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Resting behaviour of Belgian White-Blue and Friesian fattening bulls in a tie-stall barn
Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 21 (1988) 259-266
259
Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam - - Printed in The Netherlands
Short C o m m u n i c a t i o n
R e s t i n g B e h a v i o u r of B e l g i a n White-Blue and Friesian F a t t e n i n g Bulls in a Tie-stall Barn B. NICKS, P. DECHAMPS, B. CANART and L. ISTASSE
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Rue des v~tdrinaires, 45 B-1070 Bruxelles (Belgium) (Accepted for publication 8 March 1988)
ABSTRACT Nicks, B., Dechamps, P., Canart, B. and Istasse, L., 1988. Resting behaviour of Belgian WhiteBlue and Friesian fattening bulls in a tie-stall barn. Appl. Anita. Behav. Sci., 21: 259-266. Standing and lying bouts of 11 fattening bulls were recorded continuously during two 1-week trials. There were 6 Friesian bulls and 5 double-muscledbulls from the Belgian White-Blue breed. At the start of Trial 1, the Friesian and Belgian White-Blue bulls averaged 154.2 and 246.2 kg, respectively. Trial 2 started 84 days later when the liveweight was about 100 kg more. The bulls were tied up in a stanchion barn. Standing up and lying down were recorded by an electrical device. The mean lying times per 24 h of the Friesian bulls were 16.52 h in Trial 1 and 16.13 h in Trial 2; the corresponding values for the Belgian White-Blue bulls were 15.77 and 16.82 h. Differences between breeds and between trials were not significant. The variability between the Belgian WhiteBlue bulls was larger than between the Friesians. The mean number of lying bouts per 24 h ranged from 12.31 to 16.97, the highest value being observed with the double-muscled animals in Trial 2. Resting behaviour was different between the day and the night. From 18.00 to 06.00 h, the lying time ranged from 9.75 to 10.89 h according to group; from 06.00 to 18.00 h, the corresponding values were 5.56 and 6.71 h. The repartition of lying bouts according to their length was not different between trials h~r the Friesian bulls. The proportions of lying bouts shorter than 15 min and longer than 1 h were on average 7.6 and 59.2%. For the Belgian White-Blue bulls, the repartition was different between trials: the proportions of lying bouts shorter than 15 min were 4.6 and 7.9% in Trials 1 and 2, respectively; those longer than 1 h were 60.6 and 43.6%. The proportions of lying times of long duration ( > 2 h) and standing times of short duration ( < 15 min) were higher for the Friesian than for the Belgian White-Blue bulls.
INTRODUCTION A m o n g the d i f f e r e n t b r e e d s of cattle, two m a i n types are found; dairy cattle a n d b e e f c a t t l e . T h e m o s t s p e c i a l i z e d d a i r y b r e e d is t h e F r i e s i a n , w h i l e a m o n g t h e b e e f b r e e d s , t h e r e a r e t w o g e n e t i c t y p e s ; t h e c o n v e n t i o n a l (ex: C h a r o l a i s b r e e d ) a n d t h e d o u b l e - m u s c l e d . T h e b r e e d i n g o f d o u b l e - m u s c l e d a n i m a l s is u s u a l i n B e l g i u m w i t h t h e B e l g i a n W h i t e - B l u e b r e e d , w h i c h is c h a r a c t e r i z e d
0168-1591/88/$03.50
© 1988 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.
260 by an overdevelopment of the muscles and a minimum amount of fat (Hanset et al., 1980, 1987; Detal, 1984). The commercial value is 40% higher than that of animals of other breeds. This explains the reason why breeders have accepted calving problems and the current practise of Caesarian sections. The morphologies of Friesian and Belgian White-Blue animals may be considered as two extremes in cattle types. The aim of the present work was to characterize the daily rhythm of resting time with young bulls of the two breeds in order to know if the data obtained with one dairy breed may be extended without restriction to double-muscled animals. The influence of the weight of the animals was also considered. MATERIALS AND METHODS Standing and lying bouts of 11 fattening bulls were recorded continuously during two 1-week trials. There were 6 Friesian bulls and 5 double-muscled bulls from the Belgian White-Blue breed. At the start of Trial 1, the average weights of the Friesian and Belgian White-Blue bulls were 154.2 + 17.6 and 246.2 _+9.0 kg, respectively; they were 5 and 7.5 months old on average. Trial 2 started 84 days later when the liveweight was about 100 kg more: 254.4 _+20 kg for the Friesians and 352.8 _+6.9 kg for the double-muscled bulls. In Trial 2, the liveweight of the Friesians was similar to that of the Belgian White-Blue in Trial 1. Animals were kept in a stanchion barn which measured 7 × 13 m. It consisted of a service passage (width 3.5 m), 1 row of 12 stalls (width 2.5 m with the manger) and a 1.0-m-wide feed passage. Natural ventilation was provided by windows as air inlets and chimneys as air outlets. Each stall measured 1.7 X 1.05 m. The front part of the stall floor was covered by a rubber mat (length 0.9 m). The back part was a metal grid consisting of flat bars of 3 cm width, placed 3 cm apart on the fore-half and 4 cm apart on the hind-half. Faeces and urine fell through the metal grid into a slurry channel. Each animal was separated from its neighbours by a partition wall 1.3 m in length which extended from the manger into the stall. Animals were tied up by a yoke consisting of a vertical chain anchored in the floor and attached at the top to a horizontal bar; the neck collar could glide along this chain. The average temperatures of the stables during both trials were 15.1+ 1.7 and 2.6 + 1.6 ° C, respectively. Both values were in the thermoneutral zone since the lower critical temperature of growing cattle is about 2°C (Sainsbury and Sainsbury, 1979; Bruce, 1986). During the day, light intensity varied from 10 to 150 lux, according to time of the day and external climatic conditions; during the night, it was lower than 2 lux. Animals were fed at about 06.30 and 15.30 h; they were offered 1.0 kg soya bean meal, 0.7 kg rolled barley, 2.1 kg dried sugar beet pulp and 1.2 kg hay. The stable was cleaned once, in the morning, after feeding.
