TY - JOUR
T1 - Behavior of calves reared with half-day contact with their dams
AU - Bertelsen, Maja
AU - Jensen, Margit Bak
PY - 2023/12
Y1 - 2023/12
N2 - Dam-calf contact has been suggested to improve animal welfare in dairy calves, but practical and economical concerns have led to interest in half-day contact between cows and their calves. However, little is known about the behavioral effects of half-day contact compared with whole-day contact. The present study investigated the behavior of 45 dairy calves housed with their dams in either a whole-day system (cows only away twice daily for milking) or a half-day system (cows away from afternoon milking until after morning milking the next day). Data were video recorded during 24 h when calves were on average 3, 5, and 7 wk old. Half-day calves spent less time suckling and received less grooming compared with whole-day calves, indicating that they received less maternal care. Half-day calves were quicker to reunite with their dam when the cows returned from morning milking compared with whole-day calves. Half-day calves also suckled alien cows more often, although mainly shortly after the cows returned to the pen in the morning. This may indicate that they were hungrier than whole-day calves at this time of day. Half-day calves spent more time eating solid feeds, which may prepare them better for separation from the dam and weaning off milk. In conclusion, half-day dam-calf contact may affect calf welfare both positively and negatively, and further research focusing more directly on assessing affective states is encouraged.
AB - Dam-calf contact has been suggested to improve animal welfare in dairy calves, but practical and economical concerns have led to interest in half-day contact between cows and their calves. However, little is known about the behavioral effects of half-day contact compared with whole-day contact. The present study investigated the behavior of 45 dairy calves housed with their dams in either a whole-day system (cows only away twice daily for milking) or a half-day system (cows away from afternoon milking until after morning milking the next day). Data were video recorded during 24 h when calves were on average 3, 5, and 7 wk old. Half-day calves spent less time suckling and received less grooming compared with whole-day calves, indicating that they received less maternal care. Half-day calves were quicker to reunite with their dam when the cows returned from morning milking compared with whole-day calves. Half-day calves also suckled alien cows more often, although mainly shortly after the cows returned to the pen in the morning. This may indicate that they were hungrier than whole-day calves at this time of day. Half-day calves spent more time eating solid feeds, which may prepare them better for separation from the dam and weaning off milk. In conclusion, half-day dam-calf contact may affect calf welfare both positively and negatively, and further research focusing more directly on assessing affective states is encouraged.
KW - dam-rearing
KW - maternal behavior
KW - mother-offspring bond
KW - repeated separation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85180091023&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3168/jds.2023-23394
DO - 10.3168/jds.2023-23394
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 38040198
AN - SCOPUS:85180091023
SN - 0022-0302
VL - 106
SP - 9613
EP - 9629
JO - Journal of Dairy Science
JF - Journal of Dairy Science
IS - 12
ER -