Dairy Heifer Motivation for Access to a Shaded Area
We used an operant conditioning paradigm to test the motivation of non-pregnant dairy heifers to access shade during the summer and autumn months (January to June) in southern Brazil. Dairy heifers (<i>n</i> = 18) were trained to push a weighted gate to access either an experimental area...
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MDPI AG
2021-08-01
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Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/9/2507 |
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author | Clarissa Silva Cardoso Marina A. G. von Keyserlingk Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado Filho Maria José Hötzel |
author_facet | Clarissa Silva Cardoso Marina A. G. von Keyserlingk Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado Filho Maria José Hötzel |
author_sort | Clarissa Silva Cardoso |
collection | DOAJ |
description | We used an operant conditioning paradigm to test the motivation of non-pregnant dairy heifers to access shade during the summer and autumn months (January to June) in southern Brazil. Dairy heifers (<i>n</i> = 18) were trained to push a weighted gate to access either an experimental area containing both a shaded (simple tree shade and shade cloth) and unshaded area (WITH SHADE) or an experimental area with no shade (BARREN). The latency to push the weighted gate, and the maximum weight pushed by each heifer, were recorded in both the summer and the autumn. Temperature and humidity were recorded continuously for the duration of the study and were used to calculate the heat index. The maximum weight pushed to enter the WITH SHADE area was greater in summer than in autumn, and was inversely related to the latency to push the weighted gate. Heifers refused to work for access to the BARREN environment. As expected, both the maximum ambient temperatures and heat index were higher in summer than in autumn, and also higher in the non-shaded areas than under the shade in both seasons. Heifers of higher social rank displaced other heifers more often, and spent more time in the shaded areas, particularly in the area with trees plus a shade cloth, than the intermediate and subordinate heifers. We conclude that shade is an important and valued resource for heifers reared on pasture-based systems in sub-tropical environments, particularly during the hot summer months. |
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format | Article |
id | doaj.art-be07b82431094a10b717637f429c5577 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2076-2615 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:58:25Z |
publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
publisher | MDPI AG |
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series | Animals |
spelling | doaj.art-be07b82431094a10b717637f429c55772023-11-22T11:41:08ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152021-08-01119250710.3390/ani11092507Dairy Heifer Motivation for Access to a Shaded AreaClarissa Silva Cardoso0Marina A. G. von Keyserlingk1Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado Filho2Maria José Hötzel3Laboratório de Etologia Aplicada e Bem-Estar Animal, Departamento de Zootecnia e Desenvolvimento Rural, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88034-001, BrazilAnimal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, CanadaLaboratório de Etologia Aplicada e Bem-Estar Animal, Departamento de Zootecnia e Desenvolvimento Rural, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88034-001, BrazilLaboratório de Etologia Aplicada e Bem-Estar Animal, Departamento de Zootecnia e Desenvolvimento Rural, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88034-001, BrazilWe used an operant conditioning paradigm to test the motivation of non-pregnant dairy heifers to access shade during the summer and autumn months (January to June) in southern Brazil. Dairy heifers (<i>n</i> = 18) were trained to push a weighted gate to access either an experimental area containing both a shaded (simple tree shade and shade cloth) and unshaded area (WITH SHADE) or an experimental area with no shade (BARREN). The latency to push the weighted gate, and the maximum weight pushed by each heifer, were recorded in both the summer and the autumn. Temperature and humidity were recorded continuously for the duration of the study and were used to calculate the heat index. The maximum weight pushed to enter the WITH SHADE area was greater in summer than in autumn, and was inversely related to the latency to push the weighted gate. Heifers refused to work for access to the BARREN environment. As expected, both the maximum ambient temperatures and heat index were higher in summer than in autumn, and also higher in the non-shaded areas than under the shade in both seasons. Heifers of higher social rank displaced other heifers more often, and spent more time in the shaded areas, particularly in the area with trees plus a shade cloth, than the intermediate and subordinate heifers. We conclude that shade is an important and valued resource for heifers reared on pasture-based systems in sub-tropical environments, particularly during the hot summer months.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/9/2507operant conditioningbehaviourheat stressanimal welfaresocial rank |
spellingShingle | Clarissa Silva Cardoso Marina A. G. von Keyserlingk Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado Filho Maria José Hötzel Dairy Heifer Motivation for Access to a Shaded Area Animals operant conditioning behaviour heat stress animal welfare social rank |
title | Dairy Heifer Motivation for Access to a Shaded Area |
title_full | Dairy Heifer Motivation for Access to a Shaded Area |
title_fullStr | Dairy Heifer Motivation for Access to a Shaded Area |
title_full_unstemmed | Dairy Heifer Motivation for Access to a Shaded Area |
title_short | Dairy Heifer Motivation for Access to a Shaded Area |
title_sort | dairy heifer motivation for access to a shaded area |
topic | operant conditioning behaviour heat stress animal welfare social rank |
url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/9/2507 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT clarissasilvacardoso dairyheifermotivationforaccesstoashadedarea AT marinaagvonkeyserlingk dairyheifermotivationforaccesstoashadedarea AT luizcarlospinheiromachadofilho dairyheifermotivationforaccesstoashadedarea AT mariajosehotzel dairyheifermotivationforaccesstoashadedarea |