Table 3.

Cow behavior in each of four phases of fitting with sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) equipment.

Behavior	PRE	ADAP	MEAS	POST	SEM	P-value
Time proportion (%)
Eating	35.5	36.1	35.8	36.9	1.74	0.94
Ruminating	17.9b	20.9bc	25.2a	21.4c	1.12	<0.001
Idling	38.2a	32.9b	31.0b	33.7b	2.27	<0.01
Resting head up	42.6b	40.7b	47.0a	39.4b	2.27	<0.01
Resting head down	5.6b	5.1b	6.1ab	8.8a	0.75	0.01
Other	5.7	6.5	5.7	6.7	0.42	0.17
Activity frequency (No./h)
Halter interactions	–	0.04	0.19	–	0.05	0.06
Saddle interactions	–	0.12	0.10	–	0.05	0.93
Grooming	0.81	0.72	0.74	0.88	0.13	0.87
Agonistic	0.31	0.51	0.40	0.61	0.15	0.77
Affiliative	1.28ab	1.65a	0.84b	0.88ab	0.3	0.02

^a−cMeans within a row with different superscripts differ (P < 0.05).

SEM, standard error of the mean; No., number.

PRE, Before cows had the equipment on; ADAP, initial period of fitting; MEAS, During the enteric methane measurements; POST, after the SF₆ equipment was removed.