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Use of a feeding and activity behaviour monitor in Jersey dairy cows during the transition period
Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2019.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2019
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| _version_ | 1867613799014465536 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Du Toit, Derek Auret |
| author2 | Raffrenato, Emiliano |
| author_browse | Du Toit, Derek Auret Raffrenato, Emiliano |
| author_facet | Raffrenato, Emiliano Du Toit, Derek Auret |
| author_sort | Du Toit, Derek Auret |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2019. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/106937 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:52.972Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| publishDateRange | 2019 |
| publishDateSort | 2019 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/106937 Use of a feeding and activity behaviour monitor in Jersey dairy cows during the transition period Du Toit, Derek Auret Raffrenato, Emiliano Van Zyl, Johan Hendrik Combrink Stellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Animal Science. monitor transition period Jersey Jerseys (Cattle breeds) Dairy cattle breeds -- South Africa Cattle -- Feed utilization efficiency Cattle -- Feeding and feeds Fiber in animal nutrition Dairy cattle -- Behavior Milk yield Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2019. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this thesis, a tri-axial accelerometer was used to measure feeding, rumination and active behaviour of Jersey dairy cows over the transition period, and the effects of differing wellness and production scores on behaviour, as well as different dietary treatments, was assessed. The first experiment (Chapter 3) was performed to investigate the relationship between daily accelerometer measured behaviours and individual cow health and production scores. Body weight, milk yield, milk electrical conductivity and ankle mounted pedometer readings for 153 transition phase Jersey cows were recorded daily in parlour. Wellness scores and health measurements included body condition score, β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) levels, uterus size and discharge, rear udder quarter temperatures, locomotion, faecal score and rumen fill. All data were summarized by parity (primiparous vs. multiparous) and day relative to calving (DIM), analysed for correlations, and regressed where appropriate. Parity was found to significantly affect behaviour measurements, with primiparous cows being more active, spending more time feeding and less time ruminating than multiparous cows over the transition period (DIM -14 to 30). Deviations in behaviour measurements were related to important differences in wellness scores, indicating occurrences of health events. Increased BHBA-levels tended to decrease feeding time (r = -0.13), and every point increase in BHBA-levels tended to decrease rumination time by 357.50±319.83 min/d. Uterine discharge was related to decreased feeding time (r = -0.15) and activity (r = -0.15). Milk electrical conductivity was weakly related to decreased feeding time (r = -0.03) and rumination time (r = -0.03), and increased activity (r = 0.03). Generally, a reduction in an individual cows’ feeding and rumination behaviour indicated undesirable wellness scores and production parameters. The objective of the second experiment (Chapter 4) was to establish if dietary changes would be reflected in changes in behaviour among early lactation Jersey cows. A total of 117 early lactation (DIM 0 to 30) Jersey cows were fitted with the accelerometer and fed two treatment diets containing varying particle size of ground maize (3mm or 6 mm screen sieve) as total mixed rations (TMR). All data were summarized by parity (primiparous vs. multiparous) and DIM. Daily feeding time, rumination time, physical activity and pedometer steps, as well as hourly feeding time and rumination time, were regressed on DIM, dietary treatment and parity, after adjusting for body weight. Feeding the coarsely ground maize diet significantly increased feeding time (559.25±4.23 vs. 541.45±3.94 min/d) and rumination time (321.83±3.13 vs. 308.94±2.92 min/d) of multiparous cows compared to the finer milled maize diet. These changes in behaviours caused by the coarse maize are related to improved health and production performance, as reported in Chapter 3. Furthermore, diet was found to interact with time of day (hour), allowing for the possibility of real time comparison of dietary treatments and quick decision making in terms of feeding strategy adjustments. Continuous, automatic monitoring of Jersey cow behaviour can supply valuable information on cow wellbeing. The differing and sometimes antagonistic effects different wellness scores and events had on behaviour measurements suggest the creation of an algorithm that can be corrected for individual cow and environmental parameters to ultimately improve detection and automatic classification of economically important occurrences in individual animals. Further research is required to clearly define normal behaviour and establish the effects of environmental factors and specific traits, especially the effects of different parities and breeds on behaviour. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: ‘n Tri-aksiale versnellingsmeter was in hierdie tesis gebruik om vreet-, herkou- en aktiewe gedrag van Jersey melkkoeie gedurende die oorgangsfase te meet. Die effekte van verskillende welstand- en produksie metings, asook verskillende dieetbehandelings, is ook ondersoek. Die eerste eksperiment (Hoofstuk 3) was uitgevoer om die verband tussen daaglikse versnellingsmeter-gemete gedrag en individuele koei gesondheid en produksie metings te ondersoek. Liggaamsmassa, melkproduksie, melk elektriese geleidingsvermoë en pedometer lesings van 153 oorgangsfase Jersey koeie was daagliks outomaties in die melkstal aangeteken. Welstand en gesondheidsmetings wat geneem was sluit in liggaamskondisie (BCS), β- hidroksibutiraat (BHBA) vlak, uterus grootte en afskeiding, agter uier temperatuur, mankheid, misevaluasie en rumenvul. Alle data is volgens laktasie (eerste vs. tweede en meer) en dag relatief tot kalwing (DIM) opgesom, geanaliseer vir korrelasies en regressie op gepas. Laktasie het ‘n betekenisvolle invloed op gedragsmetings gehad, met eerstelaktasiekoeie wat meer aktief was, meer tyd bestee het aan vreet en minder tyd aan herkou as tweede en meer laktasie koeie gedurende die oorgangsperiode (DIM -14 tot 30). Afwykings in gedragsmetings was veroorsaak deur spesifieke verskille in welstand metings wat aanduiding kan gee tot belangrike gesondheids gebeurtenisse. Verhoogde BHBA-vlakke het geneig om vreettyd te verminder (r = -0.13), terwyl ‘n elke punt styging in BHBA-vlakke geneig het om herkoutyd met 357.50±319.83 min/d te verminder. Die teenwoordigheid van uterus afskeiding het met verminderde vreettyd (r = -0.15) en aktiwiteit (r = -0.15) verband gehou. Elektriese geleidingsvermoë van melk het ‘n swak verwantskap aan verminderde vreettyd (r = -0.03) en herkoutyd (r = -0.03), en verhoogde aktiwiteit (r = 0.03) getoon. ‘n Verlaging in vreet- en herkoutyd van individuale koeie het oor die algemeen op ongewenste welstand en produksie tellings gedui. Die doel van die tweede eksperiment (Hoofstuk 4) was om vas te stel of verskille in dieetbehandelings in gedrags veranderinge van Jersey koeie in vroeë-laktasie (0 tot 30 DIM) sou weerspieël. Jerseykoeie (n = 117) was met ‘n versnellingsmeter toegerus. Twee behandelingsdiëte met verskillende fynheid gemaalde mielies (3 mm vs. 6 mm) was as ‘n totaal gemengde rantsoen (TGR) gevoer. Alle data was volgens laktasie (eerste vs. tweede en meer) en dag relatief tot kalwing opgesom. Regressie van daaglikse vreettyd, herkoutyd, fisiese aktiwiteit en pedometer lesings, sowel as uurlikse vreet- en herkoutyd, is op DIM, dieetbehandeling en laktasie na aanpassing vir liggaamsmassa gepas. Die grofgemaalde mielies dieet het ‘n betekenisvolle verhoging in vreettyd (559.25±4.23 vs. 541.45±3.94 min/d) en herkoutyd (321.83±3.13 vs. 308.94±2.92 min/d) in tweede of meer laktasie koeie veroorsaak teenoor ‘n dieet met fyngemaalde mielies. Die gedragsveranderinge wat voer van growwer mielies veroorsaak het, hou na alle waarskynlikheid verband met die verbeterde gesondheid en produksie. Dieet het ‘n betekenisvolle interaksie met tyd van dag (uurliks) getoon, wat die moontlikheid van regstreekse vergelyking van voereffek op kuddes skep, en uiteindelik vinniger en eenvoudiger toepassing van verbeterde voedingstrategieë toelaat. Aaneenlopende, outomaties gedragsmonitering van Jersey koeie kan waardevolle inligting verskaf oor welstand en produksie. Die verskillende en soms antagonistiese gevolge wat verskillende welstandstellings en gesondheids gebeurtenisse op gedragsmetings gehad het, dui daarop dat 'n algoritme geskep kan word wat vir individuele koei en omgewingseffek gekorrigeer kan word om uiteindelik die opsporing en outomatiese klassifikasie van ekonomies belangrike gebeurtenisse by individuele diere te verbeter. Verdere navorsing is nodig om normale gedrag duidelik te omskryf en die gevolge van omgewingsfaktore en spesifieke eienskappe, veral die effekte van verskillende laktasies en rasse op gedrag, vas te stel. Masters 2019-11-21T13:47:16Z 2019-12-11T06:39:39Z 2023-01-04T03:00:09Z 2019-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/106937 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xv, 72 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | monitor transition period Jersey Jerseys (Cattle breeds) Dairy cattle breeds -- South Africa Cattle -- Feed utilization efficiency Cattle -- Feeding and feeds Fiber in animal nutrition Dairy cattle -- Behavior Milk yield Du Toit, Derek Auret Use of a feeding and activity behaviour monitor in Jersey dairy cows during the transition period |
| title | Use of a feeding and activity behaviour monitor in Jersey dairy cows during the transition period |
| title_full | Use of a feeding and activity behaviour monitor in Jersey dairy cows during the transition period |
| title_fullStr | Use of a feeding and activity behaviour monitor in Jersey dairy cows during the transition period |
| title_full_unstemmed | Use of a feeding and activity behaviour monitor in Jersey dairy cows during the transition period |
| title_short | Use of a feeding and activity behaviour monitor in Jersey dairy cows during the transition period |
| title_sort | use of a feeding and activity behaviour monitor in jersey dairy cows during the transition period |
| topic | monitor transition period Jersey Jerseys (Cattle breeds) Dairy cattle breeds -- South Africa Cattle -- Feed utilization efficiency Cattle -- Feeding and feeds Fiber in animal nutrition Dairy cattle -- Behavior Milk yield |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/106937 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dutoitderekauret useofafeedingandactivitybehaviourmonitorinjerseydairycowsduringthetransitionperiod |