Search

Simple Summary: This study investigates the extent to which a 360° camera is suitable for detecting the behaviour of cows in a dairy barn. The focus is on animal behaviour, as this is a suitable indicator that allows conclusions about animal health. Therefore, 2299 snapshots from a 360° camera installed in a dairy cattle barn were evaluated manually to identify lying, standing and eating behaviours. Based on the principle of the multi-moment study, the number of animals in each image is determined according to the behavioural patterns. During the 18 h of observation, the average lying time per cow was 5.9 h, standing time was 6.9 h, and feeding time was 5.2 h. Since the accuracy rate of correctly detected animals is 93.1%, the camera technology seems to be a suitable tool for observing animal behaviour and, thus, their health in real time. In the ongoing project, the behavioural patterns will be recognised automatically using artificial intelligence. The aim of this study is to show the potential of a vision-based system using a single 360° camera to describe the dairy cows' behaviour in a free-stall barn with an automatic milking system. A total of 2299 snapshots were manually evaluated, counting the number of animals that were lying, standing and eating. The average capture rate of animals in the picture is 93.1% (counted animals/actual numbers of animals). In addition to determining the daily lying, standing and eating times, it is also possible to allocate animals to the individual functional areas so that anomalies such as prolonged standing in the cubicle or lying in the walkway can be detected at an early stage. When establishing a camera monitoring system in the future, attention should be paid to sufficient resolution of the camera during the night as well as the reduction of the concealment problem by animals and barn equipment. The automatic monitoring of animal behaviour with the help of 360° cameras can be a promising innovation in the dairy barn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to spend time resting is extremely important for dairy cattle welfare. Through this study, lying behaviour of dairy cows in to Up-Country (UP), Mid-Country (MC), Coconut-Triangle (CT) and Western-Province (WP) of Sri Lanka was studied to get an insight into their resting pattern. Resting pattern was assessed in 170 Holstein-Friesian/ crossed, tie-stalled lactating cows (UP = 49, MC = 49, CT = 48 and WP = 24) using electronic data loggers. Appropriate resting behaviours were attained in UP and MC regions, with longer lying time (11.7, 11.3 h/day) and lying bout durations (78.0, 84.9 min) respectively, where lower THI ranges were observed compared to other regions. WP and CT resulted with lower lying times (9.00, 9.26 h/day) and lying bout durations (48.3, 64.3 min) respectively with higher THI. There is a slight variation of the environmental temperature of each region with the time period of experiment. Cows in all regions prefer to lie on their left side (UP-6.1, MC-6.1, CT-4.4, WP-4.7 h/d) and with significant differences (P<0.05) between MC-WP, MC-CT, UP-CT and UP-WP. A negative significant (P<0.05) correlation was observed between THI and lying behaviours. There were significant effects of time (hour) and time × region interaction (P<0.05) on the lying down pattern. More lying down was observed in late night and early morning with a peak rest around the hours of 21:00–05:00. Overall, according to the results of the current study, the existing environmental conditions of four regions affected the resting pattern of dairy cows and, identification of possible mechanisms to modify the environment to enhance cow comfort is vital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In natural settings, newborn calves hide for several days before joining the herd. It is unclear whether dairy calves housed indoors would show similar hiding behaviour. This study aimed to describe the use of an artificial hide provided to calves during temporary separation from the dam and assess the effect it has on lying and sleep-like behaviour, as well as heart rate variability (HRV). Twenty-eight cow-calf pairs were randomly assigned to having a hide (n = 14), or no hide (n = 14). Hide use (n = 14), as well as lying and sleep-like behaviour (n = 28), were recorded continuously via video camera during the first hour after the dam was removed for morning milking on day three to seven. Heart rate and R-R intervals were recorded using Polar equine monitors for a subsample of 12 calves (n = 6 per treatment) on day six. Descriptive statistics were calculated for hide use. Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests were used to evaluate whether having a hide affected lying and sleep-like behaviours as well as HRV. Hide use decreased over days and was highly variable between calves. Lying behaviour did not differ between treatments. Duration of sleep-like behaviour was higher for calves without a hide compared to those with a hide. Calves with a hide tended to show signs of higher HRV and parasympathetic activity compared to calves without a hide. Results suggest that providing a hiding space to young calves may be beneficial during periods when the cow is removed from the pen for milking.

In general, the lying behaviour of dairy goats follows a circadian progression. As lying times might have an effect on the health, performance and welfare of dairy goats, housing conditions and management practices should follow circadian behavioural patterns. In the present study, a mixed horned herd of Bunte Deutsche Edelziege was used. Goats were housed in a commercial dairy goat farm in south Germany. During two lactation periods, 20 goats in each period were fitted with an accelerometer to detect lying behaviour. To analyse the accelerometer data, a mixed linear model was used. The highest frequencies of lying bouts (FLBs) occurred in the afternoon, and the lowest ones occurred during milking. Generally, the least square means ± SE of the FLB counts per goat ranged between 1.72 ± 0.07 (20:00–21:59 P.M.) and 2.87 ± 0.07 (12:00–13:59 P.M.). The longest lying bouts (LBD) occurred at night, and lying bouts remained relatively short in the afternoon between milking times. The maximum LBD was 52.20 ± 0.01 min/bout (at night, 02:00–03:59 A.M.), and the shortest duration was 14.31 ± 0.01 min/bout (during morning milking, 08:00–09:59 A.M.). The interactions of time and month had a significant impact on FLB and LBD (p < 0.0001), and so did the interactions of horn status and time (p < 0.05). Further research is necessary to analyse the lying behaviour of dairy goats in more detail to improve management practices.

The aim of this study is to show the potential of a vision-based system using a single 360° camera to describe the dairy cows’ behaviour in a free-stall barn with an automatic milking system. A total of 2299 snapshots were manually evaluated, counting the number of animals that were lying, standing and eating. The average capture rate of animals in the picture is 93.1% (counted animals/actual numbers of animals). In addition to determining the daily lying, standing and eating times, it is also possible to allocate animals to the individual functional areas so that anomalies such as prolonged standing in the cubicle or lying in the walkway can be detected at an early stage. When establishing a camera monitoring system in the future, attention should be paid to sufficient resolution of the camera during the night as well as the reduction of the concealment problem by animals and barn equipment. The automatic monitoring of animal behaviour with the help of 360° cameras can be a promising innovation in the dairy barn.

