Ketonemia in dairy goats: effect of dry period length and effect on lying behavior

In dairy animals, a successful transition from one lactation to the next includes minimizing negative energy balance. Cows experiencing excessive negative energy balance typically develop metabolic complications following parturition (e.g., ketosis); does are also susceptible before kidding (e.g., pregnancy toxemia). It is not known to what extent the provision and the length of the dry period affect these conditions in does. Furthermore, whereas clinical symptoms of these conditions include lethargy, behavioral changes resulting from ketosis and pregnancy toxemia have not been quantified in small ruminants. The aims of this study were to (1) describe the relationship between the dry period and negative energy balance, and (2) determine if lying behavior changes are indicative of the metabolic status of dairy goats. A total of 420 does on 10 commercial dairy goat farms in southern Ontario, Canada, were enrolled in the study (mean ± SD: 42±18 does/farm). Each doe was affixed with a data logger to measure lying behavior from 12 d before to 12 d after kidding. Blood samples were collected at least once before and at least once following kidding to determine blood β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) concentration as an indicator of negative energy balance. Does were categorized as healthy (HLTH; both pre- and postkidding samples BHBA <0.9 mmol/L), PREGTOX (prekidding BHBA ≥1.7 mmol/L), or KET (postkidding BHBA ≥1.7 mmol/L). Behaviors were analyzed according to 5 periods: P-2 (d -12 to d -2 relative to kidding), P-1 (d -1 relative to kidding), P0 (d 0, kidding day), P1 (d 1 relative to kidding), and P2 (d 2 to 12 relative to kidding). Dry period length and milk production after kidding were recorded when available. Farms ranged from 0 to 15% and 0 to 50% in prekidding and postkidding ketonemia, respectively. The HLTH does had shorter dry periods compared with PREGTOX and KET does (43 vs. 55 d, SE of the differences of means=4 d). One farm kept some does milking, while drying off others; on this farm more PREGTOX and KET does (11/28) were found in the dry group versus the continuously milked group (1/16). Overall, does that had ketonemia before kidding (PREGTOX) spent more time lying down compared with healthy does (16.1 vs. 12.7 h/d, SE of the differences of means=0.9). Both PREGTOX and HLTH does had increased lying bouts in P-2 compared with the day before (P-1) kidding [(mean (95% CI): 16.8 (15.8-17.8) vs. 20.5 (19.4-21.8) bout/d]. Compared with HLTH does, animals that were ketonemic following kidding (KET) had higher mean lying times throughout the study (14.5 vs. 13.5 h/d, SE=0.4). Previous work has shown a relationship between shorter and skipped dry periods and improved energy balance in dairy cows; the current study is the first to indicate a similar relationship in dairy goats. Furthermore, goats that developed ketonemia, particularly before kidding, displayed decreased activity, including longer lying times and fewer lying bouts in the days around kidding.

Dairy cows value access to pasture as highly as fresh feed

Many dairy cows in the developed world are now housed exclusively indoors with fewer than 5% of the 10 million lactating cows in the United States having access to pasture during the grazing season. Indoor housing systems are designed to meet biological needs for food, water, hygiene, and shelter, but surveys of public and farmer opinion suggest that people think that pasture access is also important for the well-being of dairy cows. To determine if pasture access is important to the cows themselves, we investigated to what extent cows will work to access pasture (by pushing on a weighted gate), and compared it to the motivation to access fresh feed. Cows worked at least as hard to access pasture as they did to access the fresh feed and worked hardest for outdoor access in the evening hours. Echoing public views on what allows for a good life for cattle, these results show that cows are highly motivated for outdoor access.

American and German attitudes towards cow-calf separation on dairy farms

Public concerns regarding the quality of life of farm animals are often focused on specific practices such as separating the cow and calf immediately after birth. The available scientific literature provides some evidence in support of this practice (including reduced acute responses to separation when it does occur), as well as evidence of disadvantages (such as increased risk of uterine disease in cows). The aim of this study is to systematically examine public views around this practice. Specifically, this study analyzes the views of American and German citizens to separation of cow and calf at birth using a quantitative segmentation approach. Although the majority of participants opposed early separation, a small proportion of our sample supported the practice. According to participants’ preference for early and later separation and their evaluation of different arguments for both practices, three clusters were identified. US participants were more likely to support early separation compared to German participants. The arguments presented for and against both practices caused different reactions in the three clusters, but did not appear to sway the opinions of most participants. The results show considerable opposition to the practice of early separation in large parts of the sample and suggest that the dairy industry should consider approaches to address this concern.

