Time Budgets of Lactating Dairy Cows

Who are the Big Players?

Abstract

The freestall barn has emerged as the dominant housing system in North America and, with it, dairy cows face new challenges, trying to adapt their behavior in response to the new environment and management practices. The freestall design has been shown to impact cow performance, and essential activities such as feeding or resting are dependent on it. Deep understanding of how dairy cows distribute their activities during the day can be translated in enhanced facility designs and improved management practices. This study aimed to examine the relationships between the cow's time budget components and the effect of lameness, housing conditions and demographic characteristics such as days-in-milk or lactation number.