Play and social behaviour of calves with or without access to their dam and other cows

Publikationen als Autor:in / Herausgeber:in der Vetmeduni

Waiblinger, Susanne

Abstrakt

The aim of the study reported in this Research Communication was to compare play behaviour and social interactions of dairy calves either separated from their mother and reared in a calf group (Artificial) or with access to their mother and the cow herd (cow-calf contact:Contact).Contactcalves had access to a calf area and also to the cow barn where they could suckle their dam.Artificialcalves were fed whole milk up to 16 kg per dayviaan automatic milk feeder and were only kept in the calf area. We observed the animals on 3 d during the first three months of life.Contactcalves showed solitary play, consisting predominantly of locomotor play, for longer thanArtificialcalves and mainly in the cow barn. This indicates higher welfare inContactcalves. In addition,Artificialcalves hardly experienced any agonistic interaction, whileContactcalves both initiated and received agonistic interactions, which might contribute to the development of higher social competence.

Dokumententyp

Originalarbeit

Open Access Type

Hybrid

DOI

10.1017/S0022029920000540

PubMed ID

MEDLINE:33213574