Benchmarking passive transfer of immunity and growth in dairy calves

Poor health and growth in young dairy calves can have lasting effects on their development and future production. This study benchmarked calf-rearing outcomes in a cohort of Canadian dairy farms, reported these findings back to producers and their veterinarians, and documented the results. A total of 18 Holstein dairy farms were recruited, all in British Columbia. Blood samples were collected from calves aged 1 to 7 d. We estimated serum total protein levels using digital refractometry, and failure of passive transfer (FPT) was defined as values below 5.2 g/dL. We estimated average daily gain (ADG) for preweaned heifers (1 to 70 d old) using heart-girth tape measurements, and analyzed early (≤35 d) and late (>35 d) growth separately. At first assessment, the average farm FPT rate was 16%. Overall, ADG was 0.68 kg/d, with early and late growth rates of 0.51 and 0.90 kg/d, respectively. Following delivery of the benchmark reports, all participants volunteered to undergo a second assessment. The majority (83%) made at least 1 change in their colostrum-management or milk-feeding practices, including increased colostrum at first feeding, reduced time to first colostrum, and increased initial and maximum daily milk allowances. The farms that made these changes experienced improved outcomes. On the 11 farms that made changes to improve colostrum feeding, the rate of FPT declined from 21 ± 10% before benchmarking to 11 ± 10% after making the changes. On the 10 farms that made changes to improve calf growth, ADG improved from 0.66 ± 0.09 kg/d before benchmarking to 0.72 ± 0.08 kg/d after making the management changes. Increases in ADG were greatest in the early milk-feeding period, averaging 0.13 kg/d higher than pre-benchmarking values for calves ≤35 d of age. Benchmarking specific outcomes associated with calf rearing can motivate producer engagement in calf care, leading to improved outcomes for calves on farms that apply relevant management changes.

Correction to 'The importance of burrowing, climbing and standing upright for laboratory rats'

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160136.].

The effect of milk allowance on behavior and weight gains in dairy calves

The objective of this study was to investigate how milk allowance affects body weight gains and behavior before, during, and after weaning in dairy calves. Fifty-six Holstein calves were randomly assigned at 1wk of age to 1 of 4 feeding treatments of whole pasteurized milk: 6, 8, 10, or 12 L/d. Milk allowance was reduced by 50% at d 42, and then reduced by 20% per day starting at d 50, so that calves were completely weaned at d 55. Calves were provided ad libitum access to calf starter and hay. Body weight was measured weekly from 2 to 10wk of age. Milk intake increased with milk allowance as intended, although actual intakes were lower than the treatment allowance (e.g., averaging 5.66±0.19 L on the 6-L treatment and 9.41±0.21 L on the 12-L treatment before weaning). Intake of calf starter was higher for calves that were fed less milk before weaning (averaging 0.25±0.03kg/d and 0.05±0.03kg/d on the 6-L and 12-L treatments, respectively) and also during the weaning period (averaging 1.15±0.13kg/d and 0.54±0.14kg/d on these same treatments), but we observed no effect after weaning. Time spent at the hay feeder did not differ with treatment. Average daily gain was higher for calves that were fed more milk, increasing from 0.77±0.04kg/d with the 6-L treatment to 0.90±0.03kg/d with the 12-L treatment. Before weaning, calves fed less milk engaged in more unrewarded visits to the milk feeder, averaging 11.1±0.73 visits/d with the 6-L treatment and 0.4±0.78 visits/d with the 12-L treatment. During weaning, calves fed less milk still had more unrewarded visits to the milk feeder than calves fed more milk (19.7±1.64 visits/d with the 6-L treatment versus 10.1±1.74 visits/d with the 12-L treatment), but treatments did not differ after weaning. We conclude that higher milk allowances result in weight gain advantages before weaning that can persist beyond weaning, and that the high number of unrewarded visits to the milk feeder by calves that were fed less milk are indicative of persistent hunger.

