Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the adoption of a set of good practices of handling on dairy calves welfare. Data were retrieved from the records of a commercial farm, considering three periods: Conventional handling (CH, 12 mo.), transitional period (TP, 4 mo.), and good practices handling (GPH, 12 mo.). During CH calves were kept in individual pens, milk-fed in open pails and subjected to abrupt weaning; while during TP and GPH they were kept in groups, milk-fed in nipple-pails, brushed for 5 min. once a day, and subjected to progressive weaning. TP was assumed as a training period necessary for GPH implementation. The percentages of calves treated with antibiotics and numbers of deaths per month were used as indicators of calves welfare. Statistical analysis was performed using a logistic regression model to compare the number of deaths per month between CH and the other periods. Chi-square test was used to compare the percentage of animals treated with antibiotics per month. Results showed that CH had a higher risk of calf's death then TP and GPH, as well as a higher percentage of animals treated with antibiotics. In conclusion, the adoption of good practices of handling improved dairy calves welfare.
Highlights
IntroductionPrevious reports have shown a wide range of mortality rates among dairy calves, from relatively low (≤5.0%: Gulliksen, Lie, Løken, & Østerås, 2009; Cruz et al, 2011; Walker et al, 2012, McCorquodale et al, 2013, Urie et al, 2018; Hyde et al, 2020) to extremely high (≥10.0%: Moran, 2011; McCorquodale et al, 2013; Mahendran et al, 2017; Reimus, Alvåsen, Emanuelson, Viltrop, & Mõtus, 2020)
The study was conducted with the data file of a commercial dairy farm located in the municipality of Taiaçu, São Paulo, Brazil (21o08’40” S and 48o30’45’’ W, average altitude of 565 m above sea level), by considering the frequencies of treatments with antibiotics and calves losses during a period of 2 years and 4 months, comprising data from before (12 mo., n = 511), during (4 mo., n = 128) and after (12 mo., n = 420) the adoption of good practices of calves handling as a routine
From the 2nd to the 30th day of life calves were housed in individual pens (1.5 m2 calf-1, with 10 cm of sawdust or straw as bed) installed in a shed; during the first 2 days of this period, they received colostrum in bottle; and from the 4th day old, they were fed with a commercial milk replacer (Sprayfo Violet®) in open-pails, receiving 4 L of milk replacer per day until weaning
Summary
Previous reports have shown a wide range of mortality rates among dairy calves, from relatively low (≤5.0%: Gulliksen, Lie, Løken, & Østerås, 2009; Cruz et al, 2011; Walker et al, 2012, McCorquodale et al, 2013, Urie et al, 2018; Hyde et al, 2020) to extremely high (≥10.0%: Moran, 2011; McCorquodale et al, 2013; Mahendran et al, 2017; Reimus, Alvåsen, Emanuelson, Viltrop, & Mõtus, 2020) Such variations have been explained by the effect of breed or genetic groups (Davis, Norberg, & Fogh, 2020) and meteorological conditions (Stull et al, 2008, Roland, Drillich, Klein-Jöbstl, & Iwersen, 2016), as well as by the differences in raising and handling conditions (Botteon, Botteon, Santos Júnior, Pinna, & Lóss, 2008; Moran, 2011; Walker et al, 2012; Barry et al, 2019).
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