Influence of weather on the behaviour of outdoor-wintered beef cattle in Scandinavia

Graunke, Katharina L.; Schuster, Tibor; Lidfors, Lena

doi:10.1016/j.livsci.2010.09.018

Cited by 45 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…High ppt and WSs can increase stress levels, thus reducing the availability of energy for milk production (Webster et al, 2008). Beef cattle reduced feed intake but increased rumination during wet weather (Graunke et al, 2011), which implies that productivity might also be reduced on rainy days in dairy cows via feed intake. On the whole, milk yield decreased as the number of hours of sunshine increased when cattle were indoors, perhaps in response to increased radiant heat from the roof.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cattle generate metabolic heat as a by-product of milk synthesis and so higher yielding animals experience heat stress at lower THIs than lower yielders (Kadzere et al, 2002). An animal's thermal tolerance is also affected by solar radiation and the velocity of ambient air (Dikmen and Hansen, 2009;Graunke et al, 2011;Hammami et al, 2013), while increasing precipitation (ppt) is associated with declining milk production (Stull et al, 2008). Weather-related stressors could potentially affect performance immediately or have a delayed impact, and yet few studies have explored the time interval between weather events occurring and impacting milk traits (St-Pierre et al, 2003).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dairy cattle in a temperate climate: the effects of weather on milk yield and composition depend on management

Hill

Wall

2015

Animal

116

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A better understanding of how livestock respond to weather is essential to enable farming to adapt to a changing climate. Climate change is mainly expected to impact dairy cattle through heat stress and an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events. We investigated the effects of weather on milk yield and composition (fat and protein content) in an experimental dairy herd in Scotland over 21 years. Holstein Friesian cows were either housed indoors in winter and grazed over the summer or were continuously housed. Milk yield was measured daily, resulting in 762 786 test day records from 1369 individuals, and fat and protein percentage were sampled once a week, giving 89 331 records from 1220 cows/trait. The relative influence of 11 weather elements, measured from local outdoor weather stations, and two indices of temperature and humidity (THI), indicators of heat stress, were compared using separate maximum likelihood models for each element or index. Models containing a direct measure of temperature (dry bulb, wet bulb, grass or soil temperature) or a THI provided the best fits to milk yield and fat data; wind speed and the number of hours of sunshine were most important in explaining protein content. Weather elements summarised across a week's timescale from the test day usually explained milk yield and fat content better than shorter-scale (3 day, test day, test day −1) metrics. Then, examining a subset of key weather variables using restricted maximum likelihood, we found that THI, wind speed and the number of hours of sunshine influenced milk yield and composition. The shape and magnitude of these effects depended on whether animals were inside or outside on the test day. The milk yield of cows outdoors was lower at the extremes of THI than at average values, and the highest yields were obtained when THI, recorded at 0900 h, was 55 units. Cows indoors decreased milk yield as THI increased. Fat content was lower at higher THIs than at intermediate THIs in both environments. Protein content decreased as THI increased in animals kept indoors and outdoors, and the rate of decrease was greater when animals were outside than when they were inside. Moderate wind speeds appeared to alleviate heat stress. These results show that milk yield and composition are impacted at the upper extreme of THI under conditions currently experienced in Scotland, where animals have so far experienced little pressure to adapt to heat stress.Keywords: climate change, fat percentage, heat stress, protein percentage, THI ImplicationsClimate change is expected to bring about drier, hotter summers and an increased frequency of extreme weather events across Europe. Here we show that milk yield and quality decline at the upper extremes of temperature and humidity even under conditions currently experienced in Scotland. We identify the values of temperature and humidity, and of other weather elements, at which performance begins to decrease. These estimates could be used in conjunction with climate projections to help policy makers un...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Dairy cattle in a temperate climate: the effects of weather on milk yield and composition depend on management

Hill

Wall

2015

Animal

116

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“…Most scientific studies investigating the development of cold stress focus on dairy and beef cattle kept on pastures throughout the year with only simple roof structures to protect animals against severe weather conditions (Graunke et al 2011). It is quite rare that research deals with cold stress in dairy cattle kept in barns equipped with curtain walls (Broucek et al 1991).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, it was quickly recognized that the index can be also used to assess thermal conditions for a variety of animal species (Mader et al 2010). Over the past years, the WCT index has undergone some modifications, which enabled its application for determining cold stress in cattle (Graunke et al 2011). One of the most commonly used algorithms for the calculation of WCT is the formula according to Tucker et al (2007) taking into consideration the velocity of ventilated air movement.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conditions for cold stress development in dairy cattle kept in free stall barn during severe frosts

Angrecka¹,

Herbut²

2015

Czech J. Anim. Sci.

