Relationships between human-animal interactions and productivity of commercial dairy cows

This study examined the relationships between a number of stockperson and c ow variables at 66 commercial dairy farms. Variables such as the attitudes and behavior of stockpeople toward their cows and the behavioral response t o humans and productivity of cows were studied over one lactation. There we re consistent and significant correlations between some of these stockperso n and cow variables. For example, a positive attitude by stockpeople toward the behavior of dairy cows was negatively correlated with the number of fo rceful, negative, tactile interactions used by stockpeople in handling cows (r = -0.27, df = 127, P < 0.01). Furthermore, based on farm averages, the number of forceful, negative, tactile interactions used by stockpeople was negatively correlated with the percentage of cows approaching within 1 m of an experimenter in a standard test (r = -0.27, df = 64, P < 0.05). Althoug h not con firming a fear-productivity relationship, a moderate but nonsigni ficant correlation was found between flight distance of cows to an experime nter in a standard test and milk yield (r = -0.27, df = 33, P > 0.05). Supp ort for the existence of a negative fear-productivity relationship was the finding that the use of negative interactions by stockpeople was significan tly and negatively correlated with milk yield, protein, and fat at the farm (r = -0.36, -0.35 and -0.33, respectively, df = 64, P < 0.01) and was sign ificantly and positively correlated with milk cortisol concentrations at th e farm (r = 0.34, df = 64, P < 0.01). Furthermore, the percentage of cows a pproaching within 3 m of an experimenter in a standard test was positively correlated with conception rate to the first insemination (r = 0.38, df = 4 6, P < 0.01). The significant correlations found in the present study betwe en stockperson attitudes and behavior and cow behavior and productivity, al though not evidence of causal relationships, indicate the possibility of ta rgeting these human characteristics to reduce fear responses of dairy cows to humans and improve the cows' productivity.