Effects of space allowance on the behavior and physiology of cattle temporarily managed on rubber mats

Abstract

Dairy cattle managed in some pasture-based systems, such as in New Zealand, are predominantly kept outdoors all year around but are taken off pasture for periods, especially in wet weather to avoid soil damage. The use of rubber matting for such stand-off practices is becoming more common to improve animal welfare, and our objective was to investigate the effects of different space allowances on cow behavior and physiology when managed temporarily on rubber mats during a weather-induced stand-off period. Thirty pregnant, nonlactating Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were divided into 6 groups of 5 and exposed to 6 treatments following a Williams designed 6×6 Latin square. The treatments consisted of 6 space allowances on a 24-mm rubber surface during a simulated weather-induced stand-off period: 3.0, 4.5, 6.0, 7.5, 9.0, and 10.5 m(2)/cow. The stand-off period consisted of 18 h in the treatment pens followed by 6 h at pasture to allow for their daily feed intake (no feed was available during stand-off, following normal farm practice), for 3 consecutive days, with 6 d of recovery on pasture between treatments. When cows had more space available during the stand-off period, they spent more time lying on the rubber mats and less time lying on pasture during their daily 6-h feed break. Mean lying times (24 h, pasture and rubber mats combined) for the different space allowances were for 3.0 m(2)=7.5 h, 4.5 m(2)=10.2 h, 6.0 m(2)=11.9 h, 7.5 m(2)=12.4 h, and 10.5 m(2)=13.8 h. At 6.0 m(2) of space allowance per cow, the animals spent similar times lying per 24 h as when the cows were on recovery on pasture in between treatments (11.9 and 11.2 h, respectively). Aggressive interactions and nonaggressive lying disturbances were more frequent at lower space allowances (aggressive interactions decreased by 35% from 3.0 to 4.5 m(2)/cow, with a slower decline thereafter). Cows were dirtier after the stand-off period, particularly at lower space allowances. All cows had higher gait scores after the stand-off period; however, this change was unaffected by space allowance and very minor. Stride length, plasma cortisol, and body weight were all unaffected by the stand-off period and space allowance. The results suggest that to reduce aggressive behavior and maintain adequate lying times, dairy cattle managed temporarily on rubber matting for up to 18 h per day, without feed, should have a space allowance of at least 4.5 to 6.0 m(2) per cow.

Effects of 3 surface types on dairy cattle behavior, preference, and hygiene

“…Cows that were on the wet surface showed clear compensatory lying behavior when they were on pasture, both after the daily exposure and after the 5-d treatment period, thus indicating that even a short-term reduction in lying time will alter the motivation for lying for several days. The same pattern of rebound behavior has been seen in other studies where dairy cattle are temporarily managed on hard and muddy surfaces (Fisher et al, 2003;Schütz and Cox, 2014), on rubber matting at high stocking densities (Schütz et al, 2015), and after periods of deprivation (Tucker et al, 2018). The collected evidence suggests that cows will give up feeding to compensate for previous, inadequate rest on uncomfortable or otherwise unsuitable conditions.…”

“…In a study simulating a 4-d stand-off period in New Zealand, nonlactating cows spent 41 and 47% less time lying when managed on a concrete or a muddy surface (small paddock and race laneway), respectively, compared with a well-drained wood chip surface (Fisher et al, 2003). Cattle with reduced lying times during the stand-off period will spend more time lying on pasture when they are allowed their daily feed allowance (Fisher et al, 2003;Schütz and Cox 2014;Schütz et al, 2015), a time where, ideally, they should be grazing. In addition, wet underfoot conditions are a contributing factor to softer hooves and therefore a greater risk for claw lesions and lameness (Williams et al, 1986;Jubb and Malmo, 1991;Borderas et al, 2004).…”

Cow Lying Behaviour and Bedding Quality Changes during Five Weeks on a Stand-Off Pad

“…As daily lying time on the pad decreased, cows lay down more when in the paddock, a consistent response even with shorter periods of stand-off than those used in this study [11,32], Schütz [38] determined that cows that are not able to lie down for a sufficient amount of time during the stand-off period will try to compensate by lying down more when they are at pasture, a time when they ideally should be grazing. Although the cows in this study did not have the high energy requirements associated with lactation, they were in late pregnancy, and it is unclear whether less than 6 h of grazing per day is sufficient to meet their daily energy requirements.…”

The Influence of Different Types of Outdoor Access on Dairy Cattle Behavior

“…These heifers also had a higher frequency of allogrooming, but showed no difference in the frequency of agonistic interactions. Schütz et al (121) reported that a minimum of 6 m 2 of space allowance per cow was needed on an off-wintering rubber pad during an 18 h stand off period to maintain daily lying times similar to that observed when cows were housed on pasture. When cows were provided less space (3 or 4.5 m 2 /cow), the reduction in both lying time and lying bout duration and frequency was thought to be due to increased agonistic behavior.…”