The effects of weaning beef calves in two stages on their behavior and growth rate

Haley, Derek B.; Bailey, Derek W.; Stookey, J. M.

doi:10.2527/2005.8392205x

Cited by 156 publications

(165 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…53 Stress may also influence the distance traveled as calves have been shown to take more steps for 3 days after weaning. 54 Bulls travel more steps than steers per day indicating the need for accounting for gender in the analysis. 52 In properly designed experiments, pedometers may be useful in determining changes in behavior following a painful procedure.…”

Section: Monitoring Step Count Frequency With Pedometersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Remote Noninvasive Assessment of Pain and Health Status in Cattle

Theurer¹,

Amrine²,

White³

2013

Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice

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SynopsisCattle behavior is frequently monitored to determine health and wellness state of the animal. The objective of this review is to describe potential benefits and challenges of remotely monitoring cattle behavior with available methodologies including clinical illness scores, visual monitoring, accelerometers, pedometers, feed intake and behavioral monitoring, global position systems, real time location systems, thermography images, and rumen telemetry temperature bolus. The behavior of interest, labor required, and monitoring expenses all need to be taken into consideration before deciding which remote behavioral monitoring device is most appropriate.Monitoring the feeding behavior of an animal over a period of time allows establishment of a baseline against which deviations in subsequent behavioral patterns can be evaluated.Interpretation of multiple behavioral responses as an aggregate indicator of animal wellness status rather than as individual outcomes may be a more accurate measure of true state of animal pain or wellness status. Key Points Cattle behavior is frequently monitored to determine health and wellness state.

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Section: Monitoring Step Count Frequency With Pedometersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Remote Noninvasive Assessment of Pain and Health Status in Cattle

Theurer¹,

Amrine²,

White³

2013

Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice

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“…This may be done using nose flaps that prevent the calf from sucking (Haley et al, 2005), thereby separating the end of the access to the udder and milk ingestion from the physical separation from the dam. When it is applied in association with traditional weaning (usually when the calf is between 5 and 6 months old), this weaning method reduces the behavioural stress response of the cow (Ungerfeld et al, 2015) and the calf (Enríquez et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Minimizing cows’ stress when calves were early weaned using the two-step method with nose flaps

Ungerfeld¹,

Quintans

Hötzel

2016

Animal

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Early weaning may be used in beef cattle production to improve reproduction rates in range conditions. However, weaning causes a stress response in cows, which may be especially strong in early weaning management, as the bond between the cow and the calf is still strong. We hypothesized that weaning calves in two steps, with the aid of anti-sucking devices (nose flaps) would reduce the behavioural stress response in the cows separated from their calves 2 months after parturition. We compared the behaviour frequency and weight change in cows that were weaned abruptly, by separation of the calf on day 0 of the study, or in two steps, consisting of the use of anti-sucking nose flaps for 5 days before permanent separation; a third group was not weaned to serve as control. Thirty-six crossbred multiparous Aberdeen Angus × Hereford cows and their calves (n = 12/treatment) were managed in three paddocks with similar pasture availability, with four dyads from each treatment per paddock. Cows' behaviour was observed by direct visual instantaneous sampling, at 10 min intervals from days −3 to 11. Weaning the calves in two steps clearly attenuated the behavioural stress response observed in abruptly weaned cows, which included reductions in grazing and lying, and increases in pacing, walking and vocalizing. Our results corroborate those previously shown for cows nursing older calves, and indicate that step weaning can reduce the behavioural stress response of cows at weaning, even when the calf is weaned shortly after birth, when the bond between the cow and calf is still very strong.

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“…Calves respond to weaning with increased vocalizations, agitation, walking activity and reduced feed intake and rumination (Veissier and Le Neindre, 1989;Haley et al, 2005) resulting in a suppressed immune system and enhanced disease susceptibility (Lefcourt and Elsasser, 1995).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An alternative weaning strategy is two-stage weaning with the calves being prevented from suckling the dam by fitting an anti-suckling device (nose-flap) before they are separated from the dam (Haley et al, 2005;Boland et al, 2008). Studies in lambs emphasized the suitability of this method to reduce weaning stress (Schichowski et al, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of castration and weaning conducted concurrently or consecutively on behaviour, blood traits and performance in beef calves

Lambertz

Farke-Röver

Moors

et al. 2015

Animal

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The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of Burdizzo castration and abrupt weaning on the behaviour, blood traits and performance of beef calves when weaning was conducted concurrently or consecutively to castration. In total, 64 male beef calves aged between 6 and 7 months were assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial design with the following treatment groups (n = 16 animals per treatment): (1) castrated and concurrently weaned in week 0 (CAS-WEA); (2) castrated in week 0 and weaned in week 4 (CAS-CON); (3) bulls weaned in week 0 (BUL-WEA); and (4) bulls weaned in week 4 (BUL-CON). The behaviour of the calves was observed for 3 days following weaning. Blood was collected weekly from weeks 0 to 5 and analysed for the acute-phase protein haptoglobin, and neutrophil and lymphocyte percentages. BW was recorded weekly from weeks 0 to 7. Animals were slaughtered at 17 months and weight, dressing percentage and carcass classifications were recorded. On day 1 after weaning, the number of vocalizations (calls/10 min) was higher in BUL-WEA (7.2) and CAS-WEA (5.4) than in calves of CAS-CON (2.8) and BUL-CON (2.9) groups (P < 0.05). From days 1 to 3 vocalizations decreased in all groups. CAS-CON and BUL-CON animals spent 20% lying on day 1 after weaning compared with 40% in CAS-WEA and BUL-WEA calves (P < 0.05). The haptoglobin concentration decreased during the first 5 weeks after weaning in all groups independent of the castration, weaning group or its interaction (P > 0.05). WEA groups showed an increased average daily gain (ADG) during weeks 0 to 3 and a reduced ADG during 4 to 7 weeks in comparison with CON animals. At slaughter, bulls were about 80 kg heavier than castrates and had a superior dressing percentage and carcass classification (P > 0.05). In conclusion, weaning had a greater effect on the number of vocalizations, standing/walking and lying behaviour and ADG compared with Burdizzo castration. In comparison with undertaking the procedures separately, concurrent castration and weaning neither affected behaviour and haematological parameters nor impaired performance. There was no evidence that the concurrent application of both treatments markedly increased the stress response compared with their application at intervals of a few weeks.

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The effects of weaning beef calves in two stages on their behavior and growth rate

Cited by 156 publications

References 5 publications

Remote Noninvasive Assessment of Pain and Health Status in Cattle

Remote Noninvasive Assessment of Pain and Health Status in Cattle

Minimizing cows’ stress when calves were early weaned using the two-step method with nose flaps

Effects of castration and weaning conducted concurrently or consecutively on behaviour, blood traits and performance in beef calves

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