The importance of burrowing, climbing and standing upright for laboratory rats

Standard laboratory cages prevent rats (Rattus norvegicus) from performing many behaviours that they perform in the wild, but little is known about how this may affect their welfare. The aims of this study were (i) to record the propensity to burrow, climb and stand upright in 3-, 8- and 13-month old laboratory rats housed in semi-naturalistic environments and (ii) to compare the frequency of lateral stretching in semi-naturalistic versus standard-housed rats; we predicted standard-housed rats would perform more lateral stretches to compensate for the inability to stretch upright. Rats' propensity to burrow remained constant as they aged (approx. 30 bouts per day totalling 20-30 min), suggesting burrowing is important to rats. Climbing decreased from 76 to 7 bouts per day at 3 versus 13 months, probably because of declining physical ability. Upright standing decreased from 178 to 73 bouts per day, but continued to be frequently expressed even in older rats. Standard-housed rats stretched much more frequently than semi-naturalistic-housed rats (53 versus 6 bouts per day at 13 months), perhaps in compensation for inability to stretch upright and to relieve stiffness caused by low mobility associated with standard housing. These findings suggest that standard laboratory cages interfere with important natural behaviours, which is likely to compromise rat welfare.

Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) Prefer and Are Less Aggressive in Darker Environments

Fish are capable of excellent vision and can be profoundly influenced by the visual properties of their environment. Ambient colours have been found to affect growth, survival, aggression and reproduction, but the effect of background darkness (i.e., the darkness vs. lightness of the background) on preference and aggression has not been evaluated systematically. One-hundred Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), a species that is increasing in popularity in aquaculture, were randomly assigned to 10 tanks. Using a Latin-square design, every tank was bisected to allow fish in each tank to choose between all the following colour choices (8 choices in total): black vs. white, light grey, dark grey, and a mixed dark grey/black pattern, as well as industry-standard blue vs. white, light grey, dark grey, and black. Fish showed a strong preference for black backgrounds over all other options (p < 0.01). Across tests, preference strength increased with background darkness (p < 0.0001). Moreover, having darker backgrounds in the environment resulted in less aggressive behaviour throughout the tank (p < 0.0001). These results provide the first evidence that darker tanks are preferred by and decrease aggression in salmonids, which points to the welfare benefits of housing farmed salmon in enclosures containing dark backgrounds.

Invited review: Effects of group housing of dairy calves on behavior, cognition, performance, and health

Standard practice in the dairy industry is to separate the calf and dam immediately after birth and raise calves in individual pens during the milk-feeding period. In nature and in extensive beef systems, the young calf lives in a complex social environment. Social isolation during infancy has been associated with negative effects, including abnormal behavior and developmental problems, in a range of species. Here, we review empirical work on the social development of calves and the effects of social isolation in calves and other species; this evidence indicates that calves reared in isolation have deficient social skills, difficulties in coping with novel situations, as well as specific cognitive deficits. We also review the practices associated with group housing of dairy calves, and discuss problems and suggested solutions, especially related to cross-sucking, competition, aggression, and disease. The studies reviewed indicate that social housing improves solid feed intakes and calf weight gains before and after calves are weaned from milk to solid feed. Evidence regarding the effects of social housing on calf health is mixed, with some studies showing increased risk of disease and other studies showing no difference or even improved health outcomes for grouped calves. We conclude that there is strong and consistent evidence of behavioral and developmental harm associated with individual housing in dairy calves, that social housing improves intakes and weight gains, and that health risks associated with grouping can be mitigated with appropriate management.

Differences in Anticipatory Behaviour between Rats (Rattus norvegicus) Housed in Standard versus Semi-Naturalistic Laboratory Environments

Laboratory rats are usually kept in relatively small cages, but research has shown that they prefer larger and more complex environments. The physiological, neurological and health effects of standard laboratory housing are well established, but fewer studies have addressed the sustained emotional impact of a standard cage environment. One method of assessing affective states in animals is to look at the animals' anticipatory behaviour between the presentation of a cue signalling the arrival of a reward and the arrival of that reward. The primary aim of this study was to use anticipatory behaviour to assess the affective state experienced by female rats a) reared and housed long-term in a standard laboratory cage versus a semi-naturalistic environment, and b) before and after treatment with an antidepressant or an anxiolytic. A secondary aim was to add to the literature on anticipatory behaviour by describing and comparing the frequency and duration of individual elements of anticipatory behaviour displayed by rats reared in these two systems. In all experiments, total behavioural frequency was higher in standard-housed rats compared to rats from the semi-naturalistic condition, suggesting that standard-housed rats were more sensitive to rewards and experiencing poorer welfare than rats reared in the semi-naturalistic environment. What rats did in anticipation of the reward also differed between housing treatments, with standard-housed rats mostly rearing and rats from the semi-naturalistic condition mostly sitting facing the direction of the upcoming treat. Drug interventions had no effect on the quantity or form of anticipatory behaviour, suggesting that the poorer welfare experienced by standard-housed rats was not analogous to depression or anxiety, or alternatively that the drug interventions were ineffective. This study adds to mounting evidence that standard laboratory housing for rats compromises rat welfare, and provides further scientific support for recommendations that current minimum standards be raised.

