Escuela de Graduados, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia 5090000, Chile.
Instituto de Ciencia Animal, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia 5090000, Chile.
J Dairy Sci. 2021 Mar;104(3):3508-3521. doi: 10.3168/jds.2020-19439. Epub 2021 Jan 15.
This study aimed to assess the effect of shelter provision during the prepartum period on lying, ruminating, and feeding behavior in outdoor-housed dairy cows exposed to winter weather conditions in a temperate climate. We also aimed to determine whether shelter provision during the prepartum period influenced blood analytes related to energy metabolism, body cleanliness, and health status. In this study, 2 cohorts of 12 multiparous Holstein prepartum cows were tested in winter. Twenty-five days before their expected calving date, the cows in each cohort were paired and randomly assigned to an open paddock without shelter or to one with access to an artificial shelter until calving. Shelter use, lying time, number of lying bouts, duration of lying bouts, rumination time, and feeding time were continuously recorded during the 3 wk before calving. Cows were assessed weekly for body cleanliness throughout the 3-wk prepartum period. A blood sample was taken from the coccygeal vein of each cow at wk -3, -2, -1, 1, 2, and 3 relative to calving date, and were assayed for nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), β-hydroxybutyrate, and haptoglobin concentrations. Cases of clinical health disorders after calving were also recorded. The cows spent 60% of their daily time in the shelters, and for 75% of that time they were lying down. Cows with access to shelter during the prepartum period lay down around 3.2 h/d more than cows without shelter on wk -3 and -2 relative to calving. The cows with shelter access spent less time feeding during the morning (wk -3: 29.7 min; wk -2: 12.1 min; wk -1: 17.3 min) and afternoon (wk -3: 18.2 min; wk -2: 21.9 min) than cows without shelter access. As well, cows with shelter access showed a higher body cleanliness score (∼92 vs. ∼48%) and lower NEFA concentrations (wk -2: 0.27 vs. 0.44 mmol/L; wk -1: 0.46 vs. 0.64 mmol/L) in the precalving period, and lower haptoglobin concentrations in the first week postpartum (0.34 vs. 0.79 mg/mL) than cows without shelter access. We observed no treatment differences in daily rumination time, β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations, or postpartum health disorders. Despite the small number of dairy cows used in this study, these findings suggest that having access to a shelter during the prepartum period increases lying time, improves body cleanliness, and reduces adipose mobilization. Therefore, it is important to provide a protected area for the welfare of prepartum dairy cows exposed to winter climate conditions.
本研究旨在评估在温带气候条件下，产前提供庇护所对户外饲养奶牛的卧息、反刍和进食行为的影响。我们还旨在确定产前提供庇护所是否会影响与能量代谢、身体清洁度和健康状况相关的血液分析物。在这项研究中，2 组 12 头经产荷斯坦产前奶牛在冬季进行了测试。在预计产犊日期前 25 天，每组奶牛配对并随机分配到一个没有庇护所的开放围场或一个可以进入人工庇护所的围场，直到产犊。在产犊前的 3 周内，连续记录庇护所使用情况、卧息时间、卧息次数、卧息持续时间、反刍时间和进食时间。在产前 3 周内，每周对每头奶牛的身体清洁度进行评估。在产犊日期前的第-3、-2、-1、1、2 和 3 周，从每头奶牛的尾静脉抽取血液样本，并测定非酯化脂肪酸（NEFA）、β-羟丁酸和触珠蛋白浓度。还记录了产犊后临床健康障碍的病例。奶牛每天有 60%的时间在庇护所中，其中 75%的时间在卧息。与没有庇护所的奶牛相比，产前有庇护所的奶牛在产犊前 3 天和 2 天的卧息时间每天多了约 3.2 小时。有庇护所的奶牛在早上（产犊前 3 天：29.7 分钟；产犊前 2 天：12.1 分钟；产犊前 1 天：17.3 分钟）和下午（产犊前 3 天：18.2 分钟；产犊前 2 天：21.9 分钟）的进食时间更少。此外，有庇护所的奶牛的身体清洁度评分更高（约 92% vs. 约 48%），产前的非酯化脂肪酸浓度更低（产犊前 2 天：0.27 与 0.44 mmol/L；产犊前 1 天：0.46 与 0.64 mmol/L），产后第一周的触珠蛋白浓度也更低（0.34 与 0.79 mg/mL），而没有庇护所的奶牛则没有。我们没有观察到治疗差异在每日反刍时间、β-羟丁酸浓度或产后健康障碍方面。尽管本研究中使用的奶牛数量较少，但这些发现表明，产前提供庇护所可以增加卧息时间，改善身体清洁度，并减少脂肪动员。因此，为了户外饲养奶牛的福利，提供一个受保护的区域是很重要的。
