Through four different experiments we investigated the effect of design of an electronic feeding ... more Through four different experiments we investigated the effect of design of an electronic feeding station (EFS) and management factors on the behaviour of ewes. Eighty-nine percent of the ewes had completed their first visit to the EFS within the first six hours, but a major proportion of all rewarded visits were interrupted by displacements. The entrance-exit gate eliminated displacements, but also discouraged some ewes from entering the EFS. Neither reduced access to roughage nor enclosing the ewes around the feeding station increased the proportion of ewes visiting the EFS. Of the different training methods investigated the method of gently pushing the animals into the EFS was successful for older ewes. For young ewes, spreading small amounts of concentrates inside the EFS worked better. In conclusion, sheep can learn to use an EFS for obtaining concentrates, but an entrance – exit gate is essential to protect the feeding ewe.
The objective was to investigate the effect of stall partition design on total lying time, lying ... more The objective was to investigate the effect of stall partition design on total lying time, lying position, and stall cleanliness, and to evaluate the preferences of cows regarding stalls with traditional fixed stall dividers or flexible stall dividers. Using a crossover design, 16 nonlactating dairy cows were housed singly for 9 d in pens with 2 freestalls, 1 with fixed cantilever dividers and 1 with flexible dividers. The cows were first given access to one stall type, and then to the other type of stall, and finally to both in a preference test. Type of stall divider did not influence lying behavior (13.5h for fixed versus 14.0 h for flexible, ± 0.4h), lying positions, or stall cleanliness; however, the cows showed a preference for lying in the flexible stalls (65.2 for flexible vs. 34.8 for fixed ± 8.2%). This indicated that cows are able to distinguish between type of stall divider and that it is important to them; however, it is not clear if the reason for this is the shape or ...
Freestall housing for dairy cows has many different layouts and the space allocated for cows diff... more Freestall housing for dairy cows has many different layouts and the space allocated for cows differs considerably. The objective of the present study was to investigate possible associations between barn layout and milk yield for different parities in small dairy freestall barns. Layouts of 204 Norwegian freestall barns constructed during the period from 1995 to 2005, and with a mean herd size of 42.7±15.5 cows, were obtained and merged with milk yield data and calving interval, for each parity, from the Norwegian Milk Recording System (NDHRS). The milk yield data set contained 20,221 different lactations from these 204 herds. Both simple mixed models, including the different explanatory variables one by one together with parity, calving interval, and herd as random effect, and a final mixed model, including all significant explanatory variables, were created. According to variables tested in this study, the final mixed model estimates show that only primiparous cows benefit signifi...
The objective of the present study was to investigate how group composition affects behavior and ... more The objective of the present study was to investigate how group composition affects behavior and weight gain of newly weaned dairy calves and how age within heterogeneous groups affects behavior and competition. Seventy-two calves were introduced into 6 groups of 12 calves, of which 3 groups were homogeneous and 3 groups were heterogeneous (including 6 young and 6 old calves). The 9.8 mx9.5 m large experimental pen had 4 separate lying areas as well as a feeding area. Behavior and subgrouping were recorded on d 1, 7, and 14 after grouping, and calves were weighed before and after the experimental period of 14 d. Analysis of the effect of group composition on behavior and weight gain included young calves in heterogeneous groups and calves in homogeneous groups within the same age range at grouping (30 to 42 d). Irrespective of group composition, time spent feeding and lying increased, whereas time spent active decreased from d 1 to 7. In homogeneous groups, calves were more explorat...
Livestock Environment VIII, 31 August - 4 September 2008, Iguassu Falls, Brazil, 2008
ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to describe typical free stall design in Norway and to e... more ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to describe typical free stall design in Norway and to evaluate the effect of free stall design on free stall cleanliness. In 232 Norwegian free-stalled dairy herds, trained observers scored cleanliness for 15 random stalls in each herd. The cubicle floor was divided into 7 sectors and the cleanliness of each sector were scored using a five graded scale reflecting the contaminated area of each section (0:clean, 175%). Three types of contamination were registered; dirt fallen on stall base, dirt following feet into the stall, and dirt splashing onto the stall base. Mean stall base length was 239.5±23.9 cm when placed against wall or 222.7±12.4 cm in a double row. Mean height of the neck rail was 106.8±4.7 cm. Most contamination was observed in the 0.6 m section closest to the rear end of the stall. There was a significant correlation between cleanliness and free stall design where the position of the neck rail, width, the height of the stall base and design of the front were of major importance. A long horizontal distance from neck rail to the end against the alley, a low stall base, and a less open front construction, gave a more dirty cow and free stall. The lower head rail had no influence on stall cleanliness measured as dirt fallen directly into the stall.
