Weekly livestock news: October 17, 2022

U.S. Supreme Court hears pork industry challenge to California animal welfare law

The U.S. Supreme Court last week heard arguments in a case challenging California’s animal confinement law, Proposition 12. The case was brought by the National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation. Justices appeared torn over whether the law goes too far by influencing the actions of farmers in other states so they can sell pork in California. Questions from some justices suggested the court may allow a pork industry-backed lawsuit challenging the law to play out in lower courts rather than rule on its constitutionality, Reuters reports.

A timeline of African swine fever around the world

USDA explains African swine fever’s spread over the past century since first being described in Kenya in 1921. It was first found in Europe in 1957, then in the Caribbean in the 1970s. It has been found on and off in Europe since its first detection there, and it was first detected in Asia in 2018. Its spread in China was more rapid compared to other regions, according to USDA.

Arkansas reports first commercial bird flu case of 2022

Arkansas’ first commercial case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in 2022, reported October 7, involved a flock of 56,000 broiler breeder pullets, according to WattAgNet. Kansas reported its second commercial case this year, in a flock of 2,000 breeder ducks.

Fonterra tests probiotic to reduce cattle methane emissions

New Zealand-based Fonterra is testing a probiotic to help reduce cow burps and, with that, methane emissions. The company’s Kowbucha powder is blended into a milk-like drink fed to calves at the Massey University farm. New Zealand has pledged to cut biogenic methane emissions 10% from 2017 levels by 2030 and up to 47% by 2050. The company says it’s seen promising results so far. If that continues, Kowbucha may be in stores by the end of 2024. Reuters reports.

Colostrum may work as scours treatment in calves: research

Colostrum, on hand in virtually every dairy farm, could be an effective treatment for scours in young calves, according to recent research. The team of scientists from the United States and Canada found colostrum, already used for health benefits in animals and humans, could be useful as an early treatment for the condition. This could reduce incidence of illness, death and lifelong health detriments, and it could also help producers avoid using antibiotics, Bovine Veterinarian reports.

Study will examine whether robotic milking systems are worth the investment for dairy farms

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and several other institutions are studying the potential benefits for dairy farms of adopting robotic milking systems. They hope the results will guide dairy farmers in Wisconsin and Minnesota who are considering transitioning to automatic milking. “Our goal is to evaluate the feasibility of [automatic milking systems] from the financial, environmental and labor demand perspective,” said UW assistant professor Shaheer Burney, one of the leaders of the project. “Ultimately we are trying to answer the question: ‘Do the long-term benefits of adopting AMS exceed the high upfront cost of installing such systems?’” According to Luis Peña-Lévano, the other lead researcher on the study, these systems can cost more than $200,000.