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The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of corn processing and protein level on the feeding, lying, and post milking standing (PMS) behavior in high producing cows. Eight Holstein cows were randomly assigned to diets containing either finely ground (FGC) or steam flaked (SFC) corn based on either low (LP) or high (HP) protein content. Cows receiving LP had lower milk yield than cows receiving HP with similar DMI. Moreover, FGC-fed cows had higher DMI than SFC-fed cows with similar milk yields. Eating and rumination time tended to be lower and chewing time was lower in HP-fed cows than LP-fed cows. Cows fed SFC tended to have higher laying rumination interval and lower lying rumination bouts than cows fed FGC. Total and average PMS were lower in cows fed HP than LP. Cows fed LP had higher chewing activity in the daytime than cows fed HP. Our results suggested that the protein level and corn processing affect the standing and lying behavior of high producing dairy cows, although, this effect is marginal. Results also indicated that probably any change in the diet that increases the rumination and eating times could also improve the PMSThe objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of corn processing and protein level on the feeding, lying, and post milking standing (PMS) behavior in high producing cows. Eight Holstein cows were randomly assigned to diets containing either finely ground (FGC) or steam flaked (SFC) corn based on either low (LP) or high (HP) protein content. Cows receiving LP had lower milk yield than cows receiving HP with similar DMI. Moreover, FGC-fed cows had higher DMI than SFC-fed cows with similar milk yields. Eating and rumination time tended to be lower and chewing time was lower in HP-fed cows than LP-fed cows. Cows fed SFC tended to have higher laying rumination interval and lower lying rumination bouts than cows fed FGC. Total and average PMS were lower in cows fed HP than LP. Cows fed LP had higher chewing activity in the daytime than cows fed HP. Our results suggested that the protein level and corn processing affect the standing and lying behavior of high producing dairy cows, although, this effect is marginal. Results also indicated that probably any change in the diet that increases the rumination and eating times could also improve the PMS

Time spent lying by lactating Holstein-Friesian cows of varying body condition scores (BCS) and milk yield was measured using an animal activity monitor. A 3-week average BCS was calculated for each cow; and in total, 84 cows were selected with 28 cows each among three BCS categories (Thin: BCS<2·75; Moderate: 2·75 >or= BCS<3·25; Heavy: BCS >or= 3·25) and two stage of lactation categories (<150 days in milk or >150 days in milk). Cows were kept in two management systems: parlour/freestall (n=60) or automated milking system/freestall (n=24). Behaviour was recorded for 5·3±0·1 d for each cow. Production levels were considered using a 28-d rolling average of daily milk production. Cows that exhibited clinical lameness before or during the observation period were excluded from analyses. For cows exhibiting oestrus, the day prior to, day of, and day following breeding were removed. The final analysis included 77 cows (408 d of observation). A mixed model was fitted to describe average daily hours spent lying. Results demonstrated that lying time increased as days in milk (DIM) increased (P=0·05). Variables that were tested but not significant (P>0·05) were BCS category, parity category (1 or >or= 2) and 28-d rolling average daily milk production. Although a numerical trend for increasing hours spent lying with increasing BCS was observed, after accounting for other factors in the mixed model, BCS did not significantly impact lying time. Continued investigation of these management factors that impact lying time and bouts, using new technologies, more cows, and more herds will help dairy owners better manage facilities and cow movements to optimize this essential behaviour.

Dairy cow welfare is an important consideration for optimal production in the dairy industry. Lameness affects the welfare of dairy herds by limiting productivity. Whilst the application of LS systems helps in identifying lame cows, the technique meets with certain constraints, ranging from the detection of mild gait changes to on-farm practical applications. Recent studies have shown that certain animal-based measures considered in welfare assessment, such as body condition, hock condition and leg hygiene, are associated with lameness in dairy cows. Furthermore, behavioural changes inherent in lame cows, especially the comfort in resting and lying down, have been shown to be vital indicators of cow welfare. Highlighting the relationship between lameness and these welfare indicators could assist in better understanding their role, either as risk factors or as consequences of lameness. Nevertheless, since the conditions predisposing a cow to lameness are multifaceted, it is vital to cite the factors that could influence the on-farm practical application of such welfare indicators in lameness studies. This review begins with the welfare consequences of lameness by comparing normal and abnormal gait as well as the use of LS system in detecting lame cows. Animal-based measures related to cow welfare and links with changes in locomotion as employed in lameness research are discussed. Finally, alterations in lying behaviour are also presented as indicators of lameness with the corresponding welfare implication in lame cows.

To obtain quantitative information that can be later used in animal welfare modelling, the relationship between the lying behaviour of growing-finishing pigs (initial body weight (BW) between 19 and 87 kg) and different factors related to the housing conditions, with a potential negative effect on their welfare, was studied by means of a meta-analytical approach. Data from 22 experiments reported in 21 scientific publications were collected. The space allowance, expressed on an allometric basis by means of a k-value (m2/BW0.667), the group size (n) and the floor characteristics (fully and partly slatted v. non-slatted floor), as well as their significant two-way interactions were used as fixed effects, and the experiment was used as a random factor to take into account the interexperiment effect. Further regression analyses were performed on the predicted values of observations in order to improve the adjustment of data. A significant quadratic relationship was established between space allowance (k-value, P < 0.05; squared k-value, P < 0.01) and the percentage of time spent lying. A significant interaction between the k-value and the floor type was also found (P < 0.05), showing that the relationship between space allowance and lying behaviour is affected by the presence or absence of slats. Threshold k-values were obtained using broken-line analyses, being about 0.039 for slatted floors and almost double for non-slatted floors. Compared to other studies, these values suggest that the ability to rest as space availability decreases may be compromised before a reduced performance becomes apparent. Group size did not show a significant effect. Additional information should be added to the model, as further data become available, to adjust the proposed parameters as well as to try to include the effect of other important aspects such as that of ambient temperature.

Housing conditions for horses impose various levels of confinement, which may compromise welfare. Lying behaviour and activity can be used as welfare indicators for domestic animals and rebound behaviour suggests a build-up of motivation resulting from deprivation. The objective of this study was to determine if activity and lying behaviour of horses are affected by housing conditions and to investigate the occurrence of rebound behaviour after release from confinement. Eight horses were subjected, in pairs, to each of four experimental treatments; paddock (P), fully stabled (FS), partly stabled (PS) and yard (Y). Each horse received 6 days acclimatisation prior to the 24 h recording period. Time spent in lying and activity were electronically recorded using a tilt switch and motion sensor connected to a data logger worn on the horse’s left foreleg. Time spent active during the first 5 min of release from stable to paddock in the PS treatment (days 1 and 5) and at the same time of day in the P treatment was used as a measure of rebound behaviour. Effect of housing conditions on total time spent active was highly significant (FS = 123 s, PS = 158 s, Y = 377 s, P = 779 s, P < 0.001). Housing conditions did not significantly affect total time spent lying (P = 0.646). Horses were significantly more active, compared with baseline paddock behaviour, on release from stabling on both days 1 (P = 0.006) and 5 (P = 0.025) of PS treatment. These results suggest that activity patterns of horses, but not lying behaviour, are affected by the housing conditions tested and that rebound activity occurs in horses after a period of confinement.

In intensive commercial pig production systems, the spatial distribution of elimination and lying behaviors plays a crucial role in pen hygiene, management efficiency, and animal welfare. Pen partition design and the provision of hiding facilities are key structural factors that may influence pigs’ spatial preferences; however, systematic evaluations of their combined effects remain limited. A total of 108 growing–finishing pigs were used in a 3 × 2 factorial design to assess the effects of different partition types and hiding facility configurations, as well as their interaction, on the spatial distribution of elimination and lying behaviors. Behavioral data were analyzed using non-parametric statistical methods. The results showed that partition type and hiding facilities significantly influenced the spatial patterns of elimination and lying behaviors (p < 0.05), whereas no significant effects were observed on total daily elimination duration, elimination frequency, or lying posture distribution (p > 0.05). Elimination behavior was predominantly concentrated in the slatted floor area. The combination of a front-closed partition with a hiding facility significantly increased the proportion of disturbed elimination events (16.2 ± 14.3%), which was higher than that observed in the open partition combined with a hiding facility (7.9 ± 7.6%, p < 0.05). In contrast, the rear-closed partition design was associated with atypical elimination occurring on the solid floor area. Overall, pigs showed a clear preference for lying on the solid floor. The front-closed partition combined with a hiding facility significantly reduced the proportion of lying on the solid floor (64.6 ± 8.5%), whereas the open partition combined with a hiding facility resulted in a higher-than-average proportion of solid-floor lying behavior (80.6 ± 8.9%). These findings indicate that an open partition design combined with a hiding facility is more effective in maintaining functional separation between elimination and resting areas while reducing disturbed elimination events. This study provides experimental evidence to support structural optimization of growing–finishing pig housing, contributing to improved pen hygiene and enhanced animal welfare.

Accelerometers (ACL) can identify behavioral and activity changes in calves. In the present study, we examined the association between bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and behavioral changes detected by an ear-tag based ACL system in weaned dairy calves. Accelerometer data were analyzed from 7 d before to 1 d after clinical diagnosis of BRD. All calves in the study (n = 508) were checked daily by an adapted University of Wisconsin Calf Scoring System. Calves with a score ≥ 4 and fever for at least two consecutive days were categorized as diseased (DIS). The day of clinical diagnosis of BRD was defined as d 0. The data analysis showed a significant difference in high active times between DIS and healthy control calves (CON), with CON showing more high active times on every day, except d −3. Diseased calves showed significantly more inactive times on d −4, −2, and 0, as well as longer lying times on d −5, −2, and +1. These results indicate the potential of the ACL to detect BRD prior to a clinical diagnosis in group-housed calves. Furthermore, in this study, we described the ‘normal’ behavior in 428 clinically healthy weaned dairy calves obtained by the ACL system.

The objectives of this study were to 1) evaluate the validity of automated monitoring systems as assessment method for the behavioral activity of dairy cows compared with video recording, and 2) determine the sampling intervals required to obtain reliable estimates of the daily behavior. To determine lying, standing, and walking, 12 cows were equipped with automatic recording devices (IceTag = 12 cows, HOBO Pendant G = 5 cows), and their behavior was simultaneously recorded using a video recording system. The correspondence between the IceTag, HOBO logger, and video recording data was analyzed using 2 × 2 contingency tables, and we determined the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value (positive and negative). Both types of loggers demonstrated high sensitivity (Sen ≥ 0.961) and specificity (Sp ≥ 0.951) for lying and standing behaviors with predictive values near 1.00. The HOBO logger can accurately describe the laterality of lying behavior, whereas the IceTag device inadequately recorded walking, with probability predictive values ≤ 0.303. Daily behaviors of the dairy cows were compared for 10 different sampling intervals (1 s, and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 30, and 60 min) collected by the IceTag, using linear regression. A strong relationship (R(2) ≥ 0.978) was found between the total lying times from data on a per-second basis and estimates obtained by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, and 15 min sampling intervals. The sampling intervals of 1 and 2 min were comparable for all aspects of lying behavior (R(2) ≥ 0.813; P > 0.05 for slope = 1, intercept = 0). Long sampling intervals (30 and 60 min) showed positive relationship for estimating time spent lying and standing (R(2) ≥ 0.774), but were inappropriate for predicting these behaviors, because they lacked accuracy and precision. Both the IceTag and HOBO logger accurately measured all aspects of lying and standing behavior. Reliable estimates of lying and standing time can be generated using relatively short interval lengths (e.g., 3, 4, 5, 10, or 15 min). Shorter sampling intervals (≤ 2 min) are required to accurately measure aspects of lying behavior such as number of lying bouts per day. The automated monitoring systems are time- and labor-saving tools that can be used by research or on farm to assess cow comfort related to lying behavior.

One of the most important design criteria for dairy cow housing is access to a comfortable lying area. Behaviors such as the time cows spend lying down and how often they lie down can be used to evaluate the quality of stalls; however, assessing lying behavior on farms can be challenging. Indices such as the cow comfort index (CCI) and stall use index (SUI) have been widely used in on-farm assessments. The aims were to establish reliable sampling and recording methods for measuring lying behavior, to evaluate the adequacy of the CCI and SUI as estimates of lying behavior, and to describe variation in the lying behaviors of free-stall-housed dairy cows. The time spent lying down and the number of lying bouts for 2,033 cows on 43 farms were recorded for 5 d using electronic data loggers sampling at 1-min intervals. The CCI and SUI were calculated based on a single observation taken 2h before the afternoon milking on each farm. Subsets of data were created, including 4, 3, 2, or 1 d per cow and 40, 30, 20, 10, 5, or 1 cow(s) per farm. The estimates derived from each sample size were compared with the overall means (based on 5 d and 44 cows per farm) for lying time and number of lying bouts, and the CCI and SUI were compared with the farm means of lying time, number of lying bouts, and bout duration using linear regression. Recording 30 or more cows for 3 d or more represented the overall means with high accuracy (R2>0.9), but using fewer cows or fewer days per cow resulted in poorer estimates of the farm mean. The CCI and SUI showed no association with the daily lying time (h/d; R2<0.01), and CCI was only weakly associated with the number of lying bouts per day (R2=0.16) and bout duration (min/bout; R2=0.09). Cows lay down 11.0±2.1h/d in 9±3 bouts/d, with a bout duration of 88±30min/bout. These values ranged from 9.5 to 12.9h/d, 7 to 10 bouts/d, and 65 to 112min/bout across farm means, and 4.2 to 19.5h/d, 1 to 28 bouts/d, and 22 to 342min/bout across individuals, showing that variation in lying behavior among individual cows within farm was greater than differences among farms.

Strategies to abate heat stress are seldom adopted for pre-weaned dairy calves and little is known about their effects on behavior and pain sensitivity of youngstock. Our objectives were to determine the effects of heat stress abatement on lying behavior and disbudding-related pain sensitivity, wound healing, and change in intake. Male Holstein calves (n = 60; 0 to 68 d of age) were assigned randomly at birth (d 0) to 1 of 3 treatments: hutch outdoors with 50% of its area covered with plywood (control = 20), hutch in a barn with no cooling (SH = 21), and hutch in a barn with ceiling fans (SHF = 19). Calves were fitted with lying-behavior loggers on the hind leg from d 1 to 68. On d 32 ± 8 (±SD), we disbudded calves using hot iron, 30 min after cornual nerves were blocked with lidocaine. Immediately before (0 h), and at 1, 2, and 3 h after disbudding, we evaluated calves for mechanical nociceptive threshold (MNT) and head (ear flick, head shake, head rubbing) and somatic (tail flicking, foot stamping, restlessness) behaviors. On d 1, 3, 7, and 14 after disbudding, we evaluated the MNT and, on d 7 and 14, we evaluated wound healing (1 = crust, 5 = exudate). We calculated the relative change in milk solids and starter intake from d 0 to 6 relative to disbudding compared with the average of the 72 h preceding the procedure. The lying time was 0.6 h/d greater for the SHF treatment compared with the SH treatment. The control treatment resulted in 3.2 and 4.1 more lying bouts per day than the SH and SHF treatments, respectively; consequently, the control treatment resulted in lying-bout duration 7.7 and 10.9 min/event shorter than the SH and SHF treatments, respectively. We did not detect an effect of treatment on the number of disbudding-related head and somatic behaviors and MNT. The odds of calves having abnormal wound was 3.5 and 3.2 times greater for the control treatment compared with the SH and SHF treatments, respectively. We did not detect an effect of treatment on the relative change in intake of milk solids and starter. Heat abatement improves the welfare of pre-weaned dairy calves and may hasten healing.