Effects of winter weather on the growth rate and heat production of dairy cattle

Holmes, C. W.; Christensen, Robyn; McLean, Norman; Lockyer, J.

doi:10.1080/00288233.1978.10427449

Cited by 19 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Lying time is an important welfare indicator in cattle (Haley et al, 2000) and severe reductions in lying times such as those reported here likely result in chronic stress (e.g., Munksgaard and Simonsen, 1996;Munksgaard et al, 1999;Fisher et al, 2002). In addition, walking and lying in mud increase energy requirements (Degen and Young, 1993;Tucker et al, 2007) and this is likely exacerbated in cold weather due to heat convection and animals losing heat to the environment (Morrison et al, 1970;Holmes et al, 1978). For example, simulated rain alone, or in combination with wind, decreased skin temperature by 26% on average (Schütz et al, 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…Wet surfaces may be aversive to cows for several biological reasons. First, in cold conditions, lying on a wet surface will increase heat loss due to convection to the colder surface, and may lead to issues with thermoregulation and cold stress (Morrison et al, 1970;Holmes et al, 1978;Muller et al, 1996;Fisher et al, 2003). The cows on the wet surface spent less time lying with the front legs in a tucked position, which Tucker et al (2007) suggested could be an attempt to preserve body temperature.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Schütz

Cave

Cox

et al. 2019

Journal of Dairy Science

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Muddy surfaces have negative effects on the health and welfare of dairy cattle, and if possible, cows will avoid this surface. However, it is unclear whether it is the moisture content or the contamination with manure that is aversive to the cows. This study aimed to assess the use and preference for different wood chip (0.4 m deep) surface types: (1) clean and dry (clean, dry matter content, DM: 44 ± 2.8%), (2) dirty (dirty, contaminated with manure, DM: 40 ± 3.7%), and (3) clean and wet (wet, wetted by water, DM: 23 ± 3.3%). Eighteen nonlactating, pregnant cows were tested individually (mean 24-h temperature: 9.9 ± 4.46°C, mean ± standard deviation for all preceding values). Cows were kept indoors in test pens for 18 h on wood chip without feed and 6 h on pasture to allow for daily feed intake. To ensure cows made informed choices and to measure changes in behavior and hygiene associated with each option, they were first exposed to each surface for 5 d (n = 12 cows per surface type when they were restricted on one surface; i.e., each cow was exposed to 2 treatment surfaces only). Cows on the wet surface spent the least amount of time lying when restricted to one surface for 18 h (wet: 21%, dirty: 57%, clean: 64%) and spent more time lying when on pasture for 6 h (wet: 13%, dirty: 4%, clean: 3%). The total lying times during the 5-d surface exposure were wet: 4.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Schütz

Cave

Cox

et al. 2019

Journal of Dairy Science

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“…Because they are gregarious they shelter together (Vandenheede et al 1992) but they will resume feeding when the rain stops and under most circumstances they should catch up with the lost consumption. Under New Zealand conditions, it has been found that 150 kg dairy heifers grew faster than control twins when they were provided with access to a shed shelter in their paddocks (Holmes et al 1978). In North America, providing shelter in beef feedlots during wintertime has improved growth rate without adversely affecting feed conversion efficiency ( Hoffman & Self 1970;Leu et al 1977).…”

Section: Effects On Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of shelterbelts in protecting livestock: A review

Gregory

1995

New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research

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Planting a shelterbelt is the only option open to some New Zealand livestock farmers for reducing the adverse effects of wind. Wind reduces pasture productivity by mechanically agitating the leaves and this results in inhibition of plant cell expansion. It causes greater evaporation and physical damage to the plants, which also reduce pasture yield. At any given temperature, wind raises the lower critical temperature for an animal, and this is potentially wasteful in terms of energy utilisation, and it increases the risk of hypothermia and mortality in particularly sensitive stock such as newborn lambs and recently shorn ewes. Ewes that are shorn pre-lambing seek protection from the wind and there is a greater likelihood of them lambing within shelter if it is available. The tendency to lamb in isolation away from shelter depends on breed and weather conditions. For most purposes, the best shelterbelt is one which has between 40 and 60% porosity that is distributed evenly throughout its length and height and protects the maximum area of pasture from the wind. Under cold conditions shelter has been shown to improve pasture yield, and growth rate, ovulation rate, and wool growth rate in cattle and sheep, and to reduce lamb mortality and abortions that are induced by hypothermia. Providing shelter from the sun during hot conditions has been shown to improve milk yield, milkfat yield, freedom from mastitis, and conception rates in dairy cattle, and growth rate in fattening cattle. The welfare benefits from A95037 shelterbelts and shadebelts are implicit in their greater use during cold-windy and hot-sunny conditions and they relate to the thermal comfort of animals. The purpose of snow shelterbelts is to filter the wind and trap snow without forming snowdrifts in which stock are likely to be trapped. Their effectiveness depends largely on the amount of snow falling relative to the size and porosity of the shelterbelt. Trees-on-pasture systems provide protection from wind and raise the minimum grass temperature, but because of the competition introduced with the trees they are usually less productive in terms of livestock yield than pasture alone. There are a number of disadvantages in growing shelterbelts but many of them can be controlled with appropriate management procedures.

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“…Responses to cold conditions • Sheltered dairy heifers grew faster than exposed animals in the Manawatu, with the exposed cattle frequently seen to be "miserable" and sometimes shivering (Holmes et al 1978). In that study it was suggested that some cold stress would be inevitable in wet and windy conditions, even in warm temperatures.…”

Section: Shelter Research With New Zealand Livestockmentioning

confidence: 98%

Shelter and welfare of pastoral animals in New Zealand

Fisher¹

2007

New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research

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Thermal stress occurs when animals are unable to use their normal behavioural and physiological mechanisms to maintain constant body temperature. Under cold conditions, providing shelter can increase survival and improve growth and reproduction. Similarly growth, production and reproduction can be enhanced, and disease minimised by providing shelter during hot conditions. Such measures have implications for animal welfare but do not tell what shelter it is reasonable and necessary to provide. Traditional approaches to animal welfare suggest that the benefits of providing shelter should outweigh the costs, that animals need an environment in which they can choose to modify their behaviour, or that good stockmanship would demand that animals have access to shelter. It is recommended that pastorally farmed animals should be of a suitable type, be acclimatised, and be provided with an environment that allows them to adjust to varying thermal conditions. If survival is compromised by adverse weather, then shelter must be provided, or must be able to be provided in a timely and effective manner. When environmental conditions are more benign, animals should have the opportunity to respond behaviourally (e.g., seek shade) to minimise thermal stress.

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Effects of winter weather on the growth rate and heat production of dairy cattle

Cited by 19 publications

References 9 publications

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

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

The role of shelterbelts in protecting livestock: A review

Shelter and welfare of pastoral animals in New Zealand

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