Pest flies on dairy farms affect behaviour and welfare of dairy cows during summer season

Vendula Renčínová,Vladimír Večerek,Iveta Bedáňová,Eva Voslářová

doi:10.2754/avb202190030255

Vendula Renčínová, Vladimír Večerek + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.2754/avb202190030255

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Abstract

Monitoring of changes in the behaviour of dairy cows related to the occurrence of insects in the stable and in the milking parlour was carried out on a selected dairy farm during the summer season. The effect of the number of insects on the occurrence of huddling of dairy cows in the stable was proved. Huddling occurred significantly (P = 0.003) more often when the number of insects captured by fly glue traps exceeded 500 individuals. The occurrence of pest flies affected also the behaviour of dairy cows during milking. With the increasing number of insects captured by glue traps in the milking parlour, the cows more frequently kicked off the milking units (r = 0.944, P < 0.001) and defecated (r = 0.940, P < 0.001) during milking. In addition, the increasing number of captured insects correlated with a significantly lower milk yield in cows (r = -0.709, P < 0.001). The number of insects in the stable also correlated with the incidence of mastitis in dairy cows on the monitored farm (r = 0.681, P < 0.001) during the summer season. The study shows that pest flies affect the behaviour of cows which is further reflected in their health, milk production and thus the overall farm performance.

Highlights

Monitoring of changes in the behaviour of dairy cows related to the occurrence of insects in the stable and in the milking parlour was carried out on a selected dairy farm during the summer season
Huddling occurred significantly (P = 0.003) more often when the number of insects captured by fly glue traps exceeded 500 individuals
With the increasing number of insects captured by glue traps in the milking parlour, the cows more frequently kicked off the milking units (r = 0.944, P < 0.001) and defecated (r = 0.940, P < 0.001) during milking

Summary

Introduction

Monitoring of changes in the behaviour of dairy cows related to the occurrence of insects in the stable and in the milking parlour was carried out on a selected dairy farm during the summer season. The occurrence of pest flies affected the behaviour of dairy cows during milking. The study shows that pest flies affect the behaviour of cows which is further reflected in their health, milk production and the overall farm performance. The most common nuisance insects in dairy stables are flies They annoy livestock and have an impact on their behaviour; they can transmit diseases and reduce production performance (Mullens et al 2006; Taylor et al 2012). The stable fly is one of the biting flies that feed on blood causing high stress and elevated cortisol levels in host animals, which can affect the health, performance, and welfare of cattle (Vitela-Mendoza et al 2016). Taylor et al (2012) found that high activity of adult stable flies causes lower feed intake, weight loss, increased stress and lower milk production. It is important to deal with heat stress caused by rising temperatures during the day and with the issue of insect pests whose activity typically increases with a higher ambient temperature (Taylor 1963)

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