Context: Feed-food competition arises when livestock consume feed and use land that could serve human nutrition directly. Livestock intensification is often considered to improve productivity and resource-use efficiency; however, its impact on feed-food competition remains unclear, particularly across animal products. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate how intensification affects feed-food competition in broiler, dairy and beef commercial farms across Europe classified along a gradient of inputs related to intensification, under the hypothesis that productivity increases with the level of inputs. Methods: We used data from 79 broiler, 77 dairy, and 53 beef farms selected across a wide range of farming systems from nine EU countries. We characterised intensification as a set of inputs intended to increase productivity and classified farms into six broiler, seven dairy, and six beef intensification classes. For each farm, we calculated the productivity, the protein feed conversion ratio considering all feeds or only human-edible feeds and the land use considering all land or only arable land. Results and conclusions: Results show that intensification improves productivity, and feed and land use efficiencies but gains tend to plateau for high input systems - for example, for feed efficiency at around 2.8, 4.1 and 7.2 kg feed protein/kg protein produced in broilers, dairy and beef, respectively. When considering human-edible protein and arable land, in broilers, indoor systems required half as much resources as outdoor slow growing systems (2.8 vs. 5.0 kg/kg and 27 vs. 57 m2/kg). In cattle, strict grass-based systems required almost no humanedible feed protein or arable land, unlike high input systems (0.01 vs. 1.88 kg/kg and 10 vs. 34 m2/kg in dairy). Thus, in broilers, intensification mitigates feed-food competition up to a plateau, whereas in cattle, intensification exacerbates it, with grass-based systems even achieving net human-edible protein production. Significance: These findings highlight that strategies to reduce feed-food competition appear species-specific and involve livestock intensification in different ways. Supporting grass-based dairy and beef systems, alongside reasonably efficient broiler production, could strengthen food-system sustainability and reduce competition for arable land and human-edible resources. By proposing a multidimensional characterisation of livestock intensystems. However, feed-food competition is only one aspect of sustainability, and broader environmental, eco

This study assessed the effect of extending the productive lifespan of dairy cows on GHG emissions, land use, and economics in representative Swiss systems, which differ by breed, zone, and production system. Life cycle assessment was applied to short, medium, and long productive lifespans derived from 5 yr of herd-book data, using 3 functional units: per dairy production unit (a cow including replacements), per tonne of milk, and per tonne of protein of dairy cows. Longer productive lifespans reduced emissions and land use in all systems, driven by a reduced need for replacement animals. Greenhouse gas emissions per tonne of milk declined consistently, even when milk yields were lower in long-lifespan systems. Across all GHG-related metrics, long productive lifespans outperformed those of shorter duration. Organic and extensive systems performed as efficiently as intensive systems per tonne of milk. Yet, mid productive lifespans produced the highest gross margins under current prices. Healthier cows reaching later lactations can increase milk output and productive lifespan without additional costs, and fewer replacements free up land that could generate income if used for agri-environmental payment schemes or if more animals are kept. Overall, extending productive lifespan reduces environmental burdens, and the profitability of a longer productive lifespan system could be improved when land-use opportunities are realized.

Dairy cows' longevity integrates multiple functional traits and influences dairy production sustainability. This study assessed the impact of productive lifespan on lifetime productivity in Swiss low-input and organic dairy farms, compared the predictability of longevity and lifetime production using first- versus second-lactation data, and evaluated whether lactation curve parameters (LCP) derived from test-day records improve predictions. Herdbook data of culled cows were analyzed using mixed-effects models to predict length of productive lifespan (LPL; days from first calving to culling), number of lactations until culling (MaxLN), lifetime milk production (LTP; kg energy-corrected milk, ECM), and average daily milk yield during productive lifespan (DMY_LPL; kg ECM). Records from first and second lactation were used in three datasets: a large dataset (n = 10,031 cows, 384 farms), a dataset with insemination records (n = 6,011 cows in first and 5,662 in second lactation, 372 farms), and a dataset with LCP (n = 6,048 cows in first and 6,735 in second lactation, 384 farms). Models based on second-lactation data with insemination records performed best for LPL and LTP, whereas MaxLN was best predicted using first-lactation data with insemination records. Predictability remained low for LPL (0.7%) and MaxLN (0.8%), and moderate for LTP (10.0%). Models including LCP best predicted DMY_LPL (64.9%). Predictive performance improved with additional factors, including somatic cell count, breed, calving interval, age at first calving, lactation persistency, milk yield traits, fat-to-protein ratio, and alpine pasturing. Based on second-lactation data, lifetime milk yield traits were reasonably predictable, whereas longevity prediction remained challenging.

