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Animal behavior and pasture depletion in a pasture-based automatic milking system

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 May 2014

N. A. Lyons ,
K. L. Kerrisk ,
N. K. Dhand ,
V. E. Scott  and
S. C. Garcia
N. A. Lyons*
Affiliation:
Dairy Science Group, Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camden, NSW 2570, Australia
K. L. Kerrisk
Affiliation:
Dairy Science Group, Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camden, NSW 2570, Australia
N. K. Dhand
Affiliation:
Department for Farm Animal and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camden, NSW 2570, Australia
V. E. Scott
Affiliation:
Dairy Science Group, Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camden, NSW 2570, Australia
S. C. Garcia
Affiliation:
Dairy Science Group, Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camden, NSW 2570, Australia
*
† E-mail: n.lyons@sydney.edu.au
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Abstract

In pasture-based automatic milking systems (AMS), feed is the main incentive that can be managed to encourage reliable and consistent voluntary and distributed cow traffic. Modifying timing, placement and size of feed allocations is expected to have an effect on cow behavior that could avoid the occurrence of extended milking intervals, which have a negative effect on milk yield. Therefore, behavioral studies provide information on how cows modify their actions under different management regimes and can help explain the impact of those regimes. Behavioral observations were conducted in spring 2011 at the FutureDairy AMS research farm, as part of a study where a herd of 175 cows was split into two groups that received supplementary feed either before (PRE), or immediately after (POST) milking. In addition, all cows were offered access to two daily pasture allocations. Observations were conducted in the pasture allocation on 15 focal cows from each treatment group during four periods of 24 h to detect presence and behavior (grazing, ruminating, idling and other) every 15 min. In addition, bite rate and pasture biomass were measured every hour. Overall, despite the finding that more POST cows than PRE cows entered the pasture allocation during the first 8 h of active access, there was no difference in the total proportion of cows that had gained access by the end of the active access period (average 68% for both treatments). Cows in the PRE treatment started exiting the pasture allocation just 6 h after entering, compared with 8 h for POST cows, although their behaviors in the pasture allocation did not differ. Behaviors and bite rate were more dependent on pasture biomass than on supplementary feeding management.

Keywords

automatic milking systemgrazing behaviorcow trafficpasture
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 8 , Issue 9 , September 2014 , pp. 1506 - 1515
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2014 

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