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Housing system and welfare of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

C. Tripaldi ,
G. De Rosa ,
F. Grasso ,
G. M. Terzano  and
F. Napolitano
C. Tripaldi
Affiliation:
Istituto Sperimentale per la Zootecnia, Via Salaria 31, 00016 Monterotondo (Roma), Italy
G. De Rosa*
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Scienze Zootecniche e Ispezione degli Alimenti, Università degli Studi di Napoli ‘Federico II’, Via Università 133, 80055 Portici (Napoli), Italy
F. Grasso
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Scienze Zootecniche e Ispezione degli Alimenti, Università degli Studi di Napoli ‘Federico II’, Via Università 133, 80055 Portici (Napoli), Italy
G. M. Terzano
Affiliation:
Istituto Sperimentale per la Zootecnia, Via Salaria 31, 00016 Monterotondo (Roma), Italy
F. Napolitano
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Scienze delle Produzioni Animali, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, Via N. Sauro 85, 85100 Potenza, Italy
*
† Contact for correspondence. E-mail: giderosa@unina.it
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Abstract

Twenty-eight buffalo cows were used to evaluate the effect of housing system on a range of behavioural and physiological variables. Fourteen cows were group-housed in a loose open-sided barn with a concrete floor and 10 m2 per head as space allowance (group IS). Fourteen others were group-housed in a similar barn but they could also benefit from an outdoor yard with 500 m2 per head as space allowance, free access to potholes for wallowing and spontaneous vegetation (group TS). Animals were subjected to six sessions of instantaneous scan sampling at 10-day intervals. Behavioural variables were expressed as proportions of subjects observed in each category of posture and activity. Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) was used to perform a skin test based on non-specific delayed type hypersensitivity, whereas 20 mg of ovalbumin were injected subcutaneously to evaluate humoral immune response. Blood samples for evaluation of cortisol concentration were collected immediately prior to exogenous porcine ACTH injection and 1, 2 and 4 h after. The metabolic status of the animals and milk production were also monitored. The proportion of idling animals was higher in group IS than in group TS (P < 0.001). More IS buffalo cows were observed eating at the manger than TS animals (P < 0.001). A higher proportion of TS animals were observed in the sun (P < 0.001). Grazing and bathing activities were recorded only for TS animals. Our findings suggest that buffalo cows kept in intensive conditions and having no access to ample yards and potholes may extend their periods of idling with negative effects on the state of welfare. Immune responses, metabolite concentrations and milk production were not affected by treatment, whereas cortisol levels were higher in IS animals (P < 0.05). The provision of a housing system similar to natural conditions was able to improve the welfare of buffalo cows as indicated by the expression of some species-specific natural behaviours. Such conditions were also associated with lower adrenal cortex response to ACTH injection, possibly as a consequence of the higher degree of initiative allowed to TS cows.

Keywords

animal welfarebehaviourbuffaloeshousingimmune response
Type
Ruminant nutrition, behaviour and production
Information
Animal Science , Volume 78 , Issue 3 , June 2004 , pp. 477 - 483
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2004

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