Simple Summary: The disbudding of calves is undertaken as a routine management practice. It is known to be a painful procedure for calves, and it is a legal requirement that calves are disbudded under local anaesthesia. It is also recommended that calves receive pain-relieving drugs (NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) which improve welfare and performance as well as reducing the pain experienced. Calves were allocated to one of two groups prior to undergoing disbudding; both groups received the same local anaesthetic. One group received a subcutaneous injection of Meloxicam as a positive control, and the second group received oral sodium salicylate added into their milk. Behaviour changes were monitored between treatment groups using accelerometers, with no differences being found in activity, lying bouts or lying times. There were also no differences in weight gain between the groups. Sodium salicylate offers a cheaper option for farmers when compared to meloxicam and can be administered orally, which is a less invasive technique than injection. Despite anaesthetic and NSAID administration, all calves showed behaviour changes for 5 days post procedure. Disbudding calves using hot iron cautery is a routine management procedure to destroy the germinal cells around the horn bud in calves. It is recommended that NSAIDs are used in conjunction with local anaesthesia to reduce pain in calves during and after the procedure. In this study, two treatment groups were examined; calves in the positive control MEL group received subcutaneous meloxicam, and SAL calves received sodium salicylate orally for three days, both in addition to a local anaesthesia. Tri-axis accelerometers were attached to the calves, and DLWG (Daily Live Weight Gain) was measured. There was no significant difference between the treatment groups with regard to DLWG (p = 0.52), MI (motion index (p = 0.66)), lying bouts (p = 0.96) or lying times (p = 0.54). Given these findings, sodium salicylate may offer a lower-cost option for farmers when given at licensed doses compared to meloxicam, as well as providing a reduced-stress method of NSAID administration via an oral route. In addition, this study identified significant differences in activity in the time periods before and after disbudding, with MI (p < 0.01), lying bouts (p = 0.002) and lying times (p < 0.001) indicating changes in behaviour which extended to five days post disbudding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Management practices in working with farm animals should be constantly improved. As dairy goats are primarily animals with circadian rhythms, management should fit their needs to generate high milk yields by adapting to the natural behaviour of goats as ruminants. The present study indicates that lying behaviour follows a general circadian progression. The longest lying periods occurred at night, whilst milking times achieved the shortest lying duration. In general, the lying behaviour of dairy goats follows a circadian progression. As lying times might have an effect on the health, performance and welfare of dairy goats, housing conditions and management practices should follow circadian behavioural patterns. In the present study, a mixed horned herd of Bunte Deutsche Edelziege was used. Goats were housed in a commercial dairy goat farm in south Germany. During two lactation periods, 20 goats in each period were fitted with an accelerometer to detect lying behaviour. To analyse the accelerometer data, a mixed linear model was used. The highest frequencies of lying bouts (FLBs) occurred in the afternoon, and the lowest ones occurred during milking. Generally, the least square means ± SE of the FLB counts per goat ranged between 1.72 ± 0.07 (20:00–21:59 P.M.) and 2.87 ± 0.07 (12:00–13:59 P.M.). The longest lying bouts (LBD) occurred at night, and lying bouts remained relatively short in the afternoon between milking times. The maximum LBD was 52.20 ± 0.01 min/bout (at night, 02:00–03:59 A.M.), and the shortest duration was 14.31 ± 0.01 min/bout (during morning milking, 08:00–09:59 A.M.). The interactions of time and month had a significant impact on FLB and LBD (p < 0.0001), and so did the interactions of horn status and time (p < 0.05). Further research is necessary to analyse the lying behaviour of dairy goats in more detail to improve management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The time spent lying down and ruminating are important behaviours that could be used for dairy cows' health assessment. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the alterations in lying time (LT) and rumination time (RT) and their effectiveness for the detection of subclinical ketosis (SCK), metritis, and hypocalcaemia in dairy cows during the periparturient period. Each disease was subjected to meta-analysis, with the LT and RT of healthy and diseased groups, measured before and after calving. Random effects were reported for 45 trials from 19 studies and the effect size was measured as the mean difference (MD). Heterogeneity and publication bias were evaluated using the I2 statistic, and Egger's test, respectively. Regarding SCK and metritis, the MD of LT was similar between the healthy and diseased groups in the pre-partum and post-partum (P > 0.05). Meanwhile, the MD of RT was significantly different in both periods (MD = −61.76 and −73.33 min/day, P < 0.05) for SCK and during the prepartum for metritis (MD = −23.37 min/day, P = 0.04). For hypocalcaemia, while LT only differed between the healthy and diseased cows in the post-partum, the MD of RT differed significantly between both groups in pre-partum (MD = −13.02 min/day, P < 0.001) and post-partum (MD = 21.53 min/day, P = 0.04) periods. Egger's test for publication biases was not significant for most outcomes of interest. Meta-regression depicted a lower predicted value for MD in the LT from pasture-based cows and RT from primiparous compared to free-stalls and primiparous cows, respectively. Our findings reflect that RT is a superior behavioural attribute to LT for the early detection of SCK and hypocalcaemia during the periparturient period. Systematic assessment of RT may assist farmers to identify and categorise cows into risk groups and interventions can be performed before the onset of clinical disease. • This study assesses the predictability of lying time (LT) and rumination time (RT) for transition diseases in dairy cows. • RT is superior to LT as an early predictor of subclinical ketosis and hypocalcaemia during the periparturient period. • The predictability of RT and LT is influenced by parity and housing design, respectively. • High heterogeneity exists between the studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Novel sensor technologies have great potential to improve animal health and welfare on farms by identifying disease early in livestock. These technologies are yet to be widely applied in sheep flocks despite their great potential to aid control of costly disease such as those caused by parasitic infection. In this study, leg-attached accelerometer sensors recorded the behaviour of 54 ewes in late pregnancy, with the aim of discovering if gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infection levels were associated with behavioural variation. It was found that ewes laid down more often on average when infected with increasing numbers of GIN. Each lying bout was also shorter in length on average in ewes infected with higher levels of GIN. The results demonstrate that ewe behaviour can be an indication of parasite infection levels, and thus automated monitoring of sheep behaviour could allow animals to be treated efficiently against GIN in the future, maximising animal health and minimising production losses. The application of precision livestock farming (PLF) technologies will underpin new strategies to support the control of livestock disease. However, PLF technology is underexploited within the sheep industry compared to other livestock sectors, and research is essential to identify opportunities for PLF applications. These opportunities include the control of endemic sheep disease such as parasitic gastroenteritis, caused by gastrointestinal nematode infections, which is estimated to cost the European sheep industry EUR 120 million annually. In this study, tri-axial accelerometers recorded the behaviour of 54 periparturient Welsh Mule ewes to discover if gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infection burden, as measured by faecal egg count (FEC), was associated with behavioural variation. Linear mixed models identified that increasing FECs in periparturient ewes were significantly associated with a greater number of lying bouts per day and lower bout durations (p = 0.013 and p = 0.010, respectively). The results demonstrate that FECs of housed periparturient ewes are associated with detectable variations in ewe behaviour, and as such, with further investigation there is potential to develop future targeted selective treatment protocols against GIN in sheep based on behaviour as measured by PLF technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The effects of light exposure on dairy cattle milk production are well known, whereas aspects of light quality and potential benefits on dairy production and health are currently undetermined. We developed a supplemental lighting system (i.e., in addition to existing natural and artificial light in the facility) to provide light to cows while lying down. This study assessed dairy cow preferences for three colours of light-emitting diode lighting in the free-stall area. Cows did not prefer lying down under any of the light-emitting diode light options provided. Our results suggest that short-term use of supplemental light-emitting diode lighting in the stall area was not avoided by cows and lays the groundwork to study various aspects of light-emitting diode light, including the quality (wavelength), intensity, and duration of exposure. Light from the environment is important for vision and regulating various biological processes. Providing supplemental lighting in the stall area could allow for individually targeted or group-level control of light. This study aimed to determine whether dairy cattle had preferences for short-term exposure to white (full-spectrum) light-emitting diode (LED) light or no LED light, yellow-green or white LED light, and blue or white LED light in the stall area. In total, 14 lactating cows were housed in a free-stall pen with unrestricted access to 28 stalls. LED light was controlled separately for each side of the stall platform. Two combinations of light were tested per week, and each week consisted of three adaptation days and four treatment days. Lying behaviour and video data were recorded continuously using leg-mounted pedometers and cameras, respectively. Preference was assessed by the amount of time spent lying and the number of bouts under each light treatment. No differences occurred between treatments within each week for daily lying time and number of bouts. Similarly, no differences occurred between treatments within each time period. Further controlled studies of long-term exposure to different LED wavelengths and intensities are required to determine potential benefits on metabolic processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disbudding calves using hot iron cautery is a routine management procedure to destroy the germinal cells around the horn bud in calves. It is recommended that NSAIDs are used in conjunction with local anaesthesia to reduce pain in calves during and after the procedure. In this study, two treatment groups were examined; calves in the positive control MEL group received subcutaneous meloxicam, and SAL calves received sodium salicylate orally for three days, both in addition to a local anaesthesia. Tri-axis accelerometers were attached to the calves, and DLWG (Daily Live Weight Gain) was measured. There was no significant difference between the treatment groups with regard to DLWG (p = 0.52), MI (motion index (p = 0.66)), lying bouts (p = 0.96) or lying times (p = 0.54). Given these findings, sodium salicylate may offer a lower-cost option for farmers when given at licensed doses compared to meloxicam, as well as providing a reduced-stress method of NSAID administration via an oral route. In addition, this study identified significant differences in activity in the time periods before and after disbudding, with MI (p < 0.01), lying bouts (p = 0.002) and lying times (p < 0.001) indicating changes in behaviour which extended to five days post disbudding.

