Responses of Outdoor Housed Dairy Cows to Shade Access during the Prepartum Period under Temperate Summer Conditions
| Autor: | Rodrigo Held-Montaldo, Daniel Cartes, Ana Strappini, Pilar Sepúlveda-Varas, Fabiola Matamala |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
Veterinary medicine
Ice calving Biology Article animal welfare Animal science NEFA SF600-1100 Temperate climate medicine Beneficial effects transition period Morning General Veterinary behavior fungi food and beverages humanities QL1-991 Rumination shade population characteristics Animal Science and Zoology medicine.symptom Zoology geographic locations |
| Zdroj: | Animals : an Open Access Journal from MDPI Animals Volume 11 Issue 10 Animals, Vol 11, Iss 2911, p 2911 (2021) |
| ISSN: | 2076-2615 |
| Popis: | Cows are affected by environmental factors associated with warm weather conditions however, little is known about the effect of shade access especially during the prepartum period of dairy cows in temperate regions. This study assessed the effect of shade on the behavior (lying, rumination, feeding, and drinking), body fat mobilization, and health status of outdoor-housed dairy cows during the prepartum period under temperate summer conditions. During the 3 weeks prior to calving, 24 multiparous Holstein cows were grouped (4 cows/group) and assigned to either an open corral without shade or with access to shade until calving. We daily measured shade use, lying, rumination, feeding, and drinking behavior. Weekly, prepartum non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and postpartum b-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentrations were measured. Clinical examination was periodically performed individually until 21 postpartum days. Shade use averaged 45.6, 46.0, and 19.8% during the hottest hours of the day (11–18 h) in weeks 3, 2, and 1 prior to calving, respectively. Shaded cows had higher values for rumination time and feeding time during the morning but spent less time drinking during the warmest hours than unshaded cows. NEFA and BHB concentrations and clinical diseases were similar between both treatments. These findings suggest that under temperate summer conditions the access to an artificial shade is an important resource, observing beneficial effects mainly on behavioral variables. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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