Abstract
The behavior of crossbreed cows, milked in the presence or absence of their calves, was analyzed. The trial was conducted on the Dairy Cattle Sector of UESB School of Animal Science in Itapetinga BA Brazil. Twenty crossbreed Holstein x Gir cows were distributed in a randomized block design with 10 replications for each treatment for the experimental period of 31 days, during lactation. Results were analyzed by nonparametric chi-square test at 5% significance, except the variables time at the milking sector and milk production which were evaluated by analysis of variance and F test at 5% probability. Although cows with the presence of calves during milking had higher reactivity, behavioral activities and more time in the milking sector, milk production was not affected.
Highlights
Studies on animal behavior have a very important role in animal production since, in the case of rationalizing breeding methods, several management, feed and housing techniques that interfere and depend on behavior are being developed (PARANHOS DA COSTA; BROOM, 2001)
Behavior is the manifestation of any effect that may be measured at certain instances, needing only an operational definition to characterize the measurement through observations
Research on breeding animals still focuses on the physiological area and only recently they have been directed towards ethology
Summary
Studies on animal behavior have a very important role in animal production since, in the case of rationalizing breeding methods, several management, feed and housing techniques that interfere and depend on behavior are being developed (PARANHOS DA COSTA; BROOM, 2001). Current assay evaluated the behavior of cross-breed dairy cows milked in the presence or absence of their calves. The behavior of cows in two milking management systems was compared, or rather, milking in the presence and in the absence of calves, with ten replications for each treatment, during lactation, for a 31-day experimental period.
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