Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE, cilt.295, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
The shift to mechanized milking warrants further investigation into its effects on performance and behavioral outcomes in buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), a species characterized by a unique mother-calf bond and udder structure. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of milking type (MT) - bucket milking machine (BM) versus hand milking (HM) - and of cow-calf contact (CC) during milking (full (FC) or partial (PC)) on milking performance and behavioral traits in primiparous Anatolian buffalo cows. Hence, for an 8-week experiment, 80 healthy cows weighing 500 +/- 40 kg and with 35 +/- 5 days in milk were selected and assigned to four treatments (BM-FC, HM-FC, BM-PC, and HM-PC), with 20 cows per treatment. Data on behavioral traits (milking temperament, stepping, kicking, urinating, defecating, vocalization, turning the head back, and tail wagging) and milking performance (milk flow rate, milking duration, and milk yield per milking) were collected four times at 14-day intervals: behavioral traits by scoring and milking performance by measuring. The milking performance data were evaluated using a 2 x 2 factorial design: MT (BM and HM) x CC (PC and FC). A non-parametric permutation test was applied to assess the effects of these factors on the temperament score. Depending on the data type, Spearman or Pearson correlation analyses were used to assess pairwise correlations among behavioral and milking-performance traits. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the relationship between behavioral responses and the MT and CC factors. The BM resulted in a longer milking duration and a lower milk flow rate than the HM, whereas the FC resulted in a shorter milking duration and a higher milk flow rate than the PC. BM-PC showed reduced milk yield per milking and greater nervousness during milking compared with BM-FC, HM-PC, and HM-FC. Positive correlations between milking temperament score and behavioral traits ranged from weak (defecation and urination) to moderate (vocalizing, turning the head back, and tail wagging). Milking performance parameters and temperament scores were moderately negatively correlated. The BM and FC cows exhibited higher behavioral response levels (primarily kicking, vocalization, and stepping) than their reference counterparts (HM and PC). This study indicates that primiparous Anatolian buffalo cows subjected to BM are more susceptible to CC-associated milking stress, which can adversely affect their welfare and, subsequently, their milking performance.