ASSOCIATION OF EATING AND RUMINATION BEHAVIOUR WITH METABOLIC DISEASE IN DAIRY COWS

摘要

There is mounting empirical evidence that measures of behaviour can be used to predict and identify health and welfare concerns in dairy cattle. Interest in the association between dairy cow behaviour and illness is growing, particularly with an increasing availability of commercially available equipment that is readily available for the automated monitoring of dairy cow behaviour. This review focuses on measures of behaviour, including feeding and rumination, and the association these behaviours have with various metabolic health disorders, particularly during the periparturient period. Examples include sub-acute ruminai acidosis, subclinical ketosis, and milk fever. It is anticipated that through precision monitoring of such behaviours, particularly with the aid of automation, our ability to detect health disorders, both in occurrence and in advance of clinical and subclinical symptoms, will be enhanced. This, in turn, will allow producers to identify and implement prevention and treatment protocols at earlier time points.