We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Calf Management: Individual or Paired Housing Affects Dairy Calf Health and Welfare.
- Authors
McFarland, David S.; McFarland, Lorna M.; Shaw, Darren J.; Macrae, Alastair I.
- Abstract
Simple Summary: This study involved 138 Holstein dairy calves from one UK farm, who were either reared individually or as pairs until 2–4 weeks of age, when they were subsequently batched together. Although there were no differences in growth rate, disease treatments or mortality, the paired calves demonstrated improved behavioural indicators of calf welfare. In addition, the heaviest calf in the pair grew more quickly and displayed less fear and more exploratory behaviour than the lightest calf in the pair. Although recent advice to farmers has been to rear calves in pairs, this study suggests that this may be potentially detrimental to the smaller calf. Previous research has indicated that preweaned dairy calves reared in pairs compared with individually have improved performance and indicators of animal welfare. One hundred and thirty Holstein female calves completed the trial, with eighty-five being allocated to paired housing and forty-five calves being allocated to individual housing. Daily live weight gain (DLWG), treatments and mortality were recorded throughout the preweaning period. Salivary cortisol, latency to feed and latency to approach a novel object were assessed at batching. There were no significant differences in DLWG, mortality and disease treatments between the average of the pair and the individually housed calves, although the pair-reared calves were quicker to approach the milk feed after batching and interacted more quickly with a novel object. The heaviest born calves within the pair had the highest DLWG from birth to weaning, with a higher percentage of calves approaching the novel object, compared with the lightest born calf within the pair. This study shows that calves within a pair may have significantly different performance and welfare during the preweaning period, with the heavier calf outperforming and displaying less fear and more exploratory behaviour than the lighter calf within a pair.
- Subjects
UNITED Kingdom; CALVES; DAIRY farm management; ANIMAL welfare; WEIGHT gain; ANIMAL weaning; HOUSING
- Publication
Animals (2076-2615), 2024, Vol 14, Issue 11, p1540
- ISSN
2076-2615
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/ani14111540