The behavioural and physiological responses of pregnant sows to cold exposure in a kennel system ... more The behavioural and physiological responses of pregnant sows to cold exposure in a kennel system were investigated. Ten groups, each of six pregnant sows, were housed over winter in a non-insulated building containing kennels. Lying posture, social thermoregulation, time spent inside the kennels and general activity were recorded in three 48-h periods with different diurnal room temperatures: cold (−9 to −1 °C), medium (0 to +3 °C) and warm (+4 to +9 °C). Blood samples were collected from two of the groups, and the concentrations of glucose, free fatty acids, total thyroxine (TT4) and free thyroxine (FT4) in the plasma were determined.The air temperature difference in between the surrounding room and the kennels increased with decreasing room temperature with a maximum of 12 °C at a room temperature of −10 °C. Activity level did not differ significantly between temperature periods (30.6 ± 1.1%). At all temperature periods, the sows spent between 80 and 90% of their time inside the k...
The aim of this study was to investigate the responses to cold winter weather of Icelandic horses... more The aim of this study was to investigate the responses to cold winter weather of Icelandic horses kept permanently outdoors. The horses were kept in a 0.8-ha enclosure, with free access to grass silage and a shelter. Behaviours were recorded during 23 d using direct observation scan sampling at 20-min intervals between 1600 and 0000, embracing air temperatures down to -31°C. Body condition score, coat length and serum thyroid hormone (T4) level were recorded. Horses spent most of their time outdoors under all weather conditions, and the average incidence of being outdoors was 70%. The horses made more use of the shelter at low ambient temperatures (P < 0.01). There was also a strong tendency for increased use of the shelter in response to rain and wind (P < 0.07). Precipitation as snow had no effect. Shivering was observed once in a single horse, on a rainy day at +5°C. Average maximum neck coat length was 4.6 ± 0.9 cm. Body condition score remained within satisfactory limits ...
... 1. Introduction. Consumers of animal products increasingly demand that animals are reared, tr... more ... 1. Introduction. Consumers of animal products increasingly demand that animals are reared, transported and handled in a humane way. ... Preliminary studies indicated that wide-open eyes might be an emotional indicator in cows. ...
The aim of the present experiment was to investigate the effects of placing newborn piglets under... more The aim of the present experiment was to investigate the effects of placing newborn piglets under the heat lamp or both drying and placing them under the heat lamp on piglet mortality. Sixty-seven healthy (Landrace × Yorkshire) sows were divided equally into three different experimental groups: a control group where the farrowings occurred without supervision from the farmer (C;n= 23 litters), another group where the piglets were placed under the heat lamp in the creep area immediately after birth (HL;n= 22 litters) and a third group where the piglets were dried with straw and paper towels followed by placing them under the heat lamp in the creep area immediately after birth (DHL;n= 22 litters). The sows were individually loose-housed in farrowing pens during farrowing and lactation. The piglets were not closed inside the creep area, but were free to move around in the pen. The routines in the experimental groups required the stock person to attend the farrowings from the onset of b...
Through four different experiments we investigated the effect of design of an electronic feeding ... more Through four different experiments we investigated the effect of design of an electronic feeding station (EFS) and management factors on the behaviour of ewes. Eighty-nine percent of the ewes had completed their first visit to the EFS within the first six hours, but a major proportion of all rewarded visits were interrupted by displacements. The entrance-exit gate eliminated displacements, but also discouraged some ewes from entering the EFS. Neither reduced access to roughage nor enclosing the ewes around the feeding station increased the proportion of ewes visiting the EFS. Of the different training methods investigated the method of gently pushing the animals into the EFS was successful for older ewes. For young ewes, spreading small amounts of concentrates inside the EFS worked better. In conclusion, sheep can learn to use an EFS for obtaining concentrates, but an entrance – exit gate is essential to protect the feeding ewe.
The objective was to investigate the effect of stall partition design on total lying time, lying ... more The objective was to investigate the effect of stall partition design on total lying time, lying position, and stall cleanliness, and to evaluate the preferences of cows regarding stalls with traditional fixed stall dividers or flexible stall dividers. Using a crossover design, 16 nonlactating dairy cows were housed singly for 9 d in pens with 2 freestalls, 1 with fixed cantilever dividers and 1 with flexible dividers. The cows were first given access to one stall type, and then to the other type of stall, and finally to both in a preference test. Type of stall divider did not influence lying behavior (13.5h for fixed versus 14.0 h for flexible, ± 0.4h), lying positions, or stall cleanliness; however, the cows showed a preference for lying in the flexible stalls (65.2 for flexible vs. 34.8 for fixed ± 8.2%). This indicated that cows are able to distinguish between type of stall divider and that it is important to them; however, it is not clear if the reason for this is the shape or ...
Freestall housing for dairy cows has many different layouts and the space allocated for cows diff... more Freestall housing for dairy cows has many different layouts and the space allocated for cows differs considerably. The objective of the present study was to investigate possible associations between barn layout and milk yield for different parities in small dairy freestall barns. Layouts of 204 Norwegian freestall barns constructed during the period from 1995 to 2005, and with a mean herd size of 42.7±15.5 cows, were obtained and merged with milk yield data and calving interval, for each parity, from the Norwegian Milk Recording System (NDHRS). The milk yield data set contained 20,221 different lactations from these 204 herds. Both simple mixed models, including the different explanatory variables one by one together with parity, calving interval, and herd as random effect, and a final mixed model, including all significant explanatory variables, were created. According to variables tested in this study, the final mixed model estimates show that only primiparous cows benefit signifi...
