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. 2024 Mar 8;14(6):836.
doi: 10.3390/ani14060836.

The Relation between Milk Lactose Concentration and the Rumination, Feeding, and Locomotion Behavior of Early-Lactation Dairy Cows

Ramūnas Antanaitis  1 , Karina Džermeikaitė  1 , Justina Krištolaitytė  1 , Akvilė Girdauskaitė  1 , Samanta Arlauskaitė  1 , Kotryna Tolkačiovaitė  1 , Walter Baumgartner  2
Affiliations

The Relation between Milk Lactose Concentration and the Rumination, Feeding, and Locomotion Behavior of Early-Lactation Dairy Cows

Ramūnas Antanaitis et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

This study hypothesizes that higher in-line milk lactose concentrations are indicative of enhanced dairy cow behaviors-including increased rumination, feeding, and locomotion activities-reflecting superior overall health and well-being. It posits that fluctuations in milk lactose levels have a substantial impact on the physiological and behavioral responses of dairy cows, thereby affecting their milk yields and compositions. Each cow's milk lactose, fat, protein, and fat-to-protein ratio were continuously monitored using the BROLIS HerdLine in-line milk analyzer (Brolis Sensor Technology, Vilnius, Lithuania). The RumiWatch noseband sensor (RWS; ITIN + HOCH GmbH, Fütterungstechnik, Liestal, Switzerland) was employed to measure the biomarkers of the rumination, feeding, and locomotion behavior. The measurements were recorded over 5 days at the same time (during morning milking). A total of 502 cows were examined. During these 5 days, 2510 measurements were taken. Based on the lactose content in their milk, the cows were divided into two categories: the first group consisted of cows with milk lactose levels below 4.70%, while the second group included cows with milk lactose levels of 4.70% or higher. Our study showed that cows with higher milk lactose concentrations (≥4.70%) produced significantly more milk (16.14% increase) but had a lower milk protein concentration (5.05% decrease) compared to cows with lower lactose levels. These cows also exhibited changes in rumination and feeding behaviors, as recorded by the RWS: there was an increase in the mastication and rumination behaviors, evidenced by a 14.09% rise in other chews and a 13.84% increase in rumination chews, along with a 16.70% boost in bolus activity. However, there was a notable 16.18% reduction in their physical activity, as measured by the change in time spent walking.

Keywords: behavior; innovation; milk lactose; precision dairy farming.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Relationship between milk lactose concentrations and milk yields.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Relationship between milk lactose concentrations and milk proteins.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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