Space allowance influences individually housed Holstein male calves' age at feed consumption, standing behaviors, and measures of immune resilience before and after step-down weaning

Hulbert, L.E.; Calvo-Lorenzo, Michelle S.; Ballou, Michael; Klasing, Kirk C.

doi:10.3168/jds.2018-15368

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…Calves start ingesting feed at an earlier age, compared with when provided 1.25 m 2 (Hulbert et al., 2019 ) because their feeding and exploratory behaviours are facilitated…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Welfare of calves

Nielsen¹,

Álvarez²,

Bicout³

et al. 2023

EFS2

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This Scientific Opinion addresses a European Commission request on the welfare of calves as part of the Farm to Fork strategy. EFSA was asked to provide a description of common husbandry systems and related welfare consequences, as well as measures to prevent or mitigate the hazards leading to them. In addition, recommendations on three specific issues were requested: welfare of calves reared for white veal (space, group housing, requirements of iron and fibre); risk of limited cow-calf contact; and animal-based measures (ABMs) to monitor on-farm welfare in slaughterhouses. The methodology developed by EFSA to address similar requests was followed. Fifteen highly relevant welfare consequences were identified, with respiratory disorders, inability to perform exploratory or foraging behaviour, gastroenteric disorders and group stress being the most frequent across husbandry systems. Recommendations to improve the welfare of calves include increasing space allowance, keeping calves in stable groups from an early age, ensuring good colostrum management and increasing the amounts of milk fed to dairy calves. In addition, calves should be provided with deformable lying surfaces, water via an open surface and long-cut roughage in racks. Regarding specific recommendations for veal systems, calves should be kept in small groups (2-7 animals) within the first week of life, provided with ~20 m 2 /calf and fed on average 1 kg neutral detergent fibre (NDF) per day, preferably using long-cut hay. Recommendations on cow-calf contact include keeping the calf with the dam for a minimum of 1 day post-partum. Longer contact should progressively be implemented, but research is needed to guide this implementation in practice. The ABMs body condition, carcass condemnations, abomasal lesions, lung lesions, carcass colour and bursa swelling may be collected in slaughterhouses to monitor on-farm welfare but should be complemented with behavioural ABMs collected on farm.

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“…Calves start ingesting feed at an earlier age, compared with when provided 1.25 m 2 (Hulbert et al., 2019 ) because their feeding and exploratory behaviours are facilitated…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Welfare of calves

Nielsen¹,

Álvarez²,

Bicout³

et al. 2023

EFS2

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“…The earliest age at which this procedure can be done is 40 days, as it can cause malnutrition if done earlier ( 96 ). In all the studies reviewed ( 103 , 108 , 109 ), this weaning is carried out up to 62 days.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Welfare implications on management strategies for rearing dairy calves: A systematic review. Part 1–feeding management

et al. 2023

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IntroductionCalves are very susceptible to stress in the early stages of life, and it is necessary to ensure maximum welfare. Feeding management has been identified as a major risk factor for calf health and welfare at this stage. However, the management protocol for calf rearing and its impact on animal welfare is unclear. A systematic review of different management strategies for rearing dairy calves according to the three spheres of animal welfare was conducted using an electronic search strategy. In this review, management strategies were studied to identify scientific gaps, to know the welfare problems of these animals in order to prioritize actions and future research and to study the interpretive approach of this management from the three welfare spheres.MethodsA protocol was used to analyze and extract information from the studies. Of the 1,783 publications screened, only 351 met the inclusion criteria for the management or welfare of calves' items.ResultsThe publications identified in the search can be divided into two main groups feeding and socialization, based on the main topic of the publication. The main topics that emerged from the search in the feeding management group were milk replacer, colostrum, and weaning, divided into the three main areas of biological functioning and health, natural life and affective states or cognitive judgement.DiscussionThe main issues to be addressed were the different types of feed consumed by animals from birth to weaning and the weaning management. It has been found that the most researched issues are colostrum and solid starter feed management. Unresolved issues were highlighted, such as the lack of a clear protocol for the administration of milk replacers to reduce hunger and the best management of weaning to reduce stress.

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“…In addition, this type of housing may alleviate some of the negative aspects of weaning, as this stress is cushioned by social support (38,45,46), and less non-nutritive oral behaviours are observed (34). Finally, calves housed in pairs are better prepared to live in groups after weaning (47). However, studies have shown that pair-housing also has its limitations.…”

Section: Interaction With Congenersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Welfare implications on management strategies for rearing dairy calves: A systematic review. Part 2 – Social management

et al. 2023

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IntroductionRaising a healthy calf up to puberty is essential for optimal farm performance. It is therefore, it is necessary to promote animal welfare from the three spheres during this short period. Social management has been postulated as essential in lowering stress and consequently improving calf welfare during this period. Only the health sphere has been studied for a long time, but more recent studies have recently promoted positive experiences and emotional states from affective states or cognitive judgment and natural living spheres. A systematic review of different management strategies in rearing dairy calves according to the three spheres of animal welfare has been conducted using an electronic search strategy.MethodsThe analysis and extraction of information from the studies were performed according to a protocol. From 1,783 publications screened, only 351 met the inclusion criteria.ResultsThe publications identified in the search can be divided into two main groups, feeding and social management, based on the main topic of the publication. This review provides an overview of social management, understood as the calf’s interaction with others around it.DiscussionPrimary social management issues that emerged were social housing with congeners, separation from the mother and human-animal interaction, distributed in the three broad spheres of animal welfare. The review highlights unresolved questions about how social management practices affect the three spheres of animal welfare at this life stage and the need to standardize good socialization practices for this stage. In conclusion, all the information shows that social housing has improved animal welfare from affective states, cognitive judgment, and natural living spheres. However, gaps in research were identified in relation to the optimal time to separate the calf from the mother, the optimal time to group with conspecifics after birth and group size. Further research on positive welfare through socialization are needed.

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Space allowance influences individually housed Holstein male calves' age at feed consumption, standing behaviors, and measures of immune resilience before and after step-down weaning

Cited by 5 publications

References 65 publications

Welfare of calves

Welfare of calves

Welfare implications on management strategies for rearing dairy calves: A systematic review. Part 1–feeding management

Welfare implications on management strategies for rearing dairy calves: A systematic review. Part 2 – Social management

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