Methods of Assessing Cattle Temperament and Factors Affecting it: a review

Abstract

In animal husbandry, the herd should consist of animals that are well adapted to a particular environment, which allows a safe working environment and the achievement of optimal production and economic results. Animals react differently to both positive and negative factors of the environment. Individual response to novel situations can affect metabolism as well as various physiological systems. A number of biochemical characteristics can be used as markers for assessing temperament. Temperament can also be defined as a combination of characteristics or qualities that form individual distinctive character. In this review article, we present various methods of assessing cattle temperament, firstly, in environments familiar to the animal, such as the barn and milking parlor, secondly, in unfamiliar special rooms or arenas with special equipment and, thirdly, considering other possible effects on the expression of temperament. Measurement of stress markers in saliva, feces, and hair using noninvasive methods has also been described as one of the approaches to assess temperament. Knowledge of cattle temperament allows us to work safely, introduce appropriate adapted breeding technologies, and improve housing conditions, which, consequently, results in improved animal welfare.Metode ocenjevanja temperamenta goveda in dejavniki, ki vplivajo nanj: pregledni članek. V živinoreji mora biti čreda sestavljena iz živali, ki so dobro prilagojene določenemu okolju, kar omogoča varno delovno okolje ter doseganje optimalnih proizvodnih in gospodarskih rezultatov. Živali se različno odzivajo na pozitivne in negativne dejavnike okolja. Odziv posameznika na nove razmere lahko vpliva na presnovo in različne fiziološke sisteme. Številne biokemične značilnosti se lahko uporabljajo kot označevalci za ocenjevanje temperamenta. Temperament lahko opredelimo tudi kot kombinacijo značilnosti ali lastnosti, ki tvorijo posameznikovo razlikovalno lastnost. V tem preglednem članku predstavljamo različne metode ocenjevanja temperamenta goveda, prvič, v okolju, ki ga žival pozna, kot sta hlev in molzišče, drugič, v neznanih posebnih prostorih ali arenah s posebno opremo, in tretjič, ob upoštevanju drugih možnih vplivov na izražanje temperamenta. Kot eden od pristopov k ocenjevanju temperamenta je bilo opisano tudi merjenje označevalcev stresa v slini, iztrebkih in dlaki z neinvazivnimi metodami. Poznavanje temperamenta goveda nam omogoča varno delo, uvajanje ustrezno prilagojenih tehnologij reje in izboljšanje pogojev reje, kar posledično vpliva na boljše počutje živali.