Sleep and lying behavior of milking Holstein cows at commercial tie-stall dairy farms.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to clarify cow's sleep behavior on farm and to examine the influence of some environment and management factors on cow's sleep. Total 85 behavior data (summer 41, autumn 44) were corrected from 12 commercial tie-stall dairy farm in northern Tohoku area. Daily duration, bout frequency, and averaged bout duration of sleep and lying were measured. Even though there was no significant difference in any lying measurements, daily duration, bout frequency, and averaged bout duration of sleep was significantly different among farms (p<0.01, p<0.01, and p<0.05, respectively). However, we could not find that any managements influence on sleep. There was significant seasonal difference in daily sleep duration (p<0.01) and sleep bout frequency (p<0.05). On the other hand, daily lying duration and averaged lying bout duration were significantly different between seasons (p<0.001 and p<0.05, respectively). Primiparous cows slept longer and more frequent than multiparous (both p<0.001). Milk solid-non-fat content was positively correlated with daily sleep duration (p<0.05) and bout frequency (p<0.01). These results might imply the productive importance of sleep related with anabolic hormones release.