Student Case Presentation
Eating and Rumination Behavior in Early Lactation as Predictors of Cow Resilience
| Date/Time: |
9/11/2025 3:15 pm
|
| Presenter: |
Tessa Scheler |
| Veterinary School: |
MN |
Abstract:
The objective of this study is to evaluate the association between eating and rumination time (across the first 7 DIM) with cow resilience (Healthy, Event, Cull by 60 DIM). All cows calving at a single commercial farm in Minnesota between April 2023 and January 2025 were eligible for enrollment (5,992 unique cow-lactation combinations). Total daily rumination and eating time was collected using a previously installed NEDAP system. Analysis was performed using linear mixed effects models and included the fixed effect of group, lactation, average milk yield across the first week in milk, baseline rumination or eating time – averaged across -14 to -7 days relative to calving, and the repeated measures term of day relative to calving (0 to 7 DIM). Based on the first 60 DIM, cows were assigned to “Event” (24%) if they had one health event (mastitis, metritis, retained placenta, displaced abomasum, milk fever or ketosis - reported by farm personnel) and “Cull” (11%) if they were culled. All other cows were defined as “Healthy” (65%). There was a significant difference in total daily rumination time across the first 7 DIM between Healthy cows (423 min/d, 95%CI: 418, 428) and both Event (386 min/d, 95%CII: 378, 395) and Cull (385 min/d, 95%CI: 37, 398) cows (P < 0.0001). There was no difference in total daily rumination between Event and Cull cows (P = 0.96). The total time spent eating daily was significantly higher in Healthy cows (284 min/d; 95%CI: 281-286) compared to Event (245 min/d; 95%CI: 241, 249) and Cull (237 min/d; 95%CI: 230, 244) cows (P < 0.0001), but were not significant between Event and Cull cows (P = 0.13). Practitioners could use these parameters in establishing farm protocols to identify potential at risk cows.
