Data on Mapping 444 Dairy Small Ruminant Farms during a Countrywide Investigation Performed in Greece

Abstract

The small ruminant industry is the most important branch of Greek agriculture. Nevertheless, despite the importance of small ruminant farming for Greece, no detailed mapping of the respective farms has been undertaken and published. The present work refers to mapping the dairy sheep and goat industry in Greece through an extensive, countrywide cross-sectional study, in which information was obtained from 325 sheep and 119 goat farms. The objectives were the collection, the classification and the presentation of data obtained from all these farms through interviews, using a questionnaire and through examination of samples collected during the visits. All the farms enrolled in the study were visited by the investigators. Initially, information was obtained by means of a detailed, structured questionnaire with 442 questions. Moreover, samples of milk were collected from the bulk-tank of each farm and faecal samples were collected from female animals in each farm. The milk samples were processed for cytological and microbiological examination. Staphylococcus spp. and Listeria spp. isolates were recovered and identified at a species level; furthermore, a full antibiotic sensitivity pattern assessment was conducted. Faecal samples were processed by standard parasitological tests for the identification of protozoan, trematode, cestode and gastrointestinal and respiratory nematode parasites. The paper presents the cumulative findings of the study, i.e., the answers to the questions during the interviews and the results of the laboratory examinations performed in the samples; the findings are presented separately for sheep and goat farms. The findings can be used as baseline measurements; individual farms and cohorts of farms can be compared against the current results to draw conclusions against the countrywide situation. Moreover, the current results can be used as reference points for the future, in order to assess changes that might have occurred in the meantime. The study also described the differences between farms with sheep or goats; in total, differences in 137 parameters were identified. Some of these can be attributed to the different management systems practiced; sheep flocks are managed mostly under the intensive or semi-intensive system, whilst goat herds are managed mostly under the semi-extensive or extensive system. These findings can be useful in the health management of small ruminants, in providing evidence-based support and within the scope of precise livestock medicine and health management.

Keywords: dairy; goat; mastitis; milk quality; parasitology; sheep.

Figure 1

Locations (red dots) of the 325 sheep (left figure) and 119 goat (right figure) farms around Greece, which were visited for a detailed and extensive interview and for collection of samples.

Figure 2

Locations (green dots) of 325 sheep flocks (left figure) and 119 goat herds (right figure) around Greece, in accordance with somatic cell counts in bulk-tank milk (diameter of dots on maps is proportionate to cell counts).

Figure 3

Locations (purple dots) of sheep flocks (left figure) and goat herds (right figure) around Greece, in which total bacterial counts over 1500 × 10³ cfu mL⁻¹ in bulk-tank milk were detected.

Figure 4

Locations (blue dots) of sheep flocks (left figure) and goat herds (right figure) around Greece, in which machine-milking was practiced.

Figure 5

Locations (orange dots) of sheep flocks and goat herds around Greece, in which staphylococci resistant to at least one antibiotic were isolated from bulk-tank milk.

Figure 6

Locations (purple dots) of sheep flocks (left figure) and goat herds (right figure) around Greece, in accordance with the incidence of clinical mastitis in ewes/does (diameter of dots on maps is proportionate to incidence of the pathological condition).

Figure 7

Locations (orange dots) of sheep flocks (left figure) and goat herds (right figure) around Greece, in accordance with incidence of diarrhoea in lambs/kids (diameter of dots on maps is proportionate to incidence of the pathological condition.

Figure 8

Locations (pink dots) of sheep flocks and goat herds around Greece, in which reproductive control techniques were employed.

Figure 9

Locations (black dots) of sheep flocks and goat herds around Greece, in which vaccination against staphylococcal mastitis was performed.

Figure 10

Locations (green dots) of sheep flocks and goat herds around Greece, in which D. dendriticum was detected in pooled faecal samples.

Figure 11

Locations (brown dots) of sheep flocks and goat herds around Greece, in which Nematodirus spp. was detected in pooled faecal samples.

Figure 12

Locations (red dots) of 280 sheep flocks (left figure) and 90 goat herds (right figure) around Greece, in which no anthelmintic treatment was carried out during the two months prior to sampling, in accord with epg counts in pooled faecal samples (diameter of dots on maps is proportionate to epg counts).

Figure 13

Management system applied in 444 small ruminant farms in a countrywide investigation in Greece, in accordance with the location of the farms.

Figure 14

Proportion of 444 small ruminant farms applying machine-milking in accordance with the breed of animals in the farms, as found in a countrywide investigation in Greece.