Characterizing social behavior, activity, and associations between cognition and behavior upon social grouping of weaned dairy calves

Journal of Dairy Science
K Horvath, E K Miller-Cushon

Abstract

Weaned dairy calves are commonly exposed to changing physical and social environments, and ability to adapt to novel management is likely to have performance and welfare implications. We characterized how behavioral responses of weaned heifer calves develop over time after introduction to a social group. Previously individually reared Holstein heifer calves (n = 15; 60 ± 5 d of age; mean ± standard deviation) were introduced in weekly cohorts (5 ± 3 new calves/wk) to an existing group on pasture (8 ± 2 calves/group). We measured activity and behavior on the day of initial introduction and after 1 wk, when calves were exposed to regrouping (addition of younger calves and removal of older calves from the pen). Upon introduction, calves had 2 to 3 times more visits to each region of the pasture; they also spent more time at the back of the pasture, closest to where they were introduced and furthest from the feeding area (25.13 vs. 9.63% of observation period, standard error = 5.04), compared with behavior after 1 wk. Calves also spent less time feeding (5.0 vs. 9.6% of observation period, standard error = 0.82) and self-grooming (0.52 vs. 1.31% of observation period; standard error = 0.20) and more time within 1 to 3 body lengths ...Continue Reading

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Citations

Mar 2, 2019·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Ellen Schulz-KornasKornelius Kupczik
Dec 29, 2019·Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI·Shuai LiuZhijun Cao
Sep 2, 2020·PloS One·Kelsey C Horvath, Emily K Miller-Cushon
Jun 29, 2021·Journal of Dairy Science·E E LindnerE K Miller-Cushon

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