Abstract
Behavior is a key indicator of animal welfare and wellbeing. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of management system [confinement (C) or grazing (G)] on the behaviors of rumination time (RT) and lying/standing (L/S) in dairy goats. Forty Alpine goats (57.7±5.7 kg) in late lactation were randomly assigned to one of four groups. A replicated switchback design was used with Groups A and C the Confinement-Grazing-Confinement (CGC) sequence and Groups B and D the Grazing-Confinement-Grazing (GCG) sequence. Each group spent 1 wk in each management system. A 40% forage diet was offered free-choice in both systems, with some growing forage available for goats in G as well. Goats were fitted with two tri-axial accelerometers, one in an elastic, nose-band halter and the other attached to the hind leg. Data from tri-axial accelerometers were processed using SAS with prediction equations for RT and L/S. A mixed model analysis was conducted with RT or L/S as the dependent variable, and replicate (1, 2), sequence (CGC, GCG), management system (confinement, grazing), and interactions as independent variables, and animal as random. Rumination time and L/S were not affected (P > 0.10) by sequence or replicate. Goats in G had greater (P < 0.01) RT than those in C (12.7 vs 10.2 min/h; SEM=0.509). Regardless of management system, goats had lower RT in the second week than in the first or third week of the experiment (12.2, 10.2, and 11.9 min/h in wk 1, 2, and 3, respectively; SEM=0.574). Daily L/S behavior was not affected (P > 0.10) by management. Lying time was 726 min/d in C and 699 min/d in G (SEM=16.7). Standing time was 714 min/d in C and 741 min/d in G (SEM=16.7). These results indicate that management system affects rumination time but not lying/standing behavior in dairy goats.
PSX-34 Ruminating and lying behavior of dairy goats in confinement or grazing