Influences on the avoidance and approach behaviour of dairy cows towards humans on 35 farms

Waiblinger, Susanne; Menke, C; Fölsch, Detlef W.

doi:10.1016/s0168-1591(03)00148-5

Cited by 153 publications

(161 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…The cows seem to remember and avoid those stockpersons who have treated them roughly (Munksgaard et al, 1997, and it was shown that the avoidance distance increases on farms where rough handling is frequent (Waiblinger et al, 2003;Rushen and de Pasillé., 2015). Cows can distinguish people and seem to generalise previous experience, especially if the people working around them wear clothing of the same colour (Munksgaard et al, 1997).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heart rate, heart rate variability, faecal glucocorticoid metabolites and avoidance response of dairy cows before and after changeover to an automatic milking system

Jurkovich

Kézér

Ruff

et al. 2017

Acta Veterinaria Hungarica

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The heart rate variability (HRV) parameters of dairy cows were monitored during parlour (PARL) and the later installed automatic (AMS) milking on a small-scale commercial dairy farm in Hungary. The aim of the study was to assess stress in relation to the type of milking and the frequency of human interaction. Parlour milking involved regular moving and crowding of the animals with frequent human interaction, which were much less frequent in automatic milking. The first phase of the study was conducted prior to the changeover [n = 27] and the second two months afterwards [n = 19 (of the cows from the first phase)]. Heart rate (HR) was recorded by the Polar RS800 CX recording system. HRV parameters indicative of sympathovagal balance were calculated for periods of lying and standing in the barn, waiting before milking and milking, respectively. Morning and evening faecal glucocorticoid concentrations were also measured. Fear of humans was tested by an avoidance distance test. Baseline HRV parameters showed no difference (P > 0.05) between the two systems. In the periods before, during and after milking a higher sympathetic tone was detected in cows in the PARL phase. Mean faecal glucocorticoid concentrations were higher at the time of parlour milking. The avoidance distance did not differ between the two phases. The results suggest that automatic milking might be less stressful for cows than

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heart rate, heart rate variability, faecal glucocorticoid metabolites and avoidance response of dairy cows before and after changeover to an automatic milking system

Jurkovich

Kézér

Ruff

et al. 2017

Acta Veterinaria Hungarica

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“…Under these housing conditions, it is likely that bulls had less opportunity to progressively adapt to the presence of stockpeople, which would shorten their flight distance (Hemsworth et al, 2000). A further hypothesis to explain the same result could come from the higher number of animals housed per each deep litter pen taking the negative correlation between avoidance distance and number of pen-mates into account reported by Waiblinger et al (2003) for horned dairy cows. The same authors suggested that high competition among horned cattle in the feeding area could enhance their alertness and consequently their reaction to an unfamiliar person.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Assessment of welfare of finishing beef cattle kept on different types of floor after short- or long-term housing

Brščić

Gottardo

Tessitore

et al. 2015

Animal

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This study aimed at evaluating short-and long-term effects of housing beef cattle on deep litter (DL) or concrete fully slatted floor (FS) on their welfare. Animal-based measures of the Welfare Quality ® assessment protocol for cattle were used to assess health status and behaviour of bulls. The assessment was carried out in a large commercial farm on 15 batches of bulls (4 DL and 11 FS) 1 month after their receiving day (short-term) and on 12 batches (three DL and nine FS) the week before slaughter (long-term). Signs of better comfort on deep litter in terms of shorter lying down durations (5.1 ± 0.5 v. 6.5 ± 0.4 s; P < 0.05) and lower risk of hairless patches (odds ratio = 0.09; 95% confidence interval = 0.01 to 0.68; P < 0.05) were already observed after 1 month. Heavy bulls after a long-term housing on FS showed a higher prevalence of bursitis, hairless patches and lesions/swellings than animals on DL. Bulls on fully slatted floor were at higher risk of early culling (odds ratio = 6.44; 95% confidence interval = 1.57 to 26.37; P < 0.01), mainly due to musculoskeletal system pathologies/lameness. Deep litter proved to be a valid alternative to slatted floor, making animals more confident to interact with powerful movements such as mounting at the end of the finishing period. A negative aspect of the deep litter was the poor cleanliness of the bulls. Compared with the fully slatted floor, there were higher odds ratios for dirty bulls at both, the short-(odds ratio = 25.09; 95% confidence interval = 8.96 to 70.22; P < 0.001) and the long-term housing (odds ratio = 276.13; 95% confidence interval = 98.21 to 776.38; P < 0.001). In order to improve health and welfare of beef cattle finished at a heavy weight, deep litter systems are a promising alternative to fully slatted floors. However, proper management of deep litter is necessary to maintain satisfactory cleanliness of the bulls.

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“…With regard to the getting-up movement,weshowed ap icture with the two movements (normal and abnormal; Figure 1) to the farmers, askingt hem which was the more common way of getting up in their herd. Although several other parameterscan be used to evaluate cows' welfare (e.g., behavioural response to humans or behaviour during milking; Waiblinger et al, 2003;Hagen et al, 2004),t hese were not takeninto account in the present investigation, as their measurement is more time-consuming, and it was impossible for the veterinaryo fficer who carried out this survey to spend too mucht ime for each inspection.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Survey on housing, management and welfare of dairy cattle in tie-stalls in western Italian Alps

Mattiello¹,

Arduino²,

Tosi³

et al. 2005

Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A - Animal Science

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In the Alps, the traditional breeding system for dairyc attle is based on the alternation between af ree-ranging period on mountain ranges during the summer, and an indoor period in tie-stalls in the winter. Severalwelfare issues mayarise in tiestall housing systems.W ed escribe the situation in 47 farmsi nt hree villages in westernI taly,t rying to identify possible relationships among structural and management characteristics, animal health and behaviour traits. Along duration of the grazing period, associated with frequent manure removal during the housing period, are probably key factorsf or limiting the occurrence of lameness. Te at trauma is more common in narrower stalls.G etting-up behaviour is unnatural in most of the visited farms. Some lack in the farmers' knowledge of animal behaviour was noted. Some structural and management characteristics are strictly related to geographical constraints. However, circumstances permitting,some expedients may be achieved for improving welfare levels.

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Influences on the avoidance and approach behaviour of dairy cows towards humans on 35 farms

Cited by 153 publications

References 35 publications

Heart rate, heart rate variability, faecal glucocorticoid metabolites and avoidance response of dairy cows before and after changeover to an automatic milking system

Heart rate, heart rate variability, faecal glucocorticoid metabolites and avoidance response of dairy cows before and after changeover to an automatic milking system

Assessment of welfare of finishing beef cattle kept on different types of floor after short- or long-term housing

Survey on housing, management and welfare of dairy cattle in tie-stalls in western Italian Alps

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