Abstract
Simple SummaryPrecision technology devices are often integrated on dairies to monitor animal health. One precision technology used to manage calves is an automated milk feeder which can record feeding behaviors such as daily milk intake, drinking speed, and feeder visits. The objective of this study was to determine if calf feeding behaviors collected by an automated milk feeder, changed in the days surrounding diagnosis of neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD; e.g., −3 days to 5 days after diagnosis). Milk intake was lower for the greatest number of days surrounding diagnosis of NCD compared to control calves, but the sensitivity and specificity of detecting NCD using any individual behavior was low. However, parallel testing using cumulative feeding behaviors on the day of diagnosis of NCD increased the sensitivity for detecting disease. This study provides insights into the association of feeding behavior with calves destined for NCD using an automated milk feeder. We suggest feeding behaviors cannot replace visual diagnosis of NCD, but that feeding behaviors might serve as a screening tool for producers.The objective of this case-control study was to determine if feeding behavior data collected from an automated milk feeder (AMF) could be used to predict neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD) in the days surrounding diagnosis in pre-weaned group housed dairy calves. Data were collected from two research farms in Ontario between 2017 and 2020 where calves fed using an AMF were health scored daily and feeding behavior data (milk intake (mL/d), drinking speed (mL/min), number of rewarded or unrewarded visits) was collected. Calves with NCD were pair matched to healthy controls (31 pairs) by farm, gender, and age at case diagnosis to assess for differences in feeding behavior between case and control calves. Calves were first diagnosed with NCD on day 0, and a NCD case was defined as calves with a fecal score of ≥2 for 2 consecutive days, where control calves remained healthy. Repeated measure mixed linear regression models were used to determine if there were differences between case and control calves in their daily AMF feeding behavior data in the days surrounding diagnosis of NCD (−3 to +5 days). Calves with NCD consumed less milk on day 0, day 1, day 3, day 4 and day 5 following diagnosis compared to control calves. Calves with NCD also had fewer rewarded visits to the AMF on day −1, and day 0 compared to control calves. However, while there was a NCD status x day interaction for unrewarded visits, there was only a tendency for differences between NCD and control calves on day 0. In this study, feeding behaviors were not clinically useful to make diagnosis of NCD due to insufficient diagnostic ability. However, feeding behaviors are a useful screening tool for producers to identify calves requiring further attention.
Highlights
Automated milk feeders (AMF) are increasing in popularity [1] and promote calf welfare by encouraging natural feeding behavior patterns [2]
The findings in our study suggest that feeding behaviors cannot be used as the sole indicators of diagnosis of neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD) in calves
We suggest that milk intake and rewarded visits are associated with neonatal calf diarrhea in calves offered milk ad libitum, with milk intake being the most robust behavior for detecting changes associated with NCD; we caution that this observation is dependent on the milk feeding strategy programmed into the automated milk feeder
Summary
Automated milk feeders (AMF) are increasing in popularity [1] and promote calf welfare by encouraging natural feeding behavior patterns [2]. Group housing was associated with a higher prevalence of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in calves compared to individual housing [6,7]. It was recently found that management factors were associated with morbidity rates [9] and mortality rates [10] for farms feeding calves with automated milk feeding systems. It has been observed that the percentage of calves with neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD) and BRD more than doubled from 20% (e.g., all-in-all-out practices) to over 40% (e.g., dynamic group housing) when housing practices changed in the same AMF facilities [12]. It is likely that management factors are responsible for increased disease transmission in calves rather than automated milk feeding systems per se
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
