The association between fetching for milking and dairy cows' behaviour at milking, and avoidance of human approach — An on-farm study in herds with automatic milking systems

Rousing, Tine; Badsberg, Jens Henrik; Klaas, Ilka Christine; Hindhede, Jens; Sørensen, Jan Tind

doi:10.1016/j.livprodsci.2005.11.013

Cited by 21 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Numerous studies evaluated cattle’s fear responses to humans from several aspects using different experimental designs [ 42 , 43 ]. According to a recent work, reactivity to humans is mainly influenced by the previous experience of an animal towards humans, and in cattle it can be influenced by fear [ 44 ] resulting in higher avoidance [ 45 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability in Dairy Cows with Different Temperament and Behavioural Reactivity to Humans

et al. 2015

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From the 1990s, extensive research was started on the physiological aspects of individual traits in animals. Previous research has established two extreme (proactive and reactive) coping styles in several animal species, but the means of reactivity with the autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity has not yet been investigated in cattle. The aim of this study was the characterization of cardiac autonomic activity under different conditions in cows with different individual characteristics. For this purpose, we investigated heart rate and ANS-related heart rate variability (HRV) parameters of dairy cows (N = 282) on smaller- and larger-scale farms grouped by (1) temperament and (2) behavioural reactivity to humans (BRH). Animals with high BRH scores were defined as impulsive, while animals with low BRH scores were defined as reserved. Cardiac parameters were calculated for undisturbed lying (baseline) and for milking bouts, the latter with the presence of an unfamiliar person (stressful situation). Sympathetic tone was higher, while vagal activity was lower in temperamental cows than in calm animals during rest both on smaller- and larger-scale farms. During milking, HRV parameters were indicative of a higher sympathetic and a lower vagal activity of temperamental cows as compared to calm ones in farms of both sizes. Basal heart rate did not differ between BRH groups either on smaller- or larger-scale farms. Differences between basal ANS activity of impulsive and reserved cows reflected a higher resting vagal and lower sympathetic activity of reserved animals compared to impulsive ones both on smaller- and larger-scale farms. There was no difference either in heart rate or in HRV parameters between groups during milking neither in smaller- nor in larger-scale farms. These two groupings allowed to draw possible parallels between personality and cardiac autonomic activity during both rest and milking in dairy cows. Heart rate and HRV seem to be useful for characterisation of physiological differences related to temperament and BRH.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability in Dairy Cows with Different Temperament and Behavioural Reactivity to Humans

et al. 2015

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“…Most producers set the AMS so that milking can be performed only after a minimum interval of 3 h (Bruckmaier et al, 2001) and set a secondary warning if the cow exceeds a maximum milking interval of (usually) more than 14 h. The secondary warning indicates that the cow needs to be brought to the AMS. Producers report that the effort required to fetch a cow involves identifying them in the milking interval data and then finding and bringing them to the holding area in front of the AMS (Rousing et al, 2005). Rodenburg (2008) reported that 15% of the cows included in their study needed to be fetched by the producers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic parameters of milking frequency and milk production traits in Canadian Holsteins milked by an automated milking system

Nixon

Bohmanová

Jamrozik

et al. 2009

Journal of Dairy Science

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Twice-a-day milking is currently the most frequently used milking schedule in Canadian dairy cattle. However, with an automated milking system (AMS), dairy cows can be milked more frequently. The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for milking frequency and for production traits of cows milked within an AMS. Data were 141,927 daily records of 953 primiparous Holstein cows from 14 farms in Ontario and Quebec. Most cows visited the AMS 2 (46%) or 3 (37%) times a day. A 2-trait [daily (24-h) milking frequency and daily (24-h) milk yield] random regression daily animal model and a multiple-trait (milk, fat, protein yields, somatic cell score, and milking frequency) random regression test-day animal model were used for the estimation of (co)variance components. Both models included fixed effect of herd x test-date, fixed regressions on days in milk (DIM) nested within age at calving by season of calving, and random regressions for additive genetic and permanent environmental effects. Both fixed and random regressions were fitted with fourth-order Legendre polynomials on DIM. The number of cows in the multiple-trait test-day model was smaller compared with the daily animal model. Heritabilities from the daily model for daily (24-h) milking frequency and daily (24-h) milk yield ranged between 0.02 and 0.08 and 0.14 and 0.20, respectively. Genetic correlations between daily (24-h) milk yield and daily (24-h) milking frequency were largest at the end of lactation (0.80) and smallest in mid-lactation (0.27). Heritabilities from the test-day model for test-day milking frequency, milk, fat and protein yield, and somatic cell score were 0.14, 0.26, 0.20, 0.21, and 0.20, respectively. The genetic correlation was positive between test-day milking frequency and official test-day milk, fat, and protein yields, and negative between official test-day somatic cell score and test-day milking frequency.

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“…Frequency of milking and month (pre/post-AMS) of the study were highly correlated, making it difficult to determine whether the almost 13% yield increase was due to the change in milking system or the increase in milking visits. Milking frequencies of 1.4 to 3.2 times per day have been reported, with the study farm more closely matching the higher end [47][48][49]. Early lactation animals and those with a lower parity have been shown to visit the AMS the most [21,50].…”

Section: Milk Production Parametersmentioning

confidence: 67%

Minimally Invasive Markers of Stress and Production Parameters in Dairy Cows before and after the Installation of a Voluntary Milking System

Jerram

Winden

Fowkes

2020

Animals

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Automatic milking systems (AMS) are a low-labour alternative to conventional parlours, with previous studies demonstrating that cows vary in their ability to cope with the change to AMS. Cortisol expression can be combined with other measures to assess stress: saliva and hair have the advantage of requiring minimally invasive sampling. No work has investigated the long-term impact of introduction of AMS. The aims of the study were to assess short-term and chronic stress associated with a change in milking system by measuring salivary and hair cortisol levels and to assess the impact on health and production parameters. Cows from one farm changing their milking system were recruited to the study and sampled for saliva (n = 10) and hair (n = 12) before and after installation. Cortisol levels were measured using a salivary cortisol enzyme immunoassay kit. Body condition, lameness and milk parameters of the whole herd were regularly assessed. Salivary cortisol showed no diurnal pattern but was affected by lameness and gestation. Non-lame cows showed a reduction in salivary cortisol after AMS introduction (p < 0.001). Hair cortisol levels increased after AMS, but it was unclear if this change was seasonal. Milk yield increased by 13% and somatic cell count reduced by 28%. Body condition score was consistently good, but lameness remained high throughout the study. Production values alone do not represent high welfare. The high lameness and associated cortisol levels suggest that cow stress requires consideration when changing milking systems.

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The association between fetching for milking and dairy cows' behaviour at milking, and avoidance of human approach — An on-farm study in herds with automatic milking systems

Cited by 21 publications

References 21 publications

Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability in Dairy Cows with Different Temperament and Behavioural Reactivity to Humans

Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability in Dairy Cows with Different Temperament and Behavioural Reactivity to Humans

Genetic parameters of milking frequency and milk production traits in Canadian Holsteins milked by an automated milking system

Minimally Invasive Markers of Stress and Production Parameters in Dairy Cows before and after the Installation of a Voluntary Milking System

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