Abstract

A method to estimate the rank of an animal by analysing displacements at the feeding fence was used to describe the effects of different forms of cow traffic on high and low ranked cows. The calculated dominance value led to plausible results for the daily thythm of feed intake and of visits to the milking box. The restriction of the access to the feeding area and to the milking box (from free to guided cow traffic), led to a lower use of these resources at the preferred times by cows classified as low ranked

Keywords

animal behaviour; social rank; cow traffic; automatic milking

Published in

ISBN: 907699868X
Publisher: Wageningen Academic Publishers

Conference

Precision Livestock Farming '05

Authors' information