805
Relationships of temperament, behavior, and growth of performance tested bulls
Flighty cattle can be dangerous to personnel and may threaten the longevity of equipment. The aim of this study was to explore objective criteria for evaluating temperament in bulls while examining relationships between temperament, behavior, and performance. Consigned bulls arrived at the University of Tennessee Bull Testing Station on d -14 (n=65) and were reared into 6 pens based on age and weight. Bulls (3 pens, n=30) were selected to receive dataloggers to measure activity which included: total time lying, total steps taken, number of lying bouts, and lying duration from d 3-27 and d 59-84 (±3 d). Pen scores (1: docile-5: very aggressive) were assigned based on bull reactivity to a human observer on d -1, 27, 55 and 83 (±3 d). Weight and exit velocity (m/s) were measured along with the time it took the bull to leave the chute once the head gate opened on d 0, 28, 56, and 84 (±3 d). The average of pen score and exit velocity were used to evaluate overall temperament ratings. A correlation analysis was performed in SAS on temperament, exit velocity, and pen score and their relationship with the behavioral patterns and performance data with moderate and strong correlations of interest (r>0.3, r<-0.3). Temperament, exit velocity, time to exit chute, time to cover 1.83m, and total lying time were repeatable over the testing period (r=0.353-0.759, P<0.05) while the order of bulls through the chute showed low repeatability (r=0.108-0.307, P=0.014-0.394). After d 28, heavier bulls were less active and on d 84, pen score had a negative moderate correlation with bull order through the chute. Based on these data, performance and pen score were better related to behavior than temperament and growth performance.
Table 1. Relevant correlations between behavior, performance, and temperament.
Day (±3) |
Correlation |
P-value |
||
Weight |
Total Steps |
0 |
0.521 |
0.003 |
Exit Velocity |
Time to Exit Chute |
28 |
-0.340 |
0.006 |
Pen Score |
Exit Velocity |
28 |
0.376 |
0.002 |
Pen Score |
Total Steps |
56 |
0.370 |
0.044 |
Weight |
Total Lying Time |
56 |
0.302 |
0.105 |
Weight |
Total Steps |
56 |
-0.438 |
0.016 |
Weight |
Lying Duration |
56 |
-0.431 |
0.017 |
Weight |
# Lying Bouts |
56 |
0.531 |
0.003 |
Pen Score |
Order Through Chute |
84 |
-0.328 |
0.008 |
Pen Score |
Time to Cover 1.83m |
84 |
-0.343 |
0.006 |
Pen Score |
Exit Velocity |
84 |
0.343 |
0.006 |
Weight |
Total Steps |
84 |
-0.330 |
0.075 |
Weight |
Lying Duration |
84 |
-0.379 |
0.039 |
Weight |
# Lying Bouts |
84 |
0.513 |
0.004 |
Keywords: bull, temperament, performance