Using Changes in Eating and Rumination Time to Indicate the Onset of Parturition or Changes in the Health Status of Dairy Cows

Abstract

Monitoring the time of rumination and eating of dairy cows, by new technologies, is increasingly used in commercial herds. Evaluation of parameters obtained from Vitalimeter 5P, was performed in 656 dairy cows Czech Fleckvieh and Holstein cattle, including their crossbreeds. The aim of the study was evaluation the relationship between the impending calving, the occurrence of the diseases with a change in rumination, and eating time. On the day of birth, the rumination time decreased by 122.9 min. and eating by 11.35 min. compared to the normal state before calving. The decrease in rumination and eating on the day of calving was significantly (P < 0.05) different depending on the lactation order. The decrease in rumination time and eating is also significant (P < 0.01) with the onset of the diseases. In metabolic disorders, the rumination time decreased on the day of detection by 128.95 min./day compared to the 3rd day before the problem was detected. Following this, the eating time decreased by 72.03 min./day. For postpartum diseases, the rumination time changed in day of detection by - 88.75 min./day and the eating time by - 68.67 min. against the normal set 3 days before the disease is detected. The lowest decreases in terms of rumination and eating occurred in the case of mastitis, when the eating time decreased by 36.28 min. and a rumination time by 43.01 min. This balanced decrease in both parameters did not manifest itself in other diseases. Our results show Vitalimetr 5P as a good tool for the detection onset of calving and diseases.