The effect of the calves´ age on moving to group housing on their performance, health and welfare

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00027014%3A_____%2F22%3AN0000152" target="_blank" >RIV/00027014:_____/22:N0000152 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://vuzv.cz/_privat/22153.pdf" target="_blank" >https://vuzv.cz/_privat/22153.pdf</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

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Result language

angličtina

Original language name

The effect of the calves´ age on moving to group housing on their performance, health and welfare

Original language description

The aim of this study was to determine the age suitable for moving calves from individual to a group housing with regard to their performance, health and welfare. 48 Calf-bulls were placed in the individual hutches immediately after their birth. After then 16 calf-bulls were moved to group hutches in fours at the age of 15, 20 and 31 days. The qualitative parameters (behaviour, health) were evaluated by nonparametric tests, quantitative parameters (live weight, weight gain, starter intake) using ANOVA for repeated measurements in the TIBCO Statistica. The calves, of all ages placed into the group hutches, spent most of day time by lying and resting (62.9-66.4%). The calf-bulls reared in the group from 20th day of age sucked the body parts of other calves (p<0.05) for a longer period of time (by +0.5%) in compared to the calf-bulls reared in the group from 15th day of age. Calf-bulls housed in group from 15th day of age had a significantly higher (p<0.05) weight gain by +4.4 kg in consequence higher intake of starter by +1.3 kg than calf-bulls housed in group from 31st day of age. Calf-bulls reared in the group from the 31st day of age had a significantly lower (p<0.01) occurrence of diarrhoea and a non-significantly lower occurrence of respiratory diseases. The movement of calves from the individual to the group housing is appropriate to take place from the 31st day of calf age as well as from the point of their health and welfare.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

O - Miscellaneous

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

40201 - Animal and dairy science; (Animal biotechnology to be 4.4)

Project

<a href="/en/project/QK1910438" target="_blank" >QK1910438: Reduction the use of antibiotics by environmentally-friendly prebiotic and probiotic feed additives in the nutrition of calves</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2022

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů