摘要
Lameness is problematic for herds with automated milking systems (AMS) due to negative effects on milking frequency and productivity. The objective of this study was to evaluate how management, barn design, and the prevalence of lameness relate to productivity and behavior at the herd level in AMS. Details about barn design, stocking density, and management were collected from 41 AMS farms in Canada (Ontario: n = 26; Alberta: n = 15). We collected milking data for all cows on each farm, plus lying behavior data for 30 cows/farm during a 6-d period. Farms averaged 105 ± 56 lactating cows and 2.2 ± 1.3 AMS units. Forty cows/farm were gait scored (or 30% of cows for herds with >130 cows) using a numerical rating system (NRS; 1 = sound to 5 = extremely lame). Cows were defined as clinically lame with NRS ≥3 (mean = 26.2 ± 13.0%/herd) and severely lame with NRS ≥4 (mean = 2.2 ± 3.1%/herd). The prevalence of both clinical and severe lameness were negatively associated with environmental temperature. Clinical lameness tended to be less prevalent with more frequent scraping of manure alleys. The prevalence of severe lameness was positively associated with stocking density and curb height of the lying stalls. Milking frequency/cow per day was negatively related to the ratio of cows to AMS units. Doubling the prevalence of severe lameness (i.e., from 2.5 to 5%) was associated with reductions in milk production of 0.7 kg/cow per day and 39 kg/AMS per day. Milk/AMS was positively associated with more cows/AMS (+32 kg/cow). Fewer cows were fetched to the AMS with more frequent alley scraping. Lying behavior was associated with the frequency of feed push-ups, stall base, and environmental temperature. These results highlight the need for AMS producers to identify and reduce clinical lameness because 26% of cows/herd were clinically lame. Further, the results indicate that more frequently scraped alleys and optimal stocking densities are associated with improved cow mobility, productivity, and voluntary milking behavior.
摘要译文
由于对挤奶频率和生产率的负面影响，跛行对具有自动挤奶系统（AMS）的群体有问题。本研究的目的是评估管理，谷仓设计以及跛足的普遍性与AMS中畜群水平的生产力和行为有关。有关谷仓设计，放养密度和管理的详细信息，从加拿大的41个AMS农场收集（安大略省：N = 26;艾伯塔：n = 15）。我们收集了每个农场上所有奶牛的挤奶数据，以及在6-D期间为30母牛/农场提供撒谎行为数据。农场平均105±56乳沟和2.2±1.3 AMS单位。使用数值评级系统（NRS;）四十奶牛/农场的步态被评分（或牛群的牛群的30％）; 1 =声音到5 =极其跛脚）。奶牛被定义为临床跛足，NRS≥3（平均值= 26.2±13.0％/群），并且具有NRS≥4的严重跛行（平均值= 2.2±3.1％/汞）。临床和严重跛行的患病率与环境温度负相关。临床跛足往往不太普遍，粪便小巷更频繁地缩短。严重跛足的患病率与躺椅的放血密度和躺椅高度正相关。每天挤奶频率/牛与奶牛与AMS单位的比例负相关。将严重跛足的患病率加倍（即2.5〜5％）与牛奶产量的减少0.7公斤/牛每天0.7公斤/牛，每天39kg / ams。牛奶/ ams与更多奶牛/ ams（+32公斤/牛）正相关。更少的奶牛被送到了更多频繁的巷子刮。撒谎行为与进料俯卧撑，摊位基底和环境温度的频率有关。这些结果强调了AMS生产者识别和减少临床跛足的需要，因为26％的奶牛/群是临床上的跛脚。此外，结果表明，更频繁地刮擦的小巷和最佳放养密度与改善的母牛流动，生产率和自愿挤奶行为有关。
M.T.M. King[*]; E.A. Pajor[†]; S.J. LeBlanc[‡]; T.J. DeVries[*]. Associations of herd-level housing, management, and lameness prevalence with productivity and cow behavior in herds with automated milking systems[J]. Journal of Dairy Science, 2016,99(11): 9069-9079