Imagining the ideal dairy farm

Practices in agriculture can have negative effects on the environment, rural communities, food safety, and animal welfare. Although disagreements are possible about specific issues and potential solutions, it is widely recognized that public input is needed in the development of socially sustainable agriculture systems. The aim of this study was to assess the views of people not affiliated with the dairy industry on what they perceived to be the ideal dairy farm and their associated reasons. Through an online survey, participants were invited to respond to the following open-ended question: "What do you consider to be an ideal dairy farm and why are these characteristics important to you?" Although participants referenced social, economic, and ecological aspects of dairy farming, animal welfare was the primary issue raised. Concern was expressed directly about the quality of life for the animals, and the indirect effect of animal welfare on milk quality. Thus participants appeared to hold an ethic for dairy farming that included concern for the animal, as well as economic, social, and environmental aspects of the dairy system.

Invited review: Transitioning from milk to solid feed in dairy heifers

Calves are born with a physically and metabolically underdeveloped rumen and initially rely on milk to meet nutrient demands for maintenance and growth. Initiation of solid feed consumption, acquisition of anaerobic microbes, establishment of rumen fermentation, expansion of rumen in volume, differentiation and growth of papillae, development of absorption and metabolic pathways, maturation of salivary apparatus and development of rumination behavior are all needed as the calf shifts from dependence on milk to solid feed. In nature and some production systems (e.g., most beef calves), young ruminants obtain nutrients from milk and fresh forages. In intensive dairying, calves are typically fed restricted amounts of milk and weaned onto starter feeds. Here we review the empirical work on the role of feeding and management during the transition from milk to solid feed in establishing the rumen ecosystem, rumen fermentation, rumen development, rumination behavior, and growth of dairy calves. In recent years, several studies have illustrated the benefits of feeding more milk and group rearing of dairy calves to take advantage of social facilitation (e.g., housing with peers or dam), and this review also examines the role of solid feed on rumen development and growth of calves fed large quantities of milk and reared under different housing situations. We conclude that the provision of high-starch and low-fiber starter feeds may negatively affect rumen development and that forage supplementation is beneficial for promoting development of the gut and rumination behavior in young calves. It is important to note that both the physical form of starter diets and their nutritional composition affect various aspects of development in calves. Further research is warranted to identify an optimal balance between physically effective fiber and readily degradable carbohydrates in starter diets to support development of a healthy gut and rumen, rumination behavior, and growth in young calves.

Effect of a cooling gel on pain sensitivity and healing of hot-iron cattle brands

Hot-iron branding is painful for cattle, but little is known about how long this pain lasts or effective alleviation methods. Previous work with pigs indicated that cooling burns with a gel (active ingredient: tea tree oil) improved healing compared to untreated wounds. Steers (210±21 kg) were hot-iron branded and allocated to 1 of 3 treatments: control (n=24), 1 gel application immediately after branding (1X; n=12), or 2 gel applications, 1 immediately after branding and one 1 d later (2X; n=12). Pain sensitivity was assessed by applying a known and increasing force with a von Frey anesthesiometer in 5 locations (in the center, at the top of, and 5 and 10 cm above the brand and on the equivalent location on the nonbranded side of the body) until animals showed a behavioral response. Healing was measured with a 6-point scale (1=fresh brand and 6=no scabbing and fully repigmented). Both measures, along with weight gain and surface temperature of the wound, were recorded before and 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 56, and 70 d after branding. The gel cooled the brand, with the most obvious differences on the day it was applied (3.7 to 4.2°C cooler than control; day×gel interaction, P=0.004). All wounds were at least partially repigmented by 70 d, but only 46% of brands were fully healed at this time. The healing process was slowed when a gel was applied twice (e.g., at 21 d, healing score of 2.5±0.1 and 2.7±0.1 vs. 2.0±0.2 for control and 1X vs. 2X, respectively; P=0.001). Brands tended to remain painful throughout the 70 d (in the center of the brand; before vs. d 1-35, P≤0.001; d 56, P=0.058; and d 70, P=0.092). Overall, gel had little effect on pain sensitivity. Weight gain was reduced on d 1 after branding compared to all other time points (P<0.001) but was not affected by gel application (P=0.277). In conclusion, applying gel did not improve outcomes after branding. In addition, by 70 d after the procedure, hot-iron brands still tended to be more painful than nonbranded tissue and 54% were not fully healed. These results raise additional animal welfare concerns about hot-iron branding.

