Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T13:10:24.914Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Associations between cow-level parameters and heart rate variability as a marker of the physiological stress response in dairy cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 August 2022

Andrea Frei ,
Neil P. Evans ,
George King ,
Conor G. McAloon  and
Lorenzo Viora
Andrea Frei
Affiliation:
Scottish Centre for Production Animal Health and Food Safety, School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
Neil P. Evans
Affiliation:
Institute for Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
George King
Affiliation:
Scottish Centre for Production Animal Health and Food Safety, School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
Conor G. McAloon
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, D04 W6F6, Ireland
Lorenzo Viora*
Affiliation:
Scottish Centre for Production Animal Health and Food Safety, School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
*
Author for correspondence: Lorenzo Viora, Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

To maintain and enhance cow productivity and welfare, it is important that we can accurately assess and understand how cows respond to the physiological demands of gestation and lactation. Several methods have been developed for assessing the physiological responses to stressors and for detecting distress in cattle. Heart rate (HR) variability (HRV) is a non-invasive measure of autonomic nervous system activity and consequently a component of the physiological response to stress. In cattle, HRV has been successfully used to measure autonomic responses to a variety of health conditions and management procedures. The objectives of this study were to determine whether, among commercial Holstein Friesian cows and across farms, relationships exist between cow-level factors, HR and HRV. HRV parameters were compared with production records for 170 randomly selected, Holstein-Friesian-cows on 3 commercial dairy farms. Production data included parity, days in milk (DIM), milk yield, somatic cell count (SCC), % butterfat and protein, body condition score (BCS) and genetic indices. Fixed-effect, multivariable linear regression models were constructed to examine the association between cow-level variables and HRV parameters. Statistically significant relationships were found between HR and farm, temperature and BCS, and between HRV parameters and farm, rectal temperature, BCS, DIM, and percentage butterfat. Given the significant association between farms and several of the indices measured, it is recommended that care must be taken in the interpretation of HRV studies that are conducted on animals from a single farm. The current study indicated that within clinically normal dairy cattle HRV differed with the percentage of butterfat and BCS. Based on the relationships reported previously between HRV and stress in dairy cattle these results suggest that stress may be increased early in lactation, in cows with BCS <2.75 that are producing a high percentage of butterfat milk. Future work could focus on the physiological mechanisms through which these factors and their interactions alter HRV and how such physiological stress may be managed within a commercial farm setting.

Keywords

Cow-level factorsheart rate variability
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Dairy Research , Volume 89 , Issue 3 , August 2022 , pp. 265 - 270
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Hannah Dairy Research Foundation

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

*

Current address: Lois Bates Acheson Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, USA.

