Dairy cow behaviour around calving: Its relationship with management practices and environmental conditions

Abstract

Calving is one of the most challenging and painful experiences for dairy cattle and a process that involves coping with physical and physiological changes, as well as environmental and managementrelated stressors. In recent years, it has been argued that the application of cow behaviour knowledge might facilitate their efficacious management during calving. This review aims to summarise and discuss current knowledge regarding the behavioural changes that occur around calving time. The relationship between calving behaviour, management practices, and environmental conditions in dairy cattle raised in intensive indoor production systems, as well as pasturebased systems, is also discussed. First, we briefly outline the process of parturition and the concept of maternal behaviour. We then describe behavioural changes that occur around parturition in normal and dystocic births and how variations in these behaviours can be used to predict normal or assisted calving in dairy cattle; particular emphasis is placed on the role of feeding, rumination, and lying behaviour. Finally, we review how management practices and environmental conditions can influence cow's behaviour at calving and discuss the importance of providing an environment that accommodates the behaviour they are motivated to perform. This review presents evidence that the time a cow is moved to the calving area, the type of group housing and the provision of a secluded area to calve, can impact the behavioral responses of dairy cows at calving. Evidence regarding the effects of exposure to environmental conditions such as heat during summer, and/or cold, wet and mud during winter can also have a negative impact on behaviour, suggesting potential benefits of providing cows with a protected area to calve. We conclude that a better understanding of the behaviour of parturient cows may help producers improve the care and management around calving time.

Effect of Floor Enrichment with Rubber Mattress of Calving Pen on Prepartum Behaviour of Tharparkar Cow during Winter Season

“…Because rubber mattress favoured the lying behavior, both the lying time and lying bout duration were more in the cows of rubber mattress group. Increased self grooming was associated with elevated cortisol concentrations Matamala et al (2021). It follows that periparturient cattle may demonstrate increased auto-grooming (Munksgaard and Simonsen, 1996;Kruk et al, 1998;Hussain et al, 2015) due to elevated cortisol level at approaching parturition.…”

Production and Health Management from Grazing to Confinement Systems of Largest Dairy Bovine Farms in Azores: A Farmers’ Perspective

“…Appropriate calving pens were more commonly found in FMP farms, which are essential to control the vitality of the newborns, adequate immunity transference, and the mothers’ health [ 43 ]. Nevertheless, the advantages and limitations of calving indoors or outdoors are still up for debate [ 44 ].…”

Accuracy to Predict the Onset of Calving in Dairy Farms by Using Different Precision Livestock Farming Devices

“…According to previous examinations reviewed recently by Saint-Dizier and Chastant-Maillard [ 28 ] and Matamala et al [ 31 ], behavioral changes on the actual day of calving compared with preceding days or 2 to 6 h before calving compared with preceding hours on the actual day of calving, i.e., within 24 h before calving such as lying time (during the final 2 h period), activity (steps and restlessness on the actual day of calving, or head turns and stamping in the final 2 h period), number of lying/standing position (during the actual day of calving with a peak in the last 2 h), isolation (during the actual day of calving), tail raising (during the final 2–4 h period), lateral lying position with head rested (during the final 4 h period), and abdominal contractions (during the final 4–8 h period with a peak at the last 2 h) used to be increased. While, feeding time (during the actual day of calving or the final 2–6 h period), drinking time (during the final 2 h period), dry matter intake (during the actual day of calving or the final 6 h period) ruminating time (during the actual day of calving or the final 4–6 h period) and neck activity (18 h before calving) used to be decreased which can be used to predict calving.…”

“…All of this draws attention to the importance of accurately predicting the onset of calvings. Since the onset of calving cannot be detected accurately by observing behavioral and clinical signs of impending parturition, especially in large dairy farms, therefore, there has been a keen interest in the use of precision livestock farming devices (PLF) to predict calvings, which is also indicated by a large number of recently published scientific reviews [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ] and meta-analyses [ 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 ] compiled according to different aspects.…”