Behavioural, health and cortisol responses of young calves to tail docking using a rubber ring or docking iron

Abstract

. 2002. Behavioural, health and cortisol responses of young calves to tail docking using a rubber ring or docking iron. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 82: 1-9. The acute responses of thirty-six 7-to 17-d-old Holstein calves to tail docking using a rubber ring or a hot docking iron were examined. Plasma cortisol concentrations were measured on day 0 and day +1. Behaviour was examined on days -1, 0, +1, +2, and +5 after treatment. Milk intake, weight gain, body temperature and faeces scores were monitored. Rubber ring application caused an increase in tail grooming up to day +5 after treatment. Shorter standing and lying periods as well as higher frequencies of standing and lying on day 0 were seen in the rubber ring group. No significant differences in behaviour were observed between the control group and the docking iron group. No significant differences in plasma cortisol concentrations were found between any groups except for 60 min after treatment when the rubber ring group exhibited a significantly higher concentration than the control group. No differences in milk intake, weight gain, body temperature or faeces score were found. Tail docking with a rubber ring causes a more pronounced behavioural and physiological response than docking with a docking iron. However, long-term effects need to be investigated. On s'est intéressé à la réaction aiguë de 36 veaux Holstein de 7 à 17 jours à l'ablation de la queue par un anneau de caoutchouc ou un fer à cautériser. Les auteurs ont dosé la quantité de cortisol dans le sang le jour de la cautérisation (jour 0) et le lendemain (jour +1). Ils ont aussi étudié le comportement des animaux les jours -1, 0, +1, +2 et +5 du traitement. Pour cela, ils ont surveillé l'absorption de lait, le gain de poids, la température du corps et le nombre de fèces. L'usage d'un anneau en caoutchouc intensifie le nettoyage de la queue jusqu'au cinquième jour suivant le traitement. Les animaux pourvus d'un anneau restent moins longtemps debout et couchés mais se couchent et se lèvent plus souvent le jour 0. On n'observe toutefois aucune variation sensible du comportement chez les sujets du groupe témoin et ceux dont on avait coupé la queue avec le fer à cautériser. La concentration de cortisol dans le sang ne varie pas de manière significative d'un groupe à l'autre, sauf 60 minutes après l'ablation, où elle est sensiblement plus élevée chez les veaux dotés d'un anneau en caoutchouc que chez les témoins. Les auteurs n'ont relevé aucune variation au niveau de la quantité de lait absorbée, du gain de poids, de la température corporelle ou du nombre de fèces. L'amputation de la queue par un anneau en caoutchouc suscite une plus vive réaction comportementale et physiologique que son ablation avec le fer à cautériser. Il faudrait cependant entreprendre d'autres études pour préciser les effets à long terme d'une telle pratique.

Effects of tail docking on behavior of confined feedlot cattle1

“…Lying time of our CN calves represent behavior of typical feedlot calves, which tend to spend approximately 12 h lying/d (30 min lying/h; Robért et al, 2011;Hoffman and Self, 1973). Similar results of increased standing time occurred in rubber ringed docked 1-wk-old calves (Tom et al, 2002) and following castration in beef calves compared to before castration (White et al, 2008). Other studies found a decrease in time spent lying in adult dairy cows that were tail banded before parturition (Eicher et al, 2001) and increased restlessness was observed in calves after tail banding (Schreiner and Ruegg, 2002).…”

“…Because of the short duration of this behavior (1 d) and the associated tail amputation procedure in the DK cattle, this reduced tail wag behavior may suggest acute pain associated with movement of the DK tail. Tom et al (2002) found no difference in tail shake behavior between docked and control calves after tail docking using rubber ring or hot iron on d 0, 1, or 5. Interestingly, by d 2 of this study, DK calves were more likely to perform the tail wag behavior, although both groups performed the tail wag behavior often.…”

“…Increased numbers of flies were observed on tail-docked cattle compared to undocked cattle (Eicher et al, 2001;Grooms et al, 2010). Many studies have examined the behavioral effect of tail banding with rubber rings on dairy cattle (Eicher et al, 2000;Eicher et al, 2001;Eicher and Dailey, 2002;Schreiner and Ruegg, 2002;Tom et al, 2002). Behavior and thermographic image changes similar to those found in humans who experience phantom limb pain were found in docked dairy cattle (Eicher et al, 2006).…”

Scientific report on the effects of farming systems on dairy cow welfare and disease

“…Preweaned calves that were 21 to 42 d of age demonstrated significantly more restlessness after application of tail bands compared to younger calves or control calves of the same age (Schreiner and Ruegg, 2002). After tail-docking no differences in cortisol, milk intake, weight gain, body temperature or faeces score were found (Tom et al, 2002a). No significant differences in cortisol, heart rate or body temperature were detected among groups of calves and heifers docked (Schreiner and Ruegg, 2002).…”

Effects of tail docking on health and performance of beef cattle in confined, slatted-floor feedlots1

“…Performance studies following tail docking have been conducted in young dairy replacement heifers. Tom et al (2002) monitored 36 7-to 17-d-old Holstein calves for 3 wk following rubber ring or hot iron docking and found no significant differences in milk intake and weight gain between docked and undocked calves. Another study monitored weekly BW on 56 heifers for 6 mo following tail docking and was unable to identify any significant differences between docked and undocked heifers (Matthews et al, 1995).…”