The effects of alternative weaning methods on behaviour in beef calves
The effects of alternative weaning methods on behaviour in beef calves
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DOI：
10.1016/j.livsci.2009.10.007
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发表时间：
2010-03-01
影响因子：
1.8
通讯作者：
Hotzel, M. J.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Enriquez, D. H.;Ungerfeld, R.;Hotzel, M. J.
本试验旨在比较三种断奶方法对肉牛断奶后行为反应和体重变化的影响。48头经产赫里福德或赫里福德x安格斯哺乳肉牛（180.7 +/- 1.3日龄;平均值+/- SEM）被分配至三个处理组之一：I）CON：在第0天突然断奶; 2）FEN：在第-17天用栅栏线将小牛与母鼠分开，但保持彼此可见;或3）NF：奶牛和小牛保持在一起，但在第-17天通过插入鼻瓣防吮吸装置来防止吮吸。在所有处理中，母牛和小牛在第0天进行远程物理分离。通过从第-20天至第-13天以及从第-3天至第5天（第0天除外）的瞬时采样记录行为。从第-17天至第-13天，记录FEN小牛中母牛和小牛与围栏线之间的距离以及NF小牛中二联体之间的距离。在第-24、-11天记录小牛体重。0. 7和21。所有行为均存在日间和给药间相互作用。在围栏线分离后的前2天，在FEN小牛和远程分离后，CON小牛的行为反应最强。对于NF小牛，在插入鼻瓣后立即观察到行为影响，包括许多未获得奖励的哺乳事件，并在发生远程物理分离时再次观察到行为影响。FEN犊牛的发声量显著高于CON和NF犊牛（P < 0.03）。CON犊牛比FEN和NF犊牛更常玩耍（P < 0.02）和反刍（P < 0.04），比NF犊牛更常行走（P = 0.01）。第-17天和第-16天，FEN犊牛（及其母畜）在围栏线30 m内的活动时间显著多于第-15天至第-13天（P < 0.02）。在第-17天和第-16天，NF小牛花费更多的时间靠近它们的母兽（P < 0.001）。CON组犊牛的平均日增重（ADG）高于FEN组和NF组犊牛（P < 0.008）; FEN组犊牛的ADG高于NF组犊牛（P = 0.02）。两个阶段断奶与鼻瓣导致第二次痛苦的反应后，远程物理分离的大坝，并在两个时期的ADG下降，表明响应分布在两个阶段之间。在使用围栏线方法断奶的小牛中，反应更长，更强烈，与突然断奶相比，体重增加没有优势。总之，在本实验中使用的条件下，与突然断奶相比，两种替代断奶方法似乎在减少肉牛断奶痛苦方面没有提供任何明显的益处。然而，使用鼻襟翼似乎比栅栏线分离更能减少痛苦。(C)2009爱思唯尔有限公司版权所有。
The aim of this experiment was to compare the behavioural responses and weight change of beef calves weaned using three weaning methods. Forty-eight primiparous Hereford or Hereford x Angus nursing beef calves (180.7 +/- 1.3 days old; mean +/- SEM) were assigned to one of three treatments: I) CON: weaned abruptly on day 0: 2) FEN: calves were separated by fence line from dams on day -17 but remained in visual sight of one another; or 3) NF: cows and calves remained together but suckling was prevented on day -17 by inserting a nose-flap anti-suckling device. In all treatments remote physical separation of the cow and calf took place on day 0. Behaviours were recorded by instantaneous sampling from day -20 to day -13, and from day -3 to day 5, except on day 0. Distance between cows and calves and the fence line in FEN calves and between the dyads in NF calves were recorded from day -17 to day -13. Body weights of calves were recorded on days -24, -11. 0. 7 and 21. There was a day and treatment by day interaction for all behaviours. Behavioural responses were strongest during the first 2 days after fence line separation in the FEN calves and after remote separation in the CON calves. For the NF calves, behavioural effects were observed immediately after insertion of the nose-flaps, including numerous unrewarded suckling events, and again when remote physical separation took place. Overall the FEN calves vocalized (P < 0.03) more than CON and NF calves. CON calves played (P < 0.02) and ruminated (P < 0.04) more often than FEN and NF calves, and walked (P = 0.01) more than NF. On day -17 and day -16, FEN calves (and their dams) spent more time within 30 m of the fence line than on day -15 to day -13 (P < 0.02). NF calves spent more time in close proximity of their dams on day -17 and day -16 (P < 0.001). Calves of the CON treatment had a greater average daily gain (ADG) than FEN and NF calves (P < 0.008); ADG was greater in FEN than in NF calves (P = 0.02). Two-stage weaning with nose-flaps resulted in a second distress response after remote physical separation from the dam, and a drop in ADG in both periods indicating that the response was distributed between the two stages. In calves weaned using the fence line method, the response was more prolonged and more intense, with no advantages for weight gain compared to abrupt weaning. In conclusion, the two alternative weaning methods did not appear to provide any clear benefits in reducing weaning distress in beef calves compared to abrupt weaning in the conditions used in this experiment. However, the use of nose-flaps seems to reduce distress better than fence line separation. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.