Social interactions of dairy cows and their association with milk yield and somatic cell count

IF 2.2 2区 农林科学 Q1 AGRICULTURE, DAIRY & ANIMAL SCIENCE
Helen R. Fielding , Matthew J. Silk , Trevelyan J. McKinley , Richard J. Delahay , Jared K. Wilson-Aggarwal , Laetitia Gauvin , Laura Ozella , Ciro Cattuto , Robbie A. McDonald
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The social environment experienced by livestock can have implications for their health, welfare, and subsequently, their productivity. Changes in the dairy industry have led to larger herd sizes and altered management of cows, which has impacted their social environment. Studies have shown that mixing of animals can lead to social instability of groups and expansion of herds can lead to high stocking densities resulting in social stress and negative effects on production. Yet few studies have assessed the putative impact of positive cow-cow interactions, such as proximity to preferred herd mates and engaging in grooming, on milk production and udder health. To address this, we used cattle proximity as a proxy for affiliative interactions between cows in three dairy herds in south-west England over one week study periods. We created proximity networks of dairy cows and measured cow-cow associations according to milk yield, somatic cell count (SCC; an indicator of mastitis), parity (number of lactations in the cow’s lifetime), and lactation stage (grouped by days in milk for current lactation). We then assessed associations between social factors and production and health measures (milk yield and SCC). In all three herds, cows interacted more with cows in the same parity, suggesting early social bonding may be evident later in life and that grouping animals in terms of parity might encourage affiliative interactions. Cows did not associate according to milk yield, SCC, or lactation stage. There was no significant association between milk production or SCC and the total time spent in social contact with other cows, the mean time spent with the four closest herd mates, or the number of closest herd mates of the same parity. We suggest that further research on positive social environments for dairy cattle is warranted in the interests of improving welfare and enabling a more robust assessment of the putative effects on production and health parameters

奶牛的社会互动及其与产奶量和体细胞数的关系
牲畜所处的社会环境会影响它们的健康和福利,进而影响它们的生产力。乳制品行业的变化导致牛群规模扩大,奶牛管理方式改变,从而影响了它们的社会环境。研究表明,动物混群会导致群体的社会不稳定,牛群的扩大会导致高饲养密度,从而造成社会压力并对生产产生负面影响。然而,很少有研究评估积极的牛群互动(如接近喜欢的牛群伙伴和进行梳理)对奶产量和乳房健康的潜在影响。为了解决这个问题,我们在英格兰西南部的三个奶牛群中使用了牛群接近度作为奶牛之间在一周研究期间的隶属互动的替代物。我们创建了奶牛邻近网络,并根据产奶量、体细胞数(SCC,乳腺炎指标)、奇偶数(奶牛一生中的泌乳次数)和泌乳阶段(按当前泌乳期的产奶天数分组)测量奶牛与奶牛之间的关联。然后,我们评估了社会因素与生产和健康指标(产奶量和SCC)之间的关系。在所有三个牛群中,奶牛与同一胎次的奶牛互动较多,这表明早期的社会联系在以后的生活中可能会很明显,按胎次分组可能会鼓励隶属关系的互动。奶牛并不根据产奶量、SCC或泌乳阶段进行交往。产奶量或SCC与奶牛与其他奶牛的社会接触总时间、与四个最亲密的牛群伙伴的平均接触时间或相同奇数的最亲密牛群伙伴的数量之间没有明显联系。我们建议进一步研究奶牛的积极社交环境,以提高奶牛的福利,并对其对生产和健康参数的潜在影响进行更可靠的评估。
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来源期刊
Applied Animal Behaviour Science
Applied Animal Behaviour Science 农林科学-行为科学
CiteScore
4.40
自引率
21.70%
发文量
191
审稿时长
18.1 weeks
期刊介绍: This journal publishes relevant information on the behaviour of domesticated and utilized animals. Topics covered include: -Behaviour of farm, zoo and laboratory animals in relation to animal management and welfare -Behaviour of companion animals in relation to behavioural problems, for example, in relation to the training of dogs for different purposes, in relation to behavioural problems -Studies of the behaviour of wild animals when these studies are relevant from an applied perspective, for example in relation to wildlife management, pest management or nature conservation -Methodological studies within relevant fields The principal subjects are farm, companion and laboratory animals, including, of course, poultry. The journal also deals with the following animal subjects: -Those involved in any farming system, e.g. deer, rabbits and fur-bearing animals -Those in ANY form of confinement, e.g. zoos, safari parks and other forms of display -Feral animals, and any animal species which impinge on farming operations, e.g. as causes of loss or damage -Species used for hunting, recreation etc. may also be considered as acceptable subjects in some instances -Laboratory animals, if the material relates to their behavioural requirements
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