Volume: 1, 2022
1st International PhD Student’s Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT
Abstract number: AI003
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL1.AI003
Published online: 26 April 2022
ICDSUPL, 1, AI003 (2022)
Effects of lameness on noseband sensor registered feeding attributes
Ramūnas Antanaitis1, Vida Juozaitienė2, Gediminas Urbonavičius3, Dovile Malašauskienė1, Mindaugas Televičiu1, Mingaudas Urbutis 1*, Walter Baumgartner4
1 Large Animal Clinic, Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžės 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania
2 Department of Biology, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaičio 58, LT-44248 Kaunas, Lithuania
3 Department of Animal Breeding, Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžes 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania
4 University Clinic for Ruminants, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
* Corresponding author: mingaudas.urbutis@lsmuni.lt
Abstract
Our hypothesis was that lameness in fresh dairy cows (1-30 days in milk) will affect the feeding attributes monitored via noseband sensor. We also wanted to investigate it’s early diagnostic capabilities. A novel noseband monitoring system RumiWatch (Itin + Hoch GmbH, Liestal, Switzerland) was used, that records the attributes of rumination time (RT), drinking time (DT), eating time (ET), rumination chews (RC), eating chews (EC), chews per minute (CM), drinking gulps (DG), bolus count (B), and chews per bolus (CB). The halter was placed on the first day after calving and registered the data for 30 days. During this period the cows were closely monitored and special attention was given to clinical signs of lameness. The lameness was diagnosed by trained staff and scored on a 5-point scale basis. The clinical signs of lameness on average appeared around day 15 and such cows were assigned to the lame cow group. Out of the whole herd, 20 Lithuanian black and white breed cows were selected- 10 of these cows were assigned to the lame cow group (LG) and accordingly 10 cows – to the healthy group (HG). Our results indicate, that lame cows had a 2.19 times shorter RT than healthy cows (P<0,001) on the day of diagnosis. A peak in ET was registered 9 days before diagnosis and it was 2,72 times higher (P<0,001). Downward trend in RC was observed in LG from 7 days before diagnosis till diagnosis day. Lameness had a significant effect on feeding behavior and these changes can be registered before the onset of clinical signs of lameness.
How to cite
R. Antanaitis, V. Juozaitienė, G. Urbonavičius, D. Malašauskienė, M. Televičiu, M. Urbutis, W. Baumgartner, 2022. Effects of lameness on noseband sensor registered feeding attributes. In: 1st International PhD Student’s Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL1/AI003