Rumination activity and its alteration in ill cows

Abstract

This study is investigating the rumination activity and its alteration in ill cows, was performed by Efrat Gingis, in the framework of thesis writing for DVM academic degree. There is a well-proven two-way relationship between rumination time and health of the ruminating animals. Health is adversely affected by less than normal time spent ruminating. Ruminants’ metabolic condition is often assessed by examination of the rumen function. Within this study, QWES-HR neck tag of Lely Industries was used to monitor rumination activity within 3 selected farms in Israel. All data was collected from computerized softwares which are in use by the farms and were analyzed later on by Excel and Statistica softwares. Using this technology, the main goal of this assay was to study the rumination activity, and its connection with the milk production, body weight, and with other diseases (e.g. ketosis, metritis, clinical mastitis, diarrhea and digestive disorders). This study compared the changes in patterns of the above parameters on the course of “healthy-“ and “ill days” within a given disease. Within the data base participated 119 cows, gathering altogether 4711 observations. The investigation of the population has given a highly significant model showing all selected diseases have had high influence over daily milk yield, live weight and rumination activity; while ill days showed a decrease in all three parameters (DRA, DMY and DLW), in comparison to the healthy days. Effects of lactation number, season, year and the around days (nested within the lactation phase) were taken into consideration within the model of the research. This study emphasizes the importance of monitoring the rumination activity for diagnostic and early intervention within the dairy management, on top of the major importance of feed management monitoring. Although some factors may have biased the results of this study; mainly due to a small research population, it can still be considered as a pioneer study, investigating a population, rather than individual case studies (as were performed in earlier studies), including further new diseases and thus, can be a door to further researches in the future, relating this technology.