Pages: 14-20

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate resting and standing behavior and stall usage by cows for resting and standing and effect of environmental temperatures on these behaviors in free stall housing system. In a free stall commercial dairy farm in Golestan province, 60 lactating cows of two high producing or low producing groups were filmed for 20 continues 24 h periods in two different season (hot and cold). Data for standing in stalls, resting in stalls, standing in alleys, perching in stalls and resting in alleys were collected using 30 minutes’ interval scanning the video records. Data were analyzed in a 2×2 factorial experiment using general linier model. Counteraction effects of season×group on behavioral variables were not significant. Also, there were no differences between high producing and low producing cows in resting or standing behaviors. Season has a considerable effect on resting behavior and stall usage. Cows rest more and spend more time resting in stalls in colder season than in hot season, and they spend more time resting in alleys in hot season (p<0.05). Based on these results, it can be concluded that many of the standards used for construction of this free stall barn are probably inadequate for care of animals and needs total revision based on cow natural behaviors.