Effect of different housing conditions on behaviour and foot lesions in Friesian heifers

Abstract

Spring-calving Friesian heifers were randomly allocated either to Dutch Comfort cubicles (2130 x 1160 mm) bedded with rubber mats or to modified Newton Rigg cubicles (2060 x 1090 mm) without bedding. Their behavioural activities, including lying down and standing, were monitored every 30 minutes for two days and two nights each week from November to March, and all four feet of each animal were examined at housing, at calving and monthly thereafter. During January, February and March the 22 heifers in the Dutch Comfort cubicles lay down significantly longer and spent significantly less time standing half-in the cubicles than the 21 heifers in the Newton Rigg cubicles (P < 0.01). Claw health deteriorated in all the animals after housing, but less in the heifers in the Dutch Comfort cubicles, at both one and two months after calving (P < 0.05). There were moderate correlations between the lying behaviour and the total foot lesions and the lesions in the sole ulcer area of the heifers in the Dutch Comfort cubicles but none for the heifers in the Newton Rigg cubicles, possibly because lameness is a multifactorial condition and other factors may have masked the effect of lying down on foot lesions in this group. The better conditions provided by the Dutch Comfort cubicles were associated with better claw health and this effect was partially mediated through the increased time spent lying down by the heifers in these cubicles.

Dairy calves’ preference for rearing substrate

“…Some data suggests that several physiological changes are associated with reduced lying time in cattle; these include a reduction in growth rates (Mogensen et al, 1997), a short-term increase in plasma cortisol levels Fisher, Verkerk, Morrow, & Matthews, 2002) and increased incidence of lameness (Leonard, O'Connell, & O'Farrell, 1994). However, to date there has been no evidence of these effects in calves.…”

Behavioural indicators of cow comfort: activity and resting behaviour of dairy cows in two types of housing

“…For example, some free-stall barns are overcrowded, with the number of cows exceeding the number of stalls. Furthermore, uncomfortable stalls may also reduce the time that cows spend lying down (Leonard et al 1994) either by providing insufficient space for the cow to adopt certain resting postures or because the floor of the stall is too hard. However, very little is known about how much stall design can affect the activity and lying behaviour of cows.…”

Risk (Predisposing) Factors for Non-Infectious Claw Disorders in Dairy Cows Under Varying Zero-Grazing Systems

“…The positive association between overstocking and chronic laminitis may be attributed to the long hours of standing because of fewer cubicles. Standing for long periods causes prolonged pressure injury to the solear corium, thus being an exacerbating factor to the development of claw lesions as reported previously (Leonard et al, 1994). Further to this, the presence of a high curb between the walk-alley and the cubicles was found to be one of the main factors enhancing occurrence of chronic laminitis.…”

“…Further to this, the presence of a high curb between the walk-alley and the cubicles was found to be one of the main factors enhancing occurrence of chronic laminitis. This factor may possibly cause additional stress to the claws as the cow enters or disembarks from the cubicle, as has been suggested by others (Leonard et al, 1994;Philipot et al, 1994).…”