The objective of the present study was to investigate how group composition affects behavior and ... more The objective of the present study was to investigate how group composition affects behavior and weight gain of newly weaned dairy calves and how age within heterogeneous groups affects behavior and competition. Seventy-two calves were introduced into 6 groups of 12 calves, of which 3 groups were homogeneous and 3 groups were heterogeneous (including 6 young and 6 old calves). The 9.8 mx9.5 m large experimental pen had 4 separate lying areas as well as a feeding area. Behavior and subgrouping were recorded on d 1, 7, and 14 after grouping, and calves were weighed before and after the experimental period of 14 d. Analysis of the effect of group composition on behavior and weight gain included young calves in heterogeneous groups and calves in homogeneous groups within the same age range at grouping (30 to 42 d). Irrespective of group composition, time spent feeding and lying increased, whereas time spent active decreased from d 1 to 7. In homogeneous groups, calves were more explorat...
Livestock Environment VIII, 31 August - 4 September 2008, Iguassu Falls, Brazil, 2008
ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to describe typical free stall design in Norway and to e... more ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to describe typical free stall design in Norway and to evaluate the effect of free stall design on free stall cleanliness. In 232 Norwegian free-stalled dairy herds, trained observers scored cleanliness for 15 random stalls in each herd. The cubicle floor was divided into 7 sectors and the cleanliness of each sector were scored using a five graded scale reflecting the contaminated area of each section (0:clean, 175%). Three types of contamination were registered; dirt fallen on stall base, dirt following feet into the stall, and dirt splashing onto the stall base. Mean stall base length was 239.5±23.9 cm when placed against wall or 222.7±12.4 cm in a double row. Mean height of the neck rail was 106.8±4.7 cm. Most contamination was observed in the 0.6 m section closest to the rear end of the stall. There was a significant correlation between cleanliness and free stall design where the position of the neck rail, width, the height of the stall base and design of the front were of major importance. A long horizontal distance from neck rail to the end against the alley, a low stall base, and a less open front construction, gave a more dirty cow and free stall. The lower head rail had no influence on stall cleanliness measured as dirt fallen directly into the stall.
The behavioural and physiological responses of pregnant sows to cold exposure in a kennel system ... more The behavioural and physiological responses of pregnant sows to cold exposure in a kennel system were investigated. Ten groups, each of six pregnant sows, were housed over winter in a non-insulated building containing kennels. Lying posture, social thermoregulation, time spent inside the kennels and general activity were recorded in three 48-h periods with different diurnal room temperatures: cold (−9 to −1 °C), medium (0 to +3 °C) and warm (+4 to +9 °C). Blood samples were collected from two of the groups, and the concentrations of glucose, free fatty acids, total thyroxine (TT4) and free thyroxine (FT4) in the plasma were determined.The air temperature difference in between the surrounding room and the kennels increased with decreasing room temperature with a maximum of 12 °C at a room temperature of −10 °C. Activity level did not differ significantly between temperature periods (30.6 ± 1.1%). At all temperature periods, the sows spent between 80 and 90% of their time inside the k...
The aim of this study was to investigate the responses to cold winter weather of Icelandic horses... more The aim of this study was to investigate the responses to cold winter weather of Icelandic horses kept permanently outdoors. The horses were kept in a 0.8-ha enclosure, with free access to grass silage and a shelter. Behaviours were recorded during 23 d using direct observation scan sampling at 20-min intervals between 1600 and 0000, embracing air temperatures down to -31°C. Body condition score, coat length and serum thyroid hormone (T4) level were recorded. Horses spent most of their time outdoors under all weather conditions, and the average incidence of being outdoors was 70%. The horses made more use of the shelter at low ambient temperatures (P < 0.01). There was also a strong tendency for increased use of the shelter in response to rain and wind (P < 0.07). Precipitation as snow had no effect. Shivering was observed once in a single horse, on a rainy day at +5°C. Average maximum neck coat length was 4.6 ± 0.9 cm. Body condition score remained within satisfactory limits ...
... 1. Introduction. Consumers of animal products increasingly demand that animals are reared, tr... more ... 1. Introduction. Consumers of animal products increasingly demand that animals are reared, transported and handled in a humane way. ... Preliminary studies indicated that wide-open eyes might be an emotional indicator in cows. ...
The aim of the present experiment was to investigate the effects of placing newborn piglets under... more The aim of the present experiment was to investigate the effects of placing newborn piglets under the heat lamp or both drying and placing them under the heat lamp on piglet mortality. Sixty-seven healthy (Landrace × Yorkshire) sows were divided equally into three different experimental groups: a control group where the farrowings occurred without supervision from the farmer (C;n= 23 litters), another group where the piglets were placed under the heat lamp in the creep area immediately after birth (HL;n= 22 litters) and a third group where the piglets were dried with straw and paper towels followed by placing them under the heat lamp in the creep area immediately after birth (DHL;n= 22 litters). The sows were individually loose-housed in farrowing pens during farrowing and lactation. The piglets were not closed inside the creep area, but were free to move around in the pen. The routines in the experimental groups required the stock person to attend the farrowings from the onset of b...
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