Temperament of New Zealand and North American Holstein cows maintained in two different feeding strategies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31285/AGRO.29.1467Keywords:
biotype, cattle, milk, personalityAbstract
Genetics is a factor that influences the dairy cows’ temperament. The objective of the present study was to compare the responses to different temperament tests of New Zealand (NZ) and North American (NA) Holstein cows maintained in two different feeding strategies. A total of 120 cows from the Experimental dairy farm of the National Agricultural and Livestock Research Institute (in Spanish, INIA, Uruguay) were grouped into two Holstein strains: NZ or NA, and two feeding strategies: Grass Maximum or Grass Fixed. Milking reactivity (MR), Flight speed and Distance (FD) were assessed in two periods (107.5 ± 30.3 and 173.8 ± 32.1 days in milk). The averages of these repetitions were used in general linear models with Holstein strains (NZ vs. NA), parity (primiparous vs. multiparous), feeding system (Grass Maximum vs. Grass Fixed), and all two-factor interactions as fixed effects. For MR, there was an interaction between strains and parity. The difference between NZ and NA was observed only for multiparous cows, with higher MR in NZ (2.93 ± 1.18) than in NA (2.00 ± 0.90) (P=0.0004). The NZ cows had longer FD (4.2 ± 1.3 m) than NA cows (3.7 ± 1.1 m) (P=0.03). Feeding system did not affect the cow’s reactivity. In conclusion, dairy Holstein cows’ genetic strain was a factor related to MR and FD tests. In the milking parlor, multiparous NZ cows were more reactive than NA, which did not happen for the primiparous ones. The NZ cows were more reactive to humans than NA in the paddock, exhibiting longer flight distances.
Downloads
References
Antanaitis R, Juozaitienė V, Jonike V, Čukauskas V, Urbšienė D, Urbšys A, Baumgartner W, Paulauskas A. Relationship between temperament and stage of lactation, productivity and milk composition of dairy cows. Animals (Basel). 2021;11(7):1840. Doi: 10.3390/ani11071840. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11071840
Battini M, Andreoli E, Barbieri S, Mattiello S. Long-term stability of avoidance distance tests for on-farm assessment of dairy cow relationship to humans in alpine traditional husbandry systems. Appl Anim Behav Sci. 2011;135:267-70. Doi: 10.1016/j.applanim.2011.10.013. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2011.10.013
Berry DP, Harris BL, Winkelman AM, Montgomerie W. Phenotypic associations between traits other than production and longevity in New Zealand dairy cattle. J Dairy Sci. 2005;88(8):2962-74. Doi: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(05)72976-3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(05)72976-3
Breuer K, Hemsworth PH, Barnett JL, Matthews LR, Coleman GJ. Behavioural response to humans and the productivity of commercial dairy cows. Appl Anim Behav Sci. 2000;66(4):273-88. Doi: 10.1016/s0168-1591(99)00097-0. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1591(99)00097-0
Cerqueira JOL, Araújo JPP, Blanco-Penedo I, Cantalapiedra J, Sørensen JT, Niza-Ribeiro JJR. Relationship between stepping and kicking behavior and milking management in dairy cattle herds. J Vet Behav. 2017;19:72-7. Doi: 10.1016/j.jveb.2017.02.002. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2017.02.002
Chan FY. Genome wide association studies for temperament in New Zealand dairy cattle [master’s thesis]. Palmerston North (NZ): Massey University; 2012. 93p.
Chen Q, Zhang F, Qu K, Hanif Q, Shen J, Jia P, Ning Q, Zhan J, Zhang J, Chen N, Chen H, Huang B, Lei C. Genome-wide association study identifies genomic loci associated with flight reaction in cattle. J Anim Breed Genet. 2020;137(5):477-85. Doi: 10.1111/jbg.12461. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jbg.12461
Crossley RE, Bokkers EAM, Browne N, Sugrue K, Kennedy E, de Boer IJM, Conneely M. Assessing dairy cow welfare during the grazing and housing periods on spring-calving, pasture-based dairy farms. J Anim Sci. 2021;99(5):skab093. Doi: 10.1093/jas/skab093. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skab093
Fordyce G, Goddard ME, Seifert GW. The measurement of temperament in cattle and the effect of experience and genotype. Proc Aust Soc Anim Prod. 1982;14:329-32.
