Region-wise analysis of beef cow movements in Japan

Animal movement is an important factor in the transmission of animal infectious diseases. A better understanding of movement patterns is therefore necessary for developing effective control measures against disease spread. In Japan, a cattle tracing system was established in 2003, following a bovine spongiform encephalopathy epidemic, and the information on all cattle movements has been stored in a national database maintained by the National Livestock Breeding Center. Using these data, we previously analyzed the movement of dairy cows, concluding that heterogeneities in cattle movement are associated with regional and seasonal factors. In the present study, we aimed to identify specific factors affecting the regional and seasonal movement patterns of beef cows in Japan. From April 2012 to March 2017, 797,553 farm-to-farm movement events were recorded. We analyzed movements by month and by cattle age and looked at the frequency of movement within and between seven regions spanning the national territory. Our results show that calf movement peaked at 9-10 months old; these movements were considered to be via the market and were frequent within and between regions. For inter-regional movements, Kyushu region was the top producer of calves for calf trading markets throughout Japan. With regard to intra-regional movements, round-trip movements for summer grazing were observed in May and October for cattle of various ages in the northern regions, especially Hokkaido and Tohoku. Moreover, the movements of Japanese Shorthorn breeds in Tohoku region exhibited consistent annual peaks in May and October/November, in accordance with their seasonal breeding practice. In the areas with high relative densities of dairy cows, such as Hokkaido, the shipping of newborn beef calves produced via embryo transfer to dairy cows was also observed. Overall, understanding the patterns of beef cow movement will help develop effective disease surveillance measures, such as pre-movement inspections focused on specific regions and types of movement.