Dairy cows' fear of people: social learning, milk yield and behaviour at milking.

Posted in: Welfare by admin on January 1, 2001 | No Comments

The effects of the presence of an unfamiliar, gentle, or aversive handler during milking on behaviour and milk yield of dairy cattle were assessed along with whether the cows could learn to approach or avoid a handler by observing their neighboring cow’s response. The handling treatments were varied every week for the handled cows. Findings indicated that cows kept a longer distance from the aversive handler than the gentle handler during the first minute after being handled. Milk yield and residual milk yield was not affected by the type of handler standing in front of them at milking, although cows moved their legs and tail less when the aversive handler was present. The presence of an unfamiliar handler at milking did not differently affect the behaviour of the handled cows compared to that of the control cows. Observation of the aversive or gentle treatment of neighboring cows by the handler did not affect the observing cow’s distance kept from either type of handler. In the second experiment, however, cows who had observed their neighbors receiving gentle treatment by a handler kept a shorter distance to that handler after treatment of their neighbors. The distance they kept was correlated to the distance kept by the handled cow. The findings of this study indicate that the response of observer cows to a handler may be affected by how their neighbor was handled. The cows quickly learned to avoid an aversive handler, but presence of the aversive handler at their milking did not affect their milk yield.

Transgenesis may affect farm animal welfare: A case for systematic risk assessment

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A genetically modified animal (transgenic) is one whose genome contains DNA of exogenous origin that has been introduced through experimental manipulation. Although there is a growing concern about health and welfare of the animals involve in trasgenesis research, few studies have been conducted to evaluate the welfare of transgenic farm animals. In this paper the authors discuss (potential) welfare problems in farm animals associated with transgenic technologies, and they are examining the strategy of studying health and welfare of transgenic farm animals. There is evidence showing that treatments imposed in the context of farm animal transgenesis are by no means biologically neutral and may compromise animal health and welfare. Factors posing a risk for the welfare of transgenic farm animals include integration of a transgene within an endogenous gene with possible loss of host gene function (insertional mutations) and in vitro reproductive technologies employed in the process of generating transgenic farm animals that may results in an increased incidence of difficult parturition and fetal and neonatal losses and the development of unusually large or otherwise abnormal offspring. Critical components of a scheme for evaluating welfare of transgenic farm animals are identified and concrete steps with regard to breeding and testing of transgenic farm animals are presented in this paper. It is anticipated that systematic research into the welfare of farm animals involved in transgenesis will facilitate the use of the safest experimental protocols as well as the selection and propagation of the healthiest animals and, thereby, enable technological progress that could be ethically justified.

Enzyme Activities, Protein Content and Cellular Variables in the Pulmonary Epithelial Lining Fluid in Selected Healthy Pigs

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Reference values of cellular and non-cellular components in the bronchoalveolar lavage A?uid
(BALF) were established from the BALF specimens obtained from 52 healthy pigs. Using urea as an
endogenous marker of dilution, the reference values in the epithelial lining A?uid (ELF) were
calculated: total cell count 2.71 A? 109A

Evaluation of a simple method for assessment of rising behaviour in tethered dairy cows.

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Danish Friesian cows in their first, second, or third lactation (early or late lactation), and some dry cows were divided between the age groups and scored for rising behaviour while in tie-stalls three times per day for five consecutive days. Scoring occurred at 11:30 h, 15:00 h, and 17:30 h. The cows were encouraged to rise using increasing levels of encouragement while minimizing the amount of force used. Scores for rising were between 1 and 5, with 1 meaning the cow rose normally and smoothly, and 5 meaning the cow rose front first. The level of encouragement required was also scored. Video recording of behaviour was recorded to assess total lying time, lying frequency, maximum lying bout length, time to lie down, time for preparatory phase of lying, time to rise and time for final phase of rising. Video records of rising were also scored. The stage of lactation affected total lying time, number of lying bouts, maximum bout length and rising behaviour while lactation number had a minimal effect on lying behaviour. Using the proposed score for rising reliably showed whether cows in tie-stalls had difficulty rising when at least 3 observations were included. The proportion of cows in different stages of lactation and of different parities should be included in assessments of rising behaviour because the stage of lactation and parity significantly affected rising behaviour.

Variation in behavioural responses of ewes towards predator-related stimuli.

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Wild sheep are pronounced flock animals, shy, attentive and have quick flight reactions, while defending their offspring when necessary. Furthermore, they show strong antipredatory behaviour. In this study the differences in antipredatory behaviour among the following breeds, Old Norwegian, Spaelsheep, Norwegian fur sheep, Suffolk, Steigar, and Dala was experimented towards seven stimulus regimes. Tests were performed on 2-5 years old ewes with lambs inside standardized and fenced home pastures. The stimulus regimes were: man in rain poncho, trolley, ball on trolley (blind stimuli), stuffed wolverine on trolley, stuffed lynx on trolley, stuffed bear on trolley, and man in a rain poncho with a dog on leash (carnivore stimuli). Carnivore stimuli caused longer recovery times and longer flight distances than the blind stimuli which indicates that the sheep are able to distinguish between dangerous and less dangerous stimuli. In summary, the results of this study show that lighter sheep breeds display stronger antipredatory reactions than heavier breeds.

