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The effects of group size on the ingestive and social behaviour of grazing dairy cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

M. I. Rind  and
C.J. C. Phillips
M. I. Rind*
Affiliation:
School of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor LL57 2UW
C.J. C. Phillips*
Affiliation:
School of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor LL57 2UW
*
† Present address: Department of Poultry Husbandry, Sindh Agriculture University, Pakistan.
‡ Present address and correspondence: Animal Science Division, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Madingley Road, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0ES.
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Abstract

An experiment was conducted with 48 dairy cows grazed in treatment groups of four, eight or 16 cows per group, whose grazing, social and resting behaviour was recorded over a 53-day period. Cows in groups of four stayed closer to their nearest neighbour, moved their head more rapidly from side to side during grazing and spent more time ruminating than cows in larger groups, suggesting that they were more vigilant against a perceived prédation risk. Cows in the group of 16 were more aggressive, maintained a greater distance to their nearest neighbour and had a faster rate of stepping while they grazed, compared with cows in smaller groups, suggesting increased inter-cow competition. They also spent longer grooming themselves, which normally acts as a displacement activity and may indicate increased stress. Cows in groups of eight had a faster biting rate when grazing than cows in small or large groups and they spent the longest time lying down. There were no effects of group size on milk production but across treatment groups the high yielding cows were the first to initiate grazing and to enter the milking parlour.

Keywords

behaviourdairy cowsgrazinggroup sizerumination
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 68 , Issue 4 , June 1999 , pp. 589 - 596
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1999

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