Is maternal defensiveness of Gyr cows (Bos taurus indicus) related to parity and cows' behaviors during the peripartum period?

ABSTRACT: The maternal care of cows can influence both the milk production and the performance of their calves, making this a topic of important relevance for the production industry that uses zebu cattle. The aims of this study were to 1) investigate the effects of parity on the behaviors of Gyr cows during the peripartum period; 2) characterize the maternal defensiveness of primiparous and multiparous cows towards handlers during the first handling of their calves; and 3) evaluate the relationships between cows' behaviors at the peripartum period and maternal defensiveness. Thirty-one Gyr cows (primiparous and multiparous), from Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária de Minas Gerais (Brazil), were used. The animals were placed in a maternity paddock monitored by video cameras. The behaviors of the anima

SUBMITTER: Vicentini RR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9462786 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature