Characterization of the Temperament and Reactivity of Nelore Cattle (Bos indicus) Associated with Behavior Scores during Corral Management in the Humid Tropics.

The evaluation of the reactivity and distress of cattle during corral management, by means of subjective scores, aims at the standardization of behavioral indicators, through non-invasive methods, in addition to enabling the development of more appropriate management practices, thus promoting the comfort and well-being of these animals. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to characterize the temperament and distress of cattle managed in a corral using behavioral indicators during the rainiest period. For this, the experiment was conducted on a property located in the municipality of Mojuí dos Campos, during the rainiest quarter (February-April). Thus, 30 male cattle, not castrated, approximately 29 months of age, clinically healthy, and weighing 310 + 20 kg, were divided into three rearing systems: silvopastoral (SP), traditional (SS), and integrated (SI) systems. There were 10 animals per system. Physiological parameters were collected to evaluate rectal temperature (RT) and respiratory rate (RR), as well as body surface temperature (BST), through thermal windows (head and flank infrared temperature and rump infrared temperature). To evaluate temperament and reactivity, scores indicative of corral behavior were used, namely escape speed (ES), tension score (SS_1), tension score (SS_2), reactivity scale (RS), movement score (MS), and temperament scale (TS). The results showed that there was a thermal amplitude of 5.9 °C on average and 8.6 °C at maximum when comparing the structure of the corral and the trees. In addition, the comparisons between the production systems for the behavioral variables did not differ at the 5% significance level, except for ES, where the traditional system differed from the integrated system and the silvopastoral system, showing intermediate average values for both. In addition, there was a positive correlation between the variables RT and RR (r = 0.72; p < 0.01), RR and SS_2 (r = 0.38; p = 0.04), flank infrared temperature and MS (r = 0.47; p = 0.01), rump infrared temperature and RS (r = 0.37; p = 0.04), SS_1 and RS (r = 0.41; p = 0.02), SS_1 and SS_2 (r = 0.39; p = 0.03), RS and SS_2 (r = 0.58; p = 0.00), RS and MS (r = 0.50; p = 0.01), RS and TS (r = 0.61; p = 0.00), SS_2 and MS (r = 0.51; p = 0.00), SS_2 and TS (r = 0.47; p = 0.01), and MS and TS (r = 0.44; p = 0.02), and a negative correlation between ES and TS (r = -0.42; p = 0.02). The rainy season had a major influence on the evaluation of temperature and distress levels during handling in the corral, as evidenced by the association between physiological and behavioral parameters.

Thermal Comfort of Nelore Cattle (Bos indicus) Managed in Silvopastoral and Traditional Systems Associated with Rumination in a Humid Tropical Environment in the Eastern Amazon, Brazil.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the thermal comfort of Nelore cattle (Bos indicus) managed in silvopastoral and traditional systems associated with rumination behavior in a humid tropical environment in the Eastern Amazon, Brazil. The study was carried out on a rural property in Mojuí dos Campos, Pará, Brazil, during the transition period of the year, from June to July 2023. Over these two months, six consecutive data collection days were held. We selected 20 clinically healthy non-castrated male Nelore cattle, aged between 18 and 20 months, with an average weight of 250 kg and body condition score of 3.5 (1-5). These animals were randomly divided into two groups: traditional system (TS) and silvopastoral system (SS). The physiological variables evaluated included RR, RT and BST. The variables were analyzed using the linear mixed model. For agrometeorological variables, higher values were observed between 10:00 a.m. (33 °C) and 6:00 p.m. (30 °C), with the highest temperature observed at 4:00 p.m. (40 °C). The RR showed interactions (p = 0.0214) between systems and times; in general, higher RR were obtained in the Traditional. The animals' RT showed no significant difference (p < 0.05) between the production systems, but there was a statistically significant difference in relation to the time of collection (p < 0.0001). In the BGHI, it was possible to observe that there was mild stress in the period from 22:00 at night to 6:00 in the morning and moderate stress in the period of greatest increase in temperature, from 10:00 in the morning to 18:00 at night. BST showed no statistical difference between the regions studied or between the SP (35.6 °C) and TS (36.25 °C) systems. RT in the TS showed a positive correlation with AT (r = 0.31507; p = 0.0477). RT in the SP showed a positive correlation with THI (r = 35583; p = 0.0242). On the other hand, RT in the SP (r = 0.42873; p = 0.0058) and ST (r = 0.51015; p = 0.0008) showed a positive correlation with BGHI. RR in the TS showed a positive correlation with BGHI (r = 0.44908; p = 0.0037). The greatest amounts of rumination were carried out by animals in the SP system, generally ruminating lying down (p < 0.05). With regard to rumination behavior in the morning and afternoon, there were higher numbers of WS and LD in the TS (p > 0.05). Most of the time, the cattle were LD during the morning and afternoon shifts, and at night and dawn they were WS in the TS. Therefore, the SP offers more thermal comfort advantages compared to the TS system.

