Timing of the attraction towards the placenta and amniotic fluid by the parturient cow

Variation in placentophagy in golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) reflects nutritional constraints

Golden snub-nosed monkeys show inconsistent frequency of placentophagy between wild and captive populations, with almost all births in the wild but around half of the births in captivity accompanied by the female's consumption of placenta. This aligns with nutritional demands-driven placentophagy, as captive populations are generally under less nutritional constraints for breeding females than the wild population. Placentophagy is probably adaptive in the wild and under positive selection due to nutritional benefits to both mothers and infants.

Maternal Behavior in Beef Cattle: The Physiology, Assessment and Future Directions-A Review

Bovine maternal behavior is known to be influenced by a variety of factors including hormonal mediation, breed, age, parity, host genetics and general management practices. Following centuries of varying levels of domestication processes, the behavior of the bovine cow has altered from that of her original wild ungulate ancestors, although many maternal instincts have remained unchanged. The influence of maternal behavior on calf health and performance is of interest to cow-calf beef production operations, as in most instances, the cow is solely responsible for rearing the calf until weaning. However, investigating the magnitude of this influence is challenging, in part because objective measurement of behavioral traits is difficult, particularly in extensive settings. In recent years, while a number of remote monitoring devices have been developed that afford opportunities for objective measurement of behavioral traits in livestock, characterization of physiological mechanisms that underlie superior maternal behavior, including identification of potential biomarkers remains elusive in cattle. Hormonal profiles during the periparturient period have been shown to influence behavioral patterns in both current and future generations in other mammalian species and may provide insights into the physiology of bovine maternal behavior. Therefore, the aim of this review is to describe general characteristics of bovine maternal behavior and the factors known to influence it, including hormonal drivers, through which cross-reference to other species is made. Current methods of measuring and assessing behavior that may also be applicable to most production settings have also been reviewed. At present, there is no known hormonal assay that can be used to measure and/or reliably predict bovine maternal behavior post-calving or across generations. Being able to objectively assess superior maternal behavior, whether that be through remote monitoring, hormonal profiling or indirectly through measuring calf performance will be beneficial to livestock industries in the future.

A survey on management and housing of peri-parturient dairy cows and their calves

Housing and management around the time of calving impact dairy cow behaviour, health and welfare, but little is known about current practice. The aim was to provide an overview of current calving practice and the study describes the main calving housing and management based on replies to an online questionnaire by 42 dairy cattle experts in 28 countries, or regions, in Europe, Canada and USA. The survey suggests that in the majority of countries and regions included in this study, dairy cows typically calve in indoor calving facilities; either individual pens, group pens or a system where the cow is moved from a group pen into an adjacent individual pen before calving. Regarding individual calving pens, the survey suggests that in the majority of countries and regions included in this study, most pens have open sides and offer cows no opportunity to isolate, although research shows that a secluded corner of an individual pen creates a preferred calving site. Further, the survey suggests that when cows calve in individual calving pens or tie-stalls, they are often moved there with signs of imminent calving, although research shows that this practice increases the duration of calving and it is recommended to move cows before their expected calving time. Regarding group pens, none of the 42 respondents replied that group pens typically offer cows the opportunity to isolate at calving. Recent research suggests that when cows calve in a secluded area of a group calving pen, this reduces the risk of failure of passive transfer of immunity. Regarding calving facilities where group pens are combined with adjacent individual pens, this was reported to be the most typical in 10 of the 24 countries and regions with indoor calving sections covered by the survey. The same concerns regarding when the cow is moved from the group pen to an individual pen apply, as outlined above. Irrespective of pen type, the most frequently reported surface was deep bedded straw and the most frequent type of separation between pens was open sides. Cow-calf separation within 12 hours of birth, and thereafter individual housing of calves combined with milk feeding via a teat bucket or bar was indicated the most frequent management. The survey presents experts' evaluations of current practice of housing and management of peri-parturient dairy cows and their calves, and suggests that there is a discrepancy between current calving management and housing and recommendations based on recent research.

The effect of stocking density and a blind on the behavior of Holstein dairy cows in group maternity pens. Part II: Labor length, lying behavior, and social behavior

In natural settings, dairy cows separate from the herd to give birth. When kept indoors, seeking isolation before calving may be restricted and may depend on space and resources provided in maternity housing. The effect of group maternity pens on behavior around calving and labor progress is unknown. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of stocking density and provision of a blind in group bedded pack maternity pens on lying and social behavior as well as length of labor of preparturient dairy animals. The study was conducted as a complete randomized block design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments including stocking density and presence or absence of a blind, resulting in a total of 4 treatments: (1) high stocking density (7.7-12.9 m² lying space/cow) with a blind, (2) low stocking density (15.4-25.8 m²) with a blind, (3) high stocking density without a blind, and (4) low stocking density without a blind. A total of 127 primiparous heifers and 247 multiparous cows were housed in mixed-parity groups from approximately 3 wk before and immediately after calving. During the 4 h before calving, lying behavior (lying time and bouts) was collected automatically using accelerometers, and social behavior (agonistic interactions, allogrooming, and attention from other cows), stage II labor duration, and frequency of position change during stage II labor were collected using video. Lying behavior was collected with accelerometers. Regardless of treatment, lying time and bouts increased as calving approached. Cows and heifers performed more lying bouts in low stocking density pens compared with high stocking density pens. Agonistic interactions and allogrooming were not different between treatments. Other cows spent more time paying attention to focal animals regardless of stocking density as calving approached, but time spent paying attention was reduced by the presence of a blind during h -2 before calving. The hazard of calving unassisted was greater for cows and heifers in low stocking density pens with a blind compared with all other treatments. Further, animals in pens with a blind tended to change positions fewer times during stage II labor. These results suggest that providing a blind in group maternity pens may improve the calving environment for cows and heifers and, in combination with low stocking density, may reduce the amount of time spent in labor.

Consumption of Maternal Placenta in Humans and Nonhuman Mammals: Beneficial and Adverse Effects

Placentophagia is a common mammalian behavior, and the first scientific study of the potential effects of human maternal placentophagia on lactation was in 1917. More recently, in the 1970s, human placentophagia was reported in North America with a trend toward increased consumption. There are different hypotheses about the women and nonhuman mammals' motivation towards placentophagia, but few have been subject to hypotheses testing. In women, the controversy continues; on the one hand, researchers attribute benefits like increased breast milk, weight gain in newborns, decreased postpartum depression and fatigue, and improved mothers' mood. In contrast, bacterial or viral infections, hormonal, or trace elements that could become toxic for both the mother and baby are reported as possible health risks. Other reports argue a lack of scientific rigor to support the self-reported benefits of placentophagia. Also, the way the placenta is prepared (raw, cooked, dehydrated, processed, or encapsulated) alters its components, and thus the desired effects. This review provides relevant information and the different hypotheses and points of view around placentophagia. However, there are still questions to be resolved, and more studies are needed to confirm or reject the data generated so far about placentophagia in humans and nonhuman mammals.

Prepartum Maternal Behavior of Domesticated Cattle: A Comparison with Managed, Feral, and Wild Ungulates

The event of giving birth is an essential part of animal production. In dairy cattle production, there are substantial economical and welfare-related challenges arising around the time of parturition, and hence increased focus on efficient management of the calving cow. Drawing on the research literature on prepartum maternal behavior, this review compares cattle to other members of the ungulate clade with the aim of understanding the biological basis of bovine prepartum behavior with main emphasis on dairy cows. Ultimately, this knowledge may be used in future development of housing systems and recommendations for the management of calving cows. Maternal prepartum behavior varies among species, but the final goal of ungulate mothers is the same: ensuring a calm parturition and optimal environment for the onset of postpartum maternal behavior by locating an appropriate birth site, with low risk of predators, disturbances and mistaken identity of offspring. Features of chosen birth sites vary among species and depend largely on the environment, as ungulate females display a considerable ability to adapt to their surroundings. However, within commercial housing conditions in dairy production, the animals’ ability to adapt behaviorally appears to be challenged. Confinement alongside high stocking densities leave little room to express birth-site selection behavior, posing a high risk of agonistic social behavior, disturbances, and mismothering, as well as exposure to olfactory cues influencing both prepartum and postpartum maternal behavior. Dairy cows are thus exposed to several factors in a commercial calving environment, which may thwart their maternal motivations and influence their behavior. In addition, prepartum cattle may be more affected by olfactory cues than other ungulate species (e.g., sheep) because they are attracted to birth fluids already before calving. Hence, providing dairy cows with an environment where they can perform the maternal behavior they are motivated for, may aid a calm and secure calving and provide optimal surroundings for postpartum maternal behavior. Future research should focus on designing motivation-based housing systems allowing freedom to express prepartum maternal behavior and investigate in more detail the effects of the environment on the welfare of calving cows and their offspring.

The motivation-based calving facility: Social and cognitive factors influence isolation seeking behaviour of Holstein dairy cows at calving

In order to improve animal welfare it is recommended that dairy farmers move calving cows from the herd to individual pens when calving is imminent. However, the practicality of moving cows has proven a challenge and may lead to disturbance of the cows rather than easing the process of calving. One solution may be to allow the cow to seek isolation prior to calving. This study examined whether pre-parturient dairy cows will isolate in an individual calving pen placed in a group calving setting and whether a closing gate in this individual calving pen will cause more cows to isolate prior to calving. Danish Holstein cows (n = 66) were housed in groups of six in a group pen with access to six individual calving pens connected to the group area. Cows were trained to use one of two isolation opportunities i.e. individual calving pens with functional closing gates (n = 35) allowing only one cow access at a time, or individual calving pens with permanently open gates allowing free cow traffic between group area and individual pen (n = 31). The response variables were calving site, calving behaviour and social behaviour. Unexpectedly, a functional gate did not facilitate isolation seeking, perhaps because the cows were not able to combine a learnt response with the motivation to isolate. Dominant cows had the highest chance of calving in an individual calving pen. If an alien calf was present in the group pen or any of the individual pens, cows were less likely to calve in an individual calving pen. Future studies should allow cows easy access to an individual calving pen and explore what motivates pre-parturient cows to seek isolation in order to facilitate voluntary use of individual calving pens.