261
Standing up and lying down were recorded by an electrical device. A potentiometer was mounted 2.5 m above each animal. The cursor of the potentiometer could be moved by an elastic band tied at animal rump level to a strap placed around the body of the animal. When the animal did not lie down, the elastic band was unstretched and the electric resistance was nil. When the animal rested, the tension of the elastic band drew the cursor down; in this position, the time and the number of the animal were recorded on cassette tape by a datalogger. The potentiometers were regularly checked. In the first period, 4 days' measurements were discarded for one Friesian, and in the second period, 1 and 2 days for two Friesians. Results were analyzed considering two time-intervals: 06.00-18.00 h (the day) and 18.00-06.00 h (the night). The first one was characterized by lighting of the stable and the activity of the stockman; the second by darkness and quietness. Analyses of variances were used to compare the two breeds and animals of the same breed during the 2 periods. A non-parametric method, the median test, was performed when variances of the populations were statistically different. As the length of the standing or lying bouts varied from a few minutes to several hours, time was divided into classes of 15 min: 0-15 min; 15-30 min; 30-45 min; etc. Each standing or lying bout observed was allotted by length to one of these classes. The total number of standing or lying bouts allotted to each class were expressed as a percentage. The repartitions so obtained were compared between trials and between day and night by a )/2 test. RESULTS
The Friesian fattening bulls The average weights of the animals at the beginning of the two trials were 154.2 and 254.4 kg, respectively. Animals were lying for 68.8% of the time in Trial 1 and 67.2% in Trial 2, corresponding to 16.52 h and 16.13 h per 24 h (Table 1 ). Differences between animals were significant ( P < 0.001 ), but not those between trials. The lying time during the night was significantly longer than during the day. From 18.00 to 06.00 h, animals rested 90.7% of the time in Trial 1 and 88.1% in Trial 2. The corresponding values for the interval 06.00-18.00 h were 46.9 and 46.3%, respectively. The average number of lying bouts per 24 h was 12.31 _+2.06 in Trial 1 and 12.76 + 2.08 in Trial 2 (Table 2). The difference was not significant. Nor was there any difference between the numbers of lying bouts during the day and the night. The repartition of the lyingbouts according to their length was not different between trials. Figure 1 shows the pooled data of the 2 trials. The proportion of lying bouts shorter than 15 min and longer than 1 h were, on average, 7.6
262 TABLE 1 Time (h) spent lying during the n i g h t (from 18.00 to 06.00 h) a n d the day (from 06.00 to 18.00
h) Breed
Trial 1 Night
Trial 2 Day
Total
Night
Day
Total
Friesian 1 2 3 4 5 6
10.69 10.93 11.10 10.74 10.94 10.93
5.90 4.84 6.03 4.57 5.93 6.51
16.59 15.77 17.13 15.31 16.87 17.44
10.50 10.60 9.93 10.61 10.99 10.81
5.61 4.84 5.88 4.70 5.15 7.17
16.11 15.44 15.81 15.31 16.14 17.98
Mean (S~)
10.89 ___0.15
5.63 ___0.75
16.52 _+0.82
10.57 _+0.36
5.56 _+0.91
16.13 ___0.97
Belgian White-Blue 7 10.25 8 9.55 9 11.13 10 8.21 11 9.59
5.84 6.95 7.98 3.76 5.60
16.09 16.50 19.11 11.97 15.19
10.36 9.35 10.85 10.23 9.77
7.05 6.65 8.39 5.13 6.35
17.41 16.00 19.24 15.36 16.12
6.03 _ 1.58
15.77 ___2.58
10.11 _+0.57
6.71 _+ 1.18
16.82 ___1.54
Mean (S~)
9.75 ___1.07
S~, s t a n d a r d error of the mean.
