In a paper published recently in the Journal of Dairy Science (October 2013, Volume 96:6506-13. doi: 10.3168/jds.2013-6941) Roi Mandel and the research team at the Koret School describe how they have investigated the cows’ changing patterns of use of automated scratching brushes, devices that are increasingly provided in dairy farms for the animals’ benefit, as behavioural indicators of stress and discomfort, correlating usage with the cows’ own feeling of well-being. The hypothesis, which appears to be supported by the results of the research so far, is that if a cow is beginning to feel unwell this will show in reduced brush use – data that can be automatically collected by the brushing device, and call forth further investigation. The hope is that serious conditions such as mastitis could be detected earlier, leading to more effective intervention. Further research is to be undertaken to assess the sensitivity of the method and the correlations between brush usage and specific conditions.
Roi Mandel’s research, supervised by Dr Eyal Klement of the Koret School and by Dr Becky Whay and Professor Christine Nicol from the University of Bristol’s Animal Welfare and Behaviour research group in the School of Veterinary Sciences, is supported by the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW)– a UK based charity which has a special fund to help the development of animal welfare science in Israel.
“We are delighted that this research project could lead to significant advances in dairy cow welfare, not only in Israel but around the world,” said UFAW Chief Executive and Scientific Director Dr James Kirkwood. “We look forward to further results from this work and to other successful projects in Israel.”
Paper: The effect of food location, heat load, and intrusive medical procedures on brushing activity in dairy cows, R. Mandel, H. R. Whay, C. J. Nicol, and E. Klement, Journal of Dairy Science, October 2013, Volume 96:6506-13. doi: 10.3168/jds.2013-6941.