Differences in time budget of primiparous and multiparous dairy cows due to different housing systems, using Nedap SmartTags, a pilot study

Abstract

As a part of the perennial “Sense of sensors in transition management” research, the aim of this study was to examine the difference between time budgets of mixed primiparous and multiparous lactating dairy cows housed on 17 commercial Dutch dairy farms. To determine the relationship between parity and eating time, lying time and number of steps during the first four weeks after calving, and introduction into an established herd, linear mixed models were used. Also, housing factors such as milking system and cubicle cover were looked into as possible influences on the three activities. Using ‘Nedap SmartTag neck’ and ‘Nedap SmartTag leg’ sensors, eating time, lying time and number of steps were registered real time on the farms between March 2014 and December 2016. Primiparous cows (n=540) took more time to eat in comparison with multiparous cows (n=1768). On farms using an automatic milking system the eating time of primiparous cows was reduced with 8 minutes per day and eating time of multiparous cows was increased with 24 minutes per day. Multiparous cows (n=1700) spent more time lying in the first ten days after calving than parity one cows. However, from day 19 to 28 primiparous cows (n=459) spent more time lying than multiparous cows. For both primiparous and multiparous cows the use of a conventional milking parlor reduced the lying time by 89 respectively 28 minutes per day in comparison with an automatic milking system. On the farms using matrasses as cubicle cover, lying time was reduced with 44 minutes per day for primiparous cows and with 16 minutes per day for multiparous cows, compared to farms using deep litter cubicles. Both conventional milking and the usage of matrasses also increase the number of steps of all the parities. Regardless of these influences primiparous cows took more steps (5121) in the first four weeks after calving than multiparous cows took (3830). These results show that the ‘Nedap SmartTag neck’ and ‘Nedap SmartTag leg’ sensors are useful to research the relationship between housing systems and eating time, lying time and number of steps, through the possibility of collecting large numbers of data over long periods of time. For cows, especially primiparous cows, a housing system using deep litter cubicles and automatic milking is the best way to diminish the negative effects of regrouping after calving.