By Miller, F. and Platz, S. and Unshelm, J., Berliner Und Munchener Tierarztliche Wochenschrift, 1999
Description
In this study of two common housing systems of dairy cattle, the tie-in system and the loose housing system, check lists were created to evaluate whether these husbandry systems fulfill the needs of the animals. Furthermore, a combination of questionnaires and interviews were employed to assess the qualification of dairy stockmen to handle the animals. These checklists should provide a useful tool for those persons involved in the examination of husbandry systems, both by providing a written record and by providing a clear outline of all the points that need to be covered during such an examination. The study, done in the way of an explorative analysis of data, included 22 farms (14 with tie-in systems and 8 with loose housing systems) and a total of 802 animals. With regard to the economic effects of poor management and housing conditions, several interesting and statistically noteworthy correlations emerged. Tie-in system: Positive correlations were found between severity of behavioural abnormalities (behav) and number of injuries due to husbandry system (injur); injur and number of inseminations per pregnancy (preg); injur and age of cow (age); preg and cell count of milk (cell), Negative correlations were found between cell and milk yield (milk) as well as between the qualification of stockmen (qual) and inappropriate technical design of the housing environment (tech). Loose housing system: Positive correlations existed between behav and injur, and between tech and injur. Negative correlations were found between milk and cell, qual and tech, and milk and age. The magnitudes of these correlations were quantified by means of linear regression analysis. Comparison of the two husbandry systems revealed that while the loose housing systems is associated with significantly more problems related to tech, it is associated with significantly fewer problems related to injur. It seems that in this housing system cows are better able to avoid injury since they are allowed to move freely. No significant differences in behav were found between the two husbandry systems. The present study shows the importance of proper technical design of housing environments, both in relation to animal welfare and to economic profitability.
In this study of two common housing systems of dairy cattle, the tie-in system and the loose housing system, check lists were created to evaluate whether these husbandry systems fulfill the needs of the animals. Furthermore, a combination of questionnaires and interviews were employed to assess the qualification of dairy stockmen to handle the animals. These checklists should provide a useful tool for those persons involved in the examination of husbandry systems, both by providing a written record and by providing a clear outline of all the points that need to be covered during such an examination. The study, done in the way of an explorative analysis of data, included 22 farms (14 with tie-in systems and 8 with loose housing systems) and a total of 802 animals. With regard to the economic effects of poor management and housing conditions, several interesting and statistically noteworthy correlations emerged. Tie-in system: Positive correlations were found between severity of behavioural abnormalities (behav) and number of injuries due to husbandry system (injur); injur and number of inseminations per pregnancy (preg); injur and age of cow (age); preg and cell count of milk (cell), Negative correlations were found between cell and milk yield (milk) as well as between the qualification of stockmen (qual) and inappropriate technical design of the housing environment (tech). Loose housing system: Positive correlations existed between behav and injur, and between tech and injur. Negative correlations were found between milk and cell, qual and tech, and milk and age. The magnitudes of these correlations were quantified by means of linear regression analysis. Comparison of the two husbandry systems revealed that while the loose housing systems is associated with significantly more problems related to tech, it is associated with significantly fewer problems related to injur. It seems that in this housing system cows are better able to avoid injury since they are allowed to move freely. No significant differences in behav were found between the two husbandry systems. The present study shows the importance of proper technical design of housing environments, both in relation to animal welfare and to economic profitability.
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