Comportamento de fêmeas nulíparas e multíparas holandesas e mestiças H x Z no período de transição

Abstract

This study was carried out at the Experimental Field José Henrique Bruschi, Embrapa Dairy Cattle, located in Coronel Pacheco, Minas Gerais. We monitored 37 Holstein and H x Z crossbred dairy females during the transition period. The experiment was carried out in order to evaluate the social and feeding behavior of females in the pre-partum period and to observe if there is a relationship between them and the incidence of postpartum illnesses. The social status was defined by means of three methods and it was selected one (Si) to correlate with the other factors. It was observed that the social hierarchy of the herd is affected by the introduction of novel animals in the herd and it becomes stabilized about three days later. It was verified that the social status is influenced by the animal class (p <0.05) being the dominant class composed of cows and submissive class composed of heifers. Statistical difference was observed between the social hierarchy and the offspring sex, in which it was noted a higher proportion of female offspring to dominant females. As for ingestive behavior it was observed that social hierarchy does not interfere with the feeding time in the trough, influencing, however, grazing behavior since the submissive females spent more time at that activity (p <0.05). That activity occurred more frequently in the early morning and late afternoon. The water intake peaks coincide with the time of food intake. Significant difference was observed (p <0.05) between social classes in the time of permanence lying under artificial shade: 22 minutes and 3 minutes to dominant and submissive cows, respectively. As for postpartum illnesses, it was observed that the social hierarchy affects the incidence of postpartum metritis which was diagnosed primarily in submissive females of the herd. There was no effect of the social hierarchy on the incidence of mastitis or the body condition score.