Institute of Animal Welfare Science, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria.
Animal Husbandry and Ethology, Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institute for Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
J Dairy Res. 2020 Aug;87(S1):144-147. doi: 10.1017/S0022029920000540. Epub 2020 Jul 30.
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). Contact calves had access to a calf area and also to the cow barn where they could suckle their dam. Artificial calves were fed whole milk up to 16 kg per day via an 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. Contact calves showed solitary play, consisting predominantly of locomotor play, for longer than Artificial calves and mainly in the cow barn. This indicates higher welfare in Contact calves. In addition, Artificial calves hardly experienced any agonistic interaction, while Contact calves both initiated and received agonistic interactions, which might contribute to the development of higher social competence.
本研究通讯旨在比较与母亲分离并在牛群中饲养的犊牛（人工组）或与母亲和牛群接触的犊牛（牛犊接触组：接触组）的玩耍行为和社会互动。接触组的犊牛可以进入犊牛区，也可以进入牛舍，在那里他们可以吮吸母牛的奶。人工组的犊牛通过自动喂奶器每天喂食全脂牛奶，直至 16 公斤，并仅留在犊牛区。我们在生命的头三个月的 3 天内观察了这些动物。接触组的犊牛表现出比人工组的犊牛更长时间的单独玩耍，主要是在牛舍中，主要由运动玩耍组成。这表明接触组的犊牛的福利更高。此外，人工组的犊牛几乎没有经历任何争斗性互动，而接触组的犊牛既发起也接受争斗性互动，这可能有助于提高社会竞争力。
