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Dairy Cow Adaptation to and Interaction with an Automatic Milking System

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Dairy Cow Adaptation to and Interaction with an Automatic Milking System DAIRY COW ADAPTATION TO AND INTERACTION WITH AN AUTOMATIC MILKING SYSTEM By Jacquelyn Ann Jacobs A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE ANIMAL SCIENCE 2011 ABSTRACT DAIRY COW ADAPTATION TO AND INTERACTION WITH AN AUTOMATIC MILKING SYSTEM By Jacquelyn Ann Jacobs Automatic Milking Systems (AMS) represent one of the most recent advancements in milking technology, and their effects on all aspects of the dairy industry need to be considered. Our first objective was to evaluate the adaptation rate of a herd of Holstein dairy cows to being milked by an AMS. Stress-related behaviors during the milking process were recorded for 77 cows as they transitioned from milking in a parlor system to an AMS. Instances of defecation, urination and vocalization in the AMS were greater on Day 0 (day of transition) compared to all other days (P < 0.05); milk yield increased after Day 0 (P < 0.001). Based on these findings, cows appeared to adapt to milking in the AMS within 24 hours. Our second objective was to determine if cow behavior and gate configuration around the AMS affected the availability of the milking system. Eighty-four cows were divided evenly into two groups (42/group) and observed in the AMS entrance and exit areas, as well as in the adjacent holding area. Cows exiting the AMS were more likely to hesitate when another cow was near the exit gate (P < 0.01) or in the general holding area (P < 0.01). The duration of hesitation for exiting cows increased linearly as the number of cows in the holding area increased (P < 0.01). The AMS time budgets may be dependent on differing social dynamics of a herd. The two experimental groups investigated had differing relationships for successful milking events, back-up events, and AMS empty events. Based on these results, it appears important to consider both cow behavior and gate and alley configuration when introducing a herd to an AMS, although the degree to which it affects individual cows may be variable according to the social structure of the herd in focus. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to my advisor, Dr. Janice Siegford, for her unwavering support and guidance throughout my graduate program. She has supplied me with active encouragement and advice when I‘ve needed it, while simultaneously allowing me to develop parts of my program independently. This combination of confidence and support has yielded an advisor/advisee relationship of which I am beyond grateful for its aid in both my professional and personal development. I would also like to give special thanks to my committee members, Dr. Dave Beede, Dr. Karen Plaut, and Dr. Mike Schutz. They have each contributed in different ways to my professional development, and I am extremely grateful to have had their valuable advice pertaining to my research and writing. Many thanks are extended to my lab colleagues for their support, advice and helpful hands throughout my graduate program. Special thanks to Courtney Daigle for her technical expertise, encouragement and willingness to lend a hand – particularly during my first experiment. In addition, I could not have completed the data collection for either experiment without the help of Krista Beeker, Jolene Talaski, Aislin Hardee, May Dik, and Kelly Jaynes. Many thanks are extended to them for either remaining awake all night collecting data, or sitting in front of a computer for countless hours watching video. I would also like to express my gratitude to my colleagues for enriching my experience at Michigan State University. I am very grateful for the amazing camaraderie and friendship I‘ve experienced from my fellow graduate students; they have provided me with constant motivation and perhaps more importantly - a stress outlet when I‘ve needed it. Additionally, many thanks are extended to the support staff in the Animal Science department; there were multiple iii questions that arose throughout my graduate program process, and they were always willing to provide support and advice when I‘ve needed it most. Furthermore, I would like to extend my gratitude to Rob Ashley and the rest of the KBS dairy farm crew for their willingness to support my research and their genuine interest in the project. I am very grateful to them for sending me information at times when I was unable to make the trip to KBS. Special thanks are extended to the multiple statisticians who assisted me in the planning and analysis of my two projects. I am forever grateful to Nora Bello, Wei Wang, and Katya Ananyeva for their statistical expertise and assistance. In particular, Katya Ananyeva was instrumental in the analysis portion of my second project, and I honestly believe that I could not have completed the complicated SAS code without her help. Far from least, I would like to thank my family for their unyielding support and love throughout the years. My parents are stellar examples of two people who have worked extremely hard for everything they have, and I could not be more grateful to them for instilling in me similar values. My parents, grandparents, and brother are amazingly supportive, and a constant reminder that family will always be present to provide unconditional love and encouragement. My fiancé, Sam, has been a source of daily motivation and I am forever grateful for his constant support. It has been a delight knowing everyday that I will come home to him, our fluffy dog Kuma, and our menagerie of animals that constantly keep me smiling. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................................... vii LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................... viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................................................... ix INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................1 CHAPTER 1 COMPREHENSIVE LITERATURE REVIEW INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................2 HERD MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................................4 Advantages of AMS Management .......................................................................................4 Disadvantages of AMS Management ..................................................................................6 Management Changes ..........................................................................................................8 Cow Traffic ..........................................................................................................................9 COW WELFARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE AMS ..............................................................13 HERD HEALTH .......................................................................................................................15 Body Condition Score ........................................................................................................15 Lameness............................................................................................................................15 Estrus and Estrous Detection .............................................................................................16 Udder Health and Hygiene .................................................................................................17 MILK QUALITY ......................................................................................................................20 Milk Leakage .....................................................................................................................22 AUTOMATIC MILKING AND GRAZING ............................................................................23 FUTURE RESEARCH..............................................................................................................26 CONCLUSION .........................................................................................................................29 CHAPTER 2 DO COWS ADAPT QUICKLY TO BEING MILKED BY AN AUTOMATIC MILKING SYSTEM? ABSTRACT ..............................................................................................................................30 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................31 MATERIALS AND METHODS ..............................................................................................34 Animals and Husbandry .....................................................................................................34 Experimental Procedure .....................................................................................................36 Statistical Analysis .............................................................................................................37 RESULTS ..................................................................................................................................40 Step-Kick Behavior before Teat Cup Attachment .............................................................40 Step-Kick Behavior after Teat Cup Attachment ................................................................41 Elimination and Vocalization Instances.............................................................................42
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