| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
* Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, PO Box 1000, Agassiz, British Columbia, V0M 1A0, Canada
1 Corresponding author: nina{at}interchange.ubc.ca
Metritis is a disease of particular concern after calving because of its profound negative effects on the reproductive performance of dairy cows. Cows at risk for metritis have shorter feeding times in the days before calving but prepartum dry matter intake (DMI) and water intake may also be useful in identifying cows at risk for this disease. Feeding, drinking, and intake measures may also be affected by social interactions among group-housed cows. The objective of this study, therefore, was to measure intake, feeding, drinking, and social behavior to determine which measures could identify cows at risk for metritis after calving. Feeding and drinking behavior and intake measures were collected from 101 Holstein dairy cows from 2 wk before until 3 wk after calving using an electronic monitoring system. Social behavior at the feed bunk was assessed from video recordings. Metritis severity was diagnosed based on daily rectal body temperature as well as condition of vaginal discharge that was assessed every 3 d after calving until d +21. In this study, 12% of cows were classified as severely metritic and 27% as mildly metritic. Prepartum feeding time and DMI were best able to identify cows at risk for metritis. Cows that developed severe metritis spent less time feeding and consumed less feed compared with healthy cows beginning 2 wk before the observation of clinical signs of infection. For every 10-min decrease in average daily feeding time during the week before calving, the odds of severe metritis increased by 1.72, and for every 1-kg decrease in DMI during this period, cows were nearly 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with this disorder. During the week before calving, cows that were later diagnosed with severe metritis had lower DMI and feeding times during the hours following fresh feed delivery. During this period these cows also engaged in fewer aggressive interactions at the feed bins compared with cows that remained healthy. This research is the first to show that social behavior may play an important role in transition cow health. Research is now required to determine how management should be changed to reduce or prevent illness in transition dairy cows.
Key Words: transition cow • metritis • intake • behavior
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  J. M. Lukas, J. K. Reneau, R. Wallace, D. Hawkins, and C. Munoz-Zanzi A novel method of analyzing daily milk production and electrical conductivity to predict disease onset J Dairy Sci, December 1, 2009; 92(12): 5964 - 5976. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. L. Proudfoot, J. M. Huzzey, and M. A. G. von Keyserlingk The effect of dystocia on the dry matter intake and behavior of Holstein cows J Dairy Sci, October 1, 2009; 92(10): 4937 - 4944. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Goldhawk, N. Chapinal, D. M. Veira, D. M. Weary, and M. A. G. von Keyserlingk Prepartum feeding behavior is an early indicator of subclinical ketosis J Dairy Sci, October 1, 2009; 92(10): 4971 - 4977. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. J. DeVries, K. A. Beauchemin, F. Dohme, and K. S. Schwartzkopf-Genswein Repeated ruminal acidosis challenges in lactating dairy cows at high and low risk for developing acidosis: Feeding, ruminating, and lying behavior J Dairy Sci, October 1, 2009; 92(10): 5067 - 5078. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. A. G. von Keyserlingk, J. Rushen, A. M. de Passille, and D. M. Weary Invited review: The welfare of dairy cattle--Key concepts and the role of science J Dairy Sci, September 1, 2009; 92(9): 4101 - 4111. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. F. Borderas, J. Rushen, M. A. G. von Keyserlingk, and A. M. B. de Passille Automated measurement of changes in feeding behavior of milk-fed calves associated with illness J Dairy Sci, September 1, 2009; 92(9): 4549 - 4554. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. J. DeVries and M. A. G. von Keyserlingk Competition for feed affects the feeding behavior of growing dairy heifers J Dairy Sci, August 1, 2009; 92(8): 3922 - 3929. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. L. Proudfoot, D. M. Veira, D. M. Weary, and M. A. G. von Keyserlingk Competition at the feed bunk changes the feeding, standing, and social behavior of transition dairy cows J Dairy Sci, July 1, 2009; 92(7): 3116 - 3123. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. Trenel, M. B. Jensen, E. L. Decker, and F. Skjoth Technical note: Quantifying and characterizing behavior in dairy calves using the IceTag automatic recording device J Dairy Sci, July 1, 2009; 92(7): 3397 - 3401. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. G. Colazo, A. Hayirli, L. Doepel, and D. J. Ambrose Reproductive performance of dairy cows is influenced by prepartum feed restriction and dietary fatty acid source J Dairy Sci, June 1, 2009; 92(6): 2562 - 2571. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. F. Duffield, K. D. Lissemore, B. W. McBride, and K. E. Leslie Impact of hyperketonemia in early lactation dairy cows on health and production J Dairy Sci, February 1, 2009; 92(2): 571 - 580. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. M. Huzzey, T. F. Duffield, S. J. LeBlanc, D. M. Veira, D. M. Weary, and M. A. G. von Keyserlingk Short communication: Haptoglobin as an early indicator of metritis J Dairy Sci, February 1, 2009; 92(2): 621 - 625. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. M. Weary, J. M. Huzzey, and M. A. G. von Keyserlingk BOARD-INVITED REVIEW: Using behavior to predict and identify ill health in animals J Anim Sci, February 1, 2009; 87(2): 770 - 777. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. M. Lukas, J. K. Reneau, and J. G. Linn Water Intake and Dry Matter Intake Changes as a Feeding Management Tool and Indicator of Health and Estrus Status in Dairy Cows J Dairy Sci, September 1, 2008; 91(9): 3385 - 3394. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. A. Gonzalez, B. J. Tolkamp, M. P. Coffey, A. Ferret, and I. Kyriazakis Changes in Feeding Behavior as Possible Indicators for the Automatic Monitoring of Health Disorders in Dairy Cows J Dairy Sci, March 1, 2008; 91(3): 1017 - 1028. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. Chapinal, D. M. Veira, D. M. Weary, and M. A. G. von Keyserlingk Technical Note: Validation of a System for Monitoring Individual Feeding and Drinking Behavior and Intake in Group-Housed Cattle J Dairy Sci, December 1, 2007; 90(12): 5732 - 5736. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
