Effect of Type of Cow-Calf Contact on Health, Blood Parameters, and Performance of Dairy Cows and Calves

Prolonged cow-calf contact (CCC) could potentially improve dairy calf welfare. However, it is currently unknown how different types of CCC affect animals' biological functions. We evaluated health and performance parameters of dairy calves and their dams, where calves: (i) had no contact with their dam (NC), in which the calf was removed from the dam directly after birth (n = 10); (ii) were allowed to have partial contact (PC) with their dam, in which the calf was housed in a calf pen adjacent to the cow area allowing physical contact on the initiative of the dam but no suckling (n = 18); (iii) were allowed to have full contact (FC) with their dam, including suckling, in which calves were housed together with their dams in a free-stall barn (n = 20). Throughout the first 7 weeks postpartum, data were collected on the health status, fecal microbiota, hematological profile, immune and hormonal parameters, and growth rates of calves, and on the health status, metabolic responses, and performance of dams. Overall, FC calves had more health issues (P = 0.02) and a tendency for higher antibiotic usage (P = 0.07) than NC calves. Additionally, FC calves showed elevated levels of erythrocytes, hematocrit, hemoglobin, and leukocytes on day 49 compared to NC calves (P < 0.001). Calf fecal microbiota changed over time, and we found preliminary evidence that fecal microbiota is affected by the type of CCC, as reflected by differences in relative abundances of taxa including Lactobacillus in FC calves compared to NC and PC calves except on days 7 and 66. The FC calves had a greater average daily gain in body weight than NC and PC calves (P = 0.002). Cow health was not affected by the type of CCC, although in the first 7 weeks of lactation FC cows had a lower machine-gained milk yield accompanied by a lower fat percentage than NC and PC cows (P < 0.001). These results indicate that full contact posed a challenge for calf health, presumably because the housing conditions of FC calves in this experimental context were suboptimal. Secondly, ad libitum suckling leads to higher weight gains and negatively affected milk fat content besides machine-gained yields. More research into strategies to improve cow-calf housing and management in CCC systems is warranted

Comparing gradual debonding strategies after prolonged cow-calf contact: Stress responses, performance, and health of dairy cow and calf

We assessed effects of two-step debonding strategies in calf rearing systems with different types of prolonged cow-calf contact (CCC) on stress responses, health and performance of dairy cows and calves. Forty-eight Holstein Friesian cow-calf pairs had either: 1) full contact including suckling, where contact was reduced before weaning via fence-line separation at day 49 (FC-FS) (n = 10); 2) full contact, where contact was reduced at day 56 by fitting calves with a nose-flap (FC-NF) (n = 10); 3) partial contact (calves were housed in a pen adjacent to the cow area allowing physical contact on initiative of the dam but no suckling), where contact was reduced before weaning by moving the calf box from the wall to prevent physical contact at day 49 (PC-BW) (n = 6); 4) partial contact, where contact was reduced the week after weaning by moving the calf box away from the wall at day 63 (PC-AW) (n = 12); 5) no contact (calves were removed from dam directly after birth and housed in a calf barn), calves were weaned at day 56 (NC) (n = 10). Between weeks 7-10, we assessed physiological stress parameters, weight gain, and the health status of calves, plus general activity patterns based on accelerometer sensor data of cow-calf pairs before, during and after the debonding interventions. Additionally, calves were subjected to four consecutive behavioural tests (i.e. open field, novel object, voluntary human approach and involuntary human approach test) prior to permanent separation at day 70 and their behavioural responses were assessed via video recordings to assess fearfulness. Machine-harvested milk yields of cows were evaluated during weeks 6-12. Data were analyzed with (generalized) linear mixed models. Throughout the debonding period, FCNF calves had an impaired growth rate (P = 0.02). In weeks 6-9, FC-FS and FC-NF cows had lower machineharvested milk yields than PC-BW, PC-AW, and NC cows (P <= 0.01). We found no differences in responsiveness of calves to behavioural tests, except that NC calves exhibited more solitary play events compared to PC and FC calves in the novel object test (P = 0.002). Overall, our results imply that calves with partial CCC showed low stress responses to debonding, whereas abrupt weaning with a nose-flap during full contact seemed most stressful. Machine-harvested milk yield of FC cows seemed to recover once calves were weaned. More research into strategies to improve the process of debonding is warranted

