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Animal Behavior in a Fully Automatically Controlled Dairy Farm



Author(s)

Anja Gräff, Renate Luise Dörfler, Manfred Höld, Jörn Stumpenhausen and Heinz Bernhardt

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DOI:10.17265/2161-6256/2015.01A.008

As there are increasing numbers of small farms in Germany, it is necessary for them, to keep the workload as small as possible by enhancing the use of automatism. Important as those energetic-technical capabilities and features in a modern dairy farm are, the final decision when using automatic machinery depends on the animal itself and its behavior. As a result, all animal-physiological criteria, animal protection and animal welfare have to be taken into consideration. Therefore tests have been done to investigate dairy cattle behavior on suddenly occurring energy failures, fluctuations or postponements due to a load management. The experiments have been taken in four different stables. In each stable, 12 “focus cows” have been selected. Their daily stress response was measured by a heart rate monitor and faecal cortisol metabolites. Video observation showed modifications in behavior, escape or avoidance reactions; pedometers recorded the movement activity. These scientific experiments will demonstrate cattle behavior in situations driven by a power load management, but no statistically significant effects on the usual daily routine are being expected.

Cattle behavior, cortisol, heart rate variability, power load management, smart grid, Germany.