Group size and perching behaviour in young domestic fowl.

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The objective of this investigation was to determine the impact of group size and age on the perching behaviour of young domestic fowl kept under indoor housing conditions with equal resource availability across group sizes. White Leghorn pullets were reared in groups 15, 30, 60 and 120 at a constant density of 5 birds/m2. Each pen contained perches 20, 40 and 60 cm above the ground. Perch space per bird per perch level was the same for all groups. The proportion of 3- to 18-week-old birds roosting on perches during scans throughout the photoperiod decreased with increasing group size, from 41 A

Calves' responses to repeated social regrouping and relocation.

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Group housing calves is becoming more popular. This type of housing addresses welfare concerns and increases labour efficiency. However, calves are frequently regrouped according to growth rate in order to reduce live weight variability within groups. This study evaluated the consequences of repeated regrouping and relocation on calf welfare. Thirty-two pair-housed male Holstein calves were evaluated. Half the pairs were regrouped (placed in a new pen with a new pen-mate every week for 14 weeks). The other pairs stayed in the same pen with the same pen-mate. Following the first regrouping, calves increased their interactions with their pen-mate and their general activity compared to the non-regrouped calves. By the ninth regrouping, this increase in interactions and activity was not observed. More activity was observed at the end of the day and less at night by regrouped calves after they were all relocated to new pens. Regrouped calves had higher cortisol responses to exogenous adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) than non-regrouped calves. There were no differences between regrouped and non-regrouped calves in basal cortisol levels, ACTH responses to corticotropin-releasing hormone, activities of catecholamine-synthesizing enzymes (tyrosine hydroxylase and phenylethanolamine N-methyl transferase) and the incidence of health problems and growth rates. There were fewer abomasal ulcers found in regrouped calves. Overall, repeated regrouping and relocation did not appear to stress the calves. The calves rarely fought, and seemed to habituate to repeated regrouping.

A Comparative Study of the Preventive Use of Tilmicosin Phosphate (Pulmotil premix) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae Vaccination in a Pig Herd with Chronic Respiratory Disease

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Effects of group selection for productivity and longevity on blood concentrations of serotonin, catecholamines, and corticosterone of laying hens.

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In order to place an emphasis on how well hens perform in a group, the authors initiated a program of selecting groups of hens that performed well rather than individuals from groups. By selecting groups of birds the authors previously reported a reduction in cannibalism and flightiness that accompanied the improved productivity. In this study they examined various physiological measures to determine if there was an associated physiological change in the birds. They compared lines that had been selected for high and low productivity in groups. The low productivity line (also higher cannibalism and flightiness) had higher blood levels of dopamine and epinephrine and serotonin, and a higher epinephrine/norepinephrine ratio. The birds from the high production line tended to have higher cortisol levels. The differences suggest that the low productivity line were more likely to show the flight or fright reaction to stress (epinephrine etc) indicative of active copers, while the high production line appeared to be more passive. Group selection, which emphasizes the ability to get along in a group, affects various physiological measures in the birds.

Do broiler chicks have a cognitive representation of food quality? Appetitive, behavioural and ingestive response to a change in diet quality

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Poultry have been observed to suppress feeding when a new diet or a new batch of the same diet is first presented. This transitory phase seems to be related to the birds’ inability to recognize the food as edible or they classify it as ‘unknown’. The objective of this study was to determine if cognitive processes are involved in food recognition and rejection. Sixteen groups of broiler chicks were fed a low quality feed in their home pens and were trained to run a maze to gain access to a high quality feed. When training was completed, eight of the groups were given a low quality diet in the trough at the end of the maze (the same diet they received in their home pen). The other eight groups continued to receive the high quality diet. The authors predicted that time to reach the end of the maze would decrease significantly for the birds given the low quality diet. The birds that received the low-quality diet did not immediately decrease the time they took to complete the maze (as would be expected if the birds used a cognitive comparison). However, after four day, the experimental group was significantly slower to reach the end of the maze compared to the control group. On the day of the change, the birds displayed behaviour that could be indicative of frustration. The experimental birds showed more scratching and hurried movements and less pecking at feed. Food consumption was also less after the change onward for the experimental birds. The authors concluded that there was no definitive evidence for the presence of a cognitive representation of food. They suggest that this may have been due in part to testing groups as opposed to individual birds, and perception of food quality. Behaviours that may indicate frustration in the experimental birds suggested that a cognitive expectation might have been present.