Faculty of Animal Sciences and Biotechnologies Timişoara, România

RESEARCHES REGARDING RESTING BEHAVIOUR IN LACTATING DAIRY COWS DURING FIRST

HUNDRED DAYS AFTER CALVING

CERCETĂRI PRIVIND COMPORTAMENTUL DE ODIHNĂ LA VACILE DE LAPTE AFLATE ÎN PRIMELE 100 DE ZILE DE LA FĂTARE

GAVOJDIAN D., CZISZTER L.T., ACATINCĂI S., TRIPON I., BAUL SIMONA

.

Materials and Methods

* 20 Romanian Black and White multiparous cows

* in their first hundred days of lactation

* housed in a tied stanchion barn

* experiments were carried out in two seasons (February and July 2008)

* concrete housing stalls

* bedding material - straws (3-5 kg per day/cow)

.* data regarding environmental temperatures was recorded

* the barn was under continuous lightning

* were treated as a single group

* had free access to water

* behavior was monitored using 4 video cameras connected to a video capture device of 125 fps

* cows were milked twice a day

.daily ration during summer :

- 30 kg alfalfa fresh feed

- 4 kg concentrates

- 5 kg browers yeast

* Two meals per day

daily ration during winter:

- 20 kg corn silage

- 8 kg lolium hay

- 3 kg concentrates

- 4 kg browers yeast

* Two meals per day

Winter season Total rest Standing Lying

7-14ººX±Sx 145.05±4.80 110.30±6.41 34.75±5.29

SD 21.49 28.69 23.69

14-21ººX±Sx 137.70±7.33 108.70±9.18 29.00±4.31

SD 32.78 41.06 19.27

21-7ººX±Sx 92.20±10.82 58.40±6.35 33.80±6.16

SD 48.41 28.42 27.55

On 24 hoursX±Sx 379.95±15.33 277.40±13.66 97.55±12.17

SD 68.57 61.12 54.44

Table 1Resting activity during winter season

Summer season Total rest Standing Lying

7-14ººX±Sx 200.25±8.41 159.60±11.12 40.65±8.22

SD 37.65 49.76 36.77

14-21ººX±Sx 182.65±9.46 130.95±11.98 51.70±9.11

SD 42.34 53.60 40.74

21-7ººX±Sx 230.75±14.54 163.10±20.22 67.65±10.84

SD 65.04 90.44 48.52

On 24 hoursX±Sx 613.75±19.33 453.65±29.85 160.00±19.83

SD 86.46 133.53 88.70

Table 2Resting activity during summer season

Total rest Standing Lying

Winter-Summer

Segment I - 55.20 *** - 49.30 * - 5.90 ns

Segment II - 44.95 ** - 22.25 ns - 22.70 ns

SegmentuIII - 138.55 *** - 104.70 *** - 33.85 *

On 24 hours - 233.80 *** - 176.25 *** - 62.45 ***

Table 3Significance differences for resting behavior between the two seasons

Conclusions

- During winter, cows spent resting 379.9 minutes (6.33 hours), value that represents 26.38 % from the days interval

- Cows spent resting while standing on average 277.40 minutes, and while lying only 97.55 minutes - Time devoted to rest during summer per 24 hours was 613.75 minutes (10.22 hours), value that represents 42.60% from the days interval

- Position adopted by cows for resting was registered as follows, 453.65 minutes in standing position and 160 minutes while lying recumbent

- Differences registered between the two seasons for time spent resting and position adopted during resting periods, were very significantly statistically (p0.001)

Thank you!