Artificial pastures for dairy cows often comprise a small number of plant species, which limits the animals’ opportunity for forage selection. Despite being a natural behaviour observed in many ruminants, little is known about the factors influencing forage selection in domestic cattle. In this study, a herd of dairy cows was observed grazing on an experimental pasture, which was composed of four distinct swards of different botanical and chemical composition. The cows’ forage choices were recorded and it was tested whether there were statistical associations with cow characteristics, such as age, lactation status, days in milk (DIM), body condition score (BCS) or somatic cell count (SCC). The results revealed that with increasing age, cows consumed forage lower in grasses (P=0.001), but higher in legumes (P=0.002) and species diversity (P=0.009). Lactating cows consumed forage higher in legumes (P=0.007) and total extractable phenols (TEP, P=0.009) than dry cows. With increasing DIM, cows consumed forage lower in grasses (P=0.001) and higher in legumes (P=0.002), TEP (P=0.023) and condensed tannins (P=0.029). With increasing SCC levels, cows consumed forage with less grasses (P=0.017), a higher proportion of medicinal herbs (P=0.030) and higher species diversity (P=0.012). There were no associations between pasture choices and BCS. The results indicate that dairy cows show complex forage selection based on their physiology, age and health status. Giving cows the opportunity to select from a diverse array of pasture plants may increase their performance, health and wellbeing.

Grass-based veal production offers a sustainable and welfare-oriented use for male dairy calves. Multispecies pastures are often linked to lower methane emissions, yet this relationship has not been investigated in veal calves. This study evaluated the in vitro gas production of rumen fluid from six-month-old male calves reared for three months under four grass-based systems: indoor hay feeding, and grazing on lowland, mid-elevation, or alpine pastures. Three genotypes were compared - Brown Swiss (dairy), Limousin & times; Brown Swiss (crossbred), and Swiss Fleckvieh (dual-purpose) - with four calves of each genotype per system (n = 48). All calves received hay ad libitum and standardised feed supplements. Access to pasture totalled 611, 769, and 771 h for the lowland, mid-elevation, and alpine pasture systems, respectively. Rumen fluid was collected by intubation (day 175 +/- 9) and incubated in vitro to assess total gas, methane (CH4), and ammonia (NH3) production from a standard feed, and in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) was calculated. Absolute CH4 production in samples from extensive systems (mid-elevation and alpine pastures) was up to 49 % higher than in intensive systems (indoor and lowland pastures). IVOMD was greatest in indoor samples, while NH3 formation significantly differed between systems. Rumen fluid from Swiss Fleckvieh calves yielded less CH4 than that of crossbred calves, with no genotype & times; system interactions. Overall, rumen fluid from more intensive, less botanically diverse systems produced lower in vitro gas emissions. The methodological influence of time between sampling and incubation was quantified and discussed.

