The relationship between feed efficiency and behaviour differs between lactating Holstein and Jersey cows.

In dairy production, high feed efficiency (FE) is important to reduce feed costs and negative impacts of milk production on the climate and environment, yet little is known about the relationship between FE, eating behaviour and activity. This research communication describes how cows differing in FE, expressed as daily energy corrected milk production per unit of feed intake, differed in eating behaviour and activity. We used data from a study of 253 lactations obtained from 97 Holstein and 91 Jersey cows milked in an automatic milking system.

Feeding and Manual Brushing Influence the Release of Oxytocin, ACTH and Cortisol Differently During Milking in Dairy Cows.

Aim: This study aimed to examine the effects of feeding or abdominal brushing on the release of the hormones oxytocin, ACTH and cortisol during milking in dairy cows.

Methods: Twelve cows in early lactation were used (2 × 2 factorial experimental design), testing the effects of two types of sensory stimulation during milking over a 3 day period; feeding concentrate or manual abdominal brushing (1 stroke/s). Blood samples for hormone analyses were collected at time at -15, -1, 0 (onset of cluster), every min for 8 min, at 10, 12, 14, 16, 30, and 60 min.

Comparison of the feeding behaviour of primiparous and multiparous Jersey and Holstein cows kept under equal conditions throughout lactation.

The objective of the study was to describe the feeding behaviour of primiparous and multiparous Jersey cows compared to Holstein cows housed in separate groups in the same barn. Such information could help farmers to optimise management with respect to welfare and production. Yet, it remains limited for Jersey cows over the entire period of lactation.

Technical note: Random forests prediction of daily eating time of dairy cows from 3-dimensional accelerometer and radiofrequency identification.

Feed intake and time spent eating at the feed bunk are important predictors of dairy cows' productivity and animal welfare, and deviations from normal eating behavior may indicate subclinical or clinical disease. In the current study, we developed a random forests algorithm to predict dairy cows' daily eating time (of a total mixed ration from a common feed bunk) using data from a 3-dimensional accelerometer and a radiofrequency identification (RFID) prototype device (logger) mounted on a neck collar. Models were trained on continuous focal animal observations from a total of 24 video recordings of 18 dairy cows at the Danish Cattle Research Centre (Foulum, Tjele, Denmark).

Daily lying time, motion index and step frequency in dairy cows change throughout lactation.

Lying behaviour in dairy cows has the potential to be used for welfare assessment or problem detection, but knowledge about variation in normal lying behaviour is scarce. Accelerometer data were collected at four Danish farms from 366 Holstein dairy cows in loose-housing systems in 2008 and 2009. Daily lying time decreased steeply during early lactation to a minimum around four weeks after calving, followed by a steady increase towards the end of lactation.

An investigation into genetic and phenotypic variation in time budgets and yield of dairy cows.

Time budgets (TB) of lactating Holstein cows in a freestall loose housing system were recorded twice in early and late lactation to study genetic and phenotypic variation in TB. Time budget traits were recorded using focal animal scanning at 10-min intervals for full 24-h sessions. The study included 243 first-lactation cows, with 389 TB records in early lactation (50 to 123 d in milk) and 403 records in late lactation (152 to 248 d in milk).

Handheld mechanical nociceptive threshold testing in dairy cows - intra-individual variation, inter-observer agreement and variation over time.

Objective: To examine the use of handheld methodology to assess mechanical nociceptive threshold (MNT) on cows kept loose-housed.

Study Design: Prospective randomized partial cross-over experimental study. A one-factor (test day) design was used to evaluate MNT over time.

Locomotion scores and lying behaviour are indicators of hoof lesions in dairy cows.

Locomotion scoring, lying behaviour and lesion recording during hoof trimming are all ways of evaluating hoof health in dairy cows. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between these measures in a random sample of 1340 cows from 42 Danish dairy herds. The hypothesis was that locomotion scoring and/or the monitoring of lying behaviour could be used as tools to identify cows with hoof lesions, either of the horn or of the skin.

Ability of heifers to discriminate between familiar herdmates and members of an unfamiliar group: preference test and operant conditioning test.

Using a preference test and operant conditioning in a Y-maze, this experiment examined the ability of heifers to discriminate between their own familiar herdmates and member(s) of an unfamiliar group. Sixteen Danish Friesian heifers, eight older animals (360.6 +/- 24.

Influence of milk yield, stage of lactation, and body condition on dairy cattle lying behaviour measured using an automated activity monitoring sensor.

Time spent lying by lactating Holstein-Friesian cows of varying body condition scores (BCS) and milk yield was measured using an animal activity monitor. A 3-week average BCS was calculated for each cow; and in total, 84 cows were selected with 28 cows each among three BCS categories (Thin: BCS<2.75; Moderate: 2.

Effects of acute stressors on nociception, adrenocortical responses and behavior of dairy cows.

Effects of acute stressors on behavioral, adrenocortical and nociceptive responses were examined in 24 dairy cows kept in tie stalls, using 15 min of social isolation in novel surroundings (ISOL), fixation by the head in the home stall (FIX) and the provision of novel neighbors/stall (NEIGH) as acute stressors as well as a control treatment (CON). Each cow was exposed to one treatment daily in a balanced order. All stressors led to signs of hypoalgesia as indicated by slower (P=0.