Veterinary Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus 43210.
William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute, Chazy, NY 12921.
J Dairy Sci. 2021 Jun;104(6):7109-7121. doi: 10.3168/jds.2020-19744. Epub 2021 Mar 25.
In a more natural setting, dairy cows separate from herdmates and seek a secluded area to give birth. However, on many dairy facilities, cows calve in barren group pens with limited space, which may limit their ability to perform these behaviors. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of stocking density and provision of a blind (a single-sided solid partition) in group bedded pack maternity pens on the behavior of dairy cattle. The study included 4 experimental treatments: (1) high stocking density (7.7-12.9 m of lying space/cow) with a blind, (2) low stocking density (15.4-25.8 m) with a blind, (3) high stocking density without a blind, and (4) low stocking density without a blind. We analyzed the effect of these treatments on locomotor and separation behavior as well as blind use during the 24 h before calving. A total of 127 primiparous heifers and 247 multiparous cows were housed in 16 mixed-parity groups (4 groups per treatment) from approximately 3 wk before to immediately after calving. Locomotor behavior increased from 24 to 2 h before calving regardless of treatment but increased the most in high stocking density pens without a blind. Additionally, heifers performed more locomotion than cows. Animals increased their distance from other cows beginning approximately 4 h before calving. Animals in low stocking density pens had a greater distance from other cows compared with those in high stocking density pens. Additionally, heifers had a greater distance from penmates during the 4 h before calving than cows. More animals calved in the area of the pen that contained a blind compared with the same respective areas of high and low stocking density pens that did not contain a blind. These results suggest that periparturient dairy cattle in group maternity pens are motivated to seek seclusion at calving, but increased stocking density may impede their ability to do so. Providing additional space and a blind may benefit periparturient dairy cows and heifers by facilitating natural calving behaviors.
在更为自然的环境中，奶牛会与牛群分离并寻找一个僻静的地方分娩。然而，在许多奶牛养殖场中，奶牛在空间有限的光秃秃的群体牛栏中分娩，这可能限制了它们执行这些行为的能力。本研究的目的是确定群体卧床产仔栏中饲养密度和提供盲栏（单侧实心隔板）对奶牛行为的影响。该研究包括 4 种实验处理：（1）高饲养密度（7.7-12.9 米卧栏空间/头）带盲栏，（2）低饲养密度（15.4-25.8 米）带盲栏，（3）高饲养密度无盲栏，和（4）低饲养密度无盲栏。我们分析了这些处理措施对分娩前 24 小时奶牛的运动和分离行为以及盲栏使用的影响。共有 127 头初产小母牛和 247 头经产奶牛被安置在 16 个混合胎次组（每组 4 个处理）中，从大约分娩前 3 周开始，一直持续到分娩后立即结束。无论处理方式如何，奶牛的运动行为都从分娩前 24 小时增加到 2 小时，但在没有盲栏的高饲养密度牛栏中增加最多。此外，小母牛的运动比奶牛多。动物大约在分娩前 4 小时开始增加与其他奶牛的距离。低饲养密度牛栏中的动物与高饲养密度牛栏相比，与其他动物的距离更大。此外，小母牛在分娩前 4 小时与同栏的其他动物的距离比奶牛大。与高和低饲养密度牛栏中没有盲栏的相同区域相比，更多的动物在包含盲栏的牛栏区域分娩。这些结果表明，群体产仔栏中的围产期奶牛在分娩时渴望寻求独处，但增加饲养密度可能会阻碍它们这样做的能力。提供额外的空间和盲栏可以通过促进自然分娩行为使围产期奶牛和小母牛受益。
