Effect of space allowance on behaviour of newborn milk-fed dairy calves

• DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2005.09.006
• Publication Date: 2005-11-23T12:15:04Z
• Authors: İbrahim Tapkı; Ahmet Şahin; Ali Galip Önal
• Keywords: 0403 veterinary science; 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences

Abstract This study was carried out to investigate the behaviour of newborn milk-fed dairy calves in different sized individual pens. Twenty-one Holstein Friesian calves were allocated to three different sized pen types (small 1 m × 1.5 m, medium 1.5 m × 1.5 m and large 2 m × 2 m) located in a semi-open barn for 60 days following 3-day colostrum feeding. Each calf was observed twice a week for 1 h at 5 min intervals in different times of a day after the initiation of daily feeding. Animals were monitored for eating, ruminating, drinking, walking, standing, playing and resting activities. The proportional count of eating 17.10, 19.74, 20.02%; ruminating, 13.21, 16.42, 14.81%; drinking 1.42, 2.18, 0.84%; walking 0.76, 4.23, 5.85%; standing 23.34, 19.66, 15.07%; playing 2.11, 2.80, 2.59% and resting 39.95, 30.60, 38.46% respective to the space allowances small, medium and large were found significantly different ( P P > 0.05). Results showed that the increased space allowances from 1.5 to 4 m 2 for each calf changed the behaviour of dairy calves. Space allowance of 1.5 m 2 for each calf resulted in the higher percentage of standing behaviour compared to the larger space allowances. In conclusion, there was no effect of space allowance on daily live weight gain of dairy calves; but most likely, feel themselves better when kept in medium and large sized pens based on the determined behavioural results.