Measuring Calves' Usage of Multiple Environmental Enrichment Objects Provided Simultaneously

Abstract

This study aims to assess calf usage of five potential enrichment devices provided simultaneously. We used 25 weaned Holstein-Friesian calves housed in groups of five (five replicates), and their behavior was recorded continuously with video cameras. This longitudinal observational study used a pen equipped with a mechanical and fixed brush, cowhide, and horizontal and vertical ropes. Data collected included how many visits each object received per day, the type of object usage, and the duration of the visits. Calves used all five objects at least once, and they used items more during the daytime than at night. Brushes were used mainly for grooming (e.g., rubbing or scratching), while ropes and cowhide for oral interactions (e.g., licking, chewing, and biting), most likely to lack oral stimulations that would naturally be satisfied by suckling and grazing at this age. The objects most frequently used were the mechanical brush and the horizontal rope, and they received the highest number of visits (214.9 and 154.9 bouts/day, respectively). The least chosen object was the stationary brush, which had the lowest number of visits (62.9 bouts/day). The provision of multiple enrichment objects for weaned calves should be considered as they may add complexity and novelty to barren environments.

Beef Cattle Preference and Usage of Environmental Enrichments Provided Simultaneously in a Pasture-Based Environment

“…Cattle were observed chewing woodchips and performing oral manipulations with both the rope and the stump, specifically chewing the rope and the bark and licking the root ball of the stump. Enrichments allowing for oral manipulation, specifically ropes, are provided to cattle when they may be deprived from fulfilling their natural oral behaviours of suckling and/or grazing, but mature cattle appear to interact with these ropes less; dairy: [ 9 , 10 ]; beef: [ 14 , 49 , 50 ]. Bark stripping is an oral stereotype seen in cattle [ 51 , 52 ], and is associated with a lack of foraging [ 16 , 53 ], some dietary deficiencies such as lack of manganese or fibre [ 54 , 55 , 56 ], or social learning [ 51 ].…”

“…A limitation of the current study was that observations only occurred during daylight hours, and none at night. However, previous studies examining enrichment use of dairy calves found that enrichment objects are used approximately one third less during the night than day [ 9 ], and cattle at pasture spend a large proportion of the night lying down [ 38 ].…”

“…The degree of environmental complexity under which all these observations have been conducted is not certain, but common behaviours of grazing, resting, then walking in beef cattle across paddocks with some amount of vegetation have been reported [ 7 ]. Studies on feedlot and dairy cattle can give some indication of preferred enrichments such as mechanical brushes [ 8 , 9 ], other grooming devices [ 4 ], and hanging ropes [ 9 , 10 ]. However, these animals are generally housed with either no or restricted access to pasture [ 2 ], which impacts their time budgets and may allow more time for enrichment use in place of grazing time.…”

“…Oral manipulation of objects, particularly chewing, licking, and nibbling, are also seen in cattle, notably dairy calves and intensively managed cattle [ 9 , 10 , 14 ]. When cattle are in a feedlot environment or on thick improved pastures (i.e., grazing lands not used for cropping), eating time is reduced and replaced with other oral behaviours when compared to cattle in paddocks with low pasture availability [ 15 ].…”

Tactile, Auditory, and Visual Stimulation as Sensory Enrichment for Dairy Cattle

“…Enriched cows licked their calves for prolonged periods (8.7 min) in contrast to non-enriched cattle [13]. Similarly, Strappini et al [26] determined in 25 weaned Holstein Friesian calves a preference (up to 60 times greater) for rotational MBs and horizontal rope when compared with stationary brushes. These results do not only support the idea that MBs motivate grooming but that cattle highly prefer spaces provided by such tactile stimulation.…”