The aim of this study was to examine the time budgets of 20 lactating primiparous Italian Holstein cows and to determine the relationships between lying and standing behaviour, milk production and Body Condition Score in the first stage of lactation. Parturition period ranged from 15 September to 31 March and in the first seven lactation days all cows were equipped with individual 3-axes acceleration and angular displacement loggers, throughout 150 days for lying and standing behaviour measuring. Body Condition Scores (BCS) were estimated weekly, while milk production (in both morning and evening milking) and humidity and temperature air data were collected daily. Average individual milk yield was 27.3 ± 6.24 kg/d and milking time was 4.95 ± 1.94 min. Individual BCS was on average 3.46 ± 0.30 and standing daily time was 13.5 ± 2.26 h/d. Primiparous cows with BCS at parturition

In pasture-based dairy farming, daily lying times may be reduced compared with stall-based housing. The additional effort for grazing and the longer time requirements for feed dry matter intake can influence the lying time. In the present study it was examined whether the lying time of grazing dairy cows can be increased by giving additional concentrate (KF) and thus increasing the energy supply via supplementary feed at the beginning of grazing period. Furthermore, the effects of concentrate supplementation on the performance of the animals were investigated. The trial was conducted in 2020 immediately after the start of full grazing period and lasted from 24 May to 23 July (60 days). Within the 60-day trial period, the lying parameters were recorded on an individual basis during three survey periods of 14 days each (24.04.-07.05.; 16.05.-29.05; 10.06.-23.06.). Before the start of the trial, 22 dairy cows (16 Holstein Frisian and 6 Simmental) were divided homogeneously into the 2 experimental groups (KF1 and KF2). In group KF1, all animals received only a small amount of 1 kg fresh mass of concentrate supplemented to the pasture. In group KF2 a higher and milk yield-dependent concentrate supplementation was carried out: below 22 kg milk yield 1 kg fresh mass of concentrate was supplemented, from 22-24 kg milk yield 2 kg KF, from 24-26 kg milk 3 kg KF, from 26-28 kg milk 4 kg KF and above 28 kg milk yield 5 kg fresh mass of concentrate was supplemented. In addition to the pasture feed, the animals in both groups were given only the corresponding concentrate and a mineral supplement. The concentrate in both groups consisted of 35% maize, 60% barley and 5% oats. Both experimental groups were kept on pasture or in the stable (milking twice a day) in a common herd, the animals spent about 18.5 hours per day on the pasture areas. A rotational grazing system was implemented, the average pasture growth height was 8.5 (± 0.75) cm at entry and the residual growth height was 5.4 (± 0.57) cm, the grazing interval was between 15 and 18 days per paddock. The lying parameters were recorded with the HOBO Pendant G data logger at a measuring interval of 30 seconds (s), the experimental data were evaluated with a mixed model. Daily concentrate intake (KF1 0.77 and KF2 2.61 kg DM) and net energy intake (NEL) from concentrate (KF1 6.3 and KF2 21.5 MJ NEL, respectively) differed significantly between the experimental groups, during the course of the trial the group differences decreased due to the decrease in milk yield. The ECM- and the milk-yield and the content of the milk components fat, protein and lactose did not differ significantly between the KF groups, neither over the entire trial period nor in the three lying data collection periods. The energy corrected milk yield (ECM) decreased from survey period 1 (KF1: 26.1 kg ECM, KF2 27.1 kg) to 3 (KF1 18.2 and KF2 20.4 kg ECM). The calculated net energy intake from pasture tended to be lower in KF2 with 84.6 MJ NEL than in KF1 with 89.6 MJ NEL (P = 0.092), at the beginning of the experiment (survey period 1) the differences between KF1 (97. 0 MJ NEL) and KF2 (83.0 MJ NEL) were significant and the highest displacement rate in the energy intake from pasture by the supplement concentrate was observed. The animals of both experimental groups showed a decrease in live weight during the experimental period, whereby the animals in KF1 (-0.7 kg/day) numerically decreased more live weight than in KF2 (-0.5 kg). No significant experimental group differences were found in lying behaviour, neither in the daily lying time (Ø 9.1 hours per day) nor in the number of lying periods (Ø 8.0 per day), the lying period duration per lying period (Ø 71.5 minutes) and the daily distribution of the lying times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of precision livestock farming (PLF) technologies will underpin new strategies to support the control of livestock disease. However, PLF technology is underexploited within the sheep industry compared to other livestock sectors, and research is essential to identify opportunities for PLF applications. These opportunities include the control of endemic sheep disease such as parasitic gastroenteritis, caused by gastrointestinal nematode infections, which is estimated to cost the European sheep industry EUR 120 million annually. In this study, tri-axial accelerometers recorded the behaviour of 54 periparturient Welsh Mule ewes to discover if gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infection burden, as measured by faecal egg count (FEC), was associated with behavioural variation. Linear mixed models identified that increasing FECs in periparturient ewes were significantly associated with a greater number of lying bouts per day and lower bout durations (p = 0.013 and p = 0.010, respectively). The results demonstrate that FECs of housed periparturient ewes are associated with detectable variations in ewe behaviour, and as such, with further investigation there is potential to develop future targeted selective treatment protocols against GIN in sheep based on behaviour as measured by PLF technologies.

Light from the environment is important for vision and regulating various biological processes. Providing supplemental lighting in the stall area could allow for individually targeted or group-level control of light. This study aimed to determine whether dairy cattle had preferences for short-term exposure to white (full-spectrum) light-emitting diode (LED) light or no LED light, yellow-green or white LED light, and blue or white LED light in the stall area. In total, 14 lactating cows were housed in a free-stall pen with unrestricted access to 28 stalls. LED light was controlled separately for each side of the stall platform. Two combinations of light were tested per week, and each week consisted of three adaptation days and four treatment days. Lying behaviour and video data were recorded continuously using leg-mounted pedometers and cameras, respectively. Preference was assessed by the amount of time spent lying and the number of bouts under each light treatment. No differences occurred between treatments within each week for daily lying time and number of bouts. Similarly, no differences occurred between treatments within each time period. Further controlled studies of long-term exposure to different LED wavelengths and intensities are required to determine potential benefits on metabolic processes.