TABLE 2 M e a n numbers of lying bouts per 24 h Breed
Trial I
Trial 2
Friesian 1 2 3 4 5 6
9.86 12.00 13.00 15.14 13.71 10.14
13.17 11.86 15.40 14.86 11.00 10.29
Mean (S~)
12.31 _+2.06
12.76 _+2.08
14.29 15.71 13.29 6.71 12.71
20.86 18.57 15.71 12.43 17.29
12.54 _+3.45
16.97 + 3.16
Belgian White-Blue 7 8 9 10 11 Mean (S~) Sx, s t a n d a r d error of the mean.
263 FRIESIAN
BELGIAN
20 T9
18_
BELGIAN
WHITE- BLUE
TRIAL I
21 Number bouts
WHITE-BLUE
]RIAL 2
of l y i n g
(% of t h e w h o r e )
17 16 15
14 13 12 11_ 10_ 9-
8 7.
t
I
6. 5
4. 3. 2. 1. 0. 2
3
4
~T~
2
3
4
1
5
2
3 Hours
Fig. 1. Repartition of lying bouts according to length. FRIESIAN
50
BELGIAN WHITE-BLUE
BELGIAN WHITE-BLUE
T~4AL]
TRIAl2
N u m b e r of standing bouts ( % of the w h o l e )
45
40
35
25
20
15
10
i
3
•5
,
2
3
Fig. 2. Repartition of standing bouts according to length.
4
5
2
3
4
S Hours
264
and 59.2%, respectively. The repartition was different between the night and the day. From 18.00 to 06.00 h, 3.3% of the lying bouts were shorter than 15 min and 70.1% longer than 1 h. From 06.00 to 18.00 h, the corresponding values were 19.6 and 30.3%. The repartition of the standing bouts related to their length was strongly asymmetrical (Fig. 2). About 45% of the standing bouts were shorter than 15 min. There was no difference between trials.
The Belgian White-Blue fattening bulls At the start of each trial, the average weights of the animals were 246.2 and 352.8 kg. The percentage time spent lying was 66.3% in Trial 1 and 70.1% in Trial 2, corresponding to 15.77 and 16.82 h per 24 h, respectively (Table 1). Differences between animals were significant (P < 0.001 ) but not between trials. From 18.00 to 06.00 h, animals rested 81.3% of the time in the first trial and 84.3% in the second. The corresponding values for the interval 06.00-18.00 h were 50.3 and 55.9%, respectively. There was a large but not significant difference between the mean numbers of lying bouts per 24 h; 12.54 + 3.45 in the first trial and 16.97 _+3.16 in the second (Table 2 ). For both trials, there was no difference between the numbers of lying bouts during the night and the day. The repartition of the lying bouts according to their length was different between trials (P < 0.001 ). The proportions of lying bouts shorter than 15 min were 4.6 and 7.9%, respectively, in Trials 1 and 2; those longer than 1 h were 60.6 and 43.6% (Fig. 1 ). On average, there were more lying times in the second trial, but they were of shorter length. From 18.00 to 06.00 h, about 5% (5.6% in Trial 1, 4.5% in Trial 2) of the lying bouts were shorter than 15 min; the proportions of those longer than 1 h were 66.0 and 46.3%, respectively, for both trials. From 06.00 to 18.00 h, the corresponding values were 11.1 and 19.4%, and 39.1 and 28.9%. The difference between trials was significant during the night but not during the day. The repartition of the standing bouts according to their length was different between trials. The proportions of standing bouts shorter than 15 min were 32.6 and 50.1% for Trials 1 and 2, respectively; the percentages of those longer than 1 h were 18.7 and 9.3%, respectively (Fig. 2). DISCUSSION
The fattening bulls of the two breeds were observed at the same time in the same stable, but the liveweight of the Friesian was on average 100 kg less than that of the Belgian White-Blue bulls; 154.2 vs. 246.2 kg in the first trial, 254.4 vs. 352.8 kg in the second. It has been shown, however, that there was no significant difference between Friesian bulls of 154.2 or 254.4 kg. So, the compar-
265 ison between Friesian and Belgian White-Blue bulls in the first trial was not affected by the difference in weights. The data have been analyzed only on this basis. The mean lying times per 24 h of the Friesian and Belgian White-Blue were similar; 16.52 and 15.77 h, respectively. The present values observed in a stanchion barn may be compared to those found in loose houses by other authors. Daelemans and Boucqu~ (1972) found lying times ranging from 14.2 to 16.6 h according to weight and floor type. Ilan et al. (1973) reported a lying time of 15.22-15.93 h for Friesian calves, 6.5 months old, kept in an open shed on a concrete slatted floor. Andreae and Smidt ( 1982 ) observed lying times of 13.915.7 h for cattle, 6-9 months old, housed on a slatted floor. Robertson et al. (1977) found lower values with Friesian steers, 425 kg liveweight, kept in an unroofed slatted yard; animals lay from 11.8 to 13.1 h per 24 h. According to the review of Houpt and Wolski (1982), cattle on pasture spend from 5 to 13 h lying. Although the mean lying time was similar for the 2 breeds, a difference was observed in the repartition of the lying and standing bouts related to their length. The proportions of lying times of long duration and standing times of short duration were higher for the Friesians than for the Belgian White-Blue bulls. For example, the percentages of lying bouts greater than 2 h were 18.7 and 13.1, respectively, for the Friesians and the double-muscled animals; the percentages of standing times shorter than 15 rain were 44.7 and 32.6, respectively. The mean number of lying times per 24 h was not different between breeds in the first trial, 12.31 vs. 12.54, but differed in the second trial, 12.76 vs. 16.97. Andreae and Smidt (1982) found mean daily lying intervals between 9.0 and 11.2 according to group on a slatted floor. The authors consider that the daily lying intervals, as opposed to the total lying time per day, is a reliable quantitative indicator for measuring the adaptation of the animals to a slatted floor. They showed that animals previously adapted to a slatted floor had a mean number of lying intervals significantly higher than unadapted ones, without any difference in total lying time. Our observations (unpublished data) also showed that a limited number of movements per day is an indicator of animal discomfort. The 6 Friesian bulls had more similar behaviours than the Belgian WhiteBlue bulls. The variances of lying times and of the numbers of lying bouts were lower for the Friesian than for the Belgian White-Blue bulls in both trials (Tables 1 and 2). The difference between variances of lying time per 24 h and during the night was significant in the first period. Kiley-Worthington ( 1983 ) observed that veal calves which had to adapt to a restricted environment had different strategies. The amount of individual variation was considerable. The author concluded that it is therefore more appropriate to construct individual personality profiles than to make generalizations about their behaviour. In our
266 e x p e r i m e n t , the larger variability b e t w e e n the Belgian W h i t e - B l u e bulls in each trial a n d b e t w e e n trials m i g h t be i n t e r p r e t e d as a sign of greater discomfort. T h e resting b e h a v i o u r of t h e a n i m a l s was d i f f e r e n t d u r i n g t h e day a n d the night. T h e p r o p o r t i o n of lying t i m e s s h o r t e r t h a n 15 m i n was h i g h e r d u r i n g the day t h a n d u r i n g the night; i.e. 19.6 vs. 3.3% for t h e F r i e s i a n bulls. T h e difference was p r o b a b l y due to t h e activity of t h e s t o c k m a n in t h e stable d u r i n g t h e day. Since m o r e differences were f o u n d b e t w e e n o b s e r v a t i o n s r e c o r d e d d u r i n g t h e n i g h t t h a n over a 24-h period, it is suggested t h a t t h e n i g h t records are a b e t t e r i n d i c a t o r to c o m p a r e a n i m a l s ' b e h a v i o u r in r e l a t i o n to breed, weight or t y p e of housing. In conclusion, t h e resting b e h a v i o u r has to be c h a r a c t e r i z e d n o t only by the two usual p a r a m e t e r s , which are the a m o u n t o f lying t i m e a n d the n u m b e r of lying b o u t s per 24 h, b u t also b y the d i s t r i b u t i o n s of the lying a n d s t a n d i n g b o u t s r e l a t e d to t h e i r length. D a t a o b t a i n e d w i t h t h e F r i e s i a n b r e e d c a n n o t be e x t e n d e d w i t h o u t r e s t r i c t i o n to d o u b l e - m u s c l e d animals.
REFERENCES Andreae, U. and Smidt, D., 1982. Behavioural alterations in young cattle on slatted floors. In: E. Ulmer (Editor), Disturbed Behaviour in Farm Animals. Verlag, Stuttgart, pp. 51-60. Bruce, J.M., 1986. Lower critical temperature for housed beef cattle. Farm Building Progress, April: 23-28. Daelemans, J. and Boucqu~, Ch., 1972. Etables ~ stabulation libre pour b~tail de boucherie. Rev. Agric. (Brussels), 25: 405-419. Detal, G., 1984. Production de viande. Gestion du cheptel. Production du b~tail hypermuscl~. Rev. Agric. (Brussels), 37: 503,516. Hanset, R., Stasse, A. and Detal, G. (Editors), 1980. The Belgian White-Blue cattle. Herd Book of Belgian White-Blue Cattle, 5300 Ciney. Hanset, R., Michaux, C. and Stasse, A., 1987. Relationship between growth rate, carcass composition, feed intake, feed conversion ratio and income in four biological types of cattle. Genet. Sel. Evol., 19: 225-248. Houpt, K.A. and Wolski, T.R., 1982. Domestic Animal Behaviour for Veterinarians and Animal Scientists. Iowa State University Press, Ames, 356 pp. Ilan, D., Levy, D. and Holzer, Z., 1973. Behaviour patterns of intensively fed male calves as affected by allowance and type of space, diethylstilboestrol implantation, and ration. Anim. Prod., 17: 147-156. Kiley-Worthington, M., 1983. The behaviour of confined calves raised for veal: are these animals distressed? Int. J. Stud. Anim. Prob., 4: 198-213. Robertson, A.M., Clarck, J.J., Mitchell, C.D. and Ross, G.W., 1977. Behaviour of fattening cattle in a roofless slatted yard. Farm Building Progress, October: 19-23. Sainsbury, D. and Sainsbury, P., 1979. Livestock Health and Housing. Bailli~re Tindall, London, 388 pp.
