Impact of paper bedding on lying behaviour and welfare in lactating dairy cows
Date
2021-04-08
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Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
Lying is a highly motivated behaviour in dairy cows. The level of comfort provided by the lying surface not only
affects lying time, but can also affect several other aspects of welfare. We used a crossover design to compare
shredded paper and sawdust bedding in relation to lying behaviour, activity, lameness, integument damage,
cleanliness and productivity. Cubicles were bedded with a thin layer of bedding, which was replaced as necessary
to retain its hygienic state. Twenty-eight lactating Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were divided into two balanced
groups that experienced each bedding treatment for a 2 week period in opposing order. Paper bedding resulted in
significantly less time spent lying down (paper: 45 %, SD ± 6.7, sawdust: 48 %, SD ± 7.3, P < 0.01). Paper had a
more beneficial effect on lameness development than sawdust did (lameness decreased for eight cows and
increased for one cow whilst on paper, whereas it decreased for one cow and increased for ten cows whilst on
sawdust, P < 0.005). However, the magnitude of improvement in mobility score whilst on paper (0.5 points) was
small compared to the deterioration seen whilst on sawdust (1–2 points). Bedding adhesion tended to be slightly
increased during the paper bedding treatment (paper: 0.14 ± 0.16 SD, sawdust 0.03 ± 0.26 SD, P = 0.09). No
treatment effect was observed for lying frequency, the speed of transitions towards lying, pre-transition intention
movements, or the risk of collisions during the transition (P > 0.10). Furthermore, no significant effects on step
count, damage to the integument, cleanliness or milk yields were observed (P > 0.10). Slips were too rare overall
for analysis. These findings indicate that paper bedding and sawdust were mostly comparable in terms of impact
on behaviour, welfare and productivity when provided on a short-term basis. Future trials are recommended to
determine if treatment effects persist following prolonged exposure to paper bedding. Assessing the longitudinal
development of lameness and the long-term impact of reduced lying time will be essential.
Description
Publication history: Accepted - 1 April 2021; Published online - 8 April 2021.
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Keywords
Dairy cow, Welfare, Lying, Lameness, Bedding, Cubicles
Citation
Sobte, H. F. M. and Buijs, S. (2021) ‘Impact of paper bedding on lying behaviour and welfare in lactating dairy cows’, Applied Animal Behaviour Science. Elsevier BV, p. 105321. doi: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105321.