Flooring preferences in dairy goats at moderate and low ambient temperature

Compared to other species, thermoregulatory strategies and lower critical temperature is not well documented in goats. While cattle and sheep prefer soft floors with low thermal conductivity when the ambient temperature is low, such scientific data does presently not exist in goats. The aim of this experiment was to investigate goats' preference for different types of flooring at moderate and low ambient temperature. In each of two experiments nine dry dairy goats was selected to a modified 2 x 3 factorial design with ambient air temperature (moderate = +10 to +12 and cold = -8 to -12 degrees C) and type of flooring in the lying area (three treatments with the choice between two different flooring materials) was used. Within each temperature treatment the goats were individually subjected to three different flooring treatments where the goats could choose between two lying areas with different flooring materials, and the order of flooring treatments was rotated systematically. The goats were video recorded for 48 h in the end of each experimental period and the behaviour and position in the pen were scored using instantaneous sampling at 15 min intervals. In addition blood samples were collected from all the goats at 2 days in the moderate temperature period and at days 0, 1, 2, 7 and 14 in the cold temperature period. The lying time was reduced from 73.2% and 73.7% in the moderate temperature period to 63.8% and 65.4% in the cold period in experiment 1 and 2, respectively. In the moderate temperature period, straw was the least preferred flooring. Expanded metal was preferred to solid wood, but there was no significant difference between solid wood and mattress or expanded metal and mattress. Mattress and solid wood were most preferred in the cold period, but no difference between mattress and expanded metal. Surprisingly, straw was not perceived as an attractive flooring material in any of the temperature periods. The concentration of free fatty acids was elevated the first day of cold exposure and thyroxine (T4) was elevated the three first days of cold exposure. In conclusion, the goats responded to the low temperature by reducing the lying time while increasing the time spent active and eating. A short-term physiological response in the cold period may indicate an increased metabolism, but more data is needed to reach a reliable conclusion on this matter. In the moderate temperature period, straw was the least and expanded metal the most preferred flooring, whereas solid wood and mattress was most preferred in the cold period. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.