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Changes in lying behaviour and activity during the peri-parturient period in primiparous and multiparous Holstein dairy cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 November 2017

S Bowe
Affiliation:
Writtle College, Essex, United Kingdom
N Blackie*
Affiliation:
Writtle College, Essex, United Kingdom
E C L Bleach
Affiliation:
Writtle College, Essex, United Kingdom
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Extract

The peri-parturient period is unsettling for dairy cows as they move from the dry period, through parturition, cow-calf separation and into the milking herd. The changes in physiological state, environment and social grouping through this period are likely to be particularly manifest in primiparous cows. Lactating dairy cows may be expected to spend up to 13.8 hours/day lying (Tucker and Weary, 2007), this has been shown to alter through the peri-parturient period (Huzzey et al (2005). The mean lying time for healthy cows at this farm was 11 hours day (Blackie et al, 2008).

The aim of the present study was to assess the changes in activity levels of first parity cows before and after calving as compared to their multiparous herd mates.

Type
Theatre Presentations
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 2009

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References

Blackie, N, Bleach, E C L, Amory, J R and Scaife, J R. 2008. Proceedings 15th International Symposium and Conference on Lameness in Ruminants. 230–234.Google Scholar
Huzzey, J.M., von Keyserlingk, M.A.G. and Weary, D. M. 2005. Journal of Dairy Science, 88, 2454–2461.Google Scholar
Tucker, C.B. and Weary, D.M. 2007. Journal of Dairy Science. 87, 2889–2895.Google Scholar