Animal welfare and effects of per-female stress on male and cattle reproduction-A review.

Thermal stress causes severe effects on the wellbeing and reproduction of cattle, including changes in oogenesis and spermatogenesis, generating great concerns, which last for decades. In cattle, the occurrence of thermal stress is associated with a reduction in the production of spermatozoids and ovarian follicles, in addition to the increase of major and minor defects in gametes or in their intermediate stages. In bovine females able to reproduce, a reduction in the rate of estrus manifestation and an increase in embryonic mortality has been observed. Therefore, keeping animals on good welfare conditions, with water supply and in shaded areas can favor the improvement of different reproductive parameters. For all this, the present study aimed to gather, synthesize and argue recent studies related to animal welfare, focusing on the effects of thermal stress on the reproduction of cattle, aiming to support possible strategies to mitigate the harmful effects of thermal stress in this species.

A new proposal for the use of the focal animal technique in buffaloes in the Eastern Amazon.

This study aims to present a proposal for using the focal animal recording technique to evaluate the welfare of buffaloes and to verify the association between each behavior and thermal comfort indices. The study was conducted in an experimental paddock located in Santarém, Pará, Brazil. A total of 10 female Murrah animals were used. The behavior of the animals was recorded during the day, with the use of three trained observers, for 72 consecutive h. Climatic variables were collected, and the Temperature-Humidity Index (THI) and the practical Buffalo Comfort Climatic Conditions Index (BCCCIp) were determined. The multivariate technique of principal components and Spearman's correlation were employed. BCCCIp and THI were outside the thermal comfort zone at different times of the day. Grazing (P) was more frequent in the coldest hours of the day, while rumination occurred at different periods, mainly during the daytime and frequently in a lying position. There was a positive correlation between idle lying behavior and average temperature-Tmed (r = 0.583; p < 0.028), THI (r = 0.432; p < 0.034), and BCCCIp (r = 0.554; p < 0.049). There was a positive correlation between grazing and Tmed (r = 0.665; p < 0.0004) and BCCCIp (r = 0.583; p < 0.036). The standing idle behavior negatively correlated with Tmed (r = -0.718; p < 0.0001), THI (r = -0.522; p < 0.008), and BCCCIp (r = -0.8076; p < 0.0008). The lying ruminating behavior had a positive correlation with Tmed (r = 0.586; p < 0.002), THI (r = 0.477; p < 0.018), and BCCCIp (r = 0.8033; p < 0.0009). Furthermore, ruminating while standing correlated positively with Tmed (r = 0.680; p < 0.0003). The adaptation of the focal animal technique, with six observers evaluating each animal for 6 min through filming, proved to be efficient in pointing out the different behaviors of buffalo raised in Eastern Amazon fields under heat stress at different times of the day.

Evaluation of the temperature and humidity index to support the implementation of a rearing system for ruminants in the Western Amazon.

The good productive and reproductive performance of the animals depends on multiple factors, including favorable climatic conditions, which are responsible for causing changes in the physiological and behavioral responses. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the temperature and humidity index (THI) to support the implementation of a rearing system in ruminants in the Western Amazon, Brazil. Monthly temperature and relative humidity data were obtained from the Database for Teaching and Research (BDMEP) for the capitals Manaus (Amazonas), Boa Vista (Roraima), and Rio Branco (Acre), considering a historical series of 27 years (1993 to 2020), referring from January to December. In the capital Boa Vista, the months of January, February, May, June, and July showed an indication of mild stress and the months of March, April, August, September, October, November, and December had moderate stress. In Rio Branco, all months of the year presented the average THI in mild stress with variations of lower THI (73) and higher THI (77). In the capital Manaus, the months from January to July signaled mild stress, but from August to November, there was moderate stress, and in December, there was mild stress. It is possible to observe significant climatic variations during the months as well as the years of study, with the animals under thermal stress with THI > 72 or in a warning signal, with a gradual increase in temperature and humidity indices over the last 10 years. The importance of the breeding system and the consideration of environmental factors, such as the THI, are fundamental for the wellbeing and performance of cattle raised in the field. Our results support the adoption of heat stress mitigation strategies for ruminants in Western Amazon.

Characterization of the Ruminal Microbiome of Water Buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) Kept in Different Ecosystems in the Eastern Amazon.

Increasing the efficiency of rumen fermentation is one of the main ways to maximize the production of ruminants. It is therefore important to understand the ruminal microbiome, as well as environmental influences on that community. However, there are no studies that describe the ruminal microbiota in buffaloes in the Amazon. The objective of this study was to characterize the rumen microbiome of the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in the eastern Amazon in the dry and rainy seasons in three grazing ecosystems: Baixo Amazonas (BA), Continente do Pará (CP), Ilha do Marajó (IM), and in a confinement system: Tomé-Açu (TA). Seventy-one crossbred male buffaloes (Murrah × Mediterranean) were used, aged between 24 and 36 months, with an average weight of 432 kg in the rainy season and 409 kg in the dry season, and fed on native or cultivated pastures. In the confinement system, the feed consisted of sorghum silage, soybean meal, wet sorghum premix, and commercial feed. Samples of the diet from each ecosystem were collected for bromatological analysis. The collections of ruminal content were carried out in slaughterhouses, with the rumen completely emptied and homogenized, the solid and liquid fractions separated, and the ruminal pH measured. DNA was extracted from the rumen samples, then sequenced using Restriction Enzyme Reduced Representation Sequencing. The taxonomic composition was largely similar between ecosystems. All 61 genera in the reference database were recognized, including members of the domains Bacteria and Archaea. The abundance of 23 bacterial genera differed significantly (p < 0.01) between the Tomé-Açu confinement and other ecosystems. Bacillus, Ruminococcus, and Bacteroides had lower abundance in samples from the Tomé-Açu system. Among the Archaea, the genus Methanomicrobium was less abundant in Tomé-Açu, while Methanosarcina was more abundant. There was a difference caused by all evaluated factors, but the diet (available or offered) was what most influenced the ruminal microbiota.

Behavior and thermal comfort of light and dark coat dairy cows in the Eastern Amazon.

This study aimed to evaluate the behavior and thermal comfort of 20 Girolando cows (5/8-H/G), with light and dark coats, in the wettest period of the year, in Santarém, Pará, Brazil, in pasture with access to shade, and plenty of drinking water and mineral salt. Animal behavior categories were computed for 12 h a day, on 3 days in a row, by trained observers. Three day shifts were considered: Morning (6:00 a.m. to 9:55 a.m.), Intermediate (10:00 a.m. to 01:55 p.m.) and Afternoon (2:00 p.m. to 05:55 p.m.). The Temperature Index (TI), the Black Globe Humidity Index (BGHI) and the Comfort Index (CI) were calculated to measure thermal comfort. At all times studied, BGHI pointed that the environment was outside the thermal comfort zone. Dark-coated animals spent more 34.26% of the time in activities in the shade. The light-coated animals remained more 11.88% of the time in the sun, performing their natural behaviors. Both light and dark coat animals remained more 77 and 74.44% of the time in the sun, respectively. The behavior "in the sun while grazing" was the most evident, in both coats, in the studied shifts. The behaviors "in the shade while walking" and "in the shade while standing idle" were more evident (p < 0.01) in dark-coated cattle. The grazing behavior was higher in animals with dark coat (p < 0.05). In all evaluated shifts, there was a positive correlation between the behavior "in the sun while grazing" with the CI (r = 0.44211; p < 0.0305). Behaviors performed in the shade, such as "idleness while lying down," "ruminating while lying down and standing up," and behaviors "in the sun," "idleness while lying down" and "ruminating while lying down," were negatively correlated with CI. It is concluded that, even in the wettest period of the year, in the Eastern Amazon, Girolando dairy cows are exposed to hot environments, which causes thermal discomfort and changes in their natural behavior, as they spend more time standing in shaded areas, usually in rumination. Also, light-coated cows spend more time in the sun, while dark-coated cows spend more time in the shade. Thus, light-coated cows tend to have health and zootechnical performance negatively affected.