Locomotor activity and proximity relationships of nursing cows and their calves

José-Alfonso Abecia; Francisco Canto; Carlos Palacios; Jaime Nieto; Javier Plaza; Elena Pérez- García; Ignacio Torre

doi:10.31893/jabb.2025018

Keywords:

Abstract

Actigraphy uses triaxial accelerometers to study the locomotor activity (LA) of animals and humans, and proximity sensors are used to record interactions between individuals. This study documented the LA of a group of cows and their calves, and their interactions based on data collected by accelerometers that also served as proximity sensors. Mean LA of five cows and their calves, the temporal distribution in LA, and their circadian rhythms were calculated and the statistical significance of differences was assessed by an ANOVA. LA (counts/min) did not differ between cows (60.03±7.96) and calves (51.68±5.48), and were highest at 0900 h, and 1300 h, and 1900 h. Cows exhibited higher (P<0.001) LA in the day (96.05±7.99) than at night (38.42±7.48); in calves, the difference between day (63.84±7.67) and night (44.39±6.96) was not statistically significant. Mothers and offspring exhibited a 24-h circadian rhythm in their LA, which had a similar acrophase (12:45 vs. 12:14 h), but different MESOR (60.03 vs. 51.69) and amplitude (41.63 vs. 20.06) (P<0.05). On average, 34% of a cow’s proximity contacts were with their own calf. Cow-calf proximity contacts occurred throughout the day, but were most frequent around 0100 h, 0600 h, 1100 h, 1700 h, 1900 h, and 2100 h. The closest contacts (shortest distances) occurred at 0500 h, 1100 h, 1900 h, and 2300 h. The devices used in this study proved to be a useful for monitoring proximity between mothers and calves and their daily LA, in which both exhibited a 24-h circadian rhythm.
References
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15. Palacios, C., Plaza, J., & Abecia, J.A. (2021). A high cattle-grazing density alters circadian rhythmicity of temperature, heart rate, and activity as measured by implantable bio-loggers. Frontiers in Physiology, 12, 707222. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.707222
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18. Turner, S.P., McIlvaney, K., Donbavand, J., et al. (2020). The effect of behavioural indicators of calf discomfort following routine procedures on cow maternal care. Animals, 10, 87. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10010087
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to cite

Abecia, J.-A., Canto, F., Palacios, C., Nieto, J., Plaza, J., García, E. P.-., & Torre, I. (2025). Locomotor activity and proximity relationships of nursing cows and their calves . Journal of Animal Behaviour and Biometeorology, 13(2), 2025018. https://doi.org/10.31893/jabb.2025018

[1] Abecia, J.A., Canudo, C., Palacios, C., et al. (2022). Measuring lamb activity during lactation by actigraphy. Chronobiology International 39, 1368–1380. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2022.2108715

[2] Brown, D.D., Kays, R., Wikelski, M., et al (2013). Observing the unwatchable through acceleration logging of animal behavior. Animal Biotelemetry, 1, 20. https://doi.org/10.1186/2050-3385-1-20

[3] Costa, J.H.C., von Keyserlingk, M.A.G., & Weary, D.M. (2016). Invited review: Effects of group housing of dairy calves on behavior, cognition, performance, and health. Journal of Dairy Science, 99, 2453-2467. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2015-10144

[4] de Freslon, I., Peralta, J.M., Strappini, A.C., et al. (2020). Understanding allogrooming through a dynamic social network approach: an example in a group of dairy cows Frontiers in Veterinary Sciences, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2020.00535

[5] Green, W.C.H. (1992). The development of independence in bison: pre-weaning spatial relations between mothers and calves. Animal Behaviour, 43, 759-773. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-3472(05)80199-X

[6] Kilgour, R.J. (2012). In pursuit of “normal”: A review of the behaviour of cattle at pasture. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 138, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2011.12.002

[7] Mandel, R., Whay, H.R., Klement, E., et al. (2016). Invited review: Environmental enrichment of dairy cows and calves in indoor housing. Journal of Dairy Science, 99, 3, 1695-1715. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2015-9875

[8] Molcan, L. (2019). Time distributed data analysis by cosinor. bioRxiv [Preprint]. https://doi.org/10.1101/805960

[9] Mota-Rojas, D., Marcet-Rius, M., Freitas-de-Melo, A., et al. (2021). Allonursing in wild and farm animals: biological and physiological foundations and explanatory hypotheses. Animals, 11, 3092. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11113092

[10] Nevard, R.P., Pant, S.D., Broster, J.C., et al. (2023). Maternal behavior in beef cattle: the physiology, assessment and future directions—A review. Veterinary Sciences, 10, 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10010010

[11] Nishihara, K. Horiuchi, S., Eto, H., et al. (2002). The development of infants' circadian rest–activity rhythm and mothers' rhythm. Physiology & Behaviour, 77, 91-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9384(02)00846-6

[12] Orihuela, A. (2021). Review: Management of livestock behavior to improve welfare and production. Animal, 15, Supplement 1, 100290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2021.100290

[13] Orihuela, A., & Galina, C.S. (2021). The effect of maternal behavior around calving on reproduction and wellbeing of Zebu type cows and calves. Animals, 11, 3164. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11113164

[14] Ortmeyer, H.K., Robey, L., & McDonald, T. (2018) Combining actigraph link and petpace collar data to measure activity, proximity, and physiological responses in freely moving dogs in a natural environment. Animals 8,230. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani8120230

[15] Palacios, C., Plaza, J., & Abecia, J.A. (2021). A high cattle-grazing density alters circadian rhythmicity of temperature, heart rate, and activity as measured by implantable bio-loggers. Frontiers in Physiology, 12, 707222. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.707222

[16] Refinetti, R. (2016). Circadian physiology, 3rd ed. CRC Press, Boca Ratón, USA.

[17] Sanz, A., Blanco-Penedo, I., Quintans, G., et al. (2024). Mother-offspring bonding revisited: A blueprint for the future of beef cattle farming, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 277, 106346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106346

[18] Turner, S.P., McIlvaney, K., Donbavand, J., et al. (2020). The effect of behavioural indicators of calf discomfort following routine procedures on cow maternal care. Animals, 10, 87. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10010087

[19] von Keyserlingk, M.A.G., & Weary, D.M. (2007). Maternal behavior in cattle. Hormones & Behaviour, 52, 106–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.03.015

Abstract

References

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