Abstract. Title of the paper: Milk ingestion and growth performance of suckler calves born during winter stalling from German Red and White breed and from old type German Black and White breed in a cow-calf operation On 14 calves from German Red and White breed and on 17 calves from old type German Black and White breed in a cow-calf operation measurements of body weight were done repeatedly during growth after separating the calves from the dams for 150 min and than again after the calves had contacted the dams for 60 min. Measurements took place always at the same daytime. Milk ingestion of calves was assessed by way of body weight difference method. Acute body weight difference varied markedly between calves and increased with age. The fraction of positive weight difference of all measurements was between 60 % and 86,2 % (male 60 % and 86,2 %; female 67,6 % and 80,6 %) in DRB breed and between 69,1 % and 89,3 % (male 72,9 % and 89,3 %; female 69,1 % and 82,6 %) in DSB breed. Means of all measurements showed a significant difference of acute positive body weight change and of growth rate between breeds and sexes. Mean acute positive body weight changes developed with life age and body growth with different degree in male and female calves. Growth rate of calves showed greater inter- and intraindividual variation from 1 to 10 days of life age. Differences in growth rate between male and female calves were more profound in DRB breed than in DSB breed.

Zusammenfassung: Gegenstand und Ziel: Charakterisierung der Reaktionsfähigkeit und der Reaktionen von Saugkälbern der Mutterkuhhaltung mithilfe der Herzfrequenz, hämatologischer, biochemischer und hormonellerVariablen bei der Enthornungsprozedur. Material und Methoden: An Saugkälbern der Mutterkuhhaltung (Deutsche Rotbunte, Deutsche Schwarzbunte, Alter 22-59 d, Körpermasse 88,7-114,4 kg, 10 männlich, 18 weiblich) wurden Messungen der Herzschlagfrequenz (HF) kontinuierlich während der Enthornungsprozedur vorgenommen und solche der Körpertemperatur und der Blutbestandteile vor und nach Sedation und Enthornung. Effekte des Geschlechtes, des Alters, der Körpermasse und der Zeit auf die Variablen wurden geprüft. Ergebnisse: Die Werte von HF, Hb, Hk, O2CAP, O2CONT, pH, BE, Ca, Mg, Fe waren 51 min nach Sedation und 28 min nach Enthornung signifikant niedriger und pCO2, die Rektaltemperatur und die Plasmakor-tisolkonzentration signifikant höher als vorher. Die Speichelkortisolkonzentration war 130 min nach Sedation und 111 min nach Enthornung nicht signifikant gegenüber dem Ausgangswert verändert. Das Geschlecht hatte einen signifikanten Effekt bei der Steigerung der HF während der Probennahme sowie bei den hämatologischen Variablen und bei jenen des Säure-Basen-Status vor und nach der Enthornung. Das Alter zeigte einen signifikanten Effekt auf die meisten HF-Kennwerte und auf die Körpertemperatur nach Enthornung. Ein signifikanter Effekt der Körpermasse ließ sich auf die hämatologischen Variablen und auf jene des Säure-Basen-Status vor und nach Enthornung nachweisen. Schlussfolgerungen: Saugkälber in Mutterkuhhaltung weisen im Altersbereich von vier bis sechs Wochen größere interindividuelle Unterschiede der Reaktionsbereitschaft und der Reaktionen bei Enthornung auch zwischen den Geschlechtern auf, die durch unterschiedliche Wachstums- und Entwicklungsqualität infolge des maternalen Investment und der unbegrenzten Nahrungsverfügbarkeitverursachtsind. Die Befunde können dazu beitragen, die Variationsursachen physiologischer Variablen der Kälber bei der Enthornung genauer zu erklären und ermöglichen dadurch eine feinere Einschätzung der Belastung der Tiere während der Enthornungsprozedur.

