Enhancing animal welfare and improving production performance of feedlot cattle by introducing forms of environmental enrichment

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The effect of environmental enrichment in the form of shading, formation of a manure heap and the stimulation of increasing visits to the feeding trough on the maintenance behaviour, social behaviour and production parameters in a Namibian beef cattle feedlot were assessed.In the first study, the effect of providing shading to the cattle on the weight gain, maintenance and social behaviour was assessed. The animals in the control group had a 300 g higher daily weight gain compared to the shade group. The maintenance behaviour did not differ significantly between the shade and control group, except for the feeding and drinking behaviour which was higher in the control group and could be linked to the higher dry matter feed intake. The social behaviour showed significant differences with more affiliative behaviours in the shade group. The cattle spent most of their time in the shaded area by either standing, lying down or walking, while more socialising (affiliative, aggressive and stereotypic) behaviour was observed in the non-shaded area. Cattle were utilising the shaded area more frequently than the non-shaded area, except in winter when the cattle were more active in the non-shaded area due to cooler temperatures. The results show that the animals in the shade group experienced a better welfare due to the availability of shading.The second study assessed the effect of a manure heap in the middle of the pen on the weight gain, maintenance and social behaviour of the cattle. The manure group gained 200 g less weight per day compared the control group. No significant differences, between the manure and control group, were found for the social and maintenance behaviours, except for lying down and feeding. Lying down was the most frequent behaviour during the study and differed between the seasons. The off-heap area was generally more occupied by the cattle since only 5% of the pen was covered by the manure heap. The cattle of the manure group showed more positive behaviours, such as playing. For both groups, the lying down behaviour was more frequent in winter, while standing was more frequent in summer. On cooler and rainy days the manure heap was fully occupied, as it was a heat reservoir (of the previous day's sun shining on it) and a dryer area to stand and lay on after heavy rainfalls.The third study investigated the effect of stimulating the animals' visits to the feeding trough by turning the feed in the feeding trough with a shovel. The aim was to get more cattle at the feeding trough to stimulate feed intake and thereby improve production. In this study, only the feeding behaviour was recorded by means of visits to the feeding trough. The feed stimulation group did not improve their weight gain per day (300 g/day less than the barren treatment) although they ate 300 g more feed per day than the barren treatment. The visits to the feeding trough were more stimulated by the feed mixer delivering feed or passing the trough than the manual turning of the feed with a shovel. Lower feeding was recorded in spring and autumn due to the varying temperatures in Namibia during these seasons.The temperament and individual personalities of the cattle, the human-animal interaction/bond and the adaptability of the cattle to the climate most likely had a more pronounced effect than the treatments evaluated on the animals' welfare. The treatments used in this study did not show a high success rate, but consumers' perception and the overall happiness of the animals observed makes it a worthy gesture to introduce these forms of environmental enrichment into a cattle feedlot in Namibia.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University