Evaluation of eating and rumination behaviour in 300 cows of three different breeds using a noseband pressure sensor

• DOI: 10.1186/s12917-015-0549-8
• Publication Date: 2015-09-04T15:25:22Z
• Authors: Ueli Braun; Susanne Zürcher; Michael Hässig
• Keywords: 2. Zero hunger; Time Factors; 630 Agriculture; 3400 General Veterinary; 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences; veterinary(all); 10187 Department of Farm Animals; 0403 veterinary science; Eating; Rumination; Automated recording; Pressure; 570 Life sciences; biology; Animals; Mastication; Telemetry; Different breeds; Cattle; Female; Research Article

Eating and rumination variables were recorded in 300 healthy lactating dairy cows of 3 different breeds (100 Brown Swiss, 100 Holstein-Friesian, Swiss Fleckvieh cows). monitored during a 24-h period using an automated system that jaw movements via pressure sensor integrated into the noseband halter. Phases eating reliably identified recordings based on typical patterns seen previous studies. The analysed included duration rumination, number chewing cycles regurgitated cuds per cud. ate for average 265 ± 54 min chewed 17,077 3646 times day. was 441 71 min, there 578 94 day 55 10 There significant correlations (P < 0.01) between (r = 0.94), cud 0.56) 0.53). established present study reflect current conditions farming serve as reference intervals assessing sick cows.