Publication Database

Influence of different ventilation systems on the activity and lying behavior of lactating dairy cows under heat load (2021)

Art

Vortrag

Autoren

Heinicke, J.

Hoffmann, G.

Ammon, C.

Amon, T. (WE 10)

Kongress

AgEng 2021

online, 04. – 08.07.2021

Quelle

Program & Abstracts Book : EurAgEng 2021 conference : new challenges for agricultural engineering towards a digital world : July 5-8, 2021 — University of Évora (Hrsg.)

Évora, Portugal, 2021 — S. 178–179

Sprache

Englisch

Verweise

URL (Volltext): https://ebook.ajnet.net/3d-flip-book/eurageng-2021-conference-new-challenges-for-agricultural-engineering-towards-a-digital-world/

Kontakt

Institut für Tier- und Umwelthygiene

Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13
14169 Berlin
+49 30 838 51845
tierhygiene@vetmed.fu-berlin.de

Abstract / Zusammenfassung

In the course of the predicted climate change, the problem of welfare and heat load of dairy cows has become increasingly important even under moderate climate conditions. Measures to increase the air circulation in the barn and intensify the convective and evaporative heat loss of the cows are increasingly implemented. The objective of the present study was to analyze the activity and lying behavior of lactating dairy cows under heat load in the summer months. Additionally, two different ventilation systems were installed in the barn and the cooling effect regarding the activityand lying behavior was compared. The study was conducted in a naturally ventilated dairy barn in Germany. The measurements with cross ventilation of fans were carried out from June to September 2015/16. A tube ventilation system above the lying cubicles were installed in 2019 and data were collected from June to September. The barn climate was measured at eight points within the barn and the average temperature-humidity index (THI) was calculated per day to define the heat load the cows were exposed to. The activity and lying behavior of the dairy cows (n = 22) was measured using IceTag3DTM pedometers and described with several behavioral traits per cow and day. The results showed a decrease in the lying time and the average lying bout duration per day with increasing heat load. Furthermore, there was an increase in the number of steps. These changes in the behavior were most pronounced in the afternoon. The comparison of both ventilation systems showed that the behavior changes under tube ventilation were less strongly than under fans
depending on increasing heat load. Visual observations also indicated that the cows were more homogeneously distributed in the barn during the measurement time with the tube ventilation system. This indicates that the tube ventilation system has a better cooling effect and could be an alternative compared with fan ventilation.