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Pasture access and social housing influence the behaviour of dairy calves

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2024

Teresa Cristina Alves ,
Karolini Tenffen De-Sousa ,
Pamela Caroline Gomes ,
Vitória Tobias Paris  and
Matheus Deniz
Teresa Cristina Alves
Affiliation:
Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária, Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
Karolini Tenffen De-Sousa
Affiliation:
Grupo de Estudos em Bovinos Leiteiros, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
Pamela Caroline Gomes
Affiliation:
Centro Universitário Central Paulista, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
Vitória Tobias Paris
Affiliation:
Centro Universitário Central Paulista, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
Matheus Deniz*
Affiliation:
Grupo de Estudos em Bovinos Leiteiros, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
*
Corresponding author: Matheus Deniz; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

This Research Communication set out to (1) evaluate the behaviour and performance of dairy calves raised on pasture individually or in groups, and (2) evaluate the influence of physical enrichment on the behaviour and performance of dairy calves raised in groups on pasture. Although there was no difference in grazing behaviour when housed in groups, calves spent longer eating concentrate, ruminating and drinking water. Additionaly, calves housed individually spend part of their time trying to get close to a neighbouring calf. When available, the brush was the physical enrichment item most used by calves followed by straw-man and ball. Pasture access may allow calves to exhibit their highly motivated natural behaviours such as grazing and rumination. Furthermore, social housing provides dairy calves an opportunity for social bonding. Thus, social housing with free access to pasture areas could be an alternative in tropical regions to the typical individual rearing system used in intensive dairy farming.

Keywords

Animal behaviouranimal breedinganimal welfarecalf
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Dairy Research , Volume 91 , Issue 3 , August 2024 , pp. 293 - 297
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Hannah Dairy Research Foundation

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