INFLUENCE OF AGE, GENDER AND SIRE LINE ON YOUNG CATTLE BEHAVIOUR TRAITS

The aim of this study was to test effects of age, gender, and sire line on dairy cattle behaviour. We have analyzed results of ethological tests for 40 Holstein breed animals (23 males and 17 females), offsprings of three sires. Maintenance behaviour were observed at the age of 90, 130 and 170 days. Behaviour in the maze was conducted at the age of 119 days, an open-field test was applied at the age of 124, 168, and 355 days. The social behaviour was determined by feeding on 155th day of the age. The times and the number of periods in all activities of maintenance behaviour were changing significantly (P<0.001) according to the age. The total time of lying, lying with ruminating, ruminating, feeding was increasing from the age of 90 days to the age of 170 days, on the other hand the time of standing was decreasing. The times of total lying, lying with ruminating, total ruminating, feeding were increased, and time of standing was decreased from the age of 90 days to the age of 170 days. Calves spent more time lying on the left side than on the right side. The number of ruminating periods was increasing according to the age. Eating periods were decreasing from the age of 90 to 170 days. The most of lying periods were recorded at the age of 130 days. The differences between sex were found in total time of lying, lying on the right side (P<0.05), and the males rest longer and had more periods of lying than females. We have found differences in times of feeding (P<0.001), total lying, standing (P<0.01), and lying on the left side (P<0.05) according to sire by comparing behaviour of the calves. Sire genotypes were significantly manifested in period number of total lying (P<0.001), lying on the right side, feeding (P<0.01), and standing (P<0.05). Males stood in the first part of maze longer than females (P<0.001), also length of total standing was longer by bulls (P<0.01). Heifers took shorter time to leave the maze than bulls (P<0.05). Sire lineages significantly differed in times of standing in the first part of maze and maze leaving. We did not find any significant differences either among sire lineage groups or between genders in locomotor behaviour measured by the number of crossed squares in open-field test. During all observations were more mobile heifers. No significant differences were found between males and females in social behaviour. The sire line influenced only the number of total duels (P<0.001). We found significant positive relationship between live body weight and time of staying in the first part of maze (r=0.3957**), time of maze leaving (r=0.3720**), and number of total and win duels (0.4031**, 0.3216*). Significant relationships were recorded in almost maintenance behaviour activities (P<0.001). Consistency of locomotor behaviour was proved only between the ages of 124 and 168 days (r=0.3177*). Significant relationship between maze behaviours and number of crossed squares were found only in ages of 119 and 124 days (r=-0.3721**; r=- 0.4110**; r=-0.3994**)

Effect of Raising Dairy Heifers on Their Performance and Reproduction after 12 Months

The objective of this study was to test the hypotheses that a heifer’s growth, health, and reproduction after 12 months are impacted by rearing (feeding/housing) before weaning, their season of birth, and the father’s lineage. Fifty-one Holstein heifers, born during January–March (SB1), April–June (SB2), July–September (SB3), and October–December (SB4) and originating from four fathers, were assigned to one of the three rearing treatments: restricted suckling (RS), calf in a pen with the mother until the 21st day, sucking three times daily, then group pen (6 kg milk) to weaning; unrestricted suckling (US), calf in a pen with foster cows (6 kg milk) to weaning; and conventional rearing (CR), calf in a hutch until the 56th day, then group pen to weaning (milk replacer 6 kg). After weaning on the 84th day, heifers were kept in groups with the same ration. The growth of the live body weight (LBW), health, and reproduction were recorded. The LBW had a tendency to increase from the 360th to the 570th days in the US, and the reduced growth of the LBW was shown in the CR. Heifers of SB2 had the highest LBW at 570 days of age. The ages of the first insemination service and the conception varied significantly among the rearing groups. The results indicate that a heifer rearing method may have a significant impact on their later growth and fertility

Effect of Different Rearing during the Milk-Feeding Period on Growth of Dairy Calves

The objective was to determine the impact of calves’ rearing, gender, and the sire lineage on the growth and health. One hundred-and-five Holstein calves were assigned to one of three treatments: single suckling (SS), multiple suckling (MS), and artificially rearing in hutches (H). All calves received a comparable amount of milk/milk replacer (MR) across treatments. All calves were weaned at the 84th day. After weaning, all calves were separated by sex in age-balanced groups. At weaning, the highest body weight was in MS and the lowest in H (SS 94.97 kg, MS 109.85 kg, H 80.80 kg, p < 0.001). The average gains from the birth to weaning were 0.67 kg (SS), 0.81 kg (MS), 0.48 kg (H), (p < 0.001). A difference (p < 0.01) was found for the period from birth to 180th day of life (SS 0.75 kg, MS 0.82 kg, H 0.67 kg). We did not notice a gender differences (p > 0.05). The Sire 1 progeny showed a lower body weight at 180 days (p < 0.01) and 360 days (p < 0.05). The results indicate that the method used to rear calves and sire lines had a significant impact on their later performance

Impact of gestation and lactation stage on the dairy cow response following removal to unfamiliar housing and milking system

The objective of this study was to test the hypotheses that milk yield and behaviour at milking after relocation are impacted by gestation and lactation stages. Forty-one Holstein cows were relocated from the tie-stall barn with pipeline milking system into the barn with free-stall housing and herringbone milking parlour. Milk yield and order at the milking were recorded electronically. A significant decrease in daily milk yield was detected immediately after relocation (the first day) compared with the last day before treatment (23.76±7.21 kg vs 30.97±7.26 kg; P<0.001). However, the performance drop did not last long; after fourteen days milk production exceeded the mean original level (32.16±8.87 kg). No significant differences were found in the comparison of cows according to gestation stages. Cows in the second and first stages of lactation showed the highest declines in milk yield on the first day (36.77±6.34 kg and 33.76±7.44 kg vs 28.14±7.00 kg and 25.50±8.20 kg; P<0.05). Cows in the late lactation stage came into the parlour later than the other cows, equally during morning and evening milkings (P<0.05). Relationships between the lactation stage and milking orders were positive and significant (0.3730*, 0.3946*, 0.4822**). We found that milk yield and behaviour at milking after relocation were influenced by the stage of lactation of the cows; however, the gestation stage had little longterm effect on the variables measured

Dairy Cows Produce Less Milk and Modify Their Behaviour during the Transition between Tie-Stall to Free-Stall

Transfer of cattle to an unknown barn may result in a reduction in its welfare. Housing and management practices can result in signs of stress that include a long-term suppression of milk efficiency. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of moving cows from the stanchion-stall housing to free-stall housing on their behaviour and production. The Holstein cows were moved into the new facility with free-stall housing from the old barn with stanchion-stall housing. Cows lay down up to ten hours (596.3 ± 282.7 min) after removing. The cows in their second lactation and open cows tended to lie sooner after removing than cows in their first lactation and pregnant cows. The times of total lying and rumination were increasing from the first day to the tenth day after removing (23.76 ± 7.20 kg vs. 30.97 ± 7.26 kg, p < 0.001). Cows produced 23.3% less milk at the first day following the transfer than at the last day prior to moving (p < 0.001). Loss of milk was gradually reduced and maximum production was achieved on the 14th day. The difference was found in milk losses due to the shift between cows on the first and second lactation (p < 0.01). The results of this study suggest that removing from the tie-stall barn with a pipeline milking system into the barn with free-stall housing and a milking parlour caused a decline in the cows’ milk production. However, when the cows are moved to a better environment, they rapidly adapt to the change