Effect of Type of Cow-Calf Contact on Health, Blood Parameters, and Performance of Dairy Cows and Calves

Prolonged cow-calf contact (CCC) could potentially improve dairy calf welfare. However, it is currently unknown how different types of CCC affect animals' biological functions. We evaluated health and performance parameters of dairy calves and their dams, where calves: (i) had no contact with their dam (NC), in which the calf was removed from the dam directly after birth (n = 10); (ii) were allowed to have partial contact (PC) with their dam, in which the calf was housed in a calf pen adjacent to the cow area allowing physical contact on the initiative of the dam but no suckling (n = 18); (iii) were allowed to have full contact (FC) with their dam, including suckling, in which calves were housed together with their dams in a free-stall barn (n = 20). Throughout the first 7 weeks postpartum, data were collected on the health status, fecal microbiota, hematological profile, immune and hormonal parameters, and growth rates of calves, and on the health status, metabolic responses, and performance of dams. Overall, FC calves had more health issues (P = 0.02) and a tendency for higher antibiotic usage (P = 0.07) than NC calves. Additionally, FC calves showed elevated levels of erythrocytes, hematocrit, hemoglobin, and leukocytes on day 49 compared to NC calves (P < 0.001). Calf fecal microbiota changed over time, and we found preliminary evidence that fecal microbiota is affected by the type of CCC, as reflected by differences in relative abundances of taxa including Lactobacillus in FC calves compared to NC and PC calves except on days 7 and 66. The FC calves had a greater average daily gain in body weight than NC and PC calves (P = 0.002). Cow health was not affected by the type of CCC, although in the first 7 weeks of lactation FC cows had a lower machine-gained milk yield accompanied by a lower fat percentage than NC and PC cows (P < 0.001). These results indicate that full contact posed a challenge for calf health, presumably because the housing conditions of FC calves in this experimental context were suboptimal. Secondly, ad libitum suckling leads to higher weight gains and negatively affected milk fat content besides machine-gained yields. More research into strategies to improve cow-calf housing and management in CCC systems is warranted

Comparing gradual debonding strategies after prolonged cow-calf contact: Stress responses, performance, and health of dairy cow and calf

We assessed effects of two-step debonding strategies in calf rearing systems with different types of prolonged cow-calf contact (CCC) on stress responses, health and performance of dairy cows and calves. Forty-eight Holstein Friesian cow-calf pairs had either: 1) full contact including suckling, where contact was reduced before weaning via fence-line separation at day 49 (FC-FS) (n = 10); 2) full contact, where contact was reduced at day 56 by fitting calves with a nose-flap (FC-NF) (n = 10); 3) partial contact (calves were housed in a pen adjacent to the cow area allowing physical contact on initiative of the dam but no suckling), where contact was reduced before weaning by moving the calf box from the wall to prevent physical contact at day 49 (PC-BW) (n = 6); 4) partial contact, where contact was reduced the week after weaning by moving the calf box away from the wall at day 63 (PC-AW) (n = 12); 5) no contact (calves were removed from dam directly after birth and housed in a calf barn), calves were weaned at day 56 (NC) (n = 10). Between weeks 7–10, we assessed physiological stress parameters, weight gain, and the health status of calves, plus general activity patterns based on accelerometer sensor data of cow-calf pairs before, during and after the debonding interventions. Additionally, calves were subjected to four consecutive behavioural tests (i.e. open field, novel object, voluntary human approach and involuntary human approach test) prior to permanent separation at day 70 and their behavioural responses were assessed via video recordings to assess fearfulness. Machine-harvested milk yields of cows were evaluated during weeks 6–12. Data were analyzed with (generalized) linear mixed models. Throughout the debonding period, FC-NF calves had an impaired growth rate (P = 0.02). In weeks 6–9, FC-FS and FC-NF cows had lower machine-harvested milk yields than PC-BW, PC-AW, and NC cows (P ≤ 0.01). We found no differences in responsiveness of calves to behavioural tests, except that NC calves exhibited more solitary play events compared to PC and FC calves in the novel object test (P = 0.002). Overall, our results imply that calves with partial CCC showed low stress responses to debonding, whereas abrupt weaning with a nose-flap during full contact seemed most stressful. Machine-harvested milk yield of FC cows seemed to recover once calves were weaned. More research into strategies to improve the process of debonding is warranted

