Improving the “quality of life” of cows goes beyond ordinary tasks for their comfort

Think about the mental stress your cows are experiencing

?In the last ten years, many breeders have benefited from improving the comfort of their cows. Have you thought about the mental comfort of your cows

Many researchers and breeders have found ways to make their cows happier. They have realized the economic importance of this issue. Sometimes a small and low cost change will have a good financial return. In Webster’s dictionary, stress is a pressure exerted on the body that puts it in a strait or condition.
it falls Researchers have found that the body needs a sense of control in life or the ability to predict events. Without this feeling, both humans and animals are stressed. Cows behavioral needs and
They have a special instinct. If their needs are not met, their answer may be negative. Cows either accustom themselves to “chronic psychological stressors”, or change their behavior in a negative way and change hormone production in their bodies. Stress has a negative effect on production, immune system activity and rumen function.

Let’s go to reproduction

In order for the cow to become pregnant, many hormonal activities must be done at the “right time”. Development of follicles and ovulation, controlled by the hypothalamus and pituitary hormones.
can be For years, researchers of cattle behavior have been expressing the level of corticosteroid hormones in the blood as a cause of stress. The high level of this steroid has a negative effect on the secretion of HrnG and hormones involved in pregnancy. Some studies have shown that electric shock and disturbing activities can reduce the percentage of pregnancy. Research on sheep has .shown that if a herding dog is used to move them a few weeks after mating, the stress caused by the herding dog plays a role in the early loss of the sheep’s embryos

What can you see?

Researchers have distinguished “chronic stress” and “acute stress” from each other. Acute stress includes fear, pain and worry. Cows’ fear and pain are easily recognized: cows may hump a little, suffer
Shake, whine, and become aggressive or agitated. Cows may show their helplessness with unusual behavior. For example, they may back and forth and press on their front legs, chew on wood, or press their nose against something like that.

Identifying chronic stress is more difficult and probably causes more concern. Constant stress can lead to a feeling of loneliness and a change in the cow’s behavior. Cows may not eat anything. Do not react to what is happening around them.

In a research, a 3-week metabolic experiment was conducted on Jersey cows, in this way, the cows were confined in their spring but no mistreatment was done to them, but the cows stopped eating.
They stopped and their reaction to their living environment stopped. After the cows were moved from Baharband to open pasture, they resumed eating and their condition improved. Chronic stress pressure on the animal
It can be more severe, which occurs in the form of extra activity most of the time. Mental stress comes in different forms. Researchers have found that many things that may not be stressful for us, cause severe stress on cows. For example, we know that tying cows causes stress, but studies have shown that this causes even more stress on cows than lack of food and water. Cows can see their surroundings at a viewing angle of 003 degrees. This wide angle of view means that cows can be scared easily. Cows also see colors.

Cows are sensitive to sound

High frequency sounds can be stressful for cows. The peak sensitivity of cows to sound is at the frequency of 3330 Hz, while the human ear is most sensitive in the range of 1000 to 3000 Hz.
A new and unexpected sound can cause stress in the cow. In a calm and very quiet environment, if the cows hear a small sound, they get more stressed. Today, it has been proven that a suitable continuous sound, such as music, can reduce cow stress and improve production. A continuous sound, for example music, can prevent the occurrence of stress caused by unexpected sounds.

When I go to the cow shelter and all the cows run away to the other side of the spring and my whole body is contaminated with their feces, I realize that a person, an activity, or something else has killed the cows.
has hurt Cows have a “flight zone”. If the cattle have always been treated calmly, this area covers from 3 to 100 feet (3 to 03) meters. If workers work at the edge of their flight area, cows
They are easier to move. Calves that have had more contact with humans may have a smaller flight area when they grow up. In a study, it was found that calves that were separated from their mothers immediately after birth and then raised peacefully were calmer during puberty and lactation than calves that spent the first three days of life with their mother cows. have spent

Cows remember humans

Researchers have shown that cows can be scared and stressed by humans. This created fear can reduce production by 5-01%. Cows can remember people from their faces, clothes and body. A group of Canadian and Danish researchers determined that cows distinguish those who treat them well from those who mistreat them. In this research, 10 cows under bad behavior
One worker and 21 cows with good behavior of another worker were examined. The dress of one of these workers was red and the other worker was completely yellow. After that, even in another spring, the cows kept away from the worker who mistreated them. The second examination of this group was done during milking. When the ill-behaved worker is near the cows in milking
It used to be that the cows gave up the milk with difficulty, had a stronger heart beat, and were more restless and active during milking. Change and transformation also cause stress in cows. A newborn heifer has to get used to the adult cows of her spring band, to a private dormitory, to a concrete floor, different rations, being milked in a milking station and many other things – in addition to giving birth to a calf. These stresses can have a negative effect on the feeding behavior of cows and cause more metabolic disturbances. In order for the heifers to be able to get used to milking after giving birth and to have peace with their mature cows, the transition period of their birth should be very calm and gentle. Maybe it’s better to leave them for three to four weeks before we take them to the spring of cows close to calving
We keep the spring of Kamsher cows. In the cattle classification program, their mutual behavior and eating should be taken into consideration. It is desirable that the cows of each group are as similar as possible
All of them can eat whenever they want. First calving heifers and newborn cows behave more shyly if they are among a large number of aggressive cows. However, dominant cows spend more hours in the manger than submissive cows.

But in general, they eat less food and even with a relatively balanced and equal diet, the possibility of acidosis is higher in them. Livestock managers have to make many decisions daily, so sometimes the psychological issues of cows are sidelined compared to other issues. They may tolerate a worker who comes to work on time every day but misbehaves with cows. Free stall spring is possible
It is crowded, or the cows may not be properly grouped and due to lack of space, they may have been moved incorrectly, but the animal husbandry manager does not pay attention to these cases. The amount of losses
The money that is imposed on the cattle breeders due to the mental unrest of the cows cannot be properly assessed and measured, but it may cost you much more than what you think.