259
Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam - - Printed in The Netherlands
Short C o m m u n i c a t i o n
R e s t i n g B e h a v i o u r of B e l g i a n White-Blue and Friesian F a t t e n i n g Bulls in a Tie-stall Barn B. NICKS, P. DECHAMPS, B. CANART and L. ISTASSE
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Rue des v~tdrinaires, 45 B-1070 Bruxelles (Belgium) (Accepted for publication 8 March 1988)
ABSTRACT Nicks, B., Dechamps, P., Canart, B. and Istasse, L., 1988. Resting behaviour of Belgian WhiteBlue and Friesian fattening bulls in a tie-stall barn. Appl. Anita. Behav. Sci., 21: 259-266. Standing and lying bouts of 11 fattening bulls were recorded continuously during two 1-week trials. There were 6 Friesian bulls and 5 double-muscledbulls from the Belgian White-Blue breed. At the start of Trial 1, the Friesian and Belgian White-Blue bulls averaged 154.2 and 246.2 kg, respectively. Trial 2 started 84 days later when the liveweight was about 100 kg more. The bulls were tied up in a stanchion barn. Standing up and lying down were recorded by an electrical device. The mean lying times per 24 h of the Friesian bulls were 16.52 h in Trial 1 and 16.13 h in Trial 2; the corresponding values for the Belgian White-Blue bulls were 15.77 and 16.82 h. Differences between breeds and between trials were not significant. The variability between the Belgian WhiteBlue bulls was larger than between the Friesians. The mean number of lying bouts per 24 h ranged from 12.31 to 16.97, the highest value being observed with the double-muscled animals in Trial 2. Resting behaviour was different between the day and the night. From 18.00 to 06.00 h, the lying time ranged from 9.75 to 10.89 h according to group; from 06.00 to 18.00 h, the corresponding values were 5.56 and 6.71 h. The repartition of lying bouts according to their length was not different between trials h~r the Friesian bulls. The proportions of lying bouts shorter than 15 min and longer than 1 h were on average 7.6 and 59.2%. For the Belgian White-Blue bulls, the repartition was different between trials: the proportions of lying bouts shorter than 15 min were 4.6 and 7.9% in Trials 1 and 2, respectively; those longer than 1 h were 60.6 and 43.6%. The proportions of lying times of long duration ( > 2 h) and standing times of short duration ( < 15 min) were higher for the Friesian than for the Belgian White-Blue bulls.
INTRODUCTION A m o n g the d i f f e r e n t b r e e d s of cattle, two m a i n types are found; dairy cattle a n d b e e f c a t t l e . T h e m o s t s p e c i a l i z e d d a i r y b r e e d is t h e F r i e s i a n , w h i l e a m o n g t h e b e e f b r e e d s , t h e r e a r e t w o g e n e t i c t y p e s ; t h e c o n v e n t i o n a l (ex: C h a r o l a i s b r e e d ) a n d t h e d o u b l e - m u s c l e d . T h e b r e e d i n g o f d o u b l e - m u s c l e d a n i m a l s is u s u a l i n B e l g i u m w i t h t h e B e l g i a n W h i t e - B l u e b r e e d , w h i c h is c h a r a c t e r i z e d
0168-1591/88/$03.50
© 1988 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.
260 by an overdevelopment of the muscles and a minimum amount of fat (Hanset et al., 1980, 1987; Detal, 1984). The commercial value is 40% higher than that of animals of other breeds. This explains the reason why breeders have accepted calving problems and the current practise of Caesarian sections. The morphologies of Friesian and Belgian White-Blue animals may be considered as two extremes in cattle types. The aim of the present work was to characterize the daily rhythm of resting time with young bulls of the two breeds in order to know if the data obtained with one dairy breed may be extended without restriction to double-muscled animals. The influence of the weight of the animals was also considered. MATERIALS AND METHODS Standing and lying bouts of 11 fattening bulls were recorded continuously during two 1-week trials. There were 6 Friesian bulls and 5 double-muscled bulls from the Belgian White-Blue breed. At the start of Trial 1, the average weights of the Friesian and Belgian White-Blue bulls were 154.2 + 17.6 and 246.2 _+9.0 kg, respectively; they were 5 and 7.5 months old on average. Trial 2 started 84 days later when the liveweight was about 100 kg more: 254.4 _+20 kg for the Friesians and 352.8 _+6.9 kg for the double-muscled bulls. In Trial 2, the liveweight of the Friesians was similar to that of the Belgian White-Blue in Trial 1. Animals were kept in a stanchion barn which measured 7 × 13 m. It consisted of a service passage (width 3.5 m), 1 row of 12 stalls (width 2.5 m with the manger) and a 1.0-m-wide feed passage. Natural ventilation was provided by windows as air inlets and chimneys as air outlets. Each stall measured 1.7 X 1.05 m. The front part of the stall floor was covered by a rubber mat (length 0.9 m). The back part was a metal grid consisting of flat bars of 3 cm width, placed 3 cm apart on the fore-half and 4 cm apart on the hind-half. Faeces and urine fell through the metal grid into a slurry channel. Each animal was separated from its neighbours by a partition wall 1.3 m in length which extended from the manger into the stall. Animals were tied up by a yoke consisting of a vertical chain anchored in the floor and attached at the top to a horizontal bar; the neck collar could glide along this chain. The average temperatures of the stables during both trials were 15.1+ 1.7 and 2.6 + 1.6 ° C, respectively. Both values were in the thermoneutral zone since the lower critical temperature of growing cattle is about 2°C (Sainsbury and Sainsbury, 1979; Bruce, 1986). During the day, light intensity varied from 10 to 150 lux, according to time of the day and external climatic conditions; during the night, it was lower than 2 lux. Animals were fed at about 06.30 and 15.30 h; they were offered 1.0 kg soya bean meal, 0.7 kg rolled barley, 2.1 kg dried sugar beet pulp and 1.2 kg hay. The stable was cleaned once, in the morning, after feeding.