The aim of this study was to examine the time budgets of 20 lactating primiparous Italian Holstein cows and to determine the relationships between lying and standing behaviour, milk production and Body Condition Score in the first stage of lactation. Parturition period ranged from 15 September to 31 March and in the first seven lactation days all cows were equipped with individual 3-axes acceleration and angular displacement loggers, throughout 150 days for lying and standing behaviour measuring. Body Condition Scores (BCS) were estimated weekly, while milk production (in both morning and evening milking) and humidity and temperature air data were collected daily. Average individual milk yield was 27.3 ± 6.24 kg/d and milking time was 4.95 ± 1.94 min. Individual BCS was on average 3.46 ± 0.30 and standing daily time was 13.5 ± 2.26 h/d. Primiparous cows with BCS at parturition <3.25 quite regained BCS after 20 weeks of lactation, but produced on average 2.3 kg/d (p <.001) less than the other cows. Primiparous cows with standing time <14 h/d in the first 21 days of lactation showed higher BCS than the others cows (+0.11 on average, p <.001), but did not produce more milk (+0.1 kg/d, p =.25) on average and showed smaller Linear Score (logarithm transformation of milk somatic cell count) than other cows. Primiparous cows with standing time <14 h/d had higher number of lying bouts and less minutes between two lying bouts, probably due to a higher cow activity to feeding. Multiple regression on milk production showed a low effect of standing time, but primiparous cows lost 0.34 kg/d (p <.05) for each standing hour. Primiparous cows with standing time <14 h/d in the first 21 days of lactation showed higher BCS than the others cows Primiparous cows with standing time <14 h/d showed smaller somatic cell count Primiparous cows lost 0.34 kg/d for each standing hour [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a cubicle barn, cubicles serve as a resting spot and as such the quality influences the well-being of the cows. To control the usage of cubicles, a rigid metal pipe neck rail attached to the cubicle separation rails is commonly used. The aim of the present pilot study was to investigate the influence of utilising a fire hose as a flexible front barrier (instead of a rigid neck rail) on the quantity and quality of standing and lying behaviour of cows, as well as the effect on the deformability of the litter mattress in the front foot area of the deep box. Neither design proved to have an influence on the lying time. However, the claw-damaging, bipedal standing in the cubicle with the hind legs situated outside of the cubicle (perching) was reduced and replaced by standing with all four feet inside the cubicle. Additionally, the number of standing events without lying down was reduced and with that the total number of standing events in the cubicle. The litter mattresses of the deep boxes were found to be significantly more deformable in the front area with a flexible front barrier. The results indicated that a flexible front barrier increased the quality of cubicle usage.

This review assesses factors affecting fouling in conventional pens for slaughter pigs. Fouling of the pen happens when pigs change their excretory behaviour from occurring in the designated dunging area to the lying area. This can result in a lower hygiene, bad air quality, extra work for the farmer, disturbance of the pigs’ resting behaviour and an increase in agonistic interactions. A systematic search was conducted and results narrowed down to 21 articles. Four factors were found to affect fouling directly: insufficient space allowance, the flooring design of the pen, the thermal climate and pigs’ earlier experience. Further, these primary factors are affected by secondary factors such as the shape of the pen, the weight of the pigs and especially the heat balance of the pigs, which is affected by several tertiary factors including, for example, temperature, humidity and draught. Results indicate that the most important factor to control when trying to prevent fouling of a pen is the pen climate. An appropriate climate may be accomplished through floor cooling in the designated lying area, sprinklers above the designated dunging area and by ensuring a more optimal ambient temperature curve that also fits the weight of the pigs in different stages of the production. All in all, fouling of the pen in conventional slaughter pigs is a multifactorial problem, but it is important to focus on increasing the comfortability, and especially the climate, of the designated lying area.

New sensor technologies enable a valid recording of resting behaviour on pasture. The behaviour of dairy cows influences animal welfare and health, productivity as well as economic parameters. In comparison to freestall housing the resting periods of grazing cows can be postponed or the length of the period can be limited. In the present study, changes in the resting time of dairy cows during the change from freestall housing ("Stall") to grazing ("Weideumstellung") as well as during the subsequent pasture period ("Vollweide") in two experiments (2018 and 2019) at different continuously grazed pasture sward height (AWH) groups. In the stable and pasture conversion phase 18 and 15 animals were kept together and fed uniformly in experiment 1 and 2 respectively. The resting behaviour was recorded during the stable period on the last 9 days before the grazing period started. The subsequent pasture conversion period comprised the first 9 (experiment 1) and 13 (experiment 2) grazing days. Before the subsequent full grazing period started, the cows were divided equally between the two grazing groups in each experiment and then kept on continuous grazed pasture in different sward height groups. The AWH were measured with a rising plate pasture meter. In experiment 1 the AWH groups "kurz" (5.4 cm ±0.15) and "mittel" (6.6 cm ±0.13) and in experiment 2 "mittel" (6.1 cm ±0.87) and "lang" (7.6 cm ±0.95) were compared respectively. During the full grazing period the animals received only 1.4 kg DM of concentrate plus minerals as supplementary feed. In experiment 1, the resting data set included the full grazing weeks 8, 10 and 11 and in experiment 2 the weeks 4, 5, 6, 8 and 12. The resting parameters were recorded with the HOBO Pendant G data logger at a measuring interval of 30 seconds and the data were evaluated with a mixed model. In both experiments the longest daily resting times were recorded during the stable periods and the shortest within the full grazing periods. In experiment 1 the resting time decreased from 11.4 hours per day in the stable period to 10.2 hours in the pasture conversion period and 7.2 to 8.1 hours per day in the full grazing period in the AWH groups "kurz" and "mittel" respectively. In experiment 2 the daily resting times were 11.1 hours for "Stall", 9.7 for "Weideumstellung" as well as 8.5 for AWH group "mittel" and 9.0 hours for group "lang". The average duration of resting (73-87 minutes/period) did not differ significantly between the experimental periods or the AWH groups, but during the full grazing periods, the animals restricted the number of lying phases per day. In comparison to results from the literature, the daily resting times at short AWH can be classi fied as low. Although the available data do not yet allow conclusions to be drawn about reduced animal welfare, measures should be applied in animal and pasture management that allow dairy cow's sufficient time to lie down. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate lying behaviour in dairy goats before and after installation of an optimized automatic concentrated feeding system (AFS). A mixed-horned herd of Bunte Deutsche Edelziege was used. As many agonistic interactions between goats happen at the feeding place, a new automated feeding system was installed to better fulfil the needs of horned goats. Lying behaviour is an indicator to ascertain animal welfare of ruminants. In order to measure lying behaviour accelerometer technology was used and verified by video analyses. The results show an agreement of 99.62–99.93% per lying time by comparing accelerometers to video data. Over all goats, a mean ± SD lying time (LT) of 11.78 ± 1.47 h/d, a mean ± SD lying bout duration (LBD) of 0.51 ± 0.10 h/bout and a mean ± SD frequency of lying bouts (FLB) of 24.35 ± 5.57 were found. Lying behaviour follows a seasonal progression with significant lowest LBD and highest FLB in summer. With the old AFS significant differences in LBD and FLB were detected between horned and hornless goats, but with the new AFS results were adjusted. Findings suggest that changes in feeding management do not affect the general seasonal progression of lying behaviour but can affect the behavioural differences between horned and hornless dairy goats.

