Special Issue "Dairy Cow Behavior, Welfare, and Productivity"

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Welfare".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2022.

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Annabelle Beaver
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Animal Production, Welfare and Veterinary Sciences, Harper Adams University, Shropshire TF10 8NB, UK
Interests: dairy cattle natural behaviour; dairy cattle housing; precision technology; the human-animal relationship; dairy cow and calf contact systems

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The field of dairy cattle welfare science is burgeoning. According to Web of Science, the yearly number of peer-reviewed articles on this topic increased more than 15-fold between 1996 and 2019. The field has expanded not only in volume, but also in scope, with themes such as dairy cattle affective state, welfare assessment, human–animal relationships, and precision technology gaining momentum.

We are proposing a Special Issue on “Dairy Cow Behavior, Welfare, and Productivity” with the aim of gathering new science and perspectives on the interrelationships between these three themes. These topics are neither synonymous nor mutually exclusive, and we invite debates on productivity as it relates to dairy cattle welfare, and the importance of natural behavior.

Dairy cattle welfare improvements depend on the incorporation of the latest scientific evidence, but science alone is insufficient to sustain progress due to the influence of societal values. Therefore, while submissions from traditional veterinary and animal science perspectives are most welcome, we also encourage manuscripts from fields such as psychology, sociology, philosophy, and law. We call for original research papers arising from multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaborations, as well as those implementing quantitative, qualitative or mixed-methods approaches. Review papers (including narrative reviews, systematic reviews, scoping reviews, and metanalyses) will also be considered.

Dr. Annabelle Beaver
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Dairy cattle welfare
  • Dairy cattle behavior
  • Dairy cattle productivity
  • Affective state
  • Natural behavior
  • Policy
  • Stakeholder views
  • Precision technology
  • Welfare assessment
  • Animal welfare science

