Individual differences in temperament of dairy goats and the inhibition of milk ejection

Abstract

Ways of describing individual differences in behavior of dairy goats were explored and differences in the inhibition of milk ejection were examined in relation to these behavioral measures. Factor analysis of observers' ratings provided a reliable method for characterizing individual differences in dairy goat behavior in free-running interactions with dairymen in a modern milking parlor. Results from this method compared favorably with direct recordings of discrete behavior measures monitored in controlled experimental conditions. Both observer rating ( r s = 0.75) and direct recording ( r s = 0.84) measures also correlated with previously reported differences in behavior observed 16–19 months earlier. Different early rearing experiences contributed to the development of stable, long-term differences in the behavioral expression of temperament. Behavioral differences were, in turn, associated with differences in the inhibition of milk ejection during routine milking procedures. Dam-reared goats consistently showed greater behavioral responsiveness in novel situations and exhibited higher levels of milk ejection impairment relative to human-reared goats.