Abstract
During manure removal, robotic slat cleaners move in close proximity to dairy cows. The present study investigated the influence of a robotic cleaner on the animals by video recording and analysing their reactions. As most important influence factors concerning individual animal reactions, the small proportion of 8% of marked reactions by cows to the slat robot as well as the actual distance between the cows and the slat robot, indicated a good adaption of dairy cows to the equipment. Observation of the complete herd of cows demonstrated that animals increased their movement from lying area to feeding area while the robotic slat cleaner was operating.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 225-231 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Landtechnik |
| Volume | 69 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| State | Published - 2014 |
Keywords
- Animal behavior
- Dairy cows
- Robotic slat cleaner