الفهرس 
Manure Evaluation as indicator of animal welfareOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The present study was carried out at the research unit for animal behaviour, belonging to the Faculty of Agriculture, Menoufia University, Shebin El-kom, Egypt. This study included two experiments. The first one was conducted to monitor Egyptian buffaloes’ performance and activities with and without tethering. Eight Egyptian buffalo heifers randomly chosen for this study. Heifers were kept in closed housing system in tie-stall barn for four weeks then released from restraints for another four weeks then tied them for another four weeks again until the end of experiment. The experiment lasted for three months . During this period studied animals were video recorded for 72 h/month for each animal under different housing systems, with a total observation time of 216 hours for each animal through the experimental period using complete digital behavioural observation unit to monitor animals behaviour (daily activities and stress behaviour and ear Postures). Avoidance (AV) test was conducted individually for the two housing systems (tied and free) for all experimental animals three times a day (10 h., 12 h. and 14 h.). Manure evaluation for each animal was evaluated individually over 24 hours’ period for three consecutive days for each housing systems. At the end of each treatment, blood samples were collected to hematological examination. Experimental data were subjected to One-way ANOVA using IBM SPSS Statistics 22 statistical package (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, US) as a completely randomized design.
The second experiment was conducted to Exploring Animal’s reaction after changing their position from restraints to free and reverse. Sixteen animals randomly chosen for this experiment (8 buffalo cows and 8 heifers) were tied in a closed housing system . The animals were divided into two groups; the first one was eight Egyptian buffalo heifers. The second group was eight multiparous buffalo cows. Animals were kept in closed housing system in tie-stall barn with hard surface for four weeks then released from restraints for another four weeks then tied them for another four weeks up to the end of the experiment. Animals were monitored for the first five hours after being tied up and another five hours after they were released in order to be able to observed animal’s activities, stress, playing and social behaviours. Data were analyzed using the general linear model of IBM SPSS Statistics 22 statistical package (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, US).
Results can be summarized as following:
Experiment І:
1. Eating period was highly significant (P˂ 0.01) longer in tied system (306.13 min.) than free system (178.66 min.). Idling period was recorded significant decreased value (P˃0.05) in tied system than those in free system (815.93 and 954.93 min., respectively).
2. Increasing eating and ruminating period in tied system caused a dramatic increase in drinking, defecating and urinating behaviour (6.80, 6.40 and 3.73 time/day, respectively) vs (5.33, 4.26 and 2.13 time/day, respectively) in free system.
3. Animals under tied system were more stressful than those under free system where stepping rate was (27.73 times/day) in tied system vs (0.13 times/day) (P˂0.01) , kicking rate was (0.80 vs 0.00 times/day) (P ˂0.05) . Also Tail movements with tied animals were more than free animals (115.93 vs 60.00 times/day) (P ˂0.05).
4. None of heifers, whether tied or free, showed aggressive behaviour when approaching them at a distance of 2 or 1.5 meters (Score 1.2), which indicates a lack of fear of human and a feeling of familiarity with him. Score 3, which means the possibility of approaching the animal up to a distance of 1 meter without discomfort is the most common in tied and free systems (47% vs. 53%, respectively).
5. Within the whole day, it seems that the differences between two housing systems were highly significant (P<0.01) for backward position period in tied and free systems (1370.44 vs 1259.52 min.) and significant (P˂0.05) for forward position period (49.92 vs 159.00 min.).
6. Total leukocyte count was significant (P˂0.05) at free stalls (11,41×103/uL) than those in tied stalls (15,26×103/uL).
7. M.C.V was higher in animals at tied stall than with free stalls one (41.45 fl, 33.34 fl , respectively) (P˂0.05) 8. Animals defecated more frequently in tied system than free system, (7.80 vs 5.60 times/day, respectively)
9. Fecal yield per heifer (as fresh) was higher in tied stalls animals (14.46 kg/day) than those in free stalls one (9.42 kg/day), differences were highly significant (P<0.01).
10. Estimated undigested fecal components per heifer were higher at tied stalls (3550.00 g) than those of free stalls (2726.82 g) (P<0.05) . But the percentage of undigested components of fecal yield (as fresh) was in tied system less than those of free system (24.53 % vs 28.93%). Fecal yield (based on dry matter) had the same trend.
11. The first and fifth scores of manure did not record any percentage between the heifers manure in the two systems. where the fourth score was the most representative of the heifers manure of the two systems (53% for tied compared to 43% for free).
