Effects of Climatic Conditions on the Lying Behavior of a Group of Primiparous Dairy Cows

Animals

Alberto Finzi¹  Giorgio Provolo¹  Gabriele Mattachini¹  Elisabetta Riva¹  Emanuela Tullo²  Marcella Guarino² 

[1]Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy

[2]Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy

关键词: lying behavior;    climatic conditions;    temperature-humidity index (thi);    dairy cows;    accelerometers;    prediction model;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ani9110869

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Currently, lying behavior can be assessed using continuous observations from sensors (e.g., accelerometers). The analysis of digital data deriving from accelerometers is an effective tool for studying livestock behaviors. Despite the large interest in the lying behavior of dairy cows, no reference was found in literature regarding the prediction of lying behavior as a function of the interaction of environmental parameters. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of climatic conditions (temperature-humidity index, solar radiation, air velocity and rainfalls) on the lying behavior of a group of primiparous dairy cows, using data from accelerometers, and develop a prediction model to identify and predict the lying behavior of dairy cows as a function of the effects of environmental conditions. Results from the. GLM Procedure (SAS) showed that the model was highly significant (p < 0.001) and the r² was 0.84. All of the effects in the model resulted in being highly significant (p < 0.001). This model, if validated properly, could be a valid early warning system to identify any deviation from the expected behavior, and to assess the effectiveness of thermal stress mitigation strategies.

【 授权许可】

Unknown