Ingestive behavior of dairy buffaloes in a cow-calf contact grazing system during the post-calving

Abstract

Maternal behavior immediately after calving has been widely studied in ruminants, including buffaloes. However, little is known about the cow-calf relationship in a cow-calf contact (CCC) system throughout the lactation period. The objective of this study was to investigate the evolution of ingestive behavior in dairy buffalo cows under a CCC grazing system during the first seven months post-calving and its relation with social behaviors. Ten crossbred dairy buffalo cows (Mediterranean × Murrah), including both multiparous and primiparous, and their calves, were evaluated from three days to seven months post-calving (M1, M2, …, M7). Evaluations were conducted weekly until M4 and biweekly from M5 to M7, totaling 22 observation days per cow-calf pair. Animals were kept together under continuous grazing, and their activities were observed from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. These activities were grouped into the following categories: ingestive behaviors (idling, ruminating, grazing (min), and water intake; number of events); other behaviors (other activities, nursing, time out of water, and total time in water immersion; min); distance between cow and calf (≤ 5 m, > 5 ≤ 10 m, and > 10 m; %); and social behaviors (aggressiveness, maternal care, vocalization, nursing events and denied nursing events; number of events). In M1, buffalo cows spent 75.7 % of their time at a distance of ≤ 5 m from their calves, while in M4, this occurred only 46.5 % of the time (P = 0.001). Idling while standing was more frequent in M1 and M2 compared to the other months (P < .0001), and ruminating while standing was higher in M1 and M2 than in the subsequent months (P = 0.011). Grazing time increased from M1 (128.3 min) to M4 (173.5 min; P = 0.002). The events of aggressiveness (4.9; P = 0.098), maternal care (7.4; P < .0001), and vocalization (1.7; P < .0001) were higher in M1 when compared to M7. During the first two months of buffalo calves’ lives, cows are more vigilant and careful, increasing the time spent idling and ruminating while standing and decreasing the time spent grazing. Understanding these behaviors may help develop management practices that allow the expression of maternal care behaviors without compromising maintenance activities.