Effects of stage of pregnancy and lactation on maintenance behaviour of dairy cows after housing change

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of time in days, pregnancy and lactation stage on behaviour of cows after change in type of housing. Forty eight hours long observation of 40 Holstein cows was done. The activities were registered at intervals of 10 minutes. The duration of total lying and ruminating increased (336.3 min. vs. 628.0 min., 318.0 min. vs. 325.4 min., P<0.001), the total time of standing decreased from the first day to the second day (1103.6 min. vs. 812.1 min., P<0.001). Number of periods of total lying, lying on the left and right side, and total ruminating also increased (P<0.001). The opposite course was recorded in the parameters of eating and total standing (P<0.001). No significant difference was noted in the stage of pregnancy factor, neither in duration of behaviour nor in number of periods. The longest total time of lying was observed in animals which were in lactation stage from 101st to 200th day (stage 2) (P<0.01). The longest times of eating and total standing were found in cows from the 1st to 100th day, and the shortest in cows classed in the stage 2. The highest number of periods of total lying (P<0.001), lying on the left and right sides were registered in cows which occurred in stage 2 (P<0.01).