Pen fouling, where the pigs choose to rest in their designated excretion area (the slatted floors) and excrete in their designated resting area (the solid floors), is an undesired behaviour and should be prevented when possible. One strategy to prevent fouling is early detection by means of either animal or environmental measures changing prior to fouling. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the lying pattern of pigs and the temperature in the pen changed the last 5 days prior to an event of fouling and whether this differed from pens without an event of fouling (controls). Fouling events was recorded at pen level when at least half of the solid floor was wet with excreta and/or urine (day0). Each fouling pen was paired with a control pen that had not been scored as a fouling pen prior to or at least 1 week after the fouling event. Fouling and control pens were either not provided with straw or provided daily with 150 g of straw per pig. Percentage of pigs lying on the solid floor and the slatted floor (36 events) as well as pen temperature above the solid and slatted floor (24 events) was analysed using four linear mixed effects models. The percentage of pigs lying on the solid floor decreased (40–24%; P < 0.05) while the number of pigs lying on the slatted floor increased (14–24%; P < 0.05) from day-2 to day0 only in the fouling pens, with differences seen between fouling and control pens on the same days (P < 0.01). However, these changes and differences was only seen in pens without straw. Also only in pens without straw did pen temperature above the solid floor decrease from day-2 to day0 (18.6–17.6°C; P < 0.001), with differences seen between fouling and control pens only on day0 (P < 0.05). In contrast, pen temperature measured above the slatted floor did not change, independent of whether the pen was provided with straw or not. Thus, in pens not provided with straw, both the lying pattern of pigs and pen temperature above the solid floor have potential as early detectors of pen fouling.

In natural settings, newborn calves hide for several days before joining the herd. It is unclear whether dairy calves housed indoors would show similar hiding behaviour. This study aimed to describe the use of an artificial hide provided to calves during temporary separation from the dam and assess the effect it has on lying and sleep-like behaviour, as well as heart rate variability (HRV). Twenty-eight cow-calf pairs were randomly assigned to having a hide (n = 14), or no hide (n = 14). Hide use (n = 14), as well as lying and sleep-like behaviour (n = 28), were recorded continuously via video camera during the first hour after the dam was removed for morning milking on day three to seven. Heart rate and R-R intervals were recorded using Polar equine monitors for a subsample of 12 calves (n = 6 per treatment) on day six. Descriptive statistics were calculated for hide use. Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests were used to evaluate whether having a hide affected lying and sleep-like behaviours as well as HRV. Hide use decreased over days and was highly variable between calves. Lying behaviour did not differ between treatments. Duration of sleep-like behaviour was higher for calves without a hide compared to those with a hide. Calves with a hide tended to show signs of higher HRV and parasympathetic activity compared to calves without a hide. Results suggest that providing a hiding space to young calves may be beneficial during periods when the cow is removed from the pen for milking., Competing Interests: This study was funded by the Sir James Animal Welfare Centre at the Atlantic Veterinary College, of which KLP is the Director. KLP was not involved in the adjudication process for this grant but was involved in study design; collection, analysis and interpretation of data; writing of the paper; and the decision to submit to Animal Welfare., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

