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Bajus A, Renaud DL, Goetz HM, Steele M, Kelton D, Proudfoot KL, Creutzinger KC. Effects of transportation duration on lying behavior in young surplus dairy calves. J Dairy Sci 2023; 106:7932-7941. [PMID: 37268586 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-23229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Surplus dairy calves are commonly transported long distances from dairy farms to calf-raising facilities and livestock auctions. Current calf transportation research mainly describes physiological changes resulting from transportation. However, few studies have described the effects of transportation on calf behavior. The main objective of this study was to determine the effects of different durations of transportation (6, 12, and 16 h) on lying time and bouts in surplus dairy calves. A secondary objective of this study was to investigate whether calf age affected lying behavior around transportation. Surplus dairy calves (n = 175) were transported in 7 cohorts from 5 commercial dairy farms in Ontario to a single veal facility. On the day of transportation (d 0), calves were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups: (1) 6 h (n = 60), (2) 12 h (n = 58), or (3) 16 h (n = 57) of continuous transportation by road. Calf lying and standing behaviors were recorded using HOBO data loggers (Hobo Pendant G Acceleration Data Logger, Onset Computer Corporation). Daily lying time (h/d) and bouts (no./d) were assessed from -1 to 3 d relative to transportation. The total time spent lying during transportation was assessed as the percentage of time lying (min lying/total min on the trailer × 100) from the time each calf was loaded onto the trailer until the time each calf was unloaded at the veal facility (n = 167). On the day of transportation (d 0), calves transported for 12 and 16 h spent less time lying (6 h: 17.1 h/d; 12 h: 15.9 h/d; 16 h: 15.0 h/d) and had more lying bouts (6 h: 21.9 bouts/d; 12 h: 25.8 bouts/d; 16 h: 29.8 bouts/d) compared with those transported for 6 h. On the day after transportation (d 1), calves transported for 16 h spent more time lying down than calves transported for 6 h (19.9 h/d vs. 18.8 h/d, respectively). In addition, during transportation, calves transported for 12 h and 16 h spent 5.8% and 7.6% more time lying down, respectively, than calves transported for 6 h. On each day relative to transportation (d -1 to 3), younger calves (2 to 5 d of age) spent a greater amount of time lying down than older calves (6 to 19 d of age) and, overall, had a greater number of lying bouts. The results of this study suggest that longer durations of transportation influence the lying behavior of surplus dairy calves, resulting in more fatigue during and after the journey and, therefore, potentially have negative implications for calf welfare. Additionally, longer durations of transportation may have greater influence on younger calves than older calves.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Bajus
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - D L Renaud
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - H M Goetz
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - M Steele
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - D Kelton
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - K L Proudfoot
- Department of Health Management and Companion Animals, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada C1A 4P3
| | - K C Creutzinger
- Department of Animal and Food Science, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, River Falls, WI 54022.
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Ramezani Gardaloud N, Guse C, Lidauer L, Steininger A, Kickinger F, Öhlschuster M, Auer W, Iwersen M, Drillich M, Klein-Jöbstl D. Early Detection of Respiratory Diseases in Calves by Use of an Ear-Attached Accelerometer. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12091093. [PMID: 35565520 PMCID: PMC9101259 DOI: 10.3390/ani12091093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Bovine respiratory disease is one of the most important diseases in group-housed calves worldwide, with impacts on calf welfare and farm economics. Early detection of the disease is important for the well-being of the animals and a targeted treatment. Therefore, tools for an automated monitoring of individual calves would be a breakthrough in health management. In this study, we used an ear-attached accelerometer to evaluate its potential for the early detection of behavioral changes related to respiratory disease in calves. Our result showed that accelerometers are able to detect changes in activity and lying times that can be used to predict respiratory disease before clinical diagnosis. Abstract Accelerometers (ACL) can identify behavioral and activity changes in calves. In the present study, we examined the association between bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and behavioral changes detected by an ear-tag based ACL system in weaned dairy calves. Accelerometer data were analyzed from 7 d before to 1 d after clinical diagnosis of BRD. All calves in the study (n = 508) were checked daily by an adapted University of Wisconsin Calf Scoring System. Calves with a score ≥ 4 and fever for at least two consecutive days were categorized as diseased (DIS). The day of clinical diagnosis of BRD was defined as d 0. The data analysis showed a significant difference in high active times between DIS and healthy control calves (CON), with CON showing more high active times on every day, except d −3. Diseased calves showed significantly more inactive times on d −4, −2, and 0, as well as longer lying times on d −5, −2, and +1. These results indicate the potential of the ACL to detect BRD prior to a clinical diagnosis in group-housed calves. Furthermore, in this study, we described the ‘normal’ behavior in 428 clinically healthy weaned dairy calves obtained by the ACL system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasrin Ramezani Gardaloud
- Clinical Unit for Herd Health Management in Ruminants, University Clinic for Ruminants, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (N.R.G.); (C.G.); (M.I.); (M.D.)
- Smartbow GmbH/Zoetis LLC, Jutogasse 3, 4675 Weibern, Austria; (L.L.); (A.S.); (F.K.); (M.Ö.); (W.A.)
| | - Christian Guse
- Clinical Unit for Herd Health Management in Ruminants, University Clinic for Ruminants, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (N.R.G.); (C.G.); (M.I.); (M.D.)
| | - Laura Lidauer
- Smartbow GmbH/Zoetis LLC, Jutogasse 3, 4675 Weibern, Austria; (L.L.); (A.S.); (F.K.); (M.Ö.); (W.A.)
| | - Alexandra Steininger
- Smartbow GmbH/Zoetis LLC, Jutogasse 3, 4675 Weibern, Austria; (L.L.); (A.S.); (F.K.); (M.Ö.); (W.A.)
| | - Florian Kickinger
- Smartbow GmbH/Zoetis LLC, Jutogasse 3, 4675 Weibern, Austria; (L.L.); (A.S.); (F.K.); (M.Ö.); (W.A.)
| | - Manfred Öhlschuster
- Smartbow GmbH/Zoetis LLC, Jutogasse 3, 4675 Weibern, Austria; (L.L.); (A.S.); (F.K.); (M.Ö.); (W.A.)
| | - Wolfgang Auer
- Smartbow GmbH/Zoetis LLC, Jutogasse 3, 4675 Weibern, Austria; (L.L.); (A.S.); (F.K.); (M.Ö.); (W.A.)
| | - Michael Iwersen
- Clinical Unit for Herd Health Management in Ruminants, University Clinic for Ruminants, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (N.R.G.); (C.G.); (M.I.); (M.D.)
| | - Marc Drillich
- Clinical Unit for Herd Health Management in Ruminants, University Clinic for Ruminants, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (N.R.G.); (C.G.); (M.I.); (M.D.)
| | - Daniela Klein-Jöbstl
- Clinical Unit for Herd Health Management in Ruminants, University Clinic for Ruminants, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (N.R.G.); (C.G.); (M.I.); (M.D.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +43-15-077-5207
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