Dominance effects on the time budget and milking behaviour of
cows managed on pasture and milked in an automated milking system
J. JAGO, A. JACKSON AND M. WOOLFORD
Dexcel Ltd, Private Bag 3221, Hamilton, New Zealand
E-Mail:
NZSAP 2003 Abstract No. 29
Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production
63: 120-123
The influence of social hierarchy on the behaviour of a herd of
41 cows milked in an automated milking system (AMS) was studied under
conditions of free or no access to water at pasture. In phase 1 (P1)
water was available within a central collection area (CCA) in the centre
of the farm from which return to pasture was via the AMS. In phase 2
(P2), water was available at pasture in addition to the CCA. The time
budget for activity (grazing, standing, lying or walking) and location
(paddock, CCA entrance race, exit race or waiting yard) was determined
over 2x24h in each of P1 & P2. Dominance values (DV) were calculated and
cows classified as high, middle or low ranking. In P1 & P2, DV was
positively related to the number of milking visits to the AMS. In P1,
83.4% of all drinking occurred in the CCA compared with 14.2% in P2.
Social rank had no effect on time budget in P1, however, in P2, DV
influenced waiting times with lower ranking cows spending a greater
proportion of time waiting before entering the AMS. The results show
that social rank affects the number of visits to the AMS and yard
waiting times but has little effect on the activity time budget of cows
milked in a AMS.
Keywords: NZSAPAB;
automatic milking systems; grazing; dairy cows; behaviour;
social hierarchy; dominance
Last Updated 8/07/2004
