Time budgets of finishing bulls housed in an uninsulated barn or at pasture

Authors

• Leena Tuomisto Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)
• Jaakko Mononen University of Eastern Finland
• Paula Martiskainen University of Eastern Finland
• Leena Ahola University of Eastern Finland
• Arto Kalevi Huuskonen Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.51116

Keywords:

behaviour, bulls, housing, time budgets

Abstract

This study aimed at comparing the behaviour of finishing bulls raised in an uninsulated barn (UB) and at pasture (PAS). In experiment 1, dairy bulls were housed in an uninsulated barn (two groups of five bulls, 32 m2/pen) or at pasture (groups of four and five bulls, 5000 m2/paddock). In experiment 2, Hereford bulls were housed in an uninsulated barn (three groups of four or five bulls, 32 m2/pen) or at pasture (three groups of five bulls, 5000 m2/paddock). There were no differences in drinking, social licking, butting, other social behaviour, self-licking or idling between the UB and PAS bulls. The UB bulls spent more time in lying, ruminating, oral explorative and manipulative behaviour and rubbing and less time foraging and walking than the PAS bulls. The UB bulls performed more social licking and oral manipulation of objects and less mounting than the PAS bulls. These differences resulted most probably from the different feeding regimes and different space allowances.