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Full-Text Articles in Dairy Science

Transition Cow Metabolites And Physical Traits Influence Days To First Postpartum Ovulation In Dairy Cows, S. Banuelos, J. S. Stevenson Jan 2022

Transition Cow Metabolites And Physical Traits Influence Days To First Postpartum Ovulation In Dairy Cows, S. Banuelos, J. S. Stevenson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The objective of this study was to assess key metabolites and patterns of prepartum and postpartum physical activity as they relate to the onset of first postpartum ovulation in lactating dairy cows. Close-up dry Holstein cows (n = 82) and late gestation heifers (n = 78) were enrolled beginning 3 weeks before expected calving date (day 0). Cows were fit with Cow SensOor ear tags to assess transitional changes in eating, resting, rumination, activity, and ear-surface temperatures. Rectal temperatures were assessed and blood samples were collected on days 0, 3, 7, and 14 to measure concentrations of glucose, free fatty …


Behavioral Gait Change Characterization And Detection Using Precision Dairy Monitoring Technologies, Barbara Wadsworth Jones Jan 2017

Behavioral Gait Change Characterization And Detection Using Precision Dairy Monitoring Technologies, Barbara Wadsworth Jones

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Lameness is a painful disorder that decreases performance and is highly recognized as one of the most important health and welfare concerns for dairy cattle. Visual gait scoring is the most common way to detect gait change in dairy cattle. However, this is not only subjective, but is also time consuming and costly. A need to remove the subjective assessment of human observation exists. Therefore, automatic gait change detection for continuous monitoring by precision dairy monitoring technologies may be beneficial. The first objective of this research was to characterize behavior and production variables as cow gait changed to evaluate potential …


Survey Of Dairy Management Practices On One Hundred Thirteen North Central And Northeastern United States Dairies, W. K. Fulwider, T. Grandin, B. E. Rollin, T. E. Engle, N. L. Dalstead, W. D. Lamm Apr 2008

Survey Of Dairy Management Practices On One Hundred Thirteen North Central And Northeastern United States Dairies, W. K. Fulwider, T. Grandin, B. E. Rollin, T. E. Engle, N. L. Dalstead, W. D. Lamm

Farm Animal Welfare Collection

The objective was to conduct a broad survey of dairy management practices that have an effect on animal well-being. Dairies were visited during the fall and winter of 2005 and 2006 in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, Iowa, and New York. Data were collected on 113 dairies on colostrum feeding, dehorning, tail-docking, euthanasia methods, producer statements about welfare, use of specialized calf-raising farms (custom), level of satisfaction with calf-raising by producers, and cow behavior. Calves were raised by the owner on 50.4% of dairies; 30.1% were raised on custom farms during the milk-feeding period, 18.6% were custom raised after weaning, and 1% …


Influence Of Neck-Rail Placement On Free-Stall Preference, Use, And Cleanliness, Cassandra B. Tucker, Daniel M. Weary, David Fraser Aug 2005

Influence Of Neck-Rail Placement On Free-Stall Preference, Use, And Cleanliness, Cassandra B. Tucker, Daniel M. Weary, David Fraser

Housing and Confinement of Farm Animals Collection

Three experiments examined how the presence of a neck rail at different heights and locations influenced dairy cattle behavior and stall cleanliness. Experiment 1 compared 4 levels of neck-rail height (102, 114, and 127 cm and no neck rail; presented at 160 or 180 cm from the curb) in a preference test. Cows (n = 10) showed no consistent preference based on neck-rail height, regardless of the horizontal position of the neck rail. When cows were restricted to each treatment in turn, however, time spent standing fully (with all 4 hooves) in the stall was least in the stall with …


Free-Stall Dimensions: Effects On Preference And Stall Usage, Cassandra B. Tucker, Daniel M. Weary, David Fraser May 2004

Free-Stall Dimensions: Effects On Preference And Stall Usage, Cassandra B. Tucker, Daniel M. Weary, David Fraser

Housing and Confinement of Farm Animals Collection

In 2 experiments, free-stall dimensions were examined to determine how they affected stall preference, usage, cleanliness, and milk production in Holstein dairy cattle. In experiment 1, stall width (112 or 132 cm) and stall length (229 and 274 cm from curb to wall) were compared in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of stall treatments using 15 individually housed, non-lactating animals. Cows showed no clear preference for stall size as measured by lying time. When animals had no choice between stalls, average lying time was higher in the wide stalls than in the narrow stalls (10.8 vs. 9.6 ± 0.3 …


Effects Of Three Types Of Free-Stall Surfaces On Preferences And Stall Usage By Dairy Cows, Cassandra B. Tucker, Daniel M. Weary, David Fraser Feb 2003

Effects Of Three Types Of Free-Stall Surfaces On Preferences And Stall Usage By Dairy Cows, Cassandra B. Tucker, Daniel M. Weary, David Fraser

Housing and Confinement of Farm Animals Collection

One important criterion in choosing appropriate housing systems for dairy cattle is that the freestall provides a comfortable surface for the cow. This paper describes two experiments testing the effects of commonly used lying surfaces on stall preference and stall usage by Holstein cows. In both experiments, 12 cows were housed individually in separate pens. Each pen contained three free stalls with a different surface: deep-bedded sawdust, deep-bedded sand, and a geotextile mattress covered with 2 to 3 cm of sawdust. The animals were restricted to each surface in turn, in a random order for either 2 (Experiment 1) or …