Calf-directed affiliative behaviour of dairy cows in two types of cow-calf contact systems

There is an interest in alternative rearing systems that allow for prolonged cow-calf contact (CCC). Yet, a better understanding of cows' affiliative behaviour in those systems is needed. We evaluated the effect of type of CCC on calf-directed affiliative behaviour in dairy cows. Cows were permitted to have either: i) partial contact (PC) with their calf; calves were housed in a pen adjacent to the cow area allowing limited physical contact on initiative of the dam but no suckling (n = 18), or ii) full contact (FC) with their calf including suckling; calves were housed together with the dams in a free stall barn (n = 20). Proximity and physical contact between the cow and her own calf were recorded between 0 and 48 h postpartum in an individual maternity pen, and from 1 to 5 weeks postpartum in a free stall barn. Data were analysed with generalized linear models, except for behaviour with excess of zero-valued data where a Kruskal Wallis test was used. Principal component analysis (PCA) was carried out to identify consistency of behaviour in the maternity pen and free stall barn. After parturition, latency to onset of allogrooming did not differ among treatments (mean +/- SE, 8 +/- 3 min, P = 0.39). Throughout the first 48 h postpartum, no treatment differences were found in percentage of observed time spent allogrooming the calf (PC: 7.7 +/- 1.3%, FC: 9.5 +/- 1.5%), standing in proximity (<= 1 m radius) (PC: 22.9 +/- 2.1%, FC: 21.2 +/- 2.1%), or lying in proximity (PC: 30.5 +/- 4.3%, FC: 32.5 +/- 3.2%) (P 0.10). However, in the following 5 weeks, relative to PC cows, FC cows spent more time on average in close proximity to their calf (10.9 +/- 0.1% versus 3.1 +/- 0.4%, P < 0.001), and on allogrooming (2.1 +/- 0.2% versus 0.5 +/- 0.1%, P < 0.001). PCA revealed four components (explaining 76% of the variance). Lying in close and standing in far proximity in the maternity pen loaded (positive, negative, respectively) onto component 1, whereas physical contact and standing in close proximity in the free stall barn loaded negatively onto component 2. Standing in close proximity in the maternity pen loaded onto component 3, and standing 1-2 m near the calf in the free stall barn loaded onto component 4. Our results indicate that, in comparison with FC, PC decreases the expression of calf-directed affiliative behaviours in dairy cows, except in the 48 h following parturition. The partial CCC set-up limited the calf's accessibility, whereas calves in full CCC could initiate contact as well. Nonetheless, large interindividual differences in calf-directed affiliative behaviour were found that lacked consistency

Calf-directed affiliative behaviour of dairy cows in two types of cow-calf contact systems

There is an interest in alternative rearing systems that allow for prolonged cow-calf contact (CCC). Yet, a better understanding of cows’ affiliative behaviour in those systems is needed. We evaluated the effect of type of CCC on calf-directed affiliative behaviour in dairy cows. Cows were permitted to have either: i) partial contact (PC) with their calf; calves were housed in a pen adjacent to the cow area allowing limited physical contact on initiative of the dam but no suckling (n = 18), or ii) full contact (FC) with their calf including suckling; calves were housed together with the dams in a free stall barn (n = 20). Proximity and physical contact between the cow and her own calf were recorded between 0 and 48 h postpartum in an individual maternity pen, and from 1 to 5 weeks postpartum in a free stall barn. Data were analysed with generalized linear models, except for behaviour with excess of zero-valued data where a Kruskal Wallis test was used. Principal component analysis (PCA) was carried out to identify consistency of behaviour in the maternity pen and free stall barn. After parturition, latency to onset of allogrooming did not differ among treatments (mean±SE, 8 ± 3 min, P = 0.39). Throughout the first 48 h postpartum, no treatment differences were found in percentage of observed time spent allogrooming the calf (PC: 7.7 ± 1.3%, FC: 9.5 ± 1.5%), standing in proximity (≤1 m radius) (PC: 22.9 ± 2.1%, FC: 21.2 ± 2.1%), or lying in proximity (PC: 30.5 ± 4.3%, FC: 32.5 ± 3.2%) (P > 0.10). However, in the following 5 weeks, relative to PC cows, FC cows spent more time on average in close proximity to their calf (10.9 ± 0.1% versus 3.1 ± 0.4%, P < 0.001), and on allogrooming (2.1 ± 0.2% versus 0.5 ± 0.1%, P < 0.001). PCA revealed four components (explaining 76% of the variance). Lying in close and standing in far proximity in the maternity pen loaded (positive, negative, respectively) onto component 1, whereas physical contact and standing in close proximity in the free stall barn loaded negatively onto component 2. Standing in close proximity in the maternity pen loaded onto component 3, and standing 1–2 m near the calf in the free stall barn loaded onto component 4. Our results indicate that, in comparison with FC, PC decreases the expression of calf-directed affiliative behaviours in dairy cows, except in the 48 h following parturition. The partial CCC set-up limited the calf's accessibility, whereas calves in full CCC could initiate contact as well. Nonetheless, large inter-individual differences in calf-directed affiliative behaviour were found that lacked consistency

