POSSIBILITIES OF USING UNCONVENTIONAL METHODS AND DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS TO AFFECT WEIGHT GAINS OF CALVES

Healthy and strong individuals are fundamental in every cattle breeding. The aim of this study was to find out which of these given supplement had the best influence on calf weight gain in the early period after weaning to milk nutrition. This research was carried out in cooperation with the farm in. Calves were studied from March 2012 to February 2013. They were weaned into outdoor individual box after birth. There were added supplements into their ration in the first two weeks of life. Calves were partitioned according to the added supplement into three experimental groups and one control group. The first weight control of calves was after birth and the second weight control was at the age of thirty days. The average weight gain was calculated from the differences in these values. The best demonstrable effect was in the experimental groups with the average increment of 26.9 kilograms, then in the experimental group with the average increment of 26.1 kilograms. The last group was the Control one, there was not any change in the ration and their average increment was 23.5 kilograms. The results of the statistical evaluation was p = 0.0572 in the group, p = 0.2570 in the group and p = 0.2124 in the group versus the Control group. It can be concluded from the results of this study that calves had a positive reaction on the supplements added in the first days of life and these had a favourable effect on diarrhoea prevention. drugs and beneficially stimulate system and, in general, they have a positive effect on the physiological condition

INFLUENCE OF AGE, GENDER AND SIRE LINE ON YOUNG CATTLE BEHAVIOUR TRAITS

The aim of this study was to test effects of age, gender, and sire line on dairy cattle behaviour. We have analyzed results of ethological tests for 40 Holstein breed animals (23 males and 17 females), offsprings of three sires. Maintenance behaviour were observed at the age of 90, 130 and 170 days. Behaviour in the maze was conducted at the age of 119 days, an open-field test was applied at the age of 124, 168, and 355 days. The social behaviour was determined by feeding on 155th day of the age. The times and the number of periods in all activities of maintenance behaviour were changing significantly (P<0.001) according to the age. The total time of lying, lying with ruminating, ruminating, feeding was increasing from the age of 90 days to the age of 170 days, on the other hand the time of standing was decreasing. The times of total lying, lying with ruminating, total ruminating, feeding were increased, and time of standing was decreased from the age of 90 days to the age of 170 days. Calves spent more time lying on the left side than on the right side. The number of ruminating periods was increasing according to the age. Eating periods were decreasing from the age of 90 to 170 days. The most of lying periods were recorded at the age of 130 days. The differences between sex were found in total time of lying, lying on the right side (P<0.05), and the males rest longer and had more periods of lying than females. We have found differences in times of feeding (P<0.001), total lying, standing (P<0.01), and lying on the left side (P<0.05) according to sire by comparing behaviour of the calves. Sire genotypes were significantly manifested in period number of total lying (P<0.001), lying on the right side, feeding (P<0.01), and standing (P<0.05). Males stood in the first part of maze longer than females (P<0.001), also length of total standing was longer by bulls (P<0.01). Heifers took shorter time to leave the maze than bulls (P<0.05). Sire lineages significantly differed in times of standing in the first part of maze and maze leaving. We did not find any significant differences either among sire lineage groups or between genders in locomotor behaviour measured by the number of crossed squares in open-field test. During all observations were more mobile heifers. No significant differences were found between males and females in social behaviour. The sire line influenced only the number of total duels (P<0.001). We found significant positive relationship between live body weight and time of staying in the first part of maze (r=0.3957**), time of maze leaving (r=0.3720**), and number of total and win duels (0.4031**, 0.3216*). Significant relationships were recorded in almost maintenance behaviour activities (P<0.001). Consistency of locomotor behaviour was proved only between the ages of 124 and 168 days (r=0.3177*). Significant relationship between maze behaviours and number of crossed squares were found only in ages of 119 and 124 days (r=-0.3721**; r=- 0.4110**; r=-0.3994**)

Dairy Cows Produce Less Milk and Modify Their Behaviour during the Transition between Tie-Stall to Free-Stall

Transfer of cattle to an unknown barn may result in a reduction in its welfare. Housing and management practices can result in signs of stress that include a long-term suppression of milk efficiency. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of moving cows from the stanchion-stall housing to free-stall housing on their behaviour and production. The Holstein cows were moved into the new facility with free-stall housing from the old barn with stanchion-stall housing. Cows lay down up to ten hours (596.3 ± 282.7 min) after removing. The cows in their second lactation and open cows tended to lie sooner after removing than cows in their first lactation and pregnant cows. The times of total lying and rumination were increasing from the first day to the tenth day after removing (23.76 ± 7.20 kg vs. 30.97 ± 7.26 kg, p < 0.001). Cows produced 23.3% less milk at the first day following the transfer than at the last day prior to moving (p < 0.001). Loss of milk was gradually reduced and maximum production was achieved on the 14th day. The difference was found in milk losses due to the shift between cows on the first and second lactation (p < 0.01). The results of this study suggest that removing from the tie-stall barn with a pipeline milking system into the barn with free-stall housing and a milking parlour caused a decline in the cows’ milk production. However, when the cows are moved to a better environment, they rapidly adapt to the change