Based on herdbook data from over 2.44 million Swiss dairy cows with approximately 7.33 million lactations (01 January 1999 - 31 August 2020), culling risk factors were analyzed using Weibull proportional hazard models. Time-dependent fixed effects included fat-protein production level compared to herdmates, number of inseminations, calving interval, calving ease, lactation cell count, herd size, herd size changes, calving season, and production zone. Time-independent fixed effects comprised age at first calving, farm changes between first and last lactation, and the origin of replacement heifers, while herd-year-season was included as random effect. All traits significantly affected culling risk. Together, the investigated traits improved model fit substantially, with Maddala's R² values ranging between 0.20 and 0.40 for productive lifespan (PL). However, most individual trait effects were small in magnitude despite statistical significance. The number of inseminations accounted for the largest proportion of PL variation across all breeds, followed, in most breeds, by the cow's fat-protein yield relative to her herdmates. The importance of other traits varied by breed. Linear composite traits explained only a small proportion of PL variation (1.2 to 3.7 %), with a good udder score improving longevity. Cows with a high final linear score had longer PL, though its explanatory power was low (0.7 to 2.5 %), and few cows were scored at the extremes. The findings highlight the critical role of fertility management for longevity and the economic importance of productivity for cow survival, while emphasizing that longevity is influenced by many factors with generally small individual contributions.

Seventy-two calves, distributed into three genotypes (Brown Swiss [BS], Limousin x Brown Swiss [LB] and Swiss Fleckvieh [SF]), were used in an extensive fattening trial from the fourth to the sixth month of life. Each farm included six calves of each genotype. The farm in Frick AG, where calves were kept in a barn, served as the control group, while the other three sites provided grazing access (Wulflingen ZH, Fruebuel on the Zugerberg and Alp Weissenstein on the Albula Pass). Grazing time was approximately 8-9 hours per day. In the barn, all calves were fed the same hay ad libitum. The grazing calves also received 0.5 kg of alfalfa and 1.3 kg of maize pellets per animal per day, plus an additional 0.5 kg of concentrates in the last four weeks. The calves at the Frick site received 1 kg of alfalfa and 2 kg of corn pellets per animal per day, plus 1.3 kg of concentrates per day in the last 6 weeks and 4 kg of fresh grass silage per animal per day in the last month of fattening. Blood samples were taken one week before slaughter on the 180th day of life, and at slaughter. Haemoglobin, haematocrit, erythrocytes, leukocytes and other blood count parameters as well as total protein and immunoglobulins were analysed in the blood, and lactate and cortisol were analysed in the blood from the slaughter. The farm elevation positively influenced haemoglobin, haematocrit and erythrocytes. alpha- and gamma-globulins were higher in the groups with grazing access, especially at the high- elevation extensive sites. Overall, calves of the SF breed performed better than BS; LB were in the middle of the range.

This paper evaluates the role of grasslands in a circular food system in Europe by assessing the animal-sourced food and manure production potential of a grass-fed dual-purpose cattle system. A computational model integrated grassland yield estimates, livestock productivity data, and nitrogen balance calculations. Two scenarios, varying in calf fattening duration, were analysed to explore their impacts on livestock numbers, protein production, and nutrient cycling, with the aim of assessing different levels of meat production from grassland. Transitioning to a solely grass-fed dual-purpose cattle system reduces bovine numbers across most European countries. However, despite fewer animals, dual-purpose production can increase bovine protein production in some countries, such as France and Ireland, compared to current levels. This is because dual-purpose cattle produce both milk and meat, with milk providing a higher protein conversion efficiency from grassland than meat. As a result, countries currently producing more meat than milk can partially offset the loss in protein resulting from the reduction in animal numbers. Dual-purpose cattle alone generally cannot meet current animal-sourced protein demands, especially in regions where bovine production depends heavily on concentrate feeds. They may only in some countries provide sufficient animal-sourced food to meet the nationally defined requirements of a healthy diet or generate enough manure to maintain soil fertility without additional nutrient input. Future research should aim to improve the accuracy of grassland yield estimates across Europe and develop context-specific livestock strategies to address these challenges.

