Eriksson, Hanna
- Institutionen för tillämpad husdjursvetenskap och välfärd, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
Sammanfattning
Dairy cows in contact with their calves can spend time engaging in maternal behaviors, which may affect their feeding patterns. This study aimed to evaluate the roughage feeding behavior patterns of dairy cows with minimum 12 weeks of full calf contact (FC) across the nursing (0-12 weeks in milk; WIM), gradual weaning (13-14 WIM) and post-separation periods (15-17 WIM), and compared with that of conventionally managed cows with no contact (NC) with their calves. Primiparous- and multiparous Swedish Holstein and Swedish Red cows were allocated to the FC (n = 18) or the NC (n = 20) treatment based on parity, dam breed, calf breed (dairy or beef mix), and calf sex. The NC cows were separated from their calves on average 13.5 h post-parturition. NC and FC cows shared roughage, lying (containing cubicles and concentrate feeders), and milking areas in the barn, whereas FC cows could additionally enter a contact area (containing cubicles and concentrate feeders) to be with their calves. All cows were milked in the same automatic milking unit and had ad libitum access to a partial mixed ration provided in 20 individual roughage bins with scales and automated individual visit registration. During the 0-12 WIM period, FC cows consumed more roughage per day than NC cows (40.2 vs. 36.2 kg/d, P = 0.033) and per meal (6.8 vs. 5.7 kg/meal, P = 0.007). During this period, number of daily meals, feeding rate, feeding duration per day and meal, number of feeder visits per day and per meal, and meal duration did not differ between treatment groups. Both FC and NC cows primarily visited the roughage bins directly following milking. However, during the 0-12 WIM period, FC cows more often returned directly to the area where the calves were housed than NC cows returned directly to their resting area (7.3 vs 3.2 % of occasions, P < 0.001). During the 13-14 WIM period, FC cows increased their feeding rate by 4 % (P = 0.012), while maintaining a similar roughage intake as NC cows. None other feeding pattern variables differed from NC cows. During the 15-17 WIM period, physical separation of the calves did not substantially alter the roughage feeding patterns in the dams. In conclusion, dairy cows with calf contact in the current system were able to maintain their roughage intake, while the use of functional areas of the barn differed slightly during the nursing period compared with conventional cows.
Nyckelord
Dam-calf contact; Feeding behavior; Dairy cattle; Animal welfare; Weaning and separation
Publicerad i
Applied Animal Behaviour Science
2026, volym: 296, artikelnummer: 106902
Utgivare: ELSEVIER
SLU författare
UKÄ forskningsämne
Husdjursvetenskap
Etologi
Publikationens identifierare
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106902
Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/145676