The influence of changing conditions for keeping and cows’ milking on their behavior, productivity and condition

Abstract

The aim of this work was to study the behavior, productivity and conditions of second lactation Bos taurus during the period of adaptation to new keeping and milking conditions. Thirty-four cows of the local black-and-white breed of the second lactation (24–47 days after calving) were transferred from a brick barn for 100 heads with tie-stall keeping in a newly low cost housing facility for 400 heads with free-stall keeping. Milking equipment also changed: before the changing conditions of keeping, cows were milked in the milk duct at UDM-100, and after changing the conditions in the milking parlor at Carousel, 32 cows were milked at the same time. We divided the first 30 days in the new conditions of keeping and milking into VI periods. The duration of the main behavioral reactions: lying down, drinking, and eating food in the first days after changing the conditions of keeping and milking decreased significantly – by 181; 13 and 89 min, respectively. Behavioral responses at the end of the adaptation period (30 days) was lower than on the last day before changing housing and milking conditions. During the first 5 days after the change of housing and milking conditions, the average productivity of cows decreased by 1.39 kg (or 6.01%), content of milk fat, protein and lactose by 0.03; 0.02 and 0.04%, respectively compared to the last day before the transfer of animals. As for the fat content, the level of the indicator of the last day before the cows transfer was reached in the IV period; protein and lactose in the ІІІ period (11–15 days).