Differences in standing behavior between Jersey and Holstein dairy cows during the periparturient period

Abstract

Jerseys are the second most popular breed in the US dairy industry, yet there are few studies that directly compare their behavior with Holsteins. The objective of this observational study was to describe differences in the standing behavior of healthy Jersey and Holstein dairy cows during the periparturient period. A total of 51 Jerseys (11 primiparous [PP] and 40 multiparous [MP]) and 36 Holsteins (8 PP, 28 MP) were used for this analysis. Data loggers that measured leg orientation were used to determine daily standing time (min/d), number of standing bouts (no./d), and standing bout duration for each cow from approximately 3 wk before until 4 wk after calving. Holstein and Jersey cows were commingled throughout the periparturient period and only healthy cows were included in the analysis. Overall, Jerseys had longer standing times and longer standing bout durations compared with Holsteins during the period before calving. On the day before calving, PP cows had longer standing times than MP cows, but there was no effect of breed on standing behavior during the calving period (d −1, 0, and +1 relative to calving). The number of standing bouts for all cows spiked on the day of calving, but this increase was greatest for the MP cows, regardless of breed. Primiparous cows had longer postpartum standing times compared with MP cows; however, PP Jerseys tended to have the longest daily standing times during the first 10 DIM. After calving, there were no breed differences in the number of standing bouts per day among MP cows; however, PP Jerseys had more standing bouts than PP Holsteins during this time. Understanding how Jersey and Holstein behaviors differ may offer insights into better management of Jerseys during the period around calving.