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Behavioral Changes Around Calving and their Relationship to Transition Cow Health
Marina von Keyserlingk
Vita Plus Meeting
Green Bay, Wisconsin
To develop practical solutions to
improve the health, longevity,
productivity and welfare of dairy
cattle
December 2, 2009
Transition Cow Management
•
•
•
•
•
Dry off; change diet & regroup
Move to close up group; change diet
Calving
Separated from calf
Lactation starts - introduction to the
parlor for heifers
• Move to fresh group & change diet
• Move to high group & change diet
The Plan:
• The Problem/Challenges
• Recent findings
• Understanding behavioral changes during
transition (e.g. parturition, difficult calving?)
• How can we use changes in behavior to
identify sick cows (e.g. metritis, ketosis)?
• How can changes in management practices
help solve the problem?
What is the problem?
What is the problem?
• ~ many cows become ill
during the transition
period
• Results in:
– ⇓ milk production
– ⇓ reproductive
efficiency
– ⇓ longevity
– ⇑ involuntary culling
– Lost $$
Disease during the transition phase is a
serious welfare problem
From Gröhn et al., 2003
Solving the problem
Step 1
Despite advances in
nutrition, the incidence of
post calving disease remains
high
Understanding how behavior changes during the
transition period.
Can we identify cows at risk?
Can changes in management
help?
Feeding behavior
Drinking behavior
Time spent drinking increased 58% from
day 2 to day 9 after calving
Drinking time (min/d)
Feeding time (min/d)
Decreased ~ 25 min after calving
Day relative to calving
Day relative to calving
Huzzey et al. 2005; J. Dairy Sci. 88:2454-2461
Huzzey et al. 2005; J. Dairy Sci. 88:2454-2461
Standing time
Standing bouts
…but the number of standing bouts changed
dramatically on the days around calving
Standing Time (h/d)
Standing Bouts (no./d)
Remained constant over the transition period
Day relative to calving
Huzzey et al. 2005; J. Dairy Sci. 88:2454-2461
Day relative to calving
Huzzey et al. 2005; J. Dairy Sci. 88:2454-2461
Dystocia
Dystocia
DMI (kg/d)
Cows with difficult calvings eat less before parturition
than cows requiring no assistance
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Unassisted
Dystocia
-48
-24
24
48
Hourly period relative to calving
Proudfoot et al. 2009 J. Dairy Sci.
Dystocia
…and this decrease in DMI begins ~ 11 h before calving
Cows experiencing a difficult calving
are far more restless before calving…
Cumulative DMI (kg/hour)
12
Unassisted
10
Dystocia
*
8
6
4
2
0
-24 -23 -22 -21 -20 -19 -18 -17 -16 -15 -14 -13 -12 -11 -10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1
Hour before calving
Cumulative standing bouts (no/d)
Dystocia
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
Unassisted
Dystocia
10
0
-48
-24
24
Proudfoot et al. 2009. J. Dairy Sci.
Step 2
48
Hourly period relative to calving
Proudfoot et al., 2009. J. Dairy Sci.
Metritis:
Metritis:
Can we identify cows at risk for disease?
VD=0
VD=1
VD=2
VD=3
Clear or no
discharge
Bloody or
flecks of pus
less than 50%
pus
+ bad smell
w or w/o fever
more than
50% pus
+ bad smell
Healthy
Mild
Metritis
VD=4
Red/brown
watery VD,
rotting flesh
+ putrid smell
+ fever
Severe
Metritis
Identifying the cows at risk ‐ metritis
Feeding behavior before calving identifies cows at
risk for severe metritis
Feeding time (min/d)
Feeding time (min/d)
Identifying the cows at risk ‐ metritis
H e a lth y
H e a lth y
S e v e re M e tr itis
Day Relative to Calving
Day Relative to Calving
Adapted from Urton et al. 2005 J. Dairy Sci. 88:2843-2849
Adapted from Urton et al. 2005 J. Dairy Sci. 88:2843-2849
Identifying the cows at risk ‐ metritis
Assignment of cows to illness categories
• Healthy (n = 23)
• Mildly metritic (n = 27)
• Severely metritic (n = 12)
• No evidence of any other disease.
