The effects of a training program using a phantom to accustom heifers to the automatic milking system

A first time for everything: The influence of parity on the behavior of transition dairy cows

Over the last 20 years an increasing amount of research has described how dairy cow behavior changes during the few weeks before and after parturition, also known as the transition period. Dairy cows experience several challenges during this period, including pain associated with pregnancy and labor, social stressors associated with pen moves, changes in diet, and navigating new routines that include daily milking in a parlor or automatic milking system. For cows calving for the first time ("primiparous"), these experiences may be particularly challenging compared with those animals who have calved previously ("multiparous"). The objectives of this review are to (1) summarize the research to date on behavioral differences between primiparous and multiparous animals during the transition period, (2) describe the effect of management practices, such as regrouping and milking, on primiparous animals, and (3) suggest management recommendations and future directions for research focused on the behavior of primiparous cows.

Exploring the Evacuation of Dairy Cattle at Night in Collaboration with the Fire Brigade: How to Prepare Openings for Swift Rescue in Case of Barn Fire

Simple Summary

The evacuation of farm animals out of a barn is a rarely considered subject. Especially in case of fire, there is a need for functional emergency exits as well as concepts of rescue for swift evacuation, since both the harmful smoke and the danger of collapsing roofs call for urgency. Field reports of firefighters and affected farmers state that barn animals hesitate to leave their familiar surroundings and rather try to withdraw to their known housing, which they deem as safe. Thus, it is not sufficient to simply open the doors and gates hoping for self-rescue of the animals. As there is a lack of guidelines on the design of emergency exits, we conducted an evacuation exercise of year-round housed dairy cattle, in cooperation with the fire brigade by night, to inspect the animals’ behaviour. We found that preparing the exits according to the sensory perception of cattle, providing familiar surfaces and adequate lighting, and herding cattle correctly result in a speedy rescue, even if the animals were not habituated to leaving the barn before. We hope to set an example for farmers and fire brigades that are in need of instructions, and that more research considering this vital topic will follow.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the influencing factors of successfully rescuing year-round housed cattle in case of a barn fire. Empirical research indicates the reluctance of cattle to leave their familiar barn. Subsequent retreat back to the perceived safety inside, which stands in contrast to the unknown and thus adversary elements outside, for example, the fire brigade, is to be expected. We examined the evacuation of 69 dairy cattle, split into three groups, to an adjacent pasture by night and inspected the animals’ acceptance of two differently designed escape routes and the effect of preceding training. Along with the time needed for evacuating all animals, we measured faecal cortisol metabolites and daily milk yield to assess stress in the animals. Our preliminary assumption was that cattle trained for pasture would have a decisive advantage over untrained cattle. However, adapting the exits to the sensory physiology of the cattle resulted in an extensive impact on the animals’ readiness to leave the familiar housing, as the evacuation of the cattle non-habituated to the exit was comparatively quick and successful. We consider this study instructional for fire brigades and farmers, encouraging them to develop a customised concept for rescuing their cattle in case of an emergency.