Avaliação comportamental qualitativa do treinamento aplicado em novilhas zebuínas antes da primeira ordenha

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using qualitative behavioral assessment (QBA) to measure welfare in Zebu heifers and to propose a collective and individual qualitative behavior index. In the first experiment, 24 Zebu heifers distributed in 3 management lots were used for collective evaluation, which were encouraged to pass through the milking line in 2 or 3 attempts until acceptance of the passage by all animals. Filming was done of all attempts to encourage entry into the milking parlor. Filming was assisted by volunteer evaluators with different levels of knowledge of dairy cattle who used the Qualitative Behavioral Assessment (QBA) method to measure welfare. One hundred and twenty evaluation sheets with 9 descriptive terms for the behavioral classification method were analyzed and obtained minimum and maximum scores. The product of the first factor of the principal component analysis by the adjectives grade gave rise to the score. The sum of the adjective scores gave rise to the qualitative behavioral index (ICQ). The averages were compared by Tukey Kramer at 5% probability. The use of QBA for the evaluation of the training lot to enter the milking parlor for the first time is reliable as to the effect of the observers and also improves by 12.9 times from the first to the third attempt in the behavioral response of these animals when submitted to milking environment. There was a 60% reduction in undesirable movement and a 100% improvement over attempts for desirable characteristics. In the second experiment, for the individual evaluation 35 primiparous heifers 21 Gir and 14 Girolando were used. The lots under control (18) and trained (17) were divided. For the “trained” flock the animals were selected approximately 30 days before the expected delivery date and underwent 23-day training (evolutionary phases: containment with milking sounds; back brushing, croup and hock and udder; pre-dipping). and drying ceilings, teat-outs extended to animals) and 7 days rest prior to calving, filming these evolutionary phases. Postpartum all animals (trained and control) were filmed on the 1st, 5th and 15th postpartum days. Filming was assisted by volunteer evaluators who used the Qualitative Behavioral Assessment (QBA) method to measure well-being. 1942 evaluation sheets with 10 descriptive terms were analyzed using the same method. ICQ was assessed as a repeated measure over time with fixed effects of treatment, race and phase. On day 1 postpartum training improved the ICQ of Gir and Girolando heifers by 93% and 43%, respectively. Inserting training and environmental enrichment in pre-partum Zebu heifers favors behavioral improvements and reduction of undesirable movements. The use of evaluators with different levels of knowledge does not influence the reliability of the QBA, which can be used as a tool to determine well-being. Prepartum brushing of Gir heifers is indicated. Reliability can be noted by individually evaluating heifers in the evolutionary and postpartum phases.