(GEBIOMET Team) - One of the great premises of the compost barn system is the thermal comfort of animals, combined with environmental space that favours conditions for good animal welfare. However, recent research by the Biometeorology Study Group has shown that multiparous cows (more than one lactation) are more susceptible to thermal stress, exercising dominance in the choice of environmental resources (fans, for example), leaving primiparous cows (first lactation) in a situation of discomfort. These results were found by the alumni Jaqueline Agnes Pilatti . Jaqueline holds a Master's degree in Animal Science (formed in 2017) by Graduate Program in Animal Science, at Federal University of Technology – Parana, Brazil – Campus Dois Vizinhos, under the supervision of Prof. Frederico M.C. Vieira. The main results of the two articles produced involving the thermal environment and behaviour of dairy cows in compost barn system are shown below.

Cow behavior in compost barn in summer

The study with the behaviour of primiparous and multiparous in the summer in compost barn system was published in the journal Animals (Cambridge) in 2019 (click here to access the article). Among the main results, Pilatti et al. found that cows with higher lactation order (multiparous) are more sensitive to thermal stress. This was detected through the higher incidence of panting and pushing behaviour, the latter considered an agonistic behaviour, of dispute. In addition to pushing, other behaviours were also observed, such as butting and chasing away another animal. Regarding cleaning indicators, primiparous cows were cleaner than multiparous cows. The authors explained that multiparous cows spent more time lying down, trying to relieve thermal stress by conduction with the bed. With this, more dirt was observed in these animals compared with primiparous animals, who spent most of their time exploring the environment. However, is the same behaviours observed in winter since it is a season with more mild temperatures for cows? The next research elucidates some of these observations.

Cow behavior in compost barn in winter

The second article was approved this year 2021 for publication in the journal Annals of Animal Science (Poland). It is still in the publishing phase and will soon be published. The article entitled "Behaviour, hygiene, and lameness of dairy cows in a compost barn during cold seasons in a subtropical climate", authored by Jaqueline Agnes Pilatti, Prof. Frederico Vieira, Lucélia F. dos Santos, Prof. Edgar Vismara and Prof. Piotr Herbut (the University of Agriculture in Krakow, Poland). In this work, the authors showed that primiparous cows showed greater movement in compost barn, as in the summer study, and increased water consumption in the warmer periods. This shows that the animals were possibly exploring the environment in search of a place with better thermal conditions, in addition to the water consumption that is also an indicator of thermal stress.

Thus, it is important to note that if the environment in the compost barn system is favourable in terms of thermal conditions for all animals, disputes do not occur and everyone experiences optimal welfare conditions. However, the alert is for partial fan activation or manual control in place of automation. This can significantly alter the behaviour of cows, which strongly establish the relationship of dominance for the choice of resources, leaving the most submissive ones outside these places, favouring thermal stress.

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