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ABSTRACT:The impact of low temperatures combined with higher velocity of ventilated air in winter during severe frost in a free stall barn on the development of cold stress in Holstein-Friesian breed dairy cattle was studied. The study included measurements of outside and inside air parameters and cows' milk yield. Cold stress was evaluated in three technological groups (TG) using the WCT (Wind Chill Temperature) index. During the research, significant temperature and wind velocity differences (by up to 5°C and 0.5 m/s) were recorded in three zones of the barn occupied by the individual TG. All this resulted in different values of WCT. During most severe frosts lasting for 9 days, the average air temperature in the barn was -8.9°C (the lowest value was -17.3°C). The calculated average operative temperature for cows from all TG was as follows: -7.0°C for TG1, -11.1°C for TG2, and -12.3°C for TG3. It was also observed that animals from TG2 suffered from mild cold stress, which resulted in milk yield reduction by approximately 2 kg. It was concluded that there is a strong correlation (r = 0.72-0.89 with P < 0.05) between milk production and the WCT index. The measurements of most important microclimate parameters in the barn were conducted during winter seasons over the period of 2 years. They led to the conclusion that cattle kept in free stall barns are not vulnerable to the combination of low temperature and increased air movements. Research results of the present as well as of other authors were the basis for developing a table determining operative temperature for cows depending on the temperature of the environment and air movement velocity. Yet, the calculations and analysis of results show that there is a need to improve the applied calculation formula for operative temperature during cold weather.

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“…Відомо, що зміна зовнішніх умов призводить до перебудови адаптивної поведінки тварин, їхньої рухової активності. У певному середовищі поведінка тварин залишається постійною лише тоді, коли їхній добовий режим не обмежується і не має додаткових навантажень (Graunke et al, 2011;Lendelova, Botto, 2011). Тварина і середовище, в якому вона живе, становлять одне ціле.…”

Section: вступunclassified

Вплив Низьких Температур На Поведінку, Продуктивність Та Біоенергетичні Ознаки Корів За Безприв’язного Утримання В Легкозбірних Приміщеннях

et al. 2017

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We studied the effect of temperature in thermo neutral period and during low temperature on performance, daily behavior, and parameters of bioenergy of cows of Ukrainian red-spotted dairy breed. We observed the cows kept in two loose housing systems: cubicle stalls and deep litter in easy-to-assemble compartments. The decrease in temperature led to decreasing productivity (by 10.86%, 3.55 kg) of cows in cubicle stalls and by 5.65% (1.82 kg) of cows in deep litter housing; the milk fat content increased by 0.09 and 0.08% respectively. During low-temperature period, the cows spent less time feeding, drinking, and walking in both housing systems, but spent more time when relaxing compared to thermoneutral period. The decrease in the duration of cattle feed intake during low temperatures caused a decrease in cattle feed reactions and chewing time for both housing systems. Fate net consumption of nutrition energy that transfer into the milk energy (power index) have decreased in cubicle stalls cows by 2.69% and by 1.16% in deep litter cows during low temperatures. Net energy consumption per 1 MJ of milk energy have dropped to 0.051 MJ in cubical housing cows and to 0.019 MJ in deep litter cows under low temperatures. Key words: cows, temperature, cubicle stalls, deep litter system, productivity, exchange energy, behavior, bioenergetics.Вплив низьких температур на поведінку, продуктивність та біоенергетичні ознаки корів за безприв'язного утримання в легкозбірних приміщенняхБілоцерківський національний аграрний університет, Біла Церква, Україна Email: tehnologkaf@ukr.net В статті наведені результати досліджень впливу температури навколишнього середовища у термонейтральний період та у період низькотемпературного навантаження на продуктивність, добову поведінку та біоенергетичні ознаки тварин української червоно-рябої молочної породи за різних варіантів безприв'язного утримання: в боксах та на глибокій підстилці у легкозбірних приміщеннях. На зміну температури корови за обох варіантів технологій утримання відреагували зниженням продуктивності -на 10,86 % (3,55 кг) за безприв'язно-боксового утримання та на 5,65 % (1,82 кг) за технології на глибокій підстилці. При цьому масова частка жиру в молоці корів в цей період підвищився на 0,09 та 0,08 % відповідно. У період низькотемпературного навантаження корови за обох варіантів безприв'язного утримання дещо менше часу витрачали на поїдання кормів, напування та ходьбу, але більше відпочивали у положенні лежачи, порівняно з термонейтральним періодом. В цілому у обидва температурні періоди тривалість основних актів поведінки відповідала фізіологічним нормам. Зниження тривалості споживання корму у період температурного навантаження спричинило зменшення чисельності кормових реакцій та тривалості жуйки у корів за обох технологій утримання. Доля нетто-витрат енергії кормів, яка переходить в енергію молока (енергетичний індекс) у період температурного навантаження знизилась за безприв'язно-боксового утримання на 2,69 %, а на глибокій підстилці -на 1,16 %. Чисті

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Influence of weather on the behaviour of outdoor-wintered beef cattle in Scandinavia

Cited by 45 publications

References 21 publications

Dairy cattle in a temperate climate: the effects of weather on milk yield and composition depend on management

Dairy cattle in a temperate climate: the effects of weather on milk yield and composition depend on management

Conditions for cold stress development in dairy cattle kept in free stall barn during severe frosts

Вплив Низьких Температур На Поведінку, Продуктивність Та Біоенергетичні Ознаки Корів За Безприв’язного Утримання В Легкозбірних Приміщеннях

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