Abstract. Title of the paper: Milk ingestion and growth performance of suckler calves (cross breeds Galloway x F1 Galloway x Holstein Friesian) from a cow-calf operation. Effects of sex and of life age of calf and of the age of dam On cross breeds (Galloway x F1 Galloway x Holstein Friesian; 12 calves from first pregnancy, 13 calves from second pregnancy; 10 male and 15 female) in a cow-calf operation measurements of body weight were done repeatedly during growth after separating the calves from the dams for 150 min and than again after the calves had contacted the dams for 60 min. Measurements took place always at the same daytime. Milk ingestion of calves was assessed by way of body weight difference method. Acute body weight difference varied markedly between calves and increased with age. The fraction of positive weight difference of all measurements was between 57,1 % and 91,8 % in calves from first pregnancy and between 54,8 % and 90,5 % in calves from second pregnancy the means of which were not significantly different. Mean acute positive body weight changes developed with life age and body growth with different degree in male and female calves. Greatest acute positive body weight changes of calves could be measured at 40 to 70 days of age (70 kg to 100 kg body weight). Growth rate of calves showed greater inter- and intraindividual variation within the first 10 days of life age. Differences in growth rate between male and female calves were more profound in calves from first then in those from second pregnancy.

Abstract. Title of the paper: Growth and development quality of dairy calves reared in groups with an automatic milk feeder. Physiological variables and their changes at specific age periods On 38 dairy calves (20 male, 18 female) measurements of growth Performance and of body temperature (RT) and blood sampling were made at 15, 30, 60 and 90 days of age of the calves. Blood was analysed for acid-base balance, biochemical and hematological values, minerals and hemoglobin derivatives. Effects of season (groupl: calvings from October tili December; group 2: calvings from January tili April) and of gender were considered. Growth Performance was different between the groups at all age points. Group effects existed at 15 days (RT, Hk, MetHb, Laktat, P), at 30 days (RT, P), at 60 days (Hb, O2CAP, pH, BE, HCO3, P), at 90 days (pCO2, blood urea, Mg, Fe). Gender effects became obvious at 30 days (O2CONT, O2SAT, MetHb, HHb, pCO2). Interactions of group and gender occured at 15 days (P), at 30 days (O2CONT, pCO2), at 60 days (COHb, Mg) and at 90 days (Hb, O2CAP). Between age point mean differences could be found for acid-base Status, total protein, albumin, Creatinine, blood urea, glucose, Mg and for the hematological variables. In most cases between age point changes of variables showed strong negativ correlations with the starting values at 15 days of age. Directed changes of most variables within life age periods developed with different degrees depending on development quality and on specific husbandry conditions.

Abstract. Title of the paper: Effects of development quality on heart rate, activity and resting times and their diurnal rhythmicity and on growth of group housed feeder-fed dairy calves To characterize the rhythmicity of physiological variables in dairy calves of different developmental quality and fitness (groups by hemoglobin content of blood) at early gowth (71 German Holstein Friesian, 6 German Red Pied, 36 male and 41 female) long term heart rate recordings were taken at 5, 15, 40 and 60 days of age using Polar Sport Tester, from which the number and duration of activity (ZDA) and resting times (ZDR) and the total daily activity (GZA) and resting time (GZR) could be established. For these periods characteristic heart rate values were calculated (HFA and HFR) and they were analysed for daytime periods of three hours duration at different life ages. Mean HFA and HFR were significantly different between calves of group HbG1, HbG2 and HbG3 at 5 days and 15 days of age and ZDA was significantly different at 5 and 60 days of age. HF and the increase of HF (HFA-HFR) were significantly smaller at 15 days then at 5 days of age. Mean ZDA and GZA and ZDR were greater and the GZR was smaller at 40 and 60 days then at 5 and 15 days of age. Changes of the variables by 40 and 60 days of life took place with different degrees in calves of the three groups. Deviation of HFA and HFR from the mean of the individual daytime heart rate recording showed a rhythmicity that has been affected by feed access of the calves at the feed supply station. Means of ZDA and ZDR were significantly different between daytime periods of three hours duration at the age points. Results show effects of development quality on physiological variables of calves and on the rhythmicity of the variables and what changes occur with advanced development and adaptation of the animals.