Dairy cow longevity is a key trait combining multiple functional traits and is decisive for sustainability of dairy production. This study addresses the hypothesis that under low-input production conditions, dual-purpose breeds outperform dairy breeds in terms of longevity. Herdbook data of 1796 culled Swiss cows in 72 mixed dairy farms were used to compare two dual-purpose breeds (Original Braunvieh (OB) and Simmental (SI)) with three dairy breeds (Swiss Fleckvieh (SF), Brown Swiss (BS) and Holstein (HO)). Each selected mixed herd included at least one dual-purpose and one dairy breed managed under the same conditions. Breeds were compared for length of productive lifespan (LPL; days from first calving to culling), lifetime milk production (LTP; kg energy corrected milk) and average daily milk yield during LPL (DMY_LPL; kg energy corrected milk). OB cows lived significantly longer than HO (1946 ± 71 d vs. 1695 ± 55 d, p = 0.046), whereas SI cows did not (1683 ± 62 d, p = 0.999). Both dual-purpose breeds produced significantly less milk per day (OB: 17.8 ± 0.3 kg, SI: 18.0 ± 0.3 kg) than SF (19.1 ± 0.2 kg) and HO (19.7 ± 0.3 kg). However, OB cows compensated with greater longevity, resulting in the numerically highest LTP (35,584 ± 1315 kg), which did not statistically differ from the specialised dairy breeds. In conclusion, choosing a dual-purpose breed does not necessarily ensure longer productive lifespans: while OB showed a clear advantage, SI cows exhibited shorter productive lifespan, likely due to breed-specific production conditions.

Selective foraging has been reported in many wild and domesticated ruminants, yet modern livestock production systems rarely allow animals to express this natural behaviour. However, it is assumed that giving livestock the opportunity for forage selection positively influences their health and welfare. This study investigated the forage selection of individual dairy cows on pasture. Over one grazing season, a herd of 23 dairy cows was observed grazing on an experimental pasture in Switzerland, which consisted of different plant mixtures. The cows had unrestricted access to all mixtures and their individual foraging behaviour was documented by scan sampling. The four mixtures were rich in grasses (G), grasses and legumes (L), grasses and tanniferous plants (T), and grasses and herbs containing essential oils (E). The results revealed a partial preference for the L mixture at herd level across all grazing rotations (P ≤ 0.001). All mixtures were frequented, indicating that the herd utilized the array of available plants. Individual preferences varied and not all cows followed the herd's average pattern. Individual preferences shifted throughout the grazing season, but the pattern of this variability differed between animals. The findings demonstrate that dairy cows actively select from different pasture plants and that preferences vary between individuals and over time. Importantly, average herd preferences do not accurately represent the behaviour of all cows. Individual preferences should be considered when aiming to meet the foraging needs of all herd members.

The family of cyprinids comprises some of the most important fish species in global aquaculture. With increasing global fish production also increasing amounts of suitable and sustainably produced high-quality feeds other than fishmeal are needed. Duckweed ( Spirodela polyrhiza) is a fast growing aquatic plant with the potential of high biomass and protein production in nutrient recycling systems. This study reports the effects on growth, feed conversion and proximate body composition of common carp ( Cyprinus carpio L.) fry fed graded levels of differently processed duckweed (meals dried and fermented) each replacing 150, 300 or 450 g/kg of dietary fishmeal protein. Comparisons were made to a duckweed-free and fishmeal-based control, containing 400 g/kg of fishmeal, equivalent to 261.9 g/kg of fishmeal protein. Carp fed the highest inclusion rate of fermented duckweed showed a significantly reduced performance (growth and feed conversion rate) compared to all other groups. No differences regarding growth and feed conversion rate were found among all other groups. Whole body crude lipid content was generally lower and crude ash content generally higher in carp fed dried compared to those fed fermented duckweed. Whole body crude protein content was not influenced by treatments. Based on the results of this study, dried S. polyrhiza meal could be used to replace up to 450 g/kg of fishmeal protein, while fermented S. polyrhiza meal should only replace up to 300 g/kg fishmeal protein in diets for carp fry.