Experiment II:
12. As a general mean the studied animals were lay down 1.54 times in 61.19 min. as it represents 20.39 % of the total period (300 min. after tethering or releasing). The total lying period was significantly (P˂ 0.01) higher in tied system than free (97.36 and 10.45 min., resp.)
13. Tied dairy buffaloes were lay down 0.33, 0.83 , 0.16 , 0.50 and 1.00 times in the first five hours, resp. (P ˂0.05) after tethering. And were lay down more in the second, fourth and fifth hours (28.33, 26.66 and 28.33 min., resp.) (P ˂0.05) than the first and third hours (0.83 and 3.66 min., resp.).
14. After releasing dairy buffaloes, they were not lying down for the first two hours due to its social interaction.
15. In tied heifers, there were no lying frequencies in the first hour ( 0.00 time) which was significantly differed (P˂ 0.05) from the second , third and fourth hours ( 0.80 , 1.20 , 1.20 times, resp.). Laying periods of free heifers between the first four hours were not significant (0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.40), while it differed significantly in the fifth hour (1.60 times) (P˂0.01).
16. As a general means, eating frequency was (8.69 times/h) in the studied animals and the average of total eating period was (83,09 min.) which represents (27.69 %) of the total period (300 min. after tethering or releasing). Eating period was highly significant higher in tied system than free system (109.09 vs 57.09 min.).
17. In tied dairy buffaloes, Eating frequency differed significantly between the first hour (3.17 times ) and the rest of hours (1.16 , 1.16 , 1.00 and 1.16 times, respectively) . Also eating period in third hour was the longest one (54.50 min.) and differed significantly (P˂ 0.01) with rest hours.
18. In free heifers, eating period differed significantly within the five hours (P˂ 0.01) where the first hour was the shortest period one (1.00 min.), then increased to the longest period in the second hour (30.80 min.), there after began to decrease significantly from the third hour (7.40 min.), and the significant increase resumed from the fourth to the fifth hour (15.40, 26.40 min.).
19. In tied heifers, eating period was also significantly different within the five hours ( P˂ 0.01), where the first hour was the longest period (46.20 min.), then it decreased to the shortest period in the third hour (5.20 min.), significant increase resumed from the fourth to the fifth hour (12.80, 21.80 min.).
20. As a general means ruminating frequency was (3.04 times) in the studied animals and the average of total ruminating period was (59.81 min.) which represents (19.93 %) of the total period (300 min. after tethering or releasing) . Ruminating frequency was more frequently in dairy buffaloes than heifers (4.75 vs 1.00 times) (P˂0.01). Average of ruminating period was higher in dairy buffaloes than heifers (87.83 vs 26.20 min.) (P˂ 0.01).
21. Total ruminating period was higher in tied system than free system (70.72 and 48.90 min., resp. P ˂0.05).
22. Free dairy buffaloes were ruminate 2.16 min. at the first hour which represented the least period and ruminate (17.00 , 21.83, 23.83 and 22.16 min.) at second , third , fourth and fifth hours, resp. (P˂0.05).
23. Tied dairy buffaloes were ruminate 31.16 and 26.83 min. at the second and fifth hours (the highest period) and ruminate 1.50 min.
at the third hour (the least period) . The rest of hours were 12.33 and 17.00 min. for first and fourth hours, resp. (P ˂0.01).
24. As general means idling frequency was (9.68 times) in the studied animals and the total ruminating period was (153.90 min.) as it represents (51.30 %) of the total period (300 min. after tethering or releasing). Idling behaviour was more frequently with free stalls (13.00 times ) than with tied stalls (6.36 times ), also total idling period was in free stalls higher than tied stalls (194.45 and 113.36 min., resp.) (P˂ 0.01).
25. Idling frequency of tied dairy buffaloes were 2.83 , 0.83 , 0.66, 1.50 and 1.33 times resp., as the first hour has the highest frequency which differs significantly from the rest of hours (P˂ 0.01).
26. Idling period in tied dairy buffaloes was high (28.16 and 22.16 min., resp.) in the first and fourth hour which differs significantly from the rest of the hours (12.33 , 4.00 and 13.66 min., resp.) (P˂ 0.05).
27. Idling frequency in free heifers were 1.00 , 3.60, 4.40, 3.80 and 4.40 times in the first, second, third, fourth and fifth hours, resp. (P˂ 0.01).
28. Idling periods in free heifers were higher than in tied animals but free heifers was the highest in the first hour (59.00 min.), and the rest of the hours was in the second , third , fourth and fifth hours (29.20 , 52.60 , 42.20 and 32.60 min., resp.) (P˂ 0.01).