Long-term Effect of Colostrum Feeding Methods on Behaviour in Female Dairy Calves

Abstract

The experiment was carried out with 57 female dairy calves (Danish Holstein Friesian) divided into three groups and treated differently during the first four days of life (colostrum period). Treatments were: single box and no contact with the dam (group S0), cow and calf together in a maternity pen and no suckling (C0), and cow and calf together and suckling (C4). In the post-treatment period from day five until the end of their 24th week of lactation, all three groups received the same treatment (tie stalls in winter and pasture in summer). The results from the treatment period showed that calves, which were together with their dams (groups C0 and C4), grew about 100% more per day than calves in group S0. The calves in group S0 were licked less and had the highest duration of non-nutritive sucking on equipment. In the post-treatment period, non-nutritive sucking on equipment was lower in both duration and frequency for group C4 than for the two other groups during the observations on days 21, 42 and 70. The duration of physical contact with the human in a voluntary human approach test in an open arena in weeks 2, 10 and 25 was lower for group C4 than for the two other groups. A social behaviour test in weeks 3 and 11 showed that calves from group C4 preferred to spend more time near an unfamiliar heifer than calves from group S0. The results of a forced human approach test on pasture when the heifers were 15-18 months-old showed that heifers from group C4 were more difficult to approach than those from groups S0 and C0. There was no significant difference between the groups during the rearing period in daily gain, diarrhoea or pneumonia, or in milk production in first lactation.