Dual-purpose chickens are increasingly used in European organic poultry systems. To test whether lower feed conversion efficiency of dual-purpose chickens could be counterbalanced by less intensive feeds with higher proportions of dietary fibre, a slow-growing conventional broiler genotype (Hubbard JA 757) was compared with a newly developed dual-purpose breed (Coffee & Ouml;TZ), regarding their performance on diets with either low fibre (162 g kg-1 NDF) and high protein (217 g kg-1 CP; diet CON) or high fibre (256 g kg-1 NDF) and low protein (188 g kg-1 CP; diet EXT). In two further treatments, additionally to CON low- or high-quality chopped lucerne hay was offered separately. Forty-eight chicks of each genotype were allocated to the four treatments and fattened over 69 days (conventional broilers) or 77 days (dual-purpose roosters). After slaughter, intestinal organs and digesta were analysed. Voluntary intake of hay amounted to approximately 2% of the total feed eaten. In both genotypes, diet EXT led to higher intake and lower digestibility compared to CON, with less difference in Coffee. Genotype influenced feed intake, growth performance, dressing percentage, and carcass composition, all proving higher efficiency for Hubbard. Feed conversion efficiency was higher in Hubbard. However, in Coffee CP efficiency decreased less and energy efficiency even increased between CON and EXT. Gizzard, small intestine and caeca were larger, and fibre digestibility was higher in Coffee. Short-chain fatty acids in caecum were influenced by genotype. In conclusion, the high-fibre diet appeared suitable to reach appropriate protein and energy efficiency for Coffee roosters.

There have been great advances in many aspects of organic dairy farming, which has become increasingly efficient and productive with a strong market. However, in some cases this has occurred through increasing specialization and scale of production, which risks the sector not being able to fully address the major challenges of environmental and social sustainability, animal welfare and the ability to deliver affordable and nutritious products. These challenges can be addressed by referencing the core organic principles of health, ecology, fairness and care, by adopting a more holistic, systems-based perspective and with organic dairy farming being viewed as an important part of wider rural communities and landscapes. This chapter explores some of these ecological, social and food-system frameworks and what they mean for the future of organic dairy farming. Key elements include a focus on pasture-based production, reduced dependency on feed imports and incentives reflecting organic farming’s aims and aspirations.

Herbs rich in secondary metabolites may possess beneficial properties in livestock nutrition and health. 49 Polygonaceae species of European mountain regions were included in a qualitative systematic review based on the methodological framework of the PRISMA statement. 174 relevant publications were identified. They comprised 231 in vitro and 163 in vivo experiments with cattle, sheep, goats, poultry, pigs, and rodents. For 16 Polygonaceae species no reports were found. Fagopyrum esculentum and Fagopyrum tataricum showed potential as anti-inflammatory, antioxidative and metabolic modifying herbs and feeds improving intake and nitrogen conversion in broiler as well as milk quality and ruminal biotransformation in dairy cows. Polygonum aviculare was promising as an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory drug or feed, improving performance and affecting ruminal biotransformation in sheep, and Polygonum bistorta as an anti-inflammatory drug or feed, improving performance in broiler and mitigating methane emissions in ruminants. Rumex obtusifolius showed potential as an antibacterial drug or feed improving ruminal biotransformation and preventing bloating in cows, while Rumex acetosa and Rumex acetosella had antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Furthermore, Polygonum minus, Polygonum persicaria, Rumex crispus and Rumex patientia possess interesting anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. In conclusion, some Polygonaceae species show relevant properties that might be useful to prevent and treat livestock diseases, combined with nutritional benefits in performance, product quality, lowering ruminal methane and ammonia formation and transferring omega-3 fatty-acids from feed to tissue. The potential of such multifunctional plants for a holistic integration of veterinary, nutritional and ecological perspectives under a one-health approach of livestock management is discussed.

