Behaviour of dairy cows housed on the place with geopathogene zone
1998
Broucek, J. | Uhrincat, M. | Hanus, A. | Sandor, A. (Ustav Technologie a Ekonomiky Chovu Zvierat, Nitra (Slovak Republic)) | Arave, C.W.
Twenty-eight Holstein cows matched by stage of lactation and current milk production were randomly assigned to four treatment groups (A, B, C and control group D) for twelve weeks. All groups were housed in an enclosed tie-stall barn. The first three groups (A, B, C) were exposed to the geopathogene zone, which was formed as a gradient of an electromagnetic field (disturbed homogeniety of field), and assessed on a six-point scale. The animals from the first to fourth groups were exposed to intensity levels of the fifth, fourth, second, first and zero grades, respectively. Three ethological observations were carried out in the 2nd, 6th and 10th weeks every 24 hours. In all 12 weeks the milk yield was higher in the third and fourth groups. In the second, sixth and tenth weeks there were performed 24 hour observations studying at 10 minute intervals the length of lying on left and right sides, standing, ruminating and eating. During the three observations, cows from group A spent longer lying on their left side. There were no significant differences in total time of rumination and standing. The number of left-lying periods was highest in group A during all observations and lowest in group C. The number of right lying periods was highest in groups C and D. The number of standing bouts was highest in group D during the first and third observations and in group C during the second observation. Significant differences were found (P less than 0.01) between the first and third observations (35.7 vs. 29.6 minutes). It was concluded that the geopathogene zone did not affect the behaviour of dairy cows kept in tie-stall housing
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