McPherson S E, Bokkers E A M, Sinnott A M, McFadden M C, Webb L E, Kennedy E
Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork P61C996, Ireland; Animal Production Systems Group, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, the Netherlands.
Animal Production Systems Group, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, the Netherlands.
Animal. 2025 Jun;19(6):101541. doi: 10.1016/j.animal.2025.101541. Epub 2025 May 6.
Cow-calf contact (CCC) systems have become increasingly popular calf-rearing systems to promote positive welfare; however, weaning and separation may cause distress. This preliminary study aimed to investigate the interaction between weaning and CCC on the physiological health, performance, and behaviour of dairy cows and calves. Three systems were compared: conventional, pasture-based Irish system (CONV; 18 pairs), cow and calf separated ≤ 2 h postbirth, cows milked twice-a-day, calves artificially reared indoors; full-time access system (FT; 14 pairs), dam and calf allowed constant, pasture-based, unrestricted access and cows milked twice-a-day; and part-time access system (PT; 18 pairs), unrestricted access at night indoors, cows grazed outdoors by day while calves remained indoors, cows milked once-a-day (0800 h). All calves were weaned at 8 weeks of age; FT and PT pairs underwent a 7 d gradual weaning and separation process (PT cows switched to twice-a-day milking) while CONV calves were gradually weaned over 12 d. Clinical health scores (2x/week), blood samples (1x/week; analysed for physiological markers of health and performance), BW (1x/week), body condition score (1x/week; cows only), and behaviour (1 d/week; scan sampling 3x/d; 24 total observations) were taken the week before (preWS) and after (postWS) the weaning and separation process. The PT cows had higher body condition scores (3.18 ± 0.034) than CONV (2.95; FT cows were similar to both, 3.05) and lower non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA; 0.40 ± 0.038 mmol/L) than the FT cows (0.58 mmol/L; CONV cows were similar to both, 0.48 mmol/L) across both time-points. All calves preWS had lower summed clinical health scores (0.91 vs 1.25 ± 0.131; P = 0.017), beta-hydroxybutyrate (0.07 vs 0.39 ± 0.023 mmol/L; P < 0.001), and globulin (12.0 vs 14.5 ± 0.929 g/L; P = 0.010) than postWS. After weaning and separation, the FT (0.36 mmol/L; P < 0.001) and PT (0.34 mmol/L; P = 0.001) calves had higher NEFA than CONV calves (0.13 mmol/L). Calf weekly average daily gain (ADGw) was similar preWS (0.9 ± 0.142 kg/d), but CONV calves had higher ADGw postWS than FT (0.42 kg/d) and PT calves (0.40 kg/d). All calves performed more (P = 0.009) positive behaviours preWS (4.6 ± 6.37%) compared to postWS (2.3 ± 3.38%). Our results suggest the applied CCC slightly worsened cow and calf health, performance, and behaviour around weaning and separation.
母牛-犊牛接触（CCC）系统已成为越来越受欢迎的犊牛饲养系统，以促进良好的福利；然而，断奶和分离可能会造成困扰。这项初步研究旨在调查断奶和CCC对奶牛和犊牛的生理健康、性能及行为的相互作用。比较了三种系统：传统的基于牧场的爱尔兰系统（CONV；18对），母牛和犊牛在出生后≤2小时分离，母牛每天挤奶两次，犊牛在室内人工饲养；全时接触系统（FT；14对），母畜和犊牛可随时在基于牧场的环境中不受限制地接触，母牛每天挤奶两次；以及部分时间接触系统（PT；18对），夜间在室内不受限制地接触，母牛白天在户外放牧而犊牛留在室内，母牛每天一次（08:00）挤奶。所有犊牛在8周龄时断奶；FT和PT组的母牛和犊牛经历了7天的逐渐断奶和分离过程（PT组的母牛改为每天挤奶两次），而CONV组的犊牛在12天内逐渐断奶。在断奶和分离过程之前（断奶前）和之后（断奶后）的一周内，记录临床健康评分（每周2次）、血样（每周1次；分析健康和性能的生理指标）、体重（每周1次）、体况评分（每周1次；仅针对母牛）以及行为（每周1天；每天扫描取样3次；共24次观察）。在两个时间点上，PT组母牛的体况评分（3.18±0.034）高于CONV组（2.95）（FT组母牛与两者相似，为3.05），非酯化脂肪酸（NEFA）水平（0.40±0.038毫摩尔/升）低于FT组母牛（0.58毫摩尔/升）（CONV组母牛与两者相似，为0.48毫摩尔/升）。所有犊牛在断奶前的临床健康评分总和较低（0.91对1.25±0.131；P = 0.017），β-羟丁酸水平较低（0.07对0.39±0.023毫摩尔/升；P < 0.001），球蛋白水平较低（12. 0对14.5±0.929克/升；P = 0.010），均低于断奶后。断奶和分离后，FT组（0.36毫摩尔/升；P < 0.001）和PT组（0.34毫摩尔/升；P = 0.001）犊牛的NEFA水平高于CONV组犊牛（0.13毫摩尔/升）。犊牛的每周平均日增重（ADGw）在断奶前相似（0.9±0.142千克/天），但CONV组犊牛断奶后的ADGw高于FT组（0.42千克/天）和PT组犊牛（0.40千克/天）。与断奶后（2.3±3.38%）相比，所有犊牛在断奶前表现出更多（P = 0.009）的积极行为（4.6±6.37%）。我们的结果表明，应用的CCC在断奶和分离前后对母牛和犊牛的健康、性能及行为略有不利影响。
