G. Trillat

Influence of breed and early management on ease of handling and open-field behaviour of cattle

The activities of several types of cattle during handling tests are reported. Each animal was drafted from its group and isolated in a pen (sorting test). A handler then tried to keep it in a corner for 30 consecutive seconds during a maximum time of 2 min (restraint test). Two variables are reported: time necessary to sort the animal and time necessary to restrict the animal to a corner. The influences of the handler and rearing conditions on the two variables were assessed in the first trial. Fifteen male Salers (8 months old) were used. During the winter period (3 months), eight had been reared in free stalls and the others had suckled twice a day under human control. The animals were handled by ten experienced humans who had not had any previous contact with the animals. No difference between handlers for the two variables was found. Animals from the twice a day suckling system were easier to restrict to the corner than the others (P<0.05). Thirty artificially reared dairy heifers (20 months old) of three breeds (Tarine, Montbeliarde and Friesian) were used in a second trial. The results for the two handling variables indicate that all these animals, irrespective of their breed, were easy to handle. Salers heifers of 1 year (n=20) and 2 years (n=18) of age from twice a day suckling (n=20) and range management (n=18) were compared. Results from handling tests and the general activity of the animals in an “open-field” test were studied. Animals from twice a day suckling management were more quickly sorted (P<0.05) and restricted to the corner (P<0.01) than those from the range system. Variables recorded in the open-field test and from handling tests were not significantly correlated.

The use of circadian behaviour to measure adaptation of calves to changes in their environment

Abstract This paper examines the behaviour of heifers over 12 days following weaning/housing at 7 months of age. Weaning consisted of separation from the dam and transport by lorry from pasture to indoor pens. The animals used were 10 Salers and 10 Aubrac heifers reared by their own mothers, 10 Friesian heifers fostered by Salers mothers and 10 Friesian heifers artificially reared. Frequencies of “resting chin”, lying, standing, moving about and feeding were recorded over 24-h periods. Habituation to the new rearing conditions was reflected by an increase in the time spent “resting chin” or lying, a decrease in the time spent standing or moving, a reduction in the number of behaviour bouts and a strengthening of the circadian rhythm of activity. On the basis of these indexes, adaptation occurred by Day 2 in the artificially reared Friesians and by Day 4 in the other animals. Amongst these, the Salers habituated more slowly than the Friesians and more rapidly than the Aubrac heifers. Group differences were maintained up until the end of the experiment. Both the artificially reared and the suckled Friesians were less active than the Salers and the Aubracs and their activity profile was less fragmented. The Aubracs remained even more active than the Salers.

Genetic correlations between temperament and breeding traits in Limousin heifers

Abstract The aim of this study was to assess the potential consequences of selection for less aggressive or active animals duringhandling by estimating genetic correlations between different criteria of temperament and Limousin heifer breeding traits.Data consisted of the records collected from 1992 to 2004 at the progeny test station of Limousin AI sires. Six traitsrecorded during the same behavioural test – the so-called docility test – were considered to describe the heifer’stemperament: aggressiveness against the handler, running time and number of escapes per minute of test period inpresence or absence of the handler and a synthetic docility score accounting for the five previous components. Eightbreeding traits were also considered simultaneously in the joint analysis with the five elementary temperamentcomponents: weights at 12 months and after calving (for measuring heifer growth), age at first observed oestrus (formeasuring puberty) and fertility (for measuring heifer reproductive performance), calving ease score and pelvic opening(for measuring calving performance), maternal behaviour at calf’s birth and milk yield (for measuring the suckling ability ofthe primiparous cow). REML (co)variance estimates were derived using linear multitrait sire models. Estimates ofheritability were in the range of values given in the literature. Estimates of genetic correlation between temperament traitsindicated that, genetically, aggressive animals also attempt to escape a lot. Consequently, their elimination will reduceboth working risk and handling time for the breeder. Genetic correlations between temperament traits and breeding traitsranged from zero to favourable estimates and confirmed the very few results of the literature indicating a slight trend ofless fearful heifers also being more productive, mainly because of a higher reproduction and calving performance, and, toa lesser extent, because of higher maternal abilities such as behaviour at calf’s birth and milk yield.Keywords: beef cattle, docility, growth, reproduction, calving ease, maternal behaviour, milk production.

Influence of breed on reactivity of sheep to humans.

Ewe lambs from 2 breeds (M6rinos d’Arles and Romanov) and their crossbreds, from M6rinos ewes sired by Romanov rams, were observed during 5 individual tests. During the first 3 tests there were no other sheep in sight and animals were alone, with concentrate or with a human. During the last 2 tests, some penmates were in sight and the experimental animal was alone or with a human. Romanov animals were much more reactive than the M6rinos. They eliminated more, ate less and avoided the human more. For most of the criteria, crossbreds were closer to the Romanov than to the M6rinos purebreds. This seemed to be due to genetic differences and not to direct maternal influence.