The effect of rearing conditions during the milk-fed period on milk yield, growth, and maze behaviour of dairy cows during their first lactation.

The objective was to find whether cow growth, milk performance, and behaviour are affected by (1) rearing conditions until weaning after a milk-fed period of 84 d and (2) the sire lineage. Thirty-five Holstein heifers were assigned to one of three treatments: SM, n = 13 , pen with mother to 21st day, then group pen (they received a maximum of 6 kg of milk daily); SN, n = 9 , after 3 d with own mother in pen with nursing cow (they received a maximum of 6 kg of milk daily); H, n = 13 , in hutch from the 2nd to 56th day (6 kg of milk replacer daily), then loose housing pen to weaning (6 kg of milk replacer daily). After weaning at the 84th day, all heifers were kept in pens with the same ration as during calving. During lactation, live body weight (LBW) was measured each month and milk yield each day. Maze learning was evaluated in the fifth month of lactation. The data were analysed using a general linear model ANOVA. At the 30th day, the LBW tended to be the highest in SN (SM 528.2  ±  11.4 kg, SN 571.7  ±  15.3 kg, H 533.2  ±  12.3 kg). When lactation ended, the highest LBW was in SN and the lowest in H (SM 612.6  ±  12.2 kg, SN 623.1  ±  16.4 kg, H 569.8  ±  13.2 kg; P < 0.05 ). The SN tended to have the highest production of milk (SM 7143.9  ±  241.5 kg, SN 7345.1  ±  319.0 kg, H 7146.7  ±  234 kg), and the H for FCM (SM 6290.3  ±  203.2 kg, SN 6307.6  ±  268.4 kg, H 6399.3  ±  197.1 kg) for 305 d lactation. Group SN crossed the maze fastest (SM 1141.4  ±  120.5 s, SN 810.3  ±  160.5 s, H 1120.8  ±  118.6 s). The vocalization number differed significantly (SM 32.3  ±  5.7, SN 20.8  ±  4.4, H 9.9  ±  2.6; P < 0.01 ). The results indicated that the rearing method up to weaning may have an impact on dairy cows' performance and behaviour.

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.