Associations between multiple activity and physiological parameters around the time of disease diagnosis and calving in Holstein cows

Abstract Text:

Our objective was to describe the associations between multiple activity and physiological parameters around the time of disease diagnosis and calving in Holstein cows. Health disorders included mastitis (MAS), metritis (MET), milk fever (MF), depression-dehydration-fever (DDF), digestive problems (DIG), lameness (LAM), and clinical ketosis (KET). Behavioral activity included were general activity index (HEAD; activity units), rumination time (RUM; min/d), steps (STEP; n/d), steps per hour (SH; n/h), and lying bouts (LB; n/d) from -15d to 15d relative to disease diagnosis and calving. Data were collected from 198 Holstein cows from -15d from due date to 60 DIM, at the University of Florida Dairy Unit. HEAD and RUM data were recorded using a neck collar containing rumination loggers (Hr-Tag^®, SCR Engineers Ltd., Netanya, Israel), and STEP, SH and LB data were recorded by a device attached on one hind leg (Pedometer plus^®, Afikim, Israel). Data were log transformed and analyzed using MIXED procedures of SAS. To assess associations between activity variables, Spearman’s p correlations and P-values were calculated using JMP12 (table1). The only significant negative correlation was found between SH and LB (-0.60) in cows diagnosed with MAS, showing reduced SH from -9d to -4d and an increased LB activity from  -8d to -2d. Correlations between HEAD and RUM were positive and significant for all the diseases, showing a marked decrease from -6d to -5d to the time of diagnosis with a subsequent increase until 10d after diagnosis. In addition, significant positive correlations were determined in MAS cows (RUM/STEP, r=0.41); MET cows [RUM/SH (r=0.46); RUM/LB (r=0.53); and SH/LB (r=0.59)]; MF cows [RUM/STEP (r=0.63); and HEAD/SH (r=0.54)]; DDF cows [RUM/LB (r=0.52); and STEP/LB (r=0.43)]; DIG cows (HEAD/RUM, r=0.65); LAM cows [HEAD/STEP (r=0.44); HEAD/LB (r=0.40); and RUM/LB (r=0.62); KET cows [HEAD/STEP (r=0.40); HEAD/SH (r=0.57); HEAD/LB (r=0.51); RUM/SH (r=0.52); and RUM/LB (r=0.39)]. Significant positive correlations at calving included HEAD/SH (r=0.93), RUM/STEP (r=0.91), RUM/LB (r=0.93) and STEP/SH (r=0.94). Correlation patterns between activity and physiological parameters were dependent on specific diseases, suggesting differential potentials as indicators for early disease that could be used in dairy health monitoring programs.

 Keywords: Activity, rumination, disease