261
Standing up and lying down were recorded by an electrical device. A potentiometer was mounted 2.5 m above each animal. The cursor of the potentiometer could be moved by an elastic band tied at animal rump level to a strap placed around the body of the animal. When the animal did not lie down, the elastic band was unstretched and the electric resistance was nil. When the animal rested, the tension of the elastic band drew the cursor down; in this position, the time and the number of the animal were recorded on cassette tape by a datalogger. The potentiometers were regularly checked. In the first period, 4 days' measurements were discarded for one Friesian, and in the second period, 1 and 2 days for two Friesians. Results were analyzed considering two time-intervals: 06.00-18.00 h (the day) and 18.00-06.00 h (the night). The first one was characterized by lighting of the stable and the activity of the stockman; the second by darkness and quietness. Analyses of variances were used to compare the two breeds and animals of the same breed during the 2 periods. A non-parametric method, the median test, was performed when variances of the populations were statistically different. As the length of the standing or lying bouts varied from a few minutes to several hours, time was divided into classes of 15 min: 0-15 min; 15-30 min; 30-45 min; etc. Each standing or lying bout observed was allotted by length to one of these classes. The total number of standing or lying bouts allotted to each class were expressed as a percentage. The repartitions so obtained were compared between trials and between day and night by a )/2 test. RESULTS
The Friesian fattening bulls The average weights of the animals at the beginning of the two trials were 154.2 and 254.4 kg, respectively. Animals were lying for 68.8% of the time in Trial 1 and 67.2% in Trial 2, corresponding to 16.52 h and 16.13 h per 24 h (Table 1 ). Differences between animals were significant ( P < 0.001 ), but not those between trials. The lying time during the night was significantly longer than during the day. From 18.00 to 06.00 h, animals rested 90.7% of the time in Trial 1 and 88.1% in Trial 2. The corresponding values for the interval 06.00-18.00 h were 46.9 and 46.3%, respectively. The average number of lying bouts per 24 h was 12.31 _+2.06 in Trial 1 and 12.76 + 2.08 in Trial 2 (Table 2). The difference was not significant. Nor was there any difference between the numbers of lying bouts during the day and the night. The repartition of the lyingbouts according to their length was not different between trials. Figure 1 shows the pooled data of the 2 trials. The proportion of lying bouts shorter than 15 min and longer than 1 h were, on average, 7.6
262 TABLE 1 Time (h) spent lying during the n i g h t (from 18.00 to 06.00 h) a n d the day (from 06.00 to 18.00
h) Breed
Trial 1 Night
Trial 2 Day
Total
Night
Day
Total
Friesian 1 2 3 4 5 6
10.69 10.93 11.10 10.74 10.94 10.93
5.90 4.84 6.03 4.57 5.93 6.51
16.59 15.77 17.13 15.31 16.87 17.44
10.50 10.60 9.93 10.61 10.99 10.81
5.61 4.84 5.88 4.70 5.15 7.17
16.11 15.44 15.81 15.31 16.14 17.98
Mean (S~)
10.89 ___0.15
5.63 ___0.75
16.52 _+0.82
10.57 _+0.36
5.56 _+0.91
16.13 ___0.97
Belgian White-Blue 7 10.25 8 9.55 9 11.13 10 8.21 11 9.59
5.84 6.95 7.98 3.76 5.60
16.09 16.50 19.11 11.97 15.19
10.36 9.35 10.85 10.23 9.77
7.05 6.65 8.39 5.13 6.35
17.41 16.00 19.24 15.36 16.12
6.03 _ 1.58
15.77 ___2.58
10.11 _+0.57
6.71 _+ 1.18
16.82 ___1.54
Mean (S~)
9.75 ___1.07
S~, s t a n d a r d error of the mean.
TABLE 2 M e a n numbers of lying bouts per 24 h Breed
Trial I
Trial 2
Friesian 1 2 3 4 5 6
9.86 12.00 13.00 15.14 13.71 10.14
13.17 11.86 15.40 14.86 11.00 10.29
Mean (S~)
12.31 _+2.06
12.76 _+2.08
14.29 15.71 13.29 6.71 12.71
20.86 18.57 15.71 12.43 17.29
12.54 _+3.45
16.97 + 3.16
Belgian White-Blue 7 8 9 10 11 Mean (S~) Sx, s t a n d a r d error of the mean.
