Effect of management change on selected welfare parameters of cows

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of relocation from a tie-stall barn to the facility with free-stall housing on adaptation of cows measured by behaviours latency and lenghts of the first episodes. Cows were observed at 10-min intervals for 48 hours after relocation on the first and second days. Second parity cows and non-pregnant cows lied down sooner than those in the first lactation and pregnant cows (532.2 +/- 274.6 min vs. 678.3 +/- 278.9 min; 588.5 +/- 237.0 min vs. 603.8 +/- 326.1 min). Primiparous and pregnant cows had shorter lying episodes following the relocation (25.0 +/- 12.9 min. vs. 51.4 +/- 31.8 min, P<0.001; 38.3 +/- 24.8 min vs. 46.0 +/- 35.8 min). Latencies for total lying (first time lying down regardless of which side cow lays) and lying on the left side were progressively shorter from the first milking session to the fourth milking session. Cows in second lactation and non-pregnant cows began ruminating sooner than cows in first lactation after the first and fourth milking sessions. The results of this study suggest that relocation may alter behavioural measures. However, behaviour after milking sessions observation indicate that older and non-pregnant cows are more able to adapt quickly to environmental change.