Jensen Margit Bak, Franchi Guilherme A, Schumacher Maike, Proudfoot Kathryn
Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Aarhus University, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark.
Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown C1A4P3, Canada.
JDS Commun. 2023 Oct 3;4(6):474-478. doi: 10.3168/jdsc.2022-0364. eCollection 2023 Nov.
Under near-natural conditions, domesticated dairy calves hide the first days after birth before cow and calf join the herd. In commercial dairy production, an opportunity to seclude from the herd after parturition is rarely given. This study aimed to investigate the effect of providing a covered area in an individual calving pen on maternal and neonatal calf behavior. Forty-six cow-calf pairs were housed in either an individual uncovered calving pen with 4 open sides or an individual partially covered calving pen with 3 covered sides, providing a secluded area for the cow and calf. Calf position in the pen, maternal behavior, and proximity between the cow and calf were recorded for the first 72 h after birth using instantaneous sampling at 5-min intervals. Data were analyzed using linear mixed effect models. The duration of maternal sniffing and licking, the duration of time the cow spent standing with her head over the calf, and the time spent in close proximity to the calf were higher during the first 24 h after birth compared with later days, reflecting intense maternal behavior during this early period. Calves did not show a preference for staying in the covered side of the pen. Calves in covered pens received more maternal sniffing and licking, indicating that the provision of cover postpartum facilitated maternal behavior and the formation of the maternal-filial bond the first few days after birth.
在接近自然的条件下，家养奶牛犊在出生后的头几天会躲藏起来，直到母牛和牛犊加入牛群。在商业化奶牛生产中，产后很少有机会让母牛和牛犊与牛群隔离开来。本研究旨在调查在个体产犊栏中设置一个有遮盖区域对母牛和新生牛犊行为的影响。46对母牛-牛犊被安置在两种产犊栏中，一种是四面开放的无遮盖个体产犊栏，另一种是三面有遮盖的部分遮盖个体产犊栏，为母牛和牛犊提供一个隐蔽区域。在出生后的头72小时内，每隔5分钟采用瞬时取样法记录牛犊在栏中的位置、母性行为以及母牛和牛犊之间的距离。数据采用线性混合效应模型进行分析。与随后几天相比，出生后头24小时内，母牛嗅舔的持续时间、母牛头部俯在牛犊上方站立的持续时间以及与牛犊近距离相处的时间都更长，这反映了这一早期阶段强烈的母性行为。牛犊对待在产犊栏有遮盖的一侧没有表现出偏好。有遮盖产犊栏中的牛犊受到母牛更多的嗅舔，这表明产后提供遮盖物有助于母性行为以及出生后头几天母婴纽带关系的形成。
