The Effects of Hierarchical Behaviors on Herd Management in Cattle Herds

Abstract

Dairy and beef cattle, like most living communities, are a social species and have a social order. In order to be successful in cattle breeding, it is necessary to know these social behaviors well, to establish a social hierarchical order and to plan the herd management well. Social behaviors include relationships and communications among individuals such as breeding, maternal relationships or play behaviors. Understanding these behaviors provides a significant convenience in terms of care and herd management, herd stress, productivity increase and animal nutrition. The formation of a hierarchical order in the herd management is important for the individuals living in a certain social order to survive without any adversity, and to eliminate the stress, loss of productivity and physical injuries between individuals that will result from agonistic behaviors. Herd management can be achieved by paying attention to factors such as shelter layout, cold-heat stress, and transportation, as well as by understanding the behavioral characteristics that exist between animals. With a good herd management, it is possible to produce high quality and continuous meat-milk production and to ensure efficiency by obtaining higher efficiency from cattle. Good herd management means less stress, more welfare, more yield. Hierarchical behavior, which has been among the animal behaviors that have existed since the past, should be used positively in herd management In this study, it was prepared to determine how hierarchical behaviors affect herd management and productivity in dairy and beef cattle herds.