The ability to spend time resting is extremely important for dairy cattle welfare. Through this study, lying behaviour of dairy cows in to Up-Country (UP), Mid-Country (MC), Coconut-Triangle (CT) and Western-Province (WP) of Sri Lanka was studied to get an insight into their resting pattern. Resting pattern was assessed in 170 Holstein-Friesian/ Jersey crossed, tie-stalled lactating cows (UP = 49, MC = 49, CT = 48 and WP = 24) using electronic data loggers. Appropriate resting behaviours were attained in UP and MC regions, with longer lying time (11.7, 11.3 h/day) and lying bout durations (78.0, 84.9 min) respectively, where lower THI ranges were observed compared to other regions. WP and CT resulted with lower lying times (9.00, 9.26 h/day) and lying bout durations (48.3, 64.3 min) respectively with higher THI. There is a slight variation of the environmental temperature of each region with the time period of experiment. Cows in all regions prefer to lie on their left side (UP-6.1, MC-6.1, CT-4.4, WP-4.7 h/d) and with significant differences (P<0.05) between MC-WP, MC-CT, UP-CT and UP-WP. A negative significant (P<0.05) correlation was observed between THI and lying behaviours. There were significant effects of time (hour) and time × region interaction (P<0.05) on the lying down pattern. More lying down was observed in late night and early morning with a peak rest around the hours of 21:00-05:00. Overall, according to the results of the current study, the existing environmental conditions of four regions affected the resting pattern of dairy cows and, identification of possible mechanisms to modify the environment to enhance cow comfort is vital., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Highlights • Cows on a round-stone stand-off pad achieve acceptable time of lying down per day. • Frequency of lying is lower than normal when cows are on stone surface. • Sand surface in an uncovered stand-off system results in dirty cows. • Woodchip and carpet surfaces equally meet animal welfare standards. • Woodchip surface requires less maintenance than carpet. Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of stand-off surface type on cow lying behaviour, cleanliness and lameness. One hundred and sixty Friesian × Jersey crossbreed, pregnant non-lactating dairy cows were blocked into five groups of 32 cows and randomly assigned to one of five treatments. Treatments consisted of cows grazing fodder beet in situ and remaining in the paddock with no stand-off (control), or grazing fodder beet in situ and spending 16 h on a stand-off pad with either a woodchip, round-stones (40–60 mm), sand, or geotextile 'carpet' surface. Lying duration, monitored by AfiAct electronic pedometers (Afimilk, Kibbutz Afikim, Israel), showed cows on stone spent significantly more (P < 0.001) time lying (9.5 h) than cows on woodchip (8.4 h), control (8.1 h), and sand (7.6 h), but similar to those on carpet (8.8 h). However, there were fewer (P < 0.001) lying bouts (4.6 bouts/d) and longer (P < 0.001) bout duration (137 min/bout) for cows on stone than other treatments (average 7 bouts/day and 85 min/bout), which may suggest that cows found standing and sitting on the stone surface uncomfortable. As measured by a cleanliness score, cows on the sand surface were less (P < 0.001) clean than cows on other surfaces. Lameness, which was determined by visual scoring, revealed only moderate cases of lameness which tended (P = 0.059) to be more prevalent for cows on stone (11.3%) or sand (12.5%), compared with lowest in woodchip (4.0%) or carpet (4.7%), and intermediate in the control treatment (8.8%). The data indicate that sand and the size of stone used are less suitable surfaces than woodchip or carpet for an uncovered winter stand-off pad to meet minimum requirements of animal comfort and welfare. While both the woodchip and carpet surfaces equally met animal welfare standards, the woodchip required less maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this project was to compare the hygienic quality of the bedding, as well as the parasitic load, cleanliness and lying behaviour in heifers kept on either straw or wood chip deep bedding. Fourteen heifers kept in two pens were housed on straw or wood chip bedding for 43 days, after which the bedding material was switched for 43 additional days. Significantly more mould was found in wood chip than in straw and there was a tendency towards less yeast in wood chip. The heifers had a low faecal parasitic load. The results indicate that the wood chip treatment resulted in somewhat cleaner animals. The heifers had a significantly longer total lying time when kept on straw. In conclusion, wood chip deep bedding could be an option as bedding material, but the impact on hygiene of bedding material and lying behaviour needs to be further investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review assesses factors affecting fouling in conventional pens for slaughter pigs. Fouling of the pen happens when pigs change their excretory behaviour from occurring in the designated dunging area to the lying area. This can result in a lower hygiene, bad air quality, extra work for the farmer, disturbance of the pigs’ resting behaviour and an increase in agonistic interactions. A systematic search was conducted and results narrowed down to 21 articles. Four factors were found to affect fouling directly: insufficient space allowance, the flooring design of the pen, the thermal climate and pigs’ earlier experience. Further, these primary factors are affected by secondary factors such as the shape of the pen, the weight of the pigs and especially the heat balance of the pigs, which is affected by several tertiary factors including, for example, temperature, humidity and draught. Results indicate that the most important factor to control when trying to prevent fouling of a pen is the pen climate. An appropriate climate may be accomplished through floor cooling in the designated lying area, sprinklers above the designated dunging area and by ensuring a more optimal ambient temperature curve that also fits the weight of the pigs in different stages of the production. All in all, fouling of the pen in conventional slaughter pigs is a multifactorial problem, but it is important to focus on increasing the comfortability, and especially the climate, of the designated lying area. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Dairy cows in experimental grazing herds are often confined for metabolic measurements. The objective of this study was to establish effects of transfer from pasture, to tie-stalls in a metabolism house, then back to pasture, on lying behaviour and locomotion score of lactating cows: Holstein-Friesian (H, n = 16), Jersey (J, n = 16) and H × J (HJ, n = 16). Cows were transferred to tie-stalls on d 1 for 12 days, and were offered freshly cut ryegrass according to herbage allowance (HERB) and genotype: J low = 14; J high = 17; H and HJ low = 16; and H and HJ high = 20 kg DM/d. Lying behaviour was recorded on four days: −2, −1 (Pre-confinement), 3 (Early confinement), 10, 11 (Late confinement), 13 and 14 (Post-confinement) relative to transfer (d 1) using dataloggers, and was also video-recorded during the first 15 h. Locomotion score was recorded on days −4, −3, 12 and 16. No effects of HERB on lying variables were observed during the first 15 h in confinement, but J cows made more lying intentions (21.0 vs. 12.2; P < 0.05) and tended ( P = 0.07) to have a shorter latency to lie. Cows spent less ( P < 0.001) time lying in early confinement (07:22:29 h/d) than on any of the other occasions (9:12:50 h/d). Cows had more ( P < 0.001) and shorter ( P < 0.001) lying bouts in confinement than while at pasture. Low HERB cows spent more time lying than high HERB cows (09:54:55 vs. 09:09:33 h/d; P < 0.01). J had higher locomotion scores than H (9.2 ± 0.2 vs.7.8 ± 0.2; P < 0.001), and tended ( P = 0.09) to have higher scores than HJ (8.5 ± 0.2) cows. Locomotion scores were lowest pre confinement, highest at turnout (d 12), and intermediate after that at pasture (d 16) (7.6 ± 0.2, 9.3 ± 0.2 and 8.6 ± 0.3, respectively; P < 0.01). On transfer to the metabolism house cows showed disrupted patterns of lying although daily lying time returned to levels similar to pasture by late confinement. Confinement also resulted in a short-term deterioration in locomotory ability, which although improving, was still evident 4 days following the cows return to pasture with Jersey cows being more affected than the other genotypes. These findings suggest that longer adaptation periods and temporary release to loafing areas may improve both the validity of data collected and cow welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dairy cow welfare is an important consideration for optimal production in the dairy industry. Lameness affects the welfare of dairy herds by limiting productivity. Whilst the application of LS systems helps in identifying lame cows, the technique meets with certain constraints, ranging from the detection of mild gait changes to on-farm practical applications. Recent studies have shown that certain animal-based measures considered in welfare assessment, such as body condition, hock condition and leg hygiene, are associated with lameness in dairy cows. Furthermore, behavioural changes inherent in lame cows, especially the comfort in resting and lying down, have been shown to be vital indicators of cow welfare. Highlighting the relationship between lameness and these welfare indicators could assist in better understanding their role, either as risk factors or as consequences of lameness. Nevertheless, since the conditions predisposing a cow to lameness are multifaceted, it is vital to cite the factors that could influence the on-farm practical application of such welfare indicators in lameness studies. This review begins with the welfare consequences of lameness by comparing normal and abnormal gait as well as the use of LS system in detecting lame cows. Animal-based measures related to cow welfare and links with changes in locomotion as employed in lameness research are discussed. Finally, alterations in lying behaviour are also presented as indicators of lameness with the corresponding welfare implication in lame cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual monitoring of pig behaviours over long periods is very time consuming and has possibility for observer bias. Automated image processing techniques now give the potential to carry out behavioural research in a more effective way. To illustrate this, an image processing technique was applied to identify whether any changes in pig lying behaviour which might be detrimental to welfare resulted from an enrichment provision treatment. The lying patterns of pigs in 6 enriched pens were compared with those of 6 control pens, which had only a suspended enrichment toy, to determine whether daily provision of a rooting material (maize silage) onto a solid plate in the lying area of a fully slatted pen resulted in changed lying time and location. Pigs were monitored by top view CCTV cameras and animals were extracted from their background using image processing algorithms. An ellipse fitting technique was applied to localize each pig and the centre of each fitted ellipse was used in x–y coordinates to find the lying positions after use of an algorithm to remove images in motion preceding the scan. Each pen was virtually subdivided into four zones and the position of each lying pig obtained at 10 min intervals over a series of 24 h periods. Results of a validation study showed that the image processing technique had an accuracy of 93–95% when compared to visual scoring. Results from image processing indicated that once daily provision of rooting material significantly changed the diurnal activity pattern (p < 0.001) and resulted in a modified diurnal pattern of resting location. The study demonstrates that machine vision can be used as a precise and rapid method for quantifying pig lying behaviour for research or practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirty-five lactating Jersey cows were recruited to the study. They were grouped according to locomotion score (LS), where low scores indicate normal gait. LS-1 (n = 12), LS-2 (n = 12) and LS-3 (n = 11) were used. Locomotion scores were balanced for parity and stage of lactation. Lying behaviour was recorded using IceTag™ data loggers attached to the cows for four consecutive days. The study animals remained in the straw based yards with grooved concrete flooring throughout the duration of the study. All data were normally distributed and assessed using a one-way ANOVA with a post hoc Tukey test. There were no statistically significant differences between locomotion score and the time spent lying, active and standing of zero-grazed lactating Jersey dairy cattle housed on straw yards. Lame cows (LS-3) had significantly shorter lying bouts than sound cows (LS-1) (34 min vs. 42 min, respectively). There has been limited research to date measuring the lying behaviour of cattle on straw and into the Jersey breed. The cows had longer than expected standing times and an increased frequency of lying bouts. This may have been attributed to the stocking density in which the cows were kept. We also reported a prevalence of lameness within the herd of 38%.

