Effects of cold temperature and winter conditions on some aspects of behaviour of feedlot cattle

Abstract

Behavioural responses were investigated in individually fed (maintenance to twice maintenance) feedlot steers housed inside (5 to 27°C) or outside (−40 to 19°C) from October to March (Experiment 1), and in steers exposed to temperatures of −20, 0 and 20°C in controlled temperature chambers in September and again in December (Experiment 2). Respiratory frequencies of the outside steers increased with increases in feeding level ( P<0.05) and temperature ( P<0.01). Steers in the outside lot increased the time spent ruminating as temperature decreased ( P<0.01). As the winter progressed the maximum temperature at which shivering was observed decreased from −9°C in November to −25°C in January, and shivering was not observed at −30°C in March. The outside feedlot steers increased the time spent lying down ( P<0.05) but decreased wet grooming (licking) behaviour ( P<0.05) as temperature decreased. Rumination activity by the steers in Experiment 2, while in temperature controlled chambers, was increased by exposure to −20°C ( P<0.01). The frequency of reticular contractions was greatest during periods of rumination ( P<0.01) and was inversely related to exposure temperature. The intensity of shivering was more severe in September than in December. Respiratory frequencies of steers in Experiment 2 increased with exposure temperature ( P<0.01). However, the increase with temperature was more pronounced in the December than in the September series of exposures ( P<0.05).