By Gustafson, G. M. and LundMagnussen, E., Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 1995
Description
The effect of daily exercise on tied dairy cows was studied in 65 first and second calvers of the Swedish Red and White dual-purpose breed in a 4 year experiment. Half the group walked outdoors for 2-3 km day(-1) from May to October and 400-800 m day(-1) from November to April. The rest of the cows were constantly tied. In the third and fourth years of the experiment and when the cows were in the tenth week of their third to fifth lactation, each cow was documented for movements of getting up and lying down during 24 h by an infra-red sensitive camera and a time-lapse video recorder. In the third year, 19 non-exercised (NE) cows and 18 exercised (E) cows were filmed, and in the fourth year ten ME cows and 13 E cows. When lying down, the time spent from the position when the cow started to move her head in a pendulum movement close to the ground until she had one knee on the floor was recorded (phase 1), and subsequently from this position until she was lying down (phase 2). During both years the NE cows had a significantly longer phase 1 than the E cows, which was associated with a significantly higher number of interrupted pendulum movements. In year 3, the median time for the total act of lying down was 70 s for NE cows and 36 s for E cows, in year 4 it was 46 s and 30 s, respectively. Median time for getting up was 8 s and 7 s for NE and E cows respectively, in both years. The number of getting-ups/lying-downs in 24 h did not differ significantly between the groups, nor did the time needed for getting up. On average, the cows of both groups had a side for lying which they significantly preferred. For the individual cow it could be either the left or the right side. We believe that the differences in time needed for the lying down movement and number of interrupted pendulum movements per lying down were largely due to differences in the condition of the limb joints, tendons and ligaments.
The effect of daily exercise on tied dairy cows was studied in 65 first and second calvers of the Swedish Red and White dual-purpose breed in a 4 year experiment. Half the group walked outdoors for 2-3 km day(-1) from May to October and 400-800 m day(-1) from November to April. The rest of the cows were constantly tied. In the third and fourth years of the experiment and when the cows were in the tenth week of their third to fifth lactation, each cow was documented for movements of getting up and lying down during 24 h by an infra-red sensitive camera and a time-lapse video recorder. In the third year, 19 non-exercised (NE) cows and 18 exercised (E) cows were filmed, and in the fourth year ten ME cows and 13 E cows. When lying down, the time spent from the position when the cow started to move her head in a pendulum movement close to the ground until she had one knee on the floor was recorded (phase 1), and subsequently from this position until she was lying down (phase 2). During both years the NE cows had a significantly longer phase 1 than the E cows, which was associated with a significantly higher number of interrupted pendulum movements. In year 3, the median time for the total act of lying down was 70 s for NE cows and 36 s for E cows, in year 4 it was 46 s and 30 s, respectively. Median time for getting up was 8 s and 7 s for NE and E cows respectively, in both years. The number of getting-ups/lying-downs in 24 h did not differ significantly between the groups, nor did the time needed for getting up. On average, the cows of both groups had a side for lying which they significantly preferred. For the individual cow it could be either the left or the right side. We believe that the differences in time needed for the lying down movement and number of interrupted pendulum movements per lying down were largely due to differences in the condition of the limb joints, tendons and ligaments.
We welcome and encourage discussion of our linked research papers. Registered users can post their comments here. New users' comments are moderated, so please allow a while for them to be published.