Horses require, as do all mammals, sufficient sleep in order to maintain their physical and psychological performance.The aim of the present study was to clarify whether different bedding material in free-stall housing and box stall housing show significant influences on the lying behaviour of horses. The influence of the housing system was investigated as well. The bedding material used was wheat straw, wood shavings and straw pellets. In the course of one year the lying behaviour of six Hanoverian mares aged 2 years was recorded by means of ALT (activity, lying time, temperature) pedometers and video recordings (continuous sampling). At the same time three horses were housed in a free-stall housing system (box with adjacent pen) and three horses in closed single boxes. The total recumbency time, sternal recumbency, lateral recumbency, the number of lying occurrences, as well as the usage of the partly available pen were examined at night (18:00–06:00). When considering the total recumbency time in the box (without consideration of the housing system) a significantly longer recumbency time was detected when using wood shavings (211.56±69.87min/night) in comparison to straw pellets (177.34±98.87min/night). On wheat straw the total recumbency time in the box was 200.92±86.32min/night. When considering the housing systems (without taking the bedding materials into account) 100% of the recumbency time in the box stall housing system occurred in the box, inevitably due to the experimental set-up (235.56±55.82min/night). In the free-stall housing sysem the total recumbency time in the box and pen was significantly lower with 204.44±63.43min/night (recumbency time in the box: 158.00±94.62min/night; 77%). The recumbency time varied depending on the bedding material as well as the housing system. On the various bedding materials (wheat straw: 243.77±50.08min/night; wood shavings: 233.02±58.92min/night; straw pellets: 229.67±57.99min/night) the total recumbency time in the box stall housing system showed no significant differences. In the free-stall housing system in comparison the total recumbency time for each bedding material (wheat straw: 157.48±93.64min/night; wood shavings: 190.7±73.67min/night; straw pellets: 126.46±104.01min/night) was significantly lower than in the box stall housing system. In comparison with the other bedding materials the wood shavings in the free-stall housing system partly showed a significantly longer recumbency time in the box. The use of straw pellets resulted in a longer recumbency time and a higher number of lying occurrences in the pen (free-stall housing system) in comparison to wood shavings and wheat straw. In conclusion, horses kept in single boxes with adjacent sandy pen, prefer wheat straw or wood shavings in the box as opposed to straw pellets. The total recumbency time of horses housed in box stall housing was longer on all bedding materials than in free-stall housing. However, none of the used bedding materials shortened or lengthened the total recumbency time of the horses. Therefore, all examined bedding materials can be used when keeping horses even if wheat straw or wood shavings are preferable to the use of straw pellets with regards to the lying behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional dairy farming practices usually involve early separation of calves from their dams. Cow-calf contact (CCC) systems may offer an alternative rearing solution that allows for the expression of natural behaviours, such as suckling and bonding. However, literature exploring the effects of CCC systems on lying behaviours of lactating cows is limited. Thus, the aims of this study were to assess: (1) the lying behaviours of lactating dairy cows with and without access to a CCC area, and (2) freestall use and lying patterns of cows and calves with access to a CCC area over a 14-week suckling period. Cow-calf pairs (Swedish Holstein: n = 15; Swedish Red: n = 25) were assigned one of two treatments after calving: dam-calf contact rearing (full contact; FC, n = 19), where calves were housed in a CCC area in the same facility as their dams, or separation shortly after parturition (no contact; NC, n = 18). The CCC area contained stalls and concentrate feeders which only FC cows had access to. Daily lying time – as well as the duration and frequency of lying bouts – was collected for cows automatically using leg-mounted tri-axial accelerometers. Video recordings were also collected and used to perform scan sampling of cow and calf lying location at 10-minute intervals for a 24-hour period each week. Behavioural data was collected during 14 weeks, starting when all cow-calf pairs had entered the experimental pen and continuing until separation. Access to full CCC did not affect daily lying time nor the frequency of lying bouts. Overall, mean daily lying time increased with stage of lactation. Lying bout duration and frequency were affected by an interaction between stage of lactation and parity, with the frequency of lying bouts decreasing as lactation progressed, but only for primiparous cows in post-peak lactation. Average bout duration increased with stage of lactation for primiparous cows, and from early to post-peak lactation for multiparous cows. Moreover, there was an interactive effect of treatment and parity on lying bout duration, with multiparous FC cows performing longer bouts than primiparous FC cows. FC cows spent 77.3(28.4)% (mean(SD)) of their total lying time within the CCC area across all weeks. These results combined indicate that lying behaviour in this CCC system was likely influenced by factors other than CCC. Furthermore, cows with access to CCC maintained their individual patterns of stall use throughout the suckling period investigated in this study. • Daily lying time was not affected by cow-calf contact (CCC). • Cows with CCC spent over 75% of their daily lying time within the CCC area. • Lying patterns of cows with CCC did not change over a 14-week suckling period. • At any hour, calves occupied around six of the stalls intended for cow use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dairy cow welfare is an important consideration for optimal production in the dairy industry. Lameness affects the welfare of dairy herds by limiting productivity. Whilst the application of LS systems helps in identifying lame cows, the technique meets with certain constraints, ranging from the detection of mild gait changes to on-farm practical applications. Recent studies have shown that certain animal-based measures considered in welfare assessment, such as body condition, hock condition and leg hygiene, are associated with lameness in dairy cows. Furthermore, behavioural changes inherent in lame cows, especially the comfort in resting and lying down, have been shown to be vital indicators of cow welfare. Highlighting the relationship between lameness and these welfare indicators could assist in better understanding their role, either as risk factors or as consequences of lameness. Nevertheless, since the conditions predisposing a cow to lameness are multifaceted, it is vital to cite the factors that could influence the on-farm practical application of such welfare indicators in lameness studies. This review begins with the welfare consequences of lameness by comparing normal and abnormal gait as well as the use of LS system in detecting lame cows. Animal-based measures related to cow welfare and links with changes in locomotion as employed in lameness research are discussed. Finally, alterations in lying behaviour are also presented as indicators of lameness with the corresponding welfare implication in lame cows.