Friedrich J, Brand B, Schwerin M. Genetics of cattle temperament and its impact on livestock production and breeding: a review. Arch Anim Breed. 2015;58:13-21. Doi: 10.5194/aab-58-13-2015. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/aab-58-13-2015
Gibbons JM, Lawrence AB, Haskell MJ. Consistency of flight speed and response to restraint in a crush in dairy cattle. Appl Anim Behav Sci. 2011;131:15-20. Doi: 10.1016/j.applanim.2011.01.009. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2011.01.009
Harris BL, Kolver ES. Review of Holsteinization on intensive pastoral dairy farming in New Zealand. J Dairy Sci. 2001;84 Suppl.:E56-E61. Doi: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(01)70197-X. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(01)70197-X
Haskell MJ, Simm G, Turner SP. Genetic selection for temperament traits in dairy and beef cattle. Front Genet. 2014;5:368. Doi: 10.3389/fgene.2014.00368. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2014.00368
Hedlund L, Løvlie H. Personality and production: nervous cows produce less milk. J Dairy Sci. 2015;98(9):5819-28. Doi: 10.3168/jds.2014-8667. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2014-8667
Hemsworth PH. Human-animal interactions in livestock production. Appl Anim Behav Sci. 2003;81:185-98. Doi: 10.1016/s0168-1591(02)00280-0. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1591(02)00280-0
INALE. Encuesta Lechera 2019: resultados preliminares [Internet]. Montevideo: INALE; 2019 [cited 2025 Feb 27]. Available from: https://www.inale.org/estadisticas/encuesta-lechera-2019-resultados-preliminares/
Jago J, Kerrisk K. Training methods for introducing cows to a pasture-based automatic milking system. Appl Anim Behav Sci. 2011;131:79-85. Doi: 10.1016/j.applanim.2011.02.002. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2011.02.002
Koolhaas JM, de Boer SF, Coppens CM, Buwalda B. Neuroendocrinology of coping styles: towards understanding the biology of individual variation. Front Neuroendocrinol. 2010;31(3):307-21. Doi: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2010.04.001. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yfrne.2010.04.001
Lawstuen DA, Hansen LB, Steuernagel GR, Johnson LP. Management traits scored linearly by dairy producers. J Dairy Sci. 1988;71:788-99. Doi: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(88)79619-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(88)79619-8
Marçal-Pedroza MG, Campos MM, Sacramento JP, Pereira LGR, Machado FS, Tomich TR, Paranhos da Costa MJR, Sant'Anna AC. Are dairy cows with a more reactive temperament less efficient in energetic metabolism and do they produce more enteric methane? Animal. 2021;15(6):100224. Doi: 10.1016/j.animal.2021.100224. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2021.100224
Marçal-Pedroza MG, Canozzi MEA, Campos MM, Sant'Anna AC. Effects of dairy cow temperament on milk yield: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Anim Sci. 2023;101:skad099. Doi: 10.1093/jas/skad099. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skad099
Mendoza A, Fernandez G, Fariña S, Capelesso A, Cajarville C, Ungerfeld R. Holstein genetic strains and feeding system affects feeding behaviour strategy of dairy cows during late lactation [Internet]. 2018 [cited 2025 Feb 27]. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333811810_Holstein_genetic_strains_and_feeding_system_affects_feeding_behaviour_strategy_of_dairy_cows_during_late_lactation.
Miglior F, Muir BL, Van Doormaal BJ. Selection indices in Holstein cattle of various countries. J Dairy Sci. 2005;88(3):1255-63. Doi: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(05)72792-2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(05)72792-2
Morales-Piñeyrúa JT, Damián JP, Banchero G, Blache D, Sant'Anna AC. Metabolic profile and productivity of dairy Holstein cows milked by a pasture-based automatic milking system during early lactation: effects of cow temperament and parity. Res Vet Sci. 2022;147:50-9. Doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2022.04.001. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2022.04.001
Morales-Piñeyrúa JT, Sant'Anna AC, Banchero G, Damián JP. Dairy cows' temperament and milking performance during the adaptation to an automatic milking system. Animals (Basel). 2023;13(4):562. Doi: 10.3390/ani13040562. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13040562
Mpisana Z, Jaja IF, Oguttu J, Muchenje V. Avoidance behaviour of first lactating cows in a pasture-based dairy system in South Africa. J Anim Health Prod. 2021;9(3):277-84. Doi: 10.17852/journal.jahp/2021/9.3.277.284.
Norris D, Ngambi JW, Mabelebele M, Alabi OJ, Benyi K. Genetic selection for docility: a review. J Anim Plant Sci. 2014;24(1):13-8.
Orbán M, Gaál KK, Pajor F, Szentléleki A, Póti P, Tőzsér J, Gulyás L. Effect of temperament of Jersey and Holstein Friesian cows on milk production traits and somatic cell count. Arch Anim Breed. 2011;54(6):594-9. Doi: 10.5194/aab-54-594-2011. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/aab-54-594-2011
Réale D, Reader SM, Sol D, McDougall PT, Dingemanse NJ. Integrating animal temperament within ecology and evolution. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 2007;82(2):291-318. Doi: 10.1111/j.1469-185X.2007.00010.x. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-185X.2007.00010.x
Sewalem A, Miglior F, Kistemaker GJ. Analysis of the relationship between workability traits and functional longevity in Canadian dairy breeds. J Dairy Sci. 2010;93(9):4359-65. Doi: 10.3168/jds.2009-2969. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2009-2969
Sewalem A, Miglior F, Kistemaker GJ. Genetic parameters of milking temperament and milking speed in Canadian Holsteins. J Dairy Sci. 2011;94(1):512-6. Doi: 10.3168/jds.2010-3479. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2010-3479
Stirling S, Delaby L, Mendoza A, Fariña S. Intensification strategies for temperate hot-summer grazing dairy systems in South America: effects of feeding strategy and cow genotype. J Dairy Sci. 2021;104(12):12647-63. Doi: 10.3168/jds.2021-20507. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2021-20507
Sutherland MA, Dowling SK. The relationship between responsiveness of first-lactation heifers to humans and the behavioral response to milking and milk production measures. J Vet Behav. 2014;9:30-3. Doi: 10.1016/j.jveb.2013.09.001. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2013.09.001
Sutherland MA, Huddart FJ. The effect of training first-lactation heifers to the milking parlor on the behavioral reactivity to humans and the physiological and behavioral responses to milking and productivity. J Dairy Sci. 2012;95(12):6983-93. Doi: 10.3168/jds.2011-5211. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2011-5211
Sutherland MA, Rogers AR, Verkerk GA. The effect of temperament and responsiveness towards humans on the behavior, physiology and milk production of multi-parous dairy cows in a familiar and novel milking environment. Physiol Behav. 2012;107(3):329-37. Doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2012.07.013. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2012.07.013
Talmón D, Mendoza A, Carriquiry M. Holstein strains affects energy and feed efficiency in a grazing dairy system. Anim Prod Sci. 2022;62:765-73. Doi: 10.1071/AN20587. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/AN20587
Waiblinger S, Boivin X, Pedersen V, Tosi MV, Janczak AM, Visser EK, Jones RB. Assessing the human–animal relationship in farmed species: a critical review. Appl Anim Behav Sci. 2006;101:185-242. Doi: 10.1016/j.applanim.2006.02.001. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2006.02.001
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Agrociencia Uruguay
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
| Article metrics | |
|---|---|
| Abstract views | |
| Galley vies | |
| PDF Views | |
| HTML views | |
| Other views | |
