不同種類地面材質對泌乳羊行為暨生產表現之影響

Abstract

羊乳主要生產國集中在亞洲，約佔2013年世界羊乳產量57%，而在亞洲，尤其是台灣，因氣候濕熱而常以金屬網狀地面作為畜舍地面飼養乳山羊，但對於金屬網狀地面是否為飼養乳山羊最佳的地面材質則不得而知，因此本試驗旨在探討泌乳羊是否受不同地面材質影響其行為及生產表現。 本試驗依照溫溼度分為涼季（11月到3月）及熱季（5月到9月），試驗地面材質除常見之金屬網狀地面外，尚包括以部分取代金屬網狀地面方式鋪設紅色地墊（R mat）、綠色地墊（G mat）或木板墊（W pad）。在第一部分躺臥偏好試驗中，於夜間同時提供4種地面材質中2種以了解泌乳羊之躺臥偏好。第二部分將地墊實際應用於日常欄位內，並提供泌乳羊金屬網狀地面、外加單一種地墊或兩兩地墊組合等7種地墊組合供其使用並觀察其一日行為時間分布（採食、走動、站立及躺臥）是否受各種地墊組合影響。最後一部分根據本實驗所得結果，以部分補充木板墊作為試驗組並與完全金屬網狀地面比較以了解地面材質對於生產表現之影響。 當涼季同時提供R mat與G mat與W pad三者間任兩者時，泌乳羊並未表現顯著躺臥偏好，而相對於G mat及W pad，泌乳羊偏好躺臥金屬網狀地面，但金屬網狀地面與R mat間則無顯著差異。另一方面，熱季R mat與G mat間或金屬網狀地面與W pad間皆未有顯著偏好，但相對於R mat或G mat，泌乳羊顯著偏好躺臥金屬網狀地面及W pad。在涼季模擬現場使用7種地墊組合時，發現泌乳羊採食時間類似，卻顯著影響其走動、站立及躺臥時間，而熱季卻僅影響泌乳羊走動時間，對於採食、站立及躺臥時間則無顯著影響。在涼季使用W pad時發現相對於金屬網狀地面，泌乳羊躺臥時間有顯著增加，因此我們比較使用部分補充W pad及完全金屬網狀地面為期八週對其生產表現上的影響。在熱季乳產量中，W pad組雖較金屬網狀地面組每隻泌乳羊多0.2公斤，但整體來說，乳產量、乳組成及總生菌數並未有顯著差異。 綜觀上述實驗結果，泌乳羊在涼季偏好躺臥金屬網狀地面，熱季則偏好躺臥金屬網狀地面及W pad，而在現場應用上，不同地墊組合會影響其走動、站立或躺臥時間。另外，當提供部分補充W pad供泌乳羊使用時則不影響其生產表現。

Goat milk is majorly produced in Asia, which accounted for 57 % of goat milk in the world in 2013. In Asia, especially in Taiwan, dairy goats are usually raised on expanded metal floor due to relatively high temperature and humidity. We have no idea about whether the expanded metal is the best floor material to raise dairy goats. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to investigate whether behaviors and production performance of dairy goats could be affected by different bedding materials. In our present study, we provided three kinds of extra bedding materials, which were red (R) mat, green (G) mat, and wood (W) pad, on partial area of expanded metal floor, in two seasons, cool season from Nov. to Mar. and hot season from May to Sep. In the first part, lying preference test, we provided two bedding materials each time at night to investigate which kind of bedding materials dairy goats preferred to lie on. In the second part, on-farm simulation test, we arranged seven floor types including expanded metal, R mat, G mat, W pad, and simultaneous two types of bedding materials (R/G, G/W, R/W) to observe whether the daily time budget of behaviors such as eating, walking, standing and lying were affected. In the last part results, based on the first part, we provided W pad as partial experimental bedding material and compared the production performance with complete expanded metal floor. Lying preference test indicated that there were no lying preference differences between R mat and G mat, between R mat and W pad and between G mat and W pad in cool season. However, dairy goats significantly preferred expanded metal than G mat or W pad, but not than R mat. On the other hand, in hot season, there were no lying preference differences between R mat and G mat and between expanded metal and W pad. Dairy goats significantly preferred lying on expanded metal and W pad than on R mat and G mat. In the on-farm simulation test, the daily time budget of eating behavior in seven groups were similar in cool season. However, the daily time budget of walking, standing and lying were affected by different bedding materials. On the other hand, in hot season, the daily time budget of eating, standing and lying showed no difference among all groups but the bedding materials significantly affected the daily time budget of walking behavior. Since the lying time of dairy goats in W pad group increased, we provided W pad as the experimental partial bedding material and compared the production performance with complete expanded metal for eight weeks. Although there was 0.2 kg more milk per goat daily in W pad group than control group in hot season. However, the difference was not significant between the two groups in daily milk yield, milk composition and total bacteria count in both seasons. In conclusion, lactating dairy goats prefer expanded metal more than other bedding materials in cool season and prefer both expanded metal and W pad in hot season. Bedding materials influence the daily time budget of goats’ behaviors such as walking, standing and lying but not on their production performance.