Oesophageal tube feeding colostrum is used to ensure sufficient colostrum intake in newborn calves but the impact of tube feeding on animal behaviour is unclear. Therefore the objective of this study was to compare lying behaviour of tube-fed or bottle-fed dairy calves. Calves (n = 37) in 3 groups were offered 3·5 l colostrum 2 h after birth. Calves of the bottle group were fed with a nipple bottle. Calves of the placebo tubing group were tubed for 4 min but no colostrum was given and they were then fed with a nipple bottle. Calves of the tubing group received 3·5 l colostrum via tube feeding. Consumed amount of bottle and placebo tubing calves was recorded. If they refused some of the offered 3·5 l the rest was offered in a second feeding 2 h later. Lying behaviour was measured by data loggers fitted to right hind leg for 3 d. Blood samples were taken 24 h after birth for determination of IgG concentration. The voluntary colostrum intake differed significantly between bottle-fed and placebo tubed calves at first feeding. Considering both colostrum feedings, bottle-fed calves consumed 3·44 ± 0·14 l and placebo tubed calves consumed 3·20 ± 0·38 l colostrum. ImmunoglobulinG intake (255·6 ± 77·5 g IgG), serum IgG concentration 24 h after birth (22·8 ± 6·7 g/l) and total serum protein concentration (6·1 ± 0·6 g/dl) did not differ between groups. None of the calves had a failure of passive transfer. There was no effect of tubing on lying behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lameness affects lying behaviour in dairy cattle, increasing total lying time and the number of lying bouts. However, there is limited information about the effect of lameness treatment on dairy cow behaviour. This study investigated the effect of four lameness treatments on lying behaviour (total lying time, number of bouts, average bout duration and laterality of lying) in dairy cows. Forty-four newly lame cows were treated randomly with one of four treatment protocols: trim only, trim + block, trim + NSAID, and trim + block + NSAID. Thirty-four non-lame control cows were matched by parity, days in milk, and farm-pen. Each cow had an accelerometer attached to the hind leg, lying behaviour data was collected over 5 days immediately after treatment and analysed using multilevel regression models. Lame cows in three of the four treatment groups demonstrated no increase in lying time compared to non-lame controls. This finding is contrary to previous work and may reflect the enrolment criteria which favoured the selection of cows with mild disease i.e. before the behavioural impacts of lameness had manifested. Only cows in the treatment group which received a therapeutic trim and a foot block saw higher lying times post treatment. As this effect was not apparent in the group which received a NSAID in addition to a trim and a foot block, we hypothesise that this effect is caused by discomfort associated with the block. Where foot blocks are administered as part of treatment protocols, we propose that NSAIDs should be administered concurrently to alleviate the behavioural changes and likely discomfort associated with this treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pig lying patterns can provide information on environmental factors affecting production efficiency, health and welfare. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using image processing and the Delaunay triangulation method to detect change in group lying behaviour of pigs under commercial farm conditions and relate this to changing environmental temperature. Two pens of 22 growing pigs were monitored during 15 days using top view CCD cameras. Animals were extracted from their background using image processing algorithms, and the x – y coordinates of each binary image were used for ellipse fitting algorithms to localize each pig. By means of the region properties and perimeter of each Delaunay Triangulation, it was possible with high accuracy to automatically find the changes in lying posture and location within the pen of grouped pigs caused by temperature changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lying behaviour in horses is affected by factors such as bedding, housing and available lying area. For group-housed horses, social factors may influence access to available lying area and affect their ability to meet their need for sleep, including essential REM sleep. REM sleep can only be achieved when the whole body, including the head, is supported by the ground, so lateral recumbency is important to meet horses' sleep requirements. This study investigated the effects of available lying area in shelters on horses' lying and rising behaviour, on disturbance behaviour by horses, and on lying bouts by individual horses. Lying and rising behaviour was video-recorded for eight horses in single boxes (control treatment) and in an open-barn with three available lying area of 8, 18 and 28 m2/horse, respectively in the shelters. The results revealed significantly less lateral recumbency in the shelter with 8 m2 lying area/horse (22 min, p = 0.04) compared with the single boxes (52 min), and a tendency for more lateral recumbency with 18 m2 lying area/horse (48 min, p = 0.07) compared with 8 m2 lying area/horse. Rising without prior rolling was the most common rising behaviour in the single boxes. Frequency of rolling prior to rising varied from 14% to 55% for all housing systems, compared with previous observations of ~30% irrespective of available lying area. This may be due to inter-individual differences, indicating a need for detailed studies of rising behaviour. Lying behaviour was affected by the behaviour of other horses and also significantly affected by available lying area. With more available area in the shelter, horses lay down for almost twice as many bouts (p = 0.01) and for almost twice as long as compared to a smaller area (p = 0.001). Number of lying bouts (p = 0.001) and behaviour during rising from the lying position were also affected by available lying area. It is therefore likely that the space requirement to meet horses' need for rest will be larger in group-housed horses than for horses in individual boxes. • Available lying area affected lying time and lying behaviour in several ways. • Increasing available lying area increased lying time and time per lying bout. • Lying space requirement may be greater horses in for in group housing than in boxes. • Group-housed horses disturb each other's rest, and needs further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition of tie-stalls to loose housing systems is often accompanied by starting dehorning. Deep-litter and straw-flow systems can be more cost-effective and advantageous for various aspects of the welfare of dairy cows than cubicle loose housing. However, the number of social encounters and disturbances of lying animals can be higher in these systems especially for animals with horns. The use of structural elements may improve the situation and the aim of this project was to investigate the potential effects of structural elements in the free resting area on resting behaviour, animal cleanliness and straw usage in herds of horned dairy cows. On five commercial farms that keep horned dairy cows in a deep-litter system, data were collected in situations without and with a structural element present. Lying behaviour was recorded by scan sampling for each individual animal every 5 min. The cleanliness of the cows was assessed at the beginning and end of the four-day recording period. The proportion of scans in which animals were lying in 24 h, during day and at night as well as the change in cleanliness were analysed using linear mixed models. Straw usage was evaluated by counting the number of bales used on each of the four days on four farms. The proportion of lying was higher with the structural elements present than without for 24 h ( p <0.001) and at night ( p <0.001), while no effect was found during the day ( p =0.964). This was particularly true for high-ranking and middle-ranking animals (interaction rank*structure: p =0.007), for which lying time increased by about 1 h on average, while for low-ranking animals it increased only about 10 min. The strength of the effect, however, varied considerably between individual farms. Animals were also less dirty with the structural element present than without ( p =0.008). For straw usage, no uniform trend was found on the farms. In conclusion, the results indicate a positive effect of the presence of a Y-shaped structural element in the free resting area of straw yard systems on lying time and cleanliness of horned dairy cows. The use of structural elements in straw yard or comparable systems thus has the potential to improve the welfare of horned dairy cows and furthers keeping of horned cows as an alternative to dehorning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The analgesic effect of meloxicam was investigated in beef cows undergoing caesarean section. [•] Lying and standing behaviour was assessed with pedometers. [•] Meloxicam-treated cows spent significantly more time lying after surgery. [•] Increased lying following caesarean section may be an indicator of increased comfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Postural synchrony, in which cattle lie down or stand up at the same time as other members of their herd, occurs both in animals housed indoors when enough resources are available and in those out at pasture, but the mechanisms by which such synchrony is achieved are poorly understood. We report a study of 6 groups of young cattle (Bos taurus) at pasture in which our aim was to study postural synchrony at different times of day and in relation to the postures of neighbouring cattle. All of the observed groups exhibited a high degree of synchrony in lying/standing, as 70% of animals in a group exhibited the same posture over 93% of the time. Time of day had a significant effect (P≈0.0046): cattle were least synchronized in the middle of the day and most synchronized in the morning and evening. With the increasing use of synchrony of lying as a measure of welfare in cattle, such temporal effects need to be taken into account. Cattle were more synchronized with the posture of a near neighbour than they were with that of a randomly chosen member of the herd (P≈0.016), suggesting that cattle were actively synchronizing their postures with that of their neighbours. These results indicate that a full understanding of the mechanisms of postural synchronization in cattle herds will need to incorporate both collective (allelomimetic) and concurrent (individual) responses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate behavioural changes before and after calving in dairy cows in order to describe behavioural signs of imminent calving and of cows’ recovery after calving. Thirty-two multiparous Danish Holstein Frisian cows with an unassisted calving were studied from 96h before until 96h after calving while housed in individual calving pens. Data on behaviour were obtained via video recordings and accelerometers attached to the cows’ legs. Cows spent less time lying, had more lying bouts and were more active the day before calving as compared to 2–4 days before calving. The number of lying bouts and the level of activity increased throughout the 6h prior to calving. During the last 2h prior to calving the duration of contractions and the number of times the cow turned her head towards the abdomen were increased, while the duration of feeding and drinking was decreased. Within minutes after calving cows stood up and licked their calves; second parity cows had a longer latency to stand than later parity cows. Sniffing and licking the calf peaked during the first hour after calving and decreased during the five successive hours, while calves’ sniffing the cow peaked during the second hour after birth. The high level of cows’ sniffing and licking their calves coincided with low levels of lying and feeding during the first hours after calving. Compared to the first 6-h period after calving, cows spent more time lying and feeding during the following two 6-h periods, while the duration of sniffing and licking calf and the number of lying bouts decreased throughout the 24h after calving. Calves spent the most time sniffing the cow and suckling during the first 6-h period after birth, while the time spent lying increased and the number of lying bouts decreased throughout the 24h following birth. Cows spent more time lying on the second day after calving than on the first day after calving. The results show marked behavioural changes during the last 6h prior to calving and suggest that behavioural changes may be useful indicators of imminent calving. Furthermore, the results show that the first hours after calving contain most cow–calf interaction. These behaviours were at the expense of the cows’ resting and feeding, which showed a rebound during the subsequent hours and the following day. This suggests that ample opportunity to rest and feed during the first days after calving may be beneficial for cow welfare. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]