Abstract
The objective was to find whether cow growth, milk performance, and behaviour are affected by (1) rearing conditions until weaning after a milk-fed period of 84 d and (2) the sire lineage. Thirty-five Holstein heifers were assigned to one of three treatments: SM, , pen with mother to 21st day, then group pen (they received a maximum of 6 kg of milk daily); SN, , after 3 d with own mother in pen with nursing cow (they received a maximum of 6 kg of milk daily); H, , in hutch from the 2nd to 56th day (6 kg of milk replacer daily), then loose housing pen to weaning (6 kg of milk replacer daily). After weaning at the 84th day, all heifers were kept in pens with the same ration as during calving. During lactation, live body weight (LBW) was measured each month and milk yield each day. Maze learning was evaluated in the fifth month of lactation. The data were analysed using a general linear model ANOVA. At the 30th day, the LBW tended to be the highest in SN (SM 528.2 11.4 kg, SN 571.7 15.3 kg, H 533.2 12.3 kg). When lactation ended, the highest LBW was in SN and the lowest in H (SM 612.6 12.2 kg, SN 623.1 16.4 kg, H 569.8 13.2 kg; ). The SN tended to have the highest production of milk (SM 7143.9 241.5 kg, SN 7345.1 319.0 kg, H 7146.7 234 kg), and the H for FCM (SM 6290.3 203.2 kg, SN 6307.6 268.4 kg, H 6399.3 197.1 kg) for 305 d lactation. Group SN crossed the maze fastest (SM 1141.4 120.5 s, SN 810.3 160.5 s, H 1120.8 118.6 s). The vocalization number differed significantly (SM 32.3 5.7, SN 20.8 4.4, H 9.9 2.6; ). The results indicated that the rearing method up to weaning may have an impact on dairy cows' performance and behaviour.
Highlights
Milk and milk replacer (MR) feeding strategies have been studied for many years
From the 4th to the 84th day, the heifers of the SM group had an intake of 407.15 ± 10.73 kg (5.09 kg/d) milk, the SN group had 414.02 ± 8.92 kg (5.17 kg/d) milk, and the calves of the H group had 408.12 ± 9.12 kg (5.10 kg/d) of MR
At the end of first lactation, at the 305 d, the highest live body weight (LBW) was in SN and the lowest in H
Summary
Milk and milk replacer (MR) feeding strategies have been studied for many years. Currently, this issue is gaining in importance in connection with the welfare of calves and dairy cows.A number of studies have explored different ways of keeping cows and calves together and examined possible benefits of this more natural rearing system (Loberg and Lidfors, 2001; Wagenaar and Langhout, 2007; Loberg et al, 2008). Milk and milk replacer (MR) feeding strategies have been studied for many years. This issue is gaining in importance in connection with the welfare of calves and dairy cows. A number of studies have explored different ways of keeping cows and calves together and examined possible benefits of this more natural rearing system (Loberg and Lidfors, 2001; Wagenaar and Langhout, 2007; Loberg et al, 2008). Suckling systems are more beneficial to the welfare of calves than the more common artificial rearing systems (Krohn, 2001; Mala et al, 2019). Contact with older animals during the first few weeks of life is known to stimulate calves to consume more rough feeds, especially before weaning. The majority of studies have reported that the benefits for growth during the suckling period, compared with separated calves, persisted for up to 16 months (Flower and Weary, 2003; Khan et al, 2011; Meagher et al, 2019)
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