• Cows assigned to treatment and then behaviors looked
at retrospectively.
Identifying the cows at risk ‐ metritis
Identifying the cows at risk ‐ metritis
Sick cows show declines in the week before
calving
DMI (kg/d)
DMI (kg/d)
Healthy cattle show declines in DMI the day
before calving
He althy
H e althy
Clinical signs
of infection
M ild ly M e tritic
Day from Calving
Huzzey et al. 2007, J. Dairy Sci. 90: 3220-3233.
Day from Calving
Huzzey et al. 2007, J. Dairy Sci. 90: 3220-3233
Identifying the cows at risk ‐ metritis
Identifying the cows at risk ‐ metritis
H e althy
M ild ly M e tritic
S e ve re ly M e tritic
The odds of severe metritis increased by 2.87 for every
1 kg decrease in DMI during the close up period.
DMI (kg/d)
DMI (kg/d)
Very sick cows (after calving) showed the
greatest drops in DMI before calving
Clinical signs
of infection
Clinical signs
of infection
H e althy
M ild ly M e tritic
S e ve re ly M e tritic
Day from Calving
Day from Calving
Huzzey et al. 2007, J. Dairy Sci. 90: 3220-3233
Identifying the cows at risk ‐ metritis
Sick cows eat less during peak feeding times
Average DMI at each hour (kg)
Healthy
Mildly Metritic
Severely Metritic
Feed delivery
Feed delivery
Healthy cows spend time at the bunk eating but
also standing and not eating
y = 9.3792x + 56.387
R2 = 0.3643
Feeding time
(min/d)
Identifying the cows at risk ‐ metritis
Huzzey et al. 2007, J. Dairy Sci. 90: 3220-3233
Healthy Cows
Prepartum dry matter intake kg/d
Hour of day
Huzzey et al. 2007, J. Dairy Sci. 90: 3220-3233
Identifying the cows at risk ‐ metritis
Whereas sick cows spend most of their time at the
feed bunk eating
y = 1 3 .9 7 3 x - 8 .4 6 3 5
R 2 = 0 .6 4 0 1
Severely
Metritic Cows
Healthy cows tended to displace other cows more often
# Times a cow
displaced another
Identifying cows at risk
Feeding time (min/d)
Huzzey et al. 2007, J. Dairy Sci. 90: 3220-3233
20
15
10
5
0
Prepartum dry matter intake kg/d
Huzzey et al. 2007, J. Dairy Sci. 90: 3220-3233
Healthy
Mildly
Metritic
Severely
Metritic
Huzzey et al. 2007, J. Dairy Sci. 90: 3220-3233
Daily Milk Production
(kg)
Healthy cows produce more milk!
H e a lthy
M ildly M e tritic
S e ve re ly M e tritic
Milk Production (kg/d)
The consequences
The consequences
…..and continue to produce more!
He alth y
M ildly M etritic
S e ve re ly M e tritic
Weeks in Milk
Days in Milk
Huzzey et al. 2007, J. Dairy Sci. 90: 3220-3233
Identifying the cows at risk ‐ SCK
Identifying the cows at risk – claw horn lesions
Dry matter intake (kg/d)
Healthy cows eat more before calving than cows
diagnosed with sub clinical ketosis after calving
Healthy
Sub clinical ketosis
-2
-1
0
1
Week relative to calving
2
Goldhawk et al J. Dairy Sci. 92:4971-4977
Identifying the cows at risk – claw horn lesions
High incidence of
claw horn lesions
8 to 12 wk
Transition Period
2
3 4
High incidence of
claw horn lesions
8 to 12 wk
Transition Period
calving
-3 -2 -1 1
Identifying the cows at risk – claw horn lesions
5
6 7
8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Wk Relative to Calving
-3 -2 -1 1
2
3 4
5
6 7
8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Recorded individual feeding behavior
55 multiparous Holstein dairy cows
Recorded claw horn lesions
Identifying the cows at risk – claw horn lesions
Step 3
How best do we manage the transition cow?
