal behaviour and productivity in an automated way, to develop an early warning system for both generic and specific health & welfare problems.
Strategy 4, Novel Targeted, Precision medication: by investigating the way in which medications is offered and received, we hope to ultimately contribute to an overall reduction of residues found in the products.