Physiological and Behavioral Responses of Dairy Cattle to the Introduction of Robot Scrapers

Abstract

Autonomous mobile robot scrapers are increasingly used in order to clean the floors on dairy farms. Given the complexity of robot scraper operation, stress may occur in cows due to unpredictability of the situation. Experiencing stress can impair animal welfare and, in the long term, the health and milk production of the cows. Therefore, this study addressed potential stress responses of dairy cattle to the robot scraper after introducing the autonomous mobile machine. Thirty-six cows in total were studied on three different farms to explore possible modifications in cardiac function, behavior, and adrenocortical activity. The research protocol on each farm consisted of four experimental periods including one baseline measurement without robot scraper operation followed by three test measurements, in which cows interacted with the robotic cleaning system. Interbeat intervals were recorded in order to calculate the heart rate variability (HRV) parameter RMSSD; behavior was observed to determine time budgets; and fecal samples were collected for analysis of the cortisol metabolites concentration. A statistical analysis was carried out using linear mixed-effects models. HRV decline immediately after the introduction of the robot scraper and modified behavior in the subsequent experimental periods indicated a stress response. The cortisol metabolites concentration remained constant. It is hypothesized that after the initial phase of decrease, HRV stabilized through the behavioral adjustments of the cows in the second part of the study. Persistent alterations in behavior gave rise to the assumption that the animals’ habituation process to the robot scraper was not yet completed. In summary, the present study illustrated that the cows showed minor signs of disturbance toward the robotic cleaning system. Thus, our findings suggest that dairy cattle can largely adjust their behavior to avoid aversive effects on animal welfare. Additional research can provide further insight into the development of the animal–machine interaction beyond the initial phase of robot scraper operation considered in this study.

Improvements in the behaviour of Gir dairy cows after training with brushing

“…Animals prefer to investigate an unknown subject from nearby than by touching as it causes less fear and anxiety to them (Hirata and Arimoto 2018). It is well-recognized that novelty is a stimulus that induces a stress response in animals that are not habituated to human handling (Doerfler et al 2016). However, tactile sensitivity is paramount in the handling of dairy cattle, but touching or brushing an animal, especially when outside its line of sight, are actions that may cause unpredictable reactions in a startled animal.…”

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

“…Novelty it is a potentially stressful stimulus that can impact animals negatively [11]. Cattle that are infrequently handled, such as in teaching herds, show both behavioral and physiological stress responses to a handler.…”

Feasibility Study: Improving Floor Cleanliness by Using a Robot Scraper in Group-Housed Pregnant Sows and Their Reactions on the New Device

“…The animals adapted very well to the use and the operating times of the robot. In dairy cows, several authors were able to demonstrate that the stress level for the animals when using a robot scraper is very low and animal welfare is not impaired [26,27,28]. Nevertheless, Ruud and Froknestad noted that injuries can occur very sporadically [31].…”

“…In practical dairy cattle farming, these robot scrapers are already used in many housings. However, there is only few scientific literature on this topic, even in the field of dairy farming [24,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33]. Ruud and Froknestad conducted a survey of dairy farmers (n = 52) who use robot scrapers in their housings.…”