Effect of positive tactile stimulation and prepartum milking routine training on behavior, cortisol and oxytocin in milking, milk composition, and milk yield in Gyr cows in early lactation

Habituation Protocols Improve Behavioral and Physiological Responses of Beef Cattle Exposed to Students in an Animal Handling Class

“…This is in agreement with results from others [ 2 ] that also indicated seven days of habituation would improve the ease of cattle movement through a handling facility and squeeze chute. Thus, our results reinforce previous findings showing the beneficial impact of positive reinforcement (STI) or just habituation to handling and facilities (CHU) on animal reactivity [ 2 , 12 , 23 ].…”

“…Cattle that are infrequently handled, such as in teaching herds, show both behavioral and physiological stress responses to a handler. Previous research showed that a combination of brushing or stroking, a conversation, and affectionate gestures from humans directed to the animals results in positive animal behavior and also easier handling [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]. Such strategies could also be applied at educational institutions, safeguarding both animal productivity and animal welfare.…”

Is maternal defensiveness of Gyr cows (Bos taurus indicus) related to parity and cows’ behaviors during the peripartum period?

“…Ceballos et al [19] investigated maternal protectiveness in Holstein/Gyr crossed cows, reporting that the aggressive cows were also more frightened, irritated, and agitated during handling. Zebu cattle are widely known to be more reactive to handling than European cattle [22,51,52], and all these findings may suggest that more excitable behavior can also be seen in terms of maternal defense in some cows. Our results also indicate that the exacerbated defensiveness of multiparous Gyr cows observed in this study might suggest that even animals habituated to handling routines can react strongly to the handling of their newborn calves [5,9].…”

“…The lack of stimuli from the calves compromises the length of the lactation period, that can be shortened, in Zebu cows, therefore the use of cow-calf contact systems is common for these animals [10,20]. In dairy systems using Zebu breeds, the maternal defense and the mother-offspring bond are important, since the cows are known to not fully adapt to machine milking and being milked with their calves [21,22]. Thus, the aims of the present study were to: 1) investigate the effects of parity on the behaviors of Gyr cows during the peripartum period; 2) characterize the maternal defensiveness of primiparous and multiparous cows towards the handlers during the first handling of their calves; and 3) evaluate the relationships between cows' behaviors at the peripartum period and maternal defensiveness.…”

Affective State Recognition in Livestock – Artificial Intelligence Approaches

“…Non-invasive sensors comprising video and thermal imaging cameras, microphones, and wearable TNO Holst 3-in-1 patches (monitoring heart rate, respiration rate, and activity) will help in the collection of data on behavioral and affective states. Data collected during natural behaviour, without any interference from experimenters, and the data collected during protocols in which defined positive and negative affective states will be induced in the animals using established protocols, including withholding high-value food from animals to induce disappointment [96]; placing animals in crowded situations to induce frustration [97,98]; and petting and socializing the animals to induce contentment [99,100] are some possibilities.…”