263 FRIESIAN
BELGIAN
20 T9
18_
BELGIAN
WHITE- BLUE
TRIAL I
21 Number bouts
WHITE-BLUE
]RIAL 2
of l y i n g
(% of t h e w h o r e )
17 16 15
14 13 12 11_ 10_ 9-
8 7.
t
I
6. 5
4. 3. 2. 1. 0. 2
3
4
~T~
2
3
4
1
5
2
3 Hours
Fig. 1. Repartition of lying bouts according to length. FRIESIAN
50
BELGIAN WHITE-BLUE
BELGIAN WHITE-BLUE
T~4AL]
TRIAl2
N u m b e r of standing bouts ( % of the w h o l e )
45
40
35
25
20
15
10
i
3
•5
,
2
3
Fig. 2. Repartition of standing bouts according to length.
4
5
2
3
4
S Hours
264
and 59.2%, respectively. The repartition was different between the night and the day. From 18.00 to 06.00 h, 3.3% of the lying bouts were shorter than 15 min and 70.1% longer than 1 h. From 06.00 to 18.00 h, the corresponding values were 19.6 and 30.3%. The repartition of the standing bouts related to their length was strongly asymmetrical (Fig. 2). About 45% of the standing bouts were shorter than 15 min. There was no difference between trials.
The Belgian White-Blue fattening bulls At the start of each trial, the average weights of the animals were 246.2 and 352.8 kg. The percentage time spent lying was 66.3% in Trial 1 and 70.1% in Trial 2, corresponding to 15.77 and 16.82 h per 24 h, respectively (Table 1). Differences between animals were significant (P < 0.001 ) but not between trials. From 18.00 to 06.00 h, animals rested 81.3% of the time in the first trial and 84.3% in the second. The corresponding values for the interval 06.00-18.00 h were 50.3 and 55.9%, respectively. There was a large but not significant difference between the mean numbers of lying bouts per 24 h; 12.54 + 3.45 in the first trial and 16.97 _+3.16 in the second (Table 2 ). For both trials, there was no difference between the numbers of lying bouts during the night and the day. The repartition of the lying bouts according to their length was different between trials (P < 0.001 ). The proportions of lying bouts shorter than 15 min were 4.6 and 7.9%, respectively, in Trials 1 and 2; those longer than 1 h were 60.6 and 43.6% (Fig. 1 ). On average, there were more lying times in the second trial, but they were of shorter length. From 18.00 to 06.00 h, about 5% (5.6% in Trial 1, 4.5% in Trial 2) of the lying bouts were shorter than 15 min; the proportions of those longer than 1 h were 66.0 and 46.3%, respectively, for both trials. From 06.00 to 18.00 h, the corresponding values were 11.1 and 19.4%, and 39.1 and 28.9%. The difference between trials was significant during the night but not during the day. The repartition of the standing bouts according to their length was different between trials. The proportions of standing bouts shorter than 15 min were 32.6 and 50.1% for Trials 1 and 2, respectively; the percentages of those longer than 1 h were 18.7 and 9.3%, respectively (Fig. 2). DISCUSSION
The fattening bulls of the two breeds were observed at the same time in the same stable, but the liveweight of the Friesian was on average 100 kg less than that of the Belgian White-Blue bulls; 154.2 vs. 246.2 kg in the first trial, 254.4 vs. 352.8 kg in the second. It has been shown, however, that there was no significant difference between Friesian bulls of 154.2 or 254.4 kg. So, the compar-
265 ison between Friesian and Belgian White-Blue bulls in the first trial was not affected by the difference in weights. The data have been analyzed only on this basis. The mean lying times per 24 h of the Friesian and Belgian White-Blue were similar; 16.52 and 15.77 h, respectively. The present values observed in a stanchion barn may be compared to those found in loose houses by other authors. Daelemans and Boucqu~ (1972) found lying times ranging from 14.2 to 16.6 h according to weight and floor type. Ilan et al. (1973) reported a lying time of 15.22-15.93 h for Friesian calves, 6.5 months old, kept in an open shed on a concrete slatted floor. Andreae and Smidt ( 1982 ) observed lying times of 13.915.7 h for cattle, 6-9 months old, housed on a slatted floor. Robertson et al. (1977) found lower values with Friesian steers, 425 kg liveweight, kept in an unroofed slatted yard; animals lay from 11.8 to 13.1 h per 24 h. According to the review of Houpt and Wolski (1982), cattle on pasture spend from 5 to 13 h lying. Although the mean lying time was similar for the 2 breeds, a difference was observed in the repartition of the lying and standing bouts related to their length. The proportions of lying times of long duration and standing times of short duration were higher for the Friesians than for the Belgian White-Blue bulls. For example, the percentages of lying bouts greater than 2 h were 18.7 and 13.1, respectively, for the Friesians and the double-muscled animals; the percentages of standing times shorter