Behavioural response to humans and the productivity of commercial dairy cows

This study examined the relationships between the attitude and the behaviou r of the stockperson towards cows and the behavioural response to humans an d the milk production of cows at 31 commercial dairy farms over one lactati on. The attitude of the stockperson was measured on the basis of the stockp erson's opinion of the cow's behaviour and how the stockperson evaluated hi s own behaviour. The behaviour of the stockperson was measured by recording the nature and frequency of the tactile interactions and some visual and a uditory interactions directed towards the cows. The behavioural response of cows to humans was assessed by observing their approach behaviour to an un familiar experimenter in a standard test and production records were collec ted for the entire lactation at each farm. Correlation and regression analy ses using farm averages were used to examine relationships between human an d cow variables. Several cow behaviour variables, indicative of fear of hum ans, were moderately (P < 0.05) to highly (P < 0.01) correlated with milk y ield and composition and regression analysis indicated that fear of humans accounted for 19% of the variation in milk yield between farms. The results suggest that at farms where milk yield was low, cows showed less approach to the experimenter in the standard fear test than at farms where milk yiel d was higher. A composite attitude score, based on the responses of stockpe ople to questions about patting and talking to cows, ease of movement of co ws and cows recognising unfamiliar stockpeople, was moderately (P < 0.05) t o highly (P < 0.01) correlated with the behaviour of the stockperson. While a number of stockperson behaviour variables were correlated (P < 0.05) wit h milk yield, the former variables were generally pearly correlated with co w behaviour. Therefore these preliminary findings provide evidence that, as seen in the pig industry, sequential relationships may exist between the a ttitude and behaviour of the stockperson and the behaviour and productivity of commercial dairy cows. Research is required to further examine these re lationships because of the possible implications on cow productivity and we lfare. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.