title: Short communication: Lameness impairs feeding behavior of dairy cows.
abstract: The automated, reliable, and early detection of lameness is an important aim for the future development of modern dairy operations. One promising indicator of lameness is a change in the feeding behavior of a cow. In this study, the associations between feeding behavior and lameness were evaluated. A herd of 50 cows was investigated during the winter season in a freestall barn. Feeding behavior, feed intake, milk yield, and body weight were monitored using electronic feeding troughs and an automated milking system. Gait scoring every second week was used as a measure of lameness. To analyze the effect of lameness on feeding behavior and milk yield, linear mixed models were used. Cows with more severe lameness spent less time feeding per day (104 ± 4, 101 ± 4, and 91 ± 4 min/d for lameness scores 2, 3, and 4, respectively). An interaction between parity and lameness score was detected, with severely lame primiparous cows spending the least time feeding. Severely lame cows fed faster; however, their body weights were lower than for less-lame cows. Increase in lactation stage was associated with longer daily feeding time, longer duration of feeding bouts, and lower feeding rate. Worsening of gait was associated with lower silage intake and less time spent feeding even before severe lameness was scored. The results indicate that lameness is associated with changes in feeding behavior and that such changes could be considered in the future development of remote monitoring systems. It should also be noted that impaired feeding behavior along with lameness can put the welfare of especially early lactating primiparous cows at risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Production Animal Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: marianna.norring@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Norring
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Häggman
authors.affiliation: Department of Production Animal Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Simojoki
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tamminen
authors.affiliation: Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Gregor Mendel-Strasse 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Winckler
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pastell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D007774:Lactation; D007794:Lameness, Animal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008892:Milk / Q000378:metabolism*; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: animal welfare; body weight; eating behavior; locomotion score