than 15 rain were 44.7 and 32.6, respectively. The mean number of lying times per 24 h was not different between breeds in the first trial, 12.31 vs. 12.54, but differed in the second trial, 12.76 vs. 16.97. Andreae and Smidt (1982) found mean daily lying intervals between 9.0 and 11.2 according to group on a slatted floor. The authors consider that the daily lying intervals, as opposed to the total lying time per day, is a reliable quantitative indicator for measuring the adaptation of the animals to a slatted floor. They showed that animals previously adapted to a slatted floor had a mean number of lying intervals significantly higher than unadapted ones, without any difference in total lying time. Our observations (unpublished data) also showed that a limited number of movements per day is an indicator of animal discomfort. The 6 Friesian bulls had more similar behaviours than the Belgian WhiteBlue bulls. The variances of lying times and of the numbers of lying bouts were lower for the Friesian than for the Belgian White-Blue bulls in both trials (Tables 1 and 2). The difference between variances of lying time per 24 h and during the night was significant in the first period. Kiley-Worthington ( 1983 ) observed that veal calves which had to adapt to a restricted environment had different strategies. The amount of individual variation was considerable. The author concluded that it is therefore more appropriate to construct individual personality profiles than to make generalizations about their behaviour. In our
266 e x p e r i m e n t , the larger variability b e t w e e n the Belgian W h i t e - B l u e bulls in each trial a n d b e t w e e n trials m i g h t be i n t e r p r e t e d as a sign of greater discomfort. T h e resting b e h a v i o u r of t h e a n i m a l s was d i f f e r e n t d u r i n g t h e day a n d the night. T h e p r o p o r t i o n of lying t i m e s s h o r t e r t h a n 15 m i n was h i g h e r d u r i n g the day t h a n d u r i n g the night; i.e. 19.6 vs. 3.3% for t h e F r i e s i a n bulls. T h e difference was p r o b a b l y due to t h e activity of t h e s t o c k m a n in t h e stable d u r i n g t h e day. Since m o r e differences were f o u n d b e t w e e n o b s e r v a t i o n s r e c o r d e d d u r i n g t h e n i g h t t h a n over a 24-h period, it is suggested t h a t t h e n i g h t records are a b e t t e r i n d i c a t o r to c o m p a r e a n i m a l s ' b e h a v i o u r in r e l a t i o n to breed, weight or t y p e of housing. In conclusion, t h e resting b e h a v i o u r has to be c h a r a c t e r i z e d n o t only by the two usual p a r a m e t e r s , which are the a m o u n t o f lying t i m e a n d the n u m b e r of lying b o u t s per 24 h, b u t also b y the d i s t r i b u t i o n s of the lying a n d s t a n d i n g b o u t s r e l a t e d to t h e i r length. D a t a o b t a i n e d w i t h t h e F r i e s i a n b r e e d c a n n o t be e x t e n d e d w i t h o u t r e s t r i c t i o n to d o u b l e - m u s c l e d animals.
REFERENCES Andreae, U. and Smidt, D., 1982. Behavioural alterations in young cattle on slatted floors. In: E. Ulmer (Editor), Disturbed Behaviour in Farm Animals. Verlag, Stuttgart, pp. 51-60. Bruce, J.M., 1986. Lower critical temperature for housed beef cattle. Farm Building Progress, April: 23-28. Daelemans, J. and Boucqu~, Ch., 1972. Etables ~ stabulation libre pour b~tail de boucherie. Rev. Agric. (Brussels), 25: 405-419. Detal, G., 1984. Production de viande. Gestion du cheptel. Production du b~tail hypermuscl~. Rev. Agric. (Brussels), 37: 503,516. Hanset, R., Stasse, A. and Detal, G. (Editors), 1980. The Belgian White-Blue cattle. Herd Book of Belgian White-Blue Cattle, 5300 Ciney. Hanset, R., Michaux, C. and Stasse, A., 1987. Relationship between growth rate, carcass composition, feed intake, feed conversion ratio and income in four biological types of cattle. Genet. Sel. Evol., 19: 225-248. Houpt, K.A. and Wolski, T.R., 1982. Domestic Animal Behaviour for Veterinarians and Animal Scientists. Iowa State University Press, Ames, 356 pp. Ilan, D., Levy, D. and Holzer, Z., 1973. Behaviour patterns of intensively fed male calves as affected by allowance and type of space, diethylstilboestrol implantation, and ration. Anim. Prod., 17: 147-156. Kiley-Worthington, M., 1983. The behaviour of confined calves raised for veal: are these animals distressed? Int. J. Stud. Anim. Prob., 4: 198-213. Robertson, A.M., Clarck, J.J., Mitchell, C.D. and Ross, G.W., 1977. Behaviour of fattening cattle in a roofless slatted yard. Farm Building Progress, October: 19-23. Sainsbury, D. and Sainsbury, P., 1979. Livestock Health and Housing. Bailli~re Tindall, London, 388 pp.