In the past decades, hundreds of scientific studies have aimed at identifying feeding interventions to reduce the production of enteric methane (CH4) from ruminant livestock. However, mitigation measures for extensive grassland-based ruminant production systems are largely lacking, or are hardly transferred into practice. The aim of this study was to determine the effect size of plant-based feeding interventions in cattle and sheep, and to assess the feasibility of implementation by calculating the agricultural area required to grow these products. A literature research was carried out to identify plant-based feeding interventions, where the effect size was determined by at least three publications measuring CH4 in vivo in cattle or sheep, and which could be grown in temperate Europe. Using Switzerland as an example for a country with low availability of arable land and representative for grass-based ruminant production systems, it was estimated how much agricultural land would be required to grow these plant products in sufficient quantities to achieve the effects in the entire population of Swiss cattle or sheep. The review revealed that the evident effect size of plant-based feeding interventions in cattle reached only in few cases an average reduction in CH4 per unit dry matter intake (DMI) of 20%, and often stayed below 10%. For sheep, one intervention (Lotus ssp.) exceeded 30% reduction of methanogenesis, the others fitted into the results for cattle. The calculations revealed that for many products, the area required to supply them to the entire Swiss cattle population would exceed the current national area of arable land. For the effective plant-based products identified for sheep, much less agricultural land would be required, due to the small population size. Given the low efficacy of the interventions and the vast requirements for land resources to produce the respective plants, the cost of implementing them appears to exceed the benefit in greenhouse gas reduction. While feeding products of arable cultures appear hardly feasible for CH4 mitigation, implementing effective pasture plants in existing grasslands may be more practicable. Despite their comparably low efficacy to reduce CH4, including plants rich in plant secondary metabolites into multispecies swards would be a feasible approach with comparatively low risks and further benefits. Overall, the calculations reveal that the implementation of plant-based CH4 mitigators may largely increase the competition for the use of agricultural land, which is the opposite of intentions with grassland-based dairy and meat production, and which affects climate change as well.

There is an increasing trend in agriculture to use biochar (BC) as a means for carbon storage and soil improvement, and it has been suggested, that feeding BC to livestock can improve animal health and performance, and reduce enteric methane emissions. The aim of this study was to investigate if adding BC to a balanced ration of a group of lactating Holstein dairy cows had an effect on their milk yield and quality, methane emission, nutrient digestibility and health. In a crossover experiment lasting for two 36-day periods, eight cows received their basal ration with and without 1 % DM BC. During the last week of each period, the cows were kept in tie stalls where milk yield and composition, feed intake and nutrient digestibility, as well as blood parameters were quantified. On the last two days, methane emissions were measured in respiration chambers. The results indicate that there was no significant effect of the addition of BC on any of the measured variables. Voluntary intake was not affected by the addition of BC (P=0.52) and none of the cows exhibited health problems in response to the treatment. There was no increase in milk yield (P>0.46) or composition (P>0.23) and methane emissions were not significantly affected (P>0.37). While the beneficial effects of feeding BC to animals suffering from health problems or receiving a poor diet cannot be excluded, the data of this experiment indicate that BC is not an effective feed additive to improve performance or reduce methane emission in dairy cows.

. The aim of this study was to test chicken manure as duckweed ( Lemna minor ) fertiliser. Duckweed was grown using three different concentrations (low, medium and high; dilution factors 1:16, 1:12 and 1:8, respectively) of previously solubilised chicken manure. Subsequently, duckweed was evaluated for its fresh and dry biomass production, protein content and protein production

Vitamin E is essential and supplementation to the diet is often needed to meet the requirements of farm animals. This is particularly relevant during long indoor periods where conserved forages must be fed, as conservation can degrade Vitamin E. However, synthetic vitamins are regarded as contentious inputs in organic agriculture. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate if the standard recommendations for supplementation can be revised and adapted for organically managed dairy cows, on the basis of that the diets differ from those in conventional systems. A systematic literature review was conducted to assess the response to Vitamin E supplementation considering lactation and gestation stage and the composition of the basal diet. Most of the experiments that focused on animal health-related issues were conducted during late gestation and early lactation. In more recent studies reporting positive effects of Vitamin E supplementation on animal health and fertility, cows were fed conserved forages such as hay, haylage or maize silage, which all have low natural content of Vitamin E. In the studies reporting no or only minor positive effects of Vitamin E supplementation, cows were often fed diets based on grass or grass-clover silages, which reflects the structure of organic cattle diets. In conclusion, it was proposed that Vitamin E supplementation is not needed for mid and late lactating cows on pasture or fed a basal diet of grass-clover-silages. For dry and peripartum cows as well as for cows fed maize silage, hay or haylage, supplementation was strongly recommended.