138 An examination of cow behavior with an automated brush system in an intensively managed dairy system
Authors: Griffin Allison , Hardin Colby , Tilley Kandy , Burlison Maghan , McGee Marcus 
Published: March 2024

In recent years, the dairy industry has seen a significant shift in animal welfare practices, with growing emphasis on providing optimal living conditions for indoor-housed animals. Intensive management of dairy cows has become increasingly common, offering a controlled setting that ensures the well-being and productivity of the cow. Enrichment strategies such as automated brushes are proposed as a means for intensively managed dairy cows to improve their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Automated brushes have been shown to promote natural behaviors such as grooming and scratching, reducing boredom and promoting social interactions among cattle. These behavioral benefits can contribute to an enriched living environment. With this known, the objective of this study was to evaluate the usage of an automated brush system for grooming behaviors by lactating dairy cows housed in a freestall setting. A total of 29 cows (Holstein-Friesian and Jersey) over three trials (21 d each) were analyzed for duration of automated brush use using scan sampling of video recordings (0500h-0900h and 1700h-2100h); post milking) totaling eight hours per day throughout each trial. Animals were housed in a single pen with sand bedding at the Joe Bearden Dairy Research Center and managed in accordance with standard operating procedures of the unit. All data were passively collected without influencing behavioral changes. Video capture was in 4k resolution using a four camera closed-circuit media recording system. Cameras were placed in the corners of the pen, allowing full view of animals interacting with the brush system. Video images were scored using the open-source behavioral analysis software BORIS. Temperature and humidity were recorded daily using wall mounted monitors. Results indicate that cows increased brush use in the evenings (277.7±18.1s vs 221.7± 18.1s; P &lt; 0.01). An analysis of heat index and brush usage was performed for relationships towards assessing thermal effects of automated brush usage. However, heat index was not related to brush usage (R2 = 0.003; P = 0.69), suggesting animal motivation for brush interaction was not affected by temperature or humidity during the trial periods. Lastly, an examination of continued interest in the automated brush system was performed by partitioning each trial into two equal fractions representing the first and second halves. Results provide evidence of animals utilizing the automated brush similarly throughout the trial (P = 0.18), suggesting there was continued interest throughout the evaluated period. In conclusion, this study sheds light on the behavior of lactating dairy cows in response to an automated brush system in a freestall setting. These findings have implications for animal welfare and farm management strategies, suggesting that automated brush systems can be effectively utilized to enhance the well-being of dairy cows, providing them with opportunities for comfortable grooming experiences, regardless of environmental variations.