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Pasture access and eye temperature in dairy cows
Andrew Crump1, Kirsty Jenkins1, Emily J Bethell2
1Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science : JAAWS
|April 13, 2022
Summary
Dairy cows housed indoors full-time did not consistently show higher eye temperatures than those with pasture access. This suggests eye temperature may not be a reliable indicator of chronic stress in different housing conditions.
Area of Science:
- Animal Science
- Veterinary Medicine
- Animal Welfare Science
Background:
- Dairy cows' welfare is impacted by housing conditions, with a trend towards full-time indoor confinement.
- Infrared thermal imaging studies suggest eye temperature may indicate chronic stress in cattle.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if full-time indoor housing, compared to pasture access, leads to higher eye temperatures in dairy cows.
- To determine if eye temperature is a reliable physiological indicator of chronic stress related to housing in dairy cows.
Main Methods:
- A two-phase crossover experiment involving 29 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows.
- Cows experienced 18-day periods of overnight pasture access and 18-day periods of full-time indoor housing.
- Eye temperature was measured 16 times per animal (eight per phase) using infrared thermal imaging.
Main Results:
- In Phase One, cows with pasture access exhibited higher eye temperatures than indoor-housed cows, contradicting the hypothesis.
- In Phase Two, cows with pasture access showed lower eye temperatures compared to indoor-housed cows.
- The results were inconsistent across phases, indicating a complex relationship.
Conclusions:
- Eye temperature's reliability as a sole indicator of chronic stress in dairy cows across different housing systems is questionable.
- Further research is needed to understand the physiological responses of dairy cows to varying housing environments.
- The study highlights the need for nuanced approaches to assessing dairy cow welfare based on physiological markers.
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