References

AHDB (2021) Profitable Lifetime Index £PLI. Accessed Oct. 8, 2021. Available at https://ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/profitable-lifetime-index-pli.Google Scholar
Aoki, T, Itoh, M, Chiba, A, Kuwahara, M, Nogami, H, Ishizaki, H and Yayou, K-I (2020) Heart rate variability in dairy cows with postpartum fever during night phase. PLoS ONE 15, e0242856.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bates, D, Sarkar, D, Bates, MD and Matrix, L (2007) The lme4 package. R package version 2 74.Google Scholar
Bowman, A, Scottish, SPCA, Dowell, F and Evans, NP (2015) ‘Four seasons’ in an animal rescue centre; classical music reduces environmental stress in kennelled dogs. Physiology and Behaviour 143, 70–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bun, C, Watanabe, Y, Uenoyama, Y, Inoue, N, Ieda, N, Matsuda, F, Tsukamura, H, Kuwahara, M, Maeda, KI, Ohkura, S and Pheng, V (2018) Evaluation of heat stress response in crossbred dairy cows under tropical climate by analysis of heart rate variability. Journal of Veterinary Medical Science 80, 181–185.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carty, CI, Fahey, AG, Sheehy, MR, Taylor, S, Lean, IJ, McAloon, CG, O'Grady, L and Mulligan, FJ (2017) The prevalence, temporal and spatial trends in bulk tank equivalent milk fat depression in Irish milk recorded herds. Irish Veterinary Journal 70, 1–14.Google ScholarPubMed
Davies, P and Maconochie, I (2009) The relationship between body temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate in children. Emergency Medicine Journal 26, 641–643.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
de Fries, MJ and Veerkamp, RF (2000) Energy balance of dairy cattle in relation to milk production variables and fertility. Journal of Dairy Science 83, 62–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elsasser, TH, Klasing, KC, Filipov, N, Thompson, F (2000) The metabolic consequences of stress: targets for stress and priorities of nutrient use. In The Biology of Animal Stress: Basic Principles and Implications for Animal Welfare (1st). Eds. Moberg GP and Mench JA CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK pp. 77–110.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Erdmann, S, Mohr, E, Derno, M, Tuchscherer, A, Schäff, C, Börner, S, Kautzsch, U, Kuhla, B, Hammon, H and Röntgen, M (2018) Indices of heart rate variability as potential early markers of metabolic stress and compromised regulatory capacity in dried-off high-yielding dairy cows. Animal: An International Journal of Animal Bioscience 12, 1451–1461.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hagen, K, Langbein, J, Schmied, C, Lexer, D and Waiblinger, S (2005) Heart rate variability in dairy cows – influences of breed and milking system. Physiology and Behaviour 85, 195–204.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kézér, FL, Tőzsér, J, Bakony, M, Szenci, O, Jurkovich, V and Kovács, L (2017) Effect of physical activity on cardiac autonomic function of dairy cows on commercial dairy farms. Journal of Dairy Research 84, 395–400.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kim, H-G, Cheon, E-J, Bai, D-S, Lee, YH and Koo, B-H (2018) Stress and heart rate variability: a meta-analysis and review of the literature. Psychiatry Investigation 15, 235–245.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kovács, L, Jurkovich, V, Bakony, M, Szenci, O, Póti, P and Tőzsér, J (2014) Welfare implication of measuring heart rate and heart rate variability in dairy cattle: literature review and conclusions for future research. Animal: An International Journal of Animal Bioscience 8, 316–330.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kovács, L, Kézér, FL, Jurkovich, V, Kulcsár-Huszenicza, M and Tőzsér, J (2015 a) Heart rate variability as an indicator of chronic stress caused by lameness in dairy cows. PLoS ONE 10, e0134792.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kovács, L, Kézér, FL, Tőzsér, J, Szenci, O, Póti, P and Pajor, F (2015 b) Heart rate and heart rate variability in dairy cows with different temperament and behavioural reactivity to humans. PLoS ONE 10, e0136294.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kovács, L, Kézér, FL, Bakony, M, Hufnágel, L, Tőzsér, J and Jurkovich, V (2015 c) Associations between heart rate variability parameters and housing- and individual-related variables in dairy cows using canonical correspondence analysis. PLoS ONE 10, e0145313.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kovács, L, Kézér, FL, Kulcsár-Huszenicza, M, Ruff, F, Szenci, O and Jurkovich, V (2016) Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal and cardiac autonomic responses to transrectal examination differ with behavioral reactivity in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 99, 7444–7457.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kuhn, M (2008) Building predictive models in R using the caret package. Journal of Statistical Software 28, 1–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levison, LJ, Miller-Cushon, EK, Tucker, AL, Bergeron, R, Leslie, KE, Barkema, HW and DeVries, TJ (2016) Incidence rate of pathogen-specific clinical mastitis on conventional and organic Canadian dairy farms. Journal of Dairy Science 99, 1341–1350.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lucy, MC (2019) Stress, strain, and pregnancy outcome in postpartum cows. Animal Reproduction 16, 455–464.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Met Office (2006) MIDAS: UK Daily Temperature Data. NCAS British Atmospheric Data Centre 09/30/2021. Available at https://catalogue.ceda.ac.uk/uuid/1bb479d3b1e38c339adb9c82c15579d8.Google Scholar
Moberg, GP (2000) Biological response to stress: implications for animal welfare. The Biology of Animal Stress: Basic Principles and Implications for Animal Welfare (1st) Eds. Moberg GP and Mench JA, CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK, 1–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nagel, C, Trenk, L, Aurich, C, Ille, N, Pichler, M, Drillich, M, Pohl, W and Aurich, J (2016) Sympathoadrenal balance and physiological stress response in cattle at spontaneous and PGF 2α -induced calving. Theriogenology 85, 979–985.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Proudfoot, K and Having, G (2015) Social stress as a cause of diseases in farm animals: current knowledge and future directions. Veterinary Journal 206, 15–21.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Regan, WM and Richardson, GA (1938) Reaction of the dairy cow to changes in environmental temperature. Journal of Dairy Science 21, 73–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ribeiro, ES, Lima, FS, Greco, LF, Bisinotto, RS, Monteiro, AP, Favoreto, M, Ayres, H, Marsola, RS, Martinez, N, Thatcher, WW and Santos, JE (2013) Prevalence of periparturient diseases and effects on fertility of seasonally calving grazing dairy cows supplemented with concentrates. Journal of Dairy Science 96, 5682–5697.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roche, JR, Friggens, NC, Kay, JK, Fisher, MW, Stafford, KJ and Berry, DP (2009) Invited review: body condition score and its association with dairy cow productivity, health, and welfare. Journal of Dairy Science 92, 5769–5801.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stewart, M, Stafford, K, Dowling, S, Schaefer, A and Webster, J (2008) Eye temperature and heart rate variability of calves disbudded with or without local anaesthetic. Physiology and Behaviour 93, 789–797.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stubsjøen, SM, Knappe-Poindecker, M, Langbein, J, Fjeldaas, T and Bohlin, J (2015) Assessment of chronic stress in sheep (part II): exploring heart rate variability as a non-invasive measure to evaluate cardiac regulation. Small Ruminant Research 133, 30–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Task Force of The European Society of Cardiology and the North American Society of Pacing Electrophysiology (1996) Heart rate variability: standards of measurement, physiological interpretation, and clinical use. Circulation 93, 1043–1065.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tomlinson, M, Chong, Z'a, Clarke, M, Gladden, N and Viora, L (2018) The Assessment of Farm Level Heat Stress Risk in a Scottish Dairy Herd. 50th National SIB Congress, Bologna, Italy.Google Scholar
Von Borell, E, Langbein, J, Després, G, Hansen, S, Leterrier, C, Marchant-Forde, J, Marchant-Forde, R, Minero, M, Mohr, E, Prunier, A, Valance, D and Veissier, I (2007) Heart rate variability as a measure of autonomic regulation of cardiac activity for assessing stress and welfare in farm animals – A review. Physiology and Behaviour 92, 293–316.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Whelton, SP, Narla, V, Blaha, MJ, Nasir, K, Blumenthal, RS, Jenny, NS, Al-Mallah, MH and Michos, ED (2014) Association between resting heart rate and inflammatory biomarkers (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and fibrinogen) (from the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis). American Journal of Cardiology 113, 644–649.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wickham, H, Francois, R, Henry, L and Müller, K (2015) dplyr: A grammar of data manipulation. R package version 0.4 3 156.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: PDF

Frei et al. supplementary material

Frei et al. supplementary material

Download Frei et al. supplementary material(PDF)
PDF 132.4 KB