Effect of cow-calf contact on motivation of dairy cows to access their calf

The cows motivation to access their calves is greatest when the cows are suckled, but they are still motivated with an udder net

Effect of cow-calf contact on cow motivation to reunite with their calf

Early cow-calf separation prevents much of cows’ natural maternal behaviour. Early separation is thought to prevent the development of a cow-calf bond. To assess this bond, we measured motivation of dairy cows to reunite with their calf. To vary the degree of bonding, some cows were allowed continued contact with their calf and others were separated from their calf soon after birth, following standard practice on most farms. Among cows allowed continued contact, some were able to suckle their calf and others were prevented from suckling (by covering the cow’s udder with an udder net). Cows were habituated to the weighted-gate apparatus before calving by daily training with the (un-weighted) gate. After calving, cow willingness to use the gate was assessed by determining if she would push open the gate to access to her own calf. Testing occurred once daily, with weight on the gate gradually increased. After passing through the gate, the dam’s calf-directed behaviour was recorded. Suckled cows pushed a greater maximum weight (45.8 ± 7.8 kg) than separated cows (21.6 ± 6.7 kg) and non-suckled cows (24.3 ± 4.5 kg), with no differences between separated and non-suckled cows. Once reunited, latency to make nose contact and duration of licking did not differ between treatments. We conclude that motivation for calf contact is greater for cows that are suckled.</p

Effect of Type of Cow-Calf Contact on Health, Blood Parameters, and Performance of Dairy Cows and Calves

Prolonged cow-calf contact (CCC) could potentially improve dairy calf welfare. However, it is currently unknown how different types of CCC affect animals' biological functions. We evaluated health and performance parameters of dairy calves and their dams, where calves: (i) had no contact with their dam (NC), in which the calf was removed from the dam directly after birth ( n = 10); (ii) were allowed to have partial contact (PC) with their dam, in which the calf was housed in a calf pen adjacent to the cow area allowing physical contact on the initiative of the dam but no suckling ( n = 18); (iii) were allowed to have full contact (FC) with their dam, including suckling, in which calves were housed together with their dams in a free-stall barn ( n = 20). Throughout the first 7 weeks postpartum, data were collected on the health status, fecal microbiota, hematological profile, immune and hormonal parameters, and growth rates of calves, and on the health status, metabolic responses, and performance of dams. Overall, FC calves had more health issues ( P = 0.02) and a tendency for higher antibiotic usage ( P = 0.07) than NC calves. Additionally, FC calves showed elevated levels of erythrocytes, hematocrit, hemoglobin, and leukocytes on day 49 compared to NC calves ( P < 0.001). Calf fecal microbiota changed over time, and we found preliminary evidence that fecal microbiota is affected by the type of CCC, as reflected by differences in relative abundances of taxa including Lactobacillus in FC calves compared to NC and PC calves except on days 7 and 66. The FC calves had a greater average daily gain in body weight than NC and PC calves ( P = 0.002). Cow health was not affected by the type of CCC, although in the first 7 weeks of lactation FC cows had a lower machine-gained milk yield accompanied by a lower fat percentage than NC and PC cows ( P < 0.001). These results indicate that full contact posed a challenge for calf health, presumably because the housing conditions of FC calves in this experimental context were suboptimal. Secondly, ad libitum suckling leads to higher weight gains and negatively affected milk fat content besides machine-gained yields. More research into strategies to improve cow-calf housing and management in CCC systems is warranted