Short communication: Calving site selection of multiparous, group-housed dairy cows is influenced by site of a previous calving

A calving cow and her newborn calf appear to have an attracting effect on periparturient cows, which may potentially influence the functionality of future motivation-based calving pen designs. In this pilot study we examined whether calving site selection of group-housed Holstein dairy cows was affected by the site of a previous calving. Ten multiparous cows moved to 1 of 2 group pens 11 (range = 4-27) d before calving were included. Each pen consisted of an open area (9 × 9 m) connected to 6 secluded areas (4.5 × 3 m each), where cows could move freely between all areas. Time of calving, location of the breaking of the amniotic sac, as well as the place of birth were recorded. In all but 1 case cows calved within a distance of 1 cow length from where the previous calving took place, suggesting that the cows did not select calving site at random. These preliminary observations indicate that choice of calving site may be affected by the site of a previous calving, potentially explained by the presence of amniotic fluids.

Minimising the stress of weaning of beef calves: a review

Weaning of beef calves is usually done abruptly and early compared to the natural weaning of the species, and is associated with simultaneous exposure of calves to a range of social and environmental stressors. Behavioural and physiological responses to weaning indicate detrimental effects on the welfare of these animals. The development and assessment of weaning methods aiming at reducing or avoiding this problem must be supported by scientific knowledge of the morphological, physiological and psychological mechanisms involved in the establishment, maintenance and braking of the cow-calf bond. Solutions also depend on the understanding of the various stressors associated with weaning, among which are the change in diet, cessation of nursing, separation from the dam, the change to a new spatial environment and the need for social reorganization following removal of the adults from the group. This review discusses these issues and assesses the effectiveness of the methods so far proposed for improving the welfare of beef calves during the weaning period.

Maternal behavior in cattle

We provide a critical summary of the literature on maternal behavior in cattle. The studies we review increase our basic understanding of this behavior and provide insights into practical problems in cattle production. When domesticated cattle are permitted to rear their young, the behaviors associated with maternal care are for the most part similar to those observed in wild ungulates. These behaviors allow the cow to bond with her calf, protect and provide it with nourishment and ultimately break down this bond at weaning. Different commercial production systems have emphasized different maternal behaviors, some being viewed as advantageous while others are considered a hindrance. Extensive production systems (most beef cattle production) place the responsibility of rearing the newborn largely on the cow and risk factors that affect the maternal bonding process (e.g. cross licking) remain important practical challenges. Most dairy cattle production discourages all aspects of maternal behavior with the exception of milk production, but changing consumer demand (e.g. increases in organic production) will make an understanding of maternal behavior in this system a priority in years to come.

Quantification of pre-parturition restlessness in crated sows using ultrasonic measurement

This study presents the non-video, noninvasive, automatic, and on-site monitoring system employing ultrasonic transducers to detect the behavior in sows before, during and after parturition. An ultrasonic transmitting/receiving (T/R) circuit of 40kHz is mounted above a conventional parturition bed. The T/R units use ultrasonic time-of-flight (TOP) ranging technology to measure the height of the confined sows at 8 predetermined locations. It is suggested that the system could be applied to automatic prediction of sow parturition, with automatic notification of remote management personnel so human attendance at the birth could reduce rates of sow and piglet mortality.

Placentophagia in rabbits: incidence across the reproductive cycle

Rabbits show placentophagia at parturition, but the regulation of this behavior and its incidence across the reproductive cycle are unknown. By testing estrous, midpregnant, prepartum (day 1), and postpartum (days 1 and 5) food-deprived rabbits with liver and placenta, we found an absence or infrequency (<%) of placentophagia in the former three groups, an invariable occurrence at parturition, and a persistence into postpartum days 1 and 5 (50 and 48%, respectively). Most placentophagic females also ate liver on postpartum day 1, but not on postpartum day 5. In different food-deprived rabbits, tested every 2 hr with placenta and food pellets, placentophagia incidence was 20% at 8 hr prepartum, 100% at parturition, and 67 and 21% at 8 and 24 hr postpartum, respectively. Most placentophagic rabbits also ate food pellets in postpartum (but not in prepartum) tests. Results suggest that somatosensory, hormonal, or both factors of the peripartum period regulate placentophagia expression.