Invited review: Cessation of lactation: Effects on animal welfare

The forced cessation of milk production, or dry-off, is a routine management practice in dairy cattle, sheep, and goats. This practice initiates a dry period, during which the animal is not milked. Milking begins again after parturition. Most of the literature on the dry period has focused on how various drying-off strategies affect milk production and disease; little work to date has addressed how dry-off affects the overall welfare of the dairy animal. The first aim of this review was to present an overview of the importance of dry-off and how it is commonly achieved. Our review shows that much scientific progress has been made in improving health status between lactations. The second aim was to identify important gaps in the literature, of which 2 key research disparities have been identified. We find that much of the work to date has focused on cattle and very little research has examined dry-off in dairy sheep and goats. We also find a lack of research addressing how common dry-off methodologies affect animal welfare on more than just a biological level, regardless of species.

Effects of Degree and Timing of Social Housing on Reversal Learning and Response to Novel Objects in Dairy Calves

Rodents and primates deprived of early social contact exhibit deficits in learning and behavioural flexibility. They often also exhibit apparent signs of elevated anxiety, although the relationship between these effects has not been studied. To investigate whether dairy calves are similarly affected, we first compared calves housed in standard individual pens (n = 7) to those housed in a dynamic group with access to their mothers (n = 8). All calves learned to approach the correct stimulus in a visual discrimination task. Only one individually housed calf was able to re-learn the task when the stimuli were reversed, compared to all but one calf from the group. A second experiment investigated whether this effect might be explained by anxiety in individually housed animals interfering with their learning, and tested varying degrees of social contact in addition to the complex group: pair housing beginning early (approximately 6 days old) and late (6 weeks old). Again, fewer individually reared calves learned the reversal task (2 of 10 or 20%) compared to early paired and grouped calves (16 of 21 or 76% of calves). Late paired calves had intermediate success. Individually housed calves were slower to touch novel objects, but the magnitude of the fear response did not correlate with reversal performance. We conclude that individually housed calves have learning deficits, but these deficits were not likely associated with increased anxiety.

Assessment of visceral pain associated with metritis in dairy cows

Metritis is a common disease in dairy cattle, but to our knowledge, no work has assessed pain associated with this disease. Tissue palpation is commonly used to assess pain in human and veterinary medicine. The objective of this study was to evaluate visceral pain responses during rectal palpation, with and without uterine palpation, in healthy cows and in cows diagnosed with metritis. A total of 49 Holstein dairy cows (mean ± standard deviation parity of 2.8±1.8) were subjected to systematic health checks every 3 d after parturition for 21 d, scoring for vaginal discharge (0 to 4); 13 cows showed a discharge score ≥2 during at least 1 health check and were classified as metritic, whereas 29 cows were classified as healthy and showed no sign of this or any other disease (including mastitis and lameness). Back arch and heart rate variability before examination and during palpation were recorded using video and heart rate monitors. Back arch (cm(2)) on the day of diagnosis was greater in metritic versus healthy cows (1,034±72 vs. 612±48cm(2)), and greater during rectal palpation with uterine palpation versus rectal palpation without uterine palpation (869±45 vs. 777±45cm(2)). Heart rate frequency domain analysis showed that the low-frequency portion was higher in cows with metritis versus healthy cows (16.5±1.2 vs. 12.9±1.0). Time domain analysis showed that the standard deviation between normal to normal interbeat intervals and the root mean square of successive differences both decreased during rectal palpation with uterine palpation versus rectal palpation without uterine palpation (1.9±0.1 vs. 2.5±0.1 and 1.3±0.1 vs. 1.7±0.1, respectively). Together, these results indicate that the inflammation associated with metritis is painful, and that the pain response can be detected during rectal palpation with and without uterine palpation. Rectal palpation with uterine palpation appears to be more aversive than rectal palpation without uterine palpation, suggesting that the former should be avoided when possible.

