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• 1999 December
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• Human Behaviour & Milk Production

Human Behaviour & Milk Production

A recent DRDC funded study performed by Professor Paul Hemsworth of the Animal Welfare Centre has shown that milk production can be increased significantly when stock people undergo extra training in stock handling. The study was run in 94 dairy herds in northern Victoria during 1998/1999 with milk production (volume, fat and protein) and BMCC being used to monitor the effects of the program. Half of the herds received training in animal behaviour (the treatment group) with the other herds being monitored only (the control group).

A process called cognitive-behavioural intervention was used on the Control group. Stock people were intensively trained to identify what aspects of human behaviour influenced cow behaviour. The underlying belief in this system is that human attitudes to animals influences the way that humans behave towards animals. This in turn has a direct influence on the way the animals behave towards humans. All of this has an effect on production. Cognitive-behavioural intervention has been used in the pig and poultry industries resulting in gains in production and reductions in health problems. Improvements in reproductive performance have also been shown in piggeries that have adopted this technique.

The farms that were trained in cognitive-behavioural intervention produced an average 1 litre/cow/day more than the Control herds. Fat and protein production was also increased. The BMCC of the treatment group was lower than the control group, however this result was not significant. The majority of the stock people trained believed that their attitudes towards their stock had improved and that the stock were easier to handle as a result of their training. A majority of the females in the treatment group also believed that they were less likely to lose their temper with the cows. This was not the case with the male participants.

It is clear that improvements in human behaviour and attitudes towards cows and a reduction in the fear responses by cows is associated with improvements in milk yield. Continual, even mildly aversive behaviour towards cows teaches cows to be fearful. Improvements in the comfort of cows and people in the dairy environment have other spin off effects including increased job satisfaction, improved labour productivity, improvements in animal health and welfare.