Standing (min/d)
Cows with claw horn lesions (diagnosed 12-15 weeks
after calving) stand more before calving
-2
-1
0
1
2
Weeks before/after calving
Proudfoot et al. J. Dairy Sci. submitted
Overstocking
Overstocking
Lying in stall (h/d)
14
Increased
stocking
density =
shorter lying
times
Cows spend about half their time lying down - but this
time is synchronized
13
100
100.0%
12
Stocking level
150 % stocking
100 % stocking
150%
90.0%
100%
80.0%
11
70.0%
Outside the stall (h/d)
11
% Cows
lying 50
r r
co l i
60.0%
50.0%
10
40.0%
9
30.0%
8
20.0%
Time
23:20
22:30
21:40
20:50
20:00
19:10
18:20
17:30
16:40
15:50
15:00
14:10
13:20
12:30
11:40
10:50
09:10
10:00
08:20
07:30
06:40
12
Time (h)
24
Fregenosi et al., 2007 J. Dairy Sci. 90:3349-3354
Fregenosi et al., 2007 J. Dairy Sci. 90:3349-3354
Regrouping
05:50
0
05:00
0.0%
Number of stalls per group of 12 cows
04:10
0
12
03:20
11
02:30
10
01:40
9
00:50
8
00:00
10.0%
7
Regrouping
When regrouped, the social behavior in the group
changes
Cows also spend less time eating and lying down on
the day after regrouping and produce 4 kg (8.5 lbs)
less milk
30
Reactor
Actor
20
Events
10
0
-1
0
1
2
3
Day
von Keyserlingk et al. 2008. J. Dairy Sci. 91:1011-1016
von Keyserlingk et al. 2008. J. Dairy Sci. 91:1011-1016
Regrouping
Regrouping
Social Profiles
Social Profile
etc….
Daily entries into pen
Weekly entries into pen
Slide courtesy of Dr. Nigel Cook, U. Wisconsin-Madison
Slide courtesy of Dr. Nigel Cook, U. Wisconsin-Madison
Feed bunk management and design
Feeding behavior
Social behavior
Feed bunk management and design
Feed bunk management and design
Competition reduced with headlocks
Displacements/day
H e a d lo cks
displacements/cow/d
28
Po s t-R a il
When overstocked at the feeder, transition cows
increase aggressive behavior by 65%…
24
Not overstocked
20
16
Overstocked
12
8
4
0
Primiparous
Multiparous
% of recommended feed bunk space
Huzzey et al., 2006. J. Dairy Sci. 89:126-133
Proudfoot et al., J. Dairy Sci. 2009. 92:3116-3123.
Feed bunk management and design
…decrease their feed intake before calving…
Not overstocked
Overstocked
Take home messages
9 The transition period is a sensitive for dairy cows; many
become ill during this period
9 Changes in feeding behavior are associated with metritis,
subclinical ketosis and mastitis.
9 Changes in standing behavior during transition is associated
with hoof health later on in lactation
9 Management practices, such as overstocking and regrouping,
can alter the behavior of transition cows and increase risk of
disease
9 Solutions should be win-win (e.g. increased welfare and profit)
and practical.
9 Good science helps lead to change.
Proudfoot et al., J. Dairy Sci. 2009. 92:3116-3123.
Thanks!
Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada, Dairy Farmers of
Canada, Pfizer, Beef Cattle Development Council, BC Dairy Foundation, BC
Milk Producers, Alberta Milk, Westgen, and many others listed at
www.landfood.ubc.ca/animalwelfare/