Stereotypical behaviour at high yielding dairy cows farms - "tongue rolling"

Abstract

The objective of this work was to determine if there was a connection between stereotypical behaviour of high yielding dairy cows breeds and values of biochemical blood parameters. The investigation was carried out in august at loose-housing type of farms, in 30 heads of cattle from four groups: drying (15 to 7 days before calving), puerperium (up to 40 days after calving, early lactation (up to 120 days after calving) and late lactation (200 to 300 days after calving). Assessment of stereotypical behaviour (tongue rolling) was carried out by the method of careful observation of all the tested animals 2 to 4 hours after morning feeding. Blood samples were taken by puncture of jugular vein from 8 cows out of each animal group. In these blood samples there was determined the concentration of glucose, beta hydroxy-butyric acid (BHBA), total protein (TP), albumin, urea, total bilirubin (TBI), Ca, P, and Mg as well as AST and ALT activities. During the period up to 40 days after calving (puerperium), behavioral disorder in the form of ?tongue rolling? was found out in 4 out of 30 observed animals (13.33%). Average concentrations of all the tested blood parameters during the drying period as well as in early and late lactation were within physiological values for cattle. During puerperium there were found significantly lower values of glycaemia, proteinemia, albuminemia, uremia and magnesiemia in regard to antepartal values (p<0.05), where the values of glycaemia and magnesiemia were below the physiological limit. A the same time, in this group of cows the values of TBI and AST activities were higher than physiological values. Frequent appearance of ?tongue rolling? phenomenon only among cows in the group with deviation of biochemical parameters values, points out to a possible connection between the stereotypical behaviour and biochemical composition of blood. It seems that hypomagnesiemia could be a significant etiopathogenetic factor causing the change in behaviour of cows in intensive livestock production.