Introducing heifers to freestall housing

Keyserlingk, M.A.G. von; Cunha, Gianne Evans; Fregonesi, J.A.; Weary, Daniel M.

doi:10.3168/jds.2010-3994

Cited by 22 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The greater stability of preferential partners when animals were standing is likely associated with the fact that calves could move around, allowing them to easily approach a preferred calf or avoid a less preferred one. Moreover, given calves usually spend more than 14 h/d lying [21], social preference during resting may be highly influenced by a few long-lasting lying bouts. Proximity while lying may have been limited by the design of the free stall only allowing a maximum of two possible neighbors.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social proximity in dairy calves is affected by differences in pessimism

et al. 2019

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Negative social interactions have been extensively studied in dairy cattle, but little is known about the establishment of positive (preferential) relationships. Adult dairy cows are known to spend more time at close proximity to specific social partners, indicating that they establish stronger bonds with these animals, but few studies have explored what happens in socially housed calves. In this study, we explored whether calves that spent their entire life in the same social group established social preferences (i.e. pairs of individuals that interact more) that are stable over time (two 48-h periods, separated by three days), across two types of behavior (standing and lying) and across contexts (change in environment and housing design). When housed in an open pack, calves showed consistent proximity patterns when standing (but not when lying). These preferential relationships persisted even after calves were moved into a new pen fitted with free stalls. At the individual level, calves varied in how selective they were in their social relationships, with some calves spending much more time with specific partners than did others. This degree of selectivity was not associated to Sociability, marginally associated to Fearfulness, but was associated with Pessimism (more pessimistic calves were more selective in their social relationships). In conclusion, calves can form selective relationships that appeared to be consistent over time and across context, and the degree to which calves were selective varied in relation to individual differences in Pessimism.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social proximity in dairy calves is affected by differences in pessimism

et al. 2019

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“…Animals may learn to perform this behavior when they are first introduced to freestall housing. Heifers stand with 2 hooves in the stall beginning on the first day they are introduced into the freestall (von Keyserlingk et al, 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dairy cow preference and usage of an alternative freestall design

Abade

Fregonesi

Keyserlingk

et al. 2015

Journal of Dairy Science

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Freestall housing for dairy cows was created to reduce the amount of bedding and labor needed to keep stalls clean. However, some aspects of stall design may restrict stall usage by cows. The aim of this study was to assess dairy cow preference and usage of a conventional stall (with a neck rail and metal stall dividers) and an alternative stall design with no neck rail or stall dividers other than a wooden board protruding slightly (8cm) above the lying surface. In the no-choice phase of the study, 48 cows were randomly assigned to 8 groups (of 6 cows each); groups were alternately allocated to the 2 treatments. Each group was observed for 7 d on one treatment and then switched to the alternate treatment for 7 d. For the choice phase (also 7 d), groups in adjacent pens were merged (to form 4 groups, each with 12 cows) and cows had free access to both treatments within the merged pen. In the no-choice phase, cows spent more time standing with 4 hooves in the alternative versus conventional freestall (0.60±0.06 vs. 0.05±0.06h/d), but stall designs had no effect on time spent lying down (13.2±0.4 vs. 12.9±0.4h/d). In the choice phase, cows spent more time lying down in the conventional freestall (9.4±0.8 vs. 4.1±0.8h/d) and more time standing with all 4 hooves in the alternative stall (0.24±0.03 vs. 0.02±0.03h/d). These results illustrate how different stall design features can affect different types of stall use; the more open design facilitated standing fully in the stall, but the protruding partitions likely made the stall less suitable for lying.

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“…Dairy calves spend about 18 h/day lying down [ 13 , 19 - 21 ]. The lying behavior has also been used as an indicator of calves’ adaptability to new housing conditions [ 22 ]. The type of floor surface in pens influences the lying time and posture of calves [ 23 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A cross-sectional study of the welfare of calves raised in smallholder dairy farms in Meru, Kenya, 2017

Kathambi¹,

Leeuwen²,

Gitau³

et al. 2018

Vet World

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Aim:This study was aimed at describing calf comfort and determining the individual and pen level factors that affect comfort status (in particular, calf leg hygiene scores) of smallholder dairy farms in Meru County, Kenya.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was carried out on 52 calves that were up to 1 year old in 38 dairy farms (mean±standard deviation: Herd size=1.71±0.7 milking cows and milk production=6.7±3.1 L/day) in Meru, Kenya, in 2017, with the intention to describe their comfort and determine the factors associated with leg hygiene as a critical parameter for calf comfort assessment. Calves’ biodata, health status, and leg hygiene were assessed, along with pen characteristics such as area, hygiene, and knee impact and knee wetness scores, while a questionnaire was administered to the farmers to gather information regarding calf housing management practices in the farm.Results:The calves had a mean body weight of 85.2±32.8 kg and average daily weight gain of 0.50±0.45 kg per day. 71% of calves had a good body condition score (≥2.5), and the mean space allowance per calf was 2.52±1.56 m2. Approximately 75% of the calves (39/52) were kept in pens, and the rest were reared outdoors. For 39 calves kept indoors, 26% (10/39) of them had wooden or concrete floors while 74% (29/39) had dirt floors. Nearly two-thirds (62%) of indoor calves (26/39) were reared in pens with bedding, and 23% (9/39) and 33% (13/39) of the calves reared indoors were kept in pens displaying a failed knee impact test and failed knee wetness test. Indoor housed calves had an increased probability of having dirty calf legs (cleanliness score of >2.5) by 8.6 times (p=0.031), compared to outdoor-housed calves. In the final multivariable logistic regression model of 39 calves in pens, concrete or wood floors (odds ratio [OR]=7.9, p=0.047), poor body condition (OR=17.1, p=0.020) and use of bedding (OR=12.5, p=0.046) appeared to be positively correlated with dirtiness of calf legs, compared to dirt floors, good body condition, and no bedding, respectively.Conclusion:Overall, some calf comfort aspects were covered for the majority of calves examined, but 69% of the pens were categorized as dirty, especially those with wooden or concrete floors and poor bedding management. Smallholder dairy farmers in Kenya should be trained on calf housing management to improve calf comfort and productivity.

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Introducing heifers to freestall housing

Cited by 22 publications

References 30 publications

Social proximity in dairy calves is affected by differences in pessimism

Social proximity in dairy calves is affected by differences in pessimism

Dairy cow preference and usage of an alternative freestall design

A cross-sectional study of the welfare of calves raised in smallholder dairy farms in Meru, Kenya, 2017

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