Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

The aim for this study was to investigate if it is less stressful for cow and calves in loose housing systems when separation is made so they can see and touch each other (Physical Contact-PC) instead of just hearing each other (Hearing Contact-HC). The behavior of eight cow- calf pairs (n=4 pairs per treatment) on an ecological dairy farm with cubicle housing were studied for four hours directly after separation and four hours the day after separation. The first four cows that gave birth were used for treatment PC, and the following four cows that gave birth were used for treatment HC. The only selection criteria used was that both cow and calf were healthy. Separation took place 3-4 days after birth and the calves were put separately in two different pens while the mothers were let loose into the cubicle system. For treatment PC the pen was placed in the middle of the cubicle system, and it had two walls and two gates where the cows and calves could touch and see each other but it did not give the calf opportunity to suckle the cow. For treatment HC the pen was next to the original birthplace, and from here the cows were taken into the cubicle system while the calves were moved to the adjacent pen. The animals and their behavior were observed during hours 0-4 (day 0) and hours 24-28 (day 1) after separation. The results were analyzed with SAS. The results show that the calves in both PC and HC performed more high pitched vocalization on day 1, the calves in PC vocalized more with high pitched both day 0 and day 1 compared to the calves in HC. The cows in PC used less high pitched vocalization day 1 than HC. The cows in HC moved around more, the calves licked more on the surroundings than the calves in PC. The calves in HC lay down relaxed more, and both calves and cows stood more relaxed, showed fewer signs on direct separation anxiety and the calves licked less on themselves.