Published Papers (4 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

Communication
Understanding the Awareness, Knowledge, and Opinion of Dairy Cattle Welfare among Dairy Farmers in Keningau, Sabah
Animals 2021, 11(6), 1750; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061750 - 11 Jun 2021
Viewed by 1053
Abstract
This study aimed to assess the knowledge and opinions about DCW among dairy cattle farmers in Keningau, Sabah. A questionnaire was developed, validated, and administered by hand to 30 farmers. The data collected include farmers’ and farm demographics, and opinions regarding the criteria [...] Read more.
This study aimed to assess the knowledge and opinions about DCW among dairy cattle farmers in Keningau, Sabah. A questionnaire was developed, validated, and administered by hand to 30 farmers. The data collected include farmers’ and farm demographics, and opinions regarding the criteria and indicators of DCW. Only 17 respondents (57%) had heard of “dairy cattle welfare” before this study. Nine farmers (30.0%) had poor knowledge about DCW criteria, whereas 13 (43.7%) and 8 (26.7%) farmers had satisfactory and good knowledge, respectively. Farmers with higher education, larger herd size, high production level, and exotic cattle breeds showed a better understanding. Farmers understood most of the indicators; however, opinions regarding cattle behavior during milking, their physical appearance and their lying down behaviour need to be improved. Nevertheless, 28 respondents ranked their animals’ welfare as either good or satisfactory, which further reflects a poor implementation of DCW measures. The main factors suggested by farmers to influence DCW in their herds were facilities, worker issues, management practices, and animal well-being. In conclusion, guidance from veterinarians and animal welfare specialists may be needed to improve the farmers’ understanding and practices of DCW. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dairy Cow Behavior, Welfare, and Productivity)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Article
The Freestall Reimagined: Effects on Stall Hygiene and Space Usage in Dairy Cattle
Animals 2021, 11(6), 1711; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061711 - 08 Jun 2021
Viewed by 1550
Abstract
Modern freestall barns for dairy cattle have been constructed with considerations for dairy cow cleanliness; partitions and other stall features such as neck rails are designed to reduce manure contamination of bedding and decrease farm labor. However, cows prefer to lie in more [...] Read more.
Modern freestall barns for dairy cattle have been constructed with considerations for dairy cow cleanliness; partitions and other stall features such as neck rails are designed to reduce manure contamination of bedding and decrease farm labor. However, cows prefer to lie in more open spaces, including on bedded packs and pasture. We created an “alternative” housing area by modifying a traditional freestall pen and including flexible partitions to create larger lying areas. We assessed cattle lying behaviour, including lying postures, in this alternative pen (ALT) compared to an open pack (OP) and freestalls (FS) with different stocking densities. We also assessed levels of manure contamination across systems. Cleanliness was highest in FS, but ALT provided substantial improvement compared to OP. Cattle spent more time lying down in OP and ALT compared to FS. There were few differences in postures (such as lying with limbs outstretched) between OP and ALT, but cows in both of these systems more often lay in extended positions compared to when they were housed in FS. Housing in OP and ALT was associated with reduced perching for cows with high body weight; perching has been linked to an increased prevalence of both hoof lesions and lameness. Thus, alternative lying areas can offer a solution for producers seeking to provide cattle with the advantages of a more open lying area, while improving hygiene relative to an open pack. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dairy Cow Behavior, Welfare, and Productivity)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Article
Effects of Pre-Parturient Iodine Teat Dip Applications on Modulating Aversive Behaviors and Mastitis in Primiparous Cows
Animals 2021, 11(6), 1623; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061623 - 31 May 2021
Viewed by 1286
Abstract
Heifers and their human handlers are at risk for decreased welfare during the early lactation period. This experiment investigated pre-parturient teat dipping and parlor acclimation to reduce mastitis and aversive behaviors in early lactation heifers. Three weeks prior to calving, heifers were randomly [...] Read more.
Heifers and their human handlers are at risk for decreased welfare during the early lactation period. This experiment investigated pre-parturient teat dipping and parlor acclimation to reduce mastitis and aversive behaviors in early lactation heifers. Three weeks prior to calving, heifers were randomly assigned to receive either: (1) a weekly 1.0% iodine-based teat dip in the parlor (trained; n = 37) or (2) no treatment (control; n = 30). For the first 3 days of lactation, heifers were milked twice daily, and treatment-blinded handlers assessed behaviors and clinical mastitis. Aseptic quarter milk samples were collected within 36 h of calving and analyzed for pathogens. Control heifers had (OR ± SE) 2.2 ± 0.6 times greater (p < 0.01) odds of kicking during milking. Trained heifers had (OR ± SE) 1.7 ± 0.4 times greater (p = 0.02) odds of being very calm during milking, while control heifers had 2.2 ± 0.8 and 3.8 ± 2.1 times greater (p < 0.04) odds of being restless and very restless or hostile during milking, respectively. Quarters of control heifers had (OR ± SE) 5.4 ± 3.4 greater (p < 0.01) odds of intramammary Staphylococcus aureus infection, yet clinical mastitis was similar among treatments. The results indicate that teat dipping in the parlor weekly for 3 weeks before calving may alleviate some aversive milking behaviors and protect against early lactation S. aureus intramammary infections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dairy Cow Behavior, Welfare, and Productivity)

Review

Jump to: Research

Review
Understanding Behavioural Development of Calves in Natural Settings to Inform Calf Management
Animals 2021, 11(8), 2446; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11082446 - 20 Aug 2021
Viewed by 554
Abstract
One important type of animal welfare concern is “natural living” (i.e., that animals are able to express natural behaviours that are important to them, and to engage with aspects of the natural world that they find important). The aims of this narrative review [...] Read more.
One important type of animal welfare concern is “natural living” (i.e., that animals are able to express natural behaviours that are important to them, and to engage with aspects of the natural world that they find important). The aims of this narrative review were to describe the behavioural development of calves (Bos taurus) in natural settings and use this to identify characteristics of natural systems that may be important to consider relative to this natural living conception of animal welfare. At birth, calves are licked by their mothers and soon stand to suckle for colostrum, and during the milk-feeding period, calves spend much of their time lying down. In natural systems, calves perform a variety of social behaviours with herd-mates, and slowly transition from their mother’s milk to eating solid food, by gradually increasing time spent grazing and ruminating. In contrast, on most commercial dairy systems, dairy calves are removed from their mothers at birth, housed individually, fed restricted amounts of milk and weaned abruptly at a young age. The results of this review suggest that accommodating key natural behaviours, for example through the use of teat feeding of milk, social housing, and gradual weaning, can help address welfare concerns. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dairy Cow Behavior, Welfare, and Productivity)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop