Calf Note #149 – Group housing and weaning strategies
نویسنده
چکیده
Calf management, feeding and housing strategies are continually refined in light of new research to help calves reach their full genetic potential. One strategy – separating newborn calves from each other in individual housing – has been evaluated periodically, more recently in light of increased availability of computerized calf feeders in the U.S. According to USDA, 74.9% of dairy operations in the U.S. housed calves individually prior to weaning in 2006. Group housing is also increasing in some countries as governments require calves be grouped for welfare concerns.
منابع مشابه
Impact of feeding and housing systems on disease incidence in dairy calves
Contentious issues in calf rearing include milk feeding level and single versus group housing. The current study was performed on a high-producing 170 Holstein cow dairy farm to investigate the impact of nutrition and housing on disease incidence. Calves (n=100) were allocated in birth order to one of two commonly used feeding strategies. Group A calves were group housed from birth and fed ad l...
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Calfhood diseases have a major impact on the economic viability of cattle operations. A three part review series has been developed focusing on calf health from birth to weaning. In this paper, the last of the three part series, we review disease prevention and management with particular reference to pneumonia, focusing primarily on the pre-weaned calf. Pneumonia in recently weaned suckler calv...
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BACKGROUND Weaning involves the permanent separation of the calf from the dam and has been shown to be stressful for both. The objectives of this study were to characterise the effect of i) abrupt weaning and ii) subsequent housing on the extended physiological and immunological responses of beef cows. At weaning (day (d) 0, mean age of calf (s.d.) 212 (24.5) d), cows were abruptly separated fr...
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A questionnaire was sent to 1500 randomly selected dairy herds in Sweden, asking for general information about the herds, including routines from birth to first calving and also routines at breeding, calving and during the grazing period. Fifty-eight percent of the questionnaires were returned. The preweaned calves were kept in individual calf pens in 68% and in group housing systems in 28% of ...
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Methods of housing and managing the milk-fed dairy calf have changed considerably in recent years. We review key developments and how these affect calf welfare. Limit feeding of milk is recognized as both a welfare and production risk. Conventional limit feeding methods (i.e. approximately 10% BW/d) result in signs of chronic hunger, abnormal behavior, poor weight gains and poorer lifetime perf...
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