Vicentini Rogério Ribeiro, El Faro Lenira, Ujita Aska, Ceballos Maria Camila, Negrão João Alberto, Sant'Anna Aline Cristina
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Conservação da Natureza, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF), Juiz de Fora 36036-900, MG, Brazil.
Centro Avançado de Pesquisa de Bovinos de Corte, Instituto de Zootecnia (IZ)-Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios/Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento (APTA/SAA), Sertãozinho 14160-970, SP, Brazil.
Animals (Basel). 2023 Mar 3;13(5):921. doi: 10.3390/ani13050921.
In dairy systems with Zebu breeds, calves are not immediately separated from their dams after calving; consequently, maternal care and protective behavior are important, influencing both productive performance and stockpeople's safety. Our objectives were to: (1) investigate the effects of a training protocol involving pre-calving positive stimulation, delivered prior to calving, on the maternal care of primiparous Gyr cows; and (2) evaluate the effects of this training protocol on maternal protective behavior towards handlers during the first calf handling. Primiparous dairy Gyr cows ( = 37) were allocated into two groups: training ( = 16) and control ( = 21). Animal behaviors were recorded in three periods: post-calving, first calf handling, and post-handling. Maternal protective behavior during calf handling was assessed from measures of aggressiveness, attention, displacement, and agitation. Calf latency to stand up ( < 0.01) and sex ( < 0.01) differed between the training and control groups. The training group had less touching ( = 0.03), more time not interacting with the calf ( = 0.03), tended to be less protective ( = 0.056), and moved less ( < 0.01) during the first handling of their calves. In conclusion, the primiparous dairy Gyr cows subjected to pre-calving training protocol displayed less maternal care and displacement during the first handling of their calves and tended to be less protective.
在有瘤牛品种的奶牛养殖系统中，犊牛出生后不会立即与母牛分开；因此，母性关怀和保护行为很重要，会影响生产性能和饲养人员的安全。我们的目标是：（1）研究一种在产犊前进行积极刺激的训练方案对初产吉尔牛母性关怀的影响；（2）评估该训练方案对首次处理犊牛时母牛对饲养人员的保护行为的影响。将37头初产奶牛吉尔牛分为两组：训练组（16头）和对照组（21头）。在三个时期记录动物行为：产后、首次处理犊牛时和处理后。通过攻击性、注意力、驱赶和躁动等指标评估处理犊牛时的母性保护行为。训练组和对照组在犊牛站立延迟（P<0.01）和性别（P<0.01）方面存在差异。训练组在首次处理犊牛时的触摸行为较少（P = 0.03），与犊牛不互动的时间较多（P = 0.03），保护行为倾向较弱（P = 0.056），移动较少（P<0.01）。总之，接受产犊前训练方案的初产奶牛吉尔牛在首次处理犊牛时表现出较少的母性关怀和驱赶行为，保护行为倾向也较弱。
