Changes in behavior and fecal cortisol metabolites when dairy cattle are regrouped in pairs versus individually after calving

Abstract

Regrouping occurs when dairy cows are moved between pens, and this can negatively affect cow behavior and production. Pen changes occur frequently around calving, a time when cows are vulnerable to health problems. Regrouping cows along with a familiar conspecific after calving may make social integration easier, but little work has tested this hypothesis. The objective of this study was to compare lying behavior, feeding behavior, social behavior, and fecal cortisol metabolite concentrations (a physiological indicator of stress) between cows regrouped individually and cows regrouped with a familiar partner after calving. Holstein (n = 8) and Jersey (n = 26) cows were monitored from approximately 2 wk before until 7 d after calving. Cows were held in 1 of 2 identical maternity pens until they calved. After calving, cows were held in a transition pen for 3 d before being regrouped into the main lactation pen (regrouping of interest). On d 3 postpartum, cows were assigned to a treatment, balancing for parity and breed: regrouped into the lactation pen alone (individual; n = 17) or with a familiar partner (paired; n = 17). A familiar partner was defined as a cow that spent 3 d in the transition pen with the focal cow. Using live observation, we quantified the time cows spent feeding, standing or lying in the lying stalls, grooming, and standing in different locations in the pen during the 1 h immediately after regrouping. The frequency of competitive interactions at the feed bunk was also measured during this observation period. Lying behavior was monitored from 2 d before until 5 d after regrouping using a data logger. Fecal samples were collected for 5 d beginning on the day of regrouping to assess fecal cortisol metabolite concentrations (11,17-dioxoandrostane, 11,17-DOA). We found no effects of regrouping treatment on behaviors observed during the 1-h period immediately following regrouping. Cows that were regrouped with a partner had more lying bouts than cows moved individually (9.2 ± 0.4 bouts/d vs. 7.5 ± 0.4 bouts/d) and shorter lying bout durations (66.6 ± 3.9 vs. 78.1 ± 3.5 min/d); however, we also observed these differences during the day before regrouping, suggesting that the differences in lying behavior could not be explained by the regrouping treatment alone. Individually regrouped primiparous cows had higher 11,17-DOA concentrations than individually regrouped multiparous cows but we found no differences in 11,17-DOA between parities when cows were moved with a familiar partner. In addition, 11,17-DOA was higher in primiparous cows moved alone compared with primiparous cows moved with a partner. More research is needed to understand the mechanisms by which social familiarity affects behavior and the physiological stress response following regrouping; this may provide new insight into how to better transition cows into new environments.

Keywords: behavior; cortisol; regrouping; transition cow.