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Effects of habituation to the milking parlour on milking behaviour of Norwegian and Holstein dairy herd replacements

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2017

H.C.F. Wicks
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down, BT26 6DR
A.F. Carson
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down, BT26 6DR
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Extract

Previously reported results indicate that milk production and somatic cell counts were improved by the habituation of replacement heifers to the milking parlour prior to calving (Wicks, et al 2003). Rushen, et al. (2001) reported that when mature cows were milked in unfamiliar surroundings, milk yield, milk flow rate and milking duration were affected due to increased stress (Rushen, et al. 2001). The objective of the current study was to investigate the effects of habituating Holstein-Friesian and Norwegian heifers to the milking parlour pre-calving on subsequent milking parlour behaviour.

Type
Theatre Presentations
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 2004

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References

Rushen, J., Munksgaard, L., Marnet, P.G. and DePassille, A.M., 2001. Human contact and the effect of acute stress on cows at milking. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 73: 114.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wicks, H.C.F, Carson, A.F. and McCoy, M.A. (2003) Effects of habituation to the milking parlour on production, health and fertility of Norwegian and Holstein dairy herd replacements. Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science Annual Conference March 2003 pp 26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar