Abstract #362

# 362
Assessment of daily activity patterns in lactating dairy cows diagnosed with metritis.
Santiago Bas*1, Adrian A. Barragan1, Juan M. Piñeiro1, Gustavo M. Schuenemann1, Päivi J. Rajala-Schultz1, Troy A. Brick1, 1Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.

Metritis (MET) is a prevalent uterine disease that affects dairy cows, and causes substantial economic losses due to reduced milk yield, delayed pregnancy, cost of treatments, and increased culling and death rates. The objective was to assess changes in daily activity patterns (i.e., number of steps, number of lying bouts, standing time and lying time) of lactating dairy cows diagnosed with MET using activity monitors (IceQube, IceRobotics, Edinburgh, UK). Lactating dairy cows (n = 60) from one commercial dairy herd were enrolled. Primiparous (PRIM; n = 12) and multiparous (MULT; n = 48) cows were housed in the same pen and were milked 4 times daily. Cows diagnosed with MET (n = 30) were matched by lactation number and DIM to cows without MET (noMET; n = 30). On study d 1, MET was confirmed (using a metricheck device) by the presence of watery, reddish or brownish foul smelling vaginal discharge. In addition, activity monitors were placed on the hind legs of MET and noMET cows and were kept until study d 7. The daily number of steps (n/d), number of lying bouts (n/d), standing time (min/d) and lying time (min/d) were recorded. Cows showing any other signs of disease (e.g., lameness, mastitis) were not included. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS. Preliminary results showed no difference in the number of steps (P = 0.30), number of lying bouts (P = 0.93) standing time (P = 0.89), or lying time (P = 0.89) between MET and noMET cows. However, a different pattern of behavioral activity was observed between PRIM and MULT cows regardless of the MET status. PRIM cows had more steps (P < 0.0001; PRIM = 1921; MULT = 1728), more lying bouts (P < 0.0001; PRIM = 14; MULT = 11), spent more time standing (P = 0.01; PRIM = 860; MULT = 779) and less time lying (P = 0.01; PRIM = 580; MULT = 660) than MULT cows. Previous studies have reported differences in activity patterns between cows with and without MET. In the present study, PRIM and MULT cows were housed together and were milked 4 times daily; thus, on-farm management may affect daily behavioral activity patterns of lactating dairy cows regardless of the uterine health status postpartum.

Key Words: dairy, metritis, activity