Understanding attitudes towards the use of animals in research using an online public engagement tool

Using an online public engagement experiment, we probed the views of 617 participants on the use of pigs as research animals (to reduce agricultural pollution or to improve organ transplant success in humans) with and without genetic modification and using different numbers of pigs. In both scenarios and across demographics, level of opposition increased when the research required the use of GM corn or GM pigs. Animal numbers had little effect. A total of 1037 comments were analyzed to understand decisions. Participants were most concerned about the impact of the research on animal welfare. Genetic modification was viewed as an intervention in nature and there was worry about unpredictable consequences. Both opponents and supporters sought assurances that concerns were addressed. Governing bodies for animal research should make efforts to document and mitigate consequences of GM and other procedures, and increase efforts to maintain a dialogue with the public around acceptability of these procedures.

Transition diseases in grazing dairy cows are related to serum cholesterol and other analytes

The objectives of this study were to describe the incidence of postpartum disease and to evaluate the association with serum cholesterol concentrations during the first 3 weeks after calving in grazing dairy cows. The association between non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA), calcium and postpartum diseases was also evaluated. A total of 307 Holstein dairy cows from 6 commercial grazing herds in Osorno, Chile, were monitored from calving until 21 days in milk. Cases of retained placenta, clinical hypocalcemia and clinical mastitis were recorded by the farmer using established definitions. Twice weekly, cows were evaluated for metritis by the same veterinarian based on vaginal discharge and body temperature. Postpartum blood samples were collected weekly and analyzed for serum concentrations of cholesterol, NEFA, BHBA and calcium. Cows were considered as having subclinical ketosis if BHBA >1.2 mmol/L, and subclinical hypocalcemia if calcium <2.0 mmol/L in any of the 3 weekly samples. Overall, 56% of the cows studied developed at least one clinical or subclinical disease after calving. Incidence of individual diseases was 8.8% for retained placenta, 4.2% for clinical hypocalcemia, 11.7% for clinical mastitis, 41.1% for metritis, 19.9% for subclinical hypocalcemia and 16.6% for subclinical ketosis. Lower postpartum cholesterol in cows was associated with developing severe metritis or having more than one clinical disease after calving. For every 0.4 mmol/L decrease in serum cholesterol cows were nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with multiple clinical diseases after calving. Higher BHBA concentrations and lower calcium concentrations during week 1 were associated with severe cases of metritis. Low serum calcium concentration during week 1 was also associated with developing more than one clinical disorder after calving. In conclusion, the incidence of postpartum diseases can be high even in grazing herds and lower serum cholesterol concentrations were associated with occurrence of clinical postpatum disorders.

Pain sensitivity and healing of hot-iron cattle brands

Hot-iron branding is painful for cattle, but little is known about the duration of or effective methods to control this pain. This work quantified pain sensitivity and healing in branded and unbranded animals. In addition, the effects of a single injection of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) were also considered; this has been suggested as practical method of mitigating pain in the hours after the procedure. Calves (mean±SE, 126±2.2 d and 112±2.8 kg) were hot-iron branded and allocated to 1 of 4 treatments: branded with or without flunixin meglumine (intravenous; 1.1 mg/kg) and unbranded with or without this NSAID (n=12/treatment). Pain sensitivity was assessed by applying a known and increasing force with a von Frey anesthesiometer in the center of the brand (or equivalent area in nonbranded treatments) until animals showed a behavioral response. Healing was measured with a 6-point scale (1=fresh brand and 6=no scabbing and fully repigmented). These measures, along with weight gain and surface temperature, were recorded 1, 2, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 56, and 71 d after branding. Lying behavior was recorded with loggers from the day before to d 27 after branding. Brand wounds were more painful than nonbranded tissue (P<0.001). These differences were most pronounced in the days immediately after branding (e.g., d 7; 113±36 g of force for Brand vs. 449±23 g force for No brand, mean±SE) but persisted until d 71 (380±37 g force for Brand vs. 453±23 g of force for No brand, mean±SE); only 67% of brands were fully regimented or healed by this time. The first fully healed brand was identified 8 wk after the procedure. Giving a single injection of flunixin had no brand-specific effects on sensitivity, surface temperature, or healing but improved weight gain in the days after branding in all treated groups (flunixin×brand×day, P<0.001). Flunixin-treated animals also spent 0.7 h less time lying down on the day of branding but tended to spend more time lying on d 15 and 26 after the procedure. The magnitude of these differences is small, less than the day-to-day variation, and not brand specific. In summary, brand wounds take at least 8 wk to heal. These wounds remain painful for a least this long, and a single injection of NSAID has no measurable effect in mitigating pain associated with branding, even in days immediately after the procedure.