The effect of transition cow housing on lying and feeding behavior in Holstein dairy cows

Abstract

The present study investigated the effect of straw yard housing during the dry period and 2 d of additional maternity pen housing postcalving on lying and feeding behavior and calving difficulty in Holstein dairy cows. In this study, 122 multiparous cows were moved to either a straw yard or into freestall housing 4 wk before their expected calving date. Cows that had been housed in straw yards stayed in the maternity pen for an additional 2 d after their calving day, but cows that had been housed in freestalls were moved to the general lactation group the morning after calving. Lying time, lying bouts, feeding time, number of feeder visits, feed intake, feeding rate, and assisted calvings were recorded. Observations were divided into 2 periods: precalving (the 4-wk dry period before calving) and postcalving (the day of calving and the 2 d after). During the precalving period, cows housed in straw yards showed a higher number of lying bouts but no difference in lying time compared with cows housed in freestalls. Cows that were housed longer in the straw-bedded maternity pen postcalving spent more time lying during the 2 d postcalving and had a higher number of lying bouts on the day of calving than cows moved to the freestall area on the day postcalving. Additionally, cows that were housed longer in the maternity pen had a slower feeding rate and longer total feeding time during the 2 d after calving than cows with a shorter stay in the maternity pen. We found no difference in the number of assisted calvings. This study suggests that straw yard housing during the dry period may facilitate the transition between standing and lying. Furthermore, the extended stay in the maternity pen postcalving increased lying time, the number of lying bouts, and feeding time, but decreased feeding rate compared with cows that were moved to the general lactation group on the day postcalving. These results suggest potential recovery benefits with an extended stay in a maternity pen postcalving. However, further studies are needed to separate the effects of housing in the dry period and the effects of an extended housing in individual maternity pens.

Time Spent in a Maternity Pen during Winter Influences Cow and Calf Behavior in Pasture-Based Dairy Systems

“…Previous work reported that the dryness of the surfaces also has a marked effect on the postural changes; cows kept on wet and muddy surfaces had fewer lying bouts compared to drier ones [ 27 , 42 ], probably caused by discomfort in the process of lying down. Campler et al [ 41 ] reported that soft bedding—as in our study, the sawdust bedding inside a maternity pen—improves the cow traction and facilitates her postural change from lying to standing, or vice versa.…”

“…Hendriks et al (2019) [ 8 ] observed that prepartum dairy cows managed in a pasture-based system in New Zealand spent 9.8 h/d lying down when they were exposed to winter weather. An adequate amount of time lying down is often used as an indicator of dairy cow welfare [ 40 ], and it has been described as particularly important during the latter part of pregnancy [ 41 ]. Moreover, one study found that reduced lying time caused by a lack of suitable resting areas with dry surfaces may also affect the quality of the rest [ 38 ].…”

Administration of ketoprofen affects post‐partum lying behaviours of Holstein dairy cows regardless of whether parturition is assisted

“…However, Barrier et al 8 only analysed behaviour in the first 3 h post-partum, whereas we analysed behaviour for 48 h post-partum and identified that in the first 12 h post-partum cows spend the least amount of their time budget engaged in lying behaviours. Previous studies have also found that cows engage in lying behaviours less during the first 24 h post-partum than later on, 34,35 and one study found that cows spent the least amount of time lying in the first 6 h post-partum. 36 It is therefore possible that the immediate post-partum behavioural analysis performed by Barrier et al 8 missed differences in lying behaviours identified using a longer observation period.…”

Assessing the Accuracy of Leg Mounted Sensors for Recording Dairy Cow Behavioural Activity at Pasture, in Cubicle Housing and a Straw Yard

“…Although IceQubes have been compared to AfiTagII devices whilst cows where housed in deep bedded pens [ 25 ], to our knowledge, IceQubes have not previously been validated for use on dairy cows in a straw yard by comparing them to visual observations. With many dairy cows kept in loose housed systems during the peri-parturient transition period, as it provides a softer lying surface, better traction and facilitates lying and standing [ 26 ] and with investigations to determine whether leg mounted sensors can be used to predict calving increasing [ 27 ], determining their accuracy in a straw yard is important.…”

“…This finding may be explained as concrete flooring, typically found in indoor housing has a low coefficient of friction [ 29 ] which may have caused a change in gait, such as a decrease in stride length, to avoid the risk of slipping [ 30 ]. In the straw yard, although straw may provide better traction [ 26 ], gait may have changed, if the cows struggled to move through the straw, and this altered gait may have been difficult for the IceQubes to record. In contrast, pasture provides greater friction underfoot and allows for the expression of a normal gait [ 31 ] and this may have allowed the IceQubes on the BL leg to record the number of steps more accurately when the cows were on pasture.…”