The effect of calf jackets on the health, performance, and skin temperature of dairy origin beef calves

Performance and health status in preweaning semi-indoor holstein calves wearing calf jackets during winter months

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether jacket wearing by semi-indoor Holstein calves affected performance, body measurements and health status in the preweaning period throughout the winter months. A total of one hundred calves were allocated into two treatment groups (control and jacket) in terms of their weights and sex. The calves throughout the study period were raised at individual calf hutches in a semi-open barn. All calves and the consumed concentrate intakes were weighed every 28 days to determine body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), total and daily feed consumption (TFC, DFC). Incidence rate (IR) ratios were calculated from the records of daily health assessments. Calves in treatment group were jacketed from first to 45 days of age. The weaning process started gradually at 56 days of age and the calves were weaned on day 63. No significant effects of wearing jackets in terms of body measurements and performance. The respiratory diseases IR was 1.15 times higher in calves without jackets, which means that calf health was positively affected by wearing jackets. The improved health status of the treatment group showed that wearing jackets may protect calves from adverse effects of cold stress. There is a need for more comprehensive studies about the effect of calf jackets in early periods of preweaning, especially in calves in outdoor hutches.

A survey of calf management practices and farmer perceptions of calf housing in UK dairy herds

Adoption of optimal management techniques for rearing dairy calves has significant effects on their health, welfare, and productivity. Despite much published literature on best practice, calf morbidity and mortality rates remain high. This survey aimed to establish current calf management practices in the United Kingdom, along with farmer perceptions surrounding different housing types. A survey containing 48 questions was distributed online to UK farmers via social media, online forums, and a convenience sample of veterinary practices and was completed by 216 participants. A descriptive analysis with frequency distributions was calculated, with chi-squared tests, linear regression and multinomial regression performed to assess associations between variables. There was a low level of regular veterinary involvement in day-to-day health decision making for calves (3/216, 1.4%), highlighting the need for appropriate staff training and standard operating procedures to ensure prudent antimicrobial usage. Restricted calf milk feeding remains highly prevalent in the United Kingdom, with most calves fed milk replacer (114/216, 52.8%), twice daily (189/216, 87.5%), initially given milk at 4 L/d (66/216, 30.6%) or 6 L/d (47/216, 21.8%). There was, however, a small number of farmers initially feeding only 2 to 3 L/d (28/216, 13.0%). Euthanasia of bull calves (5/216, 2.3%) and feeding antimicrobial waste milk to calves (8/216, 3.7%) both occurred on some farms. With regard to housing, use of individual calf pens has reduced from around 60% in 2010 to 38.4% in this study (83/216), with this reduction being partly driven by the policy of UK milk buyers. Farmer perceptions indicated that individual housing was thought to help to improve calf health and feed monitoring of calves, suggesting that successful use of group housing requires a higher level of stockmanship. The majority of farmers did not provide fresh bedding to calves on a daily basis (141/216, 65.3%), and relatively few disinfected both the calf housing (38.0%) and ground (47.7%) between calves, suggesting that hygiene practices may require additional attention in farm management protocols.

The Impacts of Waterproof Insulated Jackets on Lamb Performance on a UK Lowland Farm

The majority of lamb losses occur within the first two weeks of life, with cold stress being a major cause of lamb morbidity and mortality. This study investigated the effect of insulating lamb jackets on newborn lambs. One hundred and four newborn lambs were randomly allocated by birth date to two treatment groups, (a) non-jacketed (n = 52) or (b) jacketed (n = 52), for fourteen days after birth. The live weights of lambs were recorded regularly up to 21 days, and average daily weight gains were calculated from these data. For the first two days after recruitment to the study, surface and body temperatures of lambs were also recorded. The jackets significantly increased the lambs' surface temperatures, providing a warmer microclimate and reduced cold stress for jacketed lambs. There was no significant effect of the insulating jackets on estimated body temperatures, live weights or average daily weight gain of the lambs in this study. There were no detrimental effects of the jackets, and no rejection of lambs occurred.

The effect of individual versus pair housing of dairy heifer calves during the preweaning period on measures of health, performance, and behavior up to 16 weeks of age

Pair housing of dairy heifer calves during the preweaning period helps meet the natural social needs of the calf and has been shown to improve growth and starter intake during the preweaning period as compared with individual housing. However, there is little evidence to suggest that pair-housed calves maintain their social and growth advantages past the weaning phase. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of pair housing on measures of calf performance, health, and behavior up to 16 wk of age. Healthy Holstein and crossbred heifer calves were enrolled in the study after colostrum feeding, with the first calf randomly assigned to 1 of 2 housing treatments: pair (PR; 2 hutches with common outdoor space) or individual (INDV; 1 hutch plus outdoor space). All calves were bucket fed 4 L of milk replacer twice daily and weaned at 50 d of age. Weaned calves (6/group) remained with their treatment group until exit from the study at 16 wk. A venous blood sample was collected from each calf between 24 h and 7 d of age to test for serum total protein (g/dL). Body weights (kg) were obtained at birth, weaning, and 16 wk. Each enrolled calf was scored for health each week and calf health treatments were also collected. A hair sample was collected from the left shoulder at birth and 16 wk to assess hair cortisol (pg/mL). At enrollment, each calf was fitted with a triaxial accelerometer on the left hind leg for continuous recording of standing and lying time (min/24 h) for 16 wk. Latency to find feed, water, and lie down (min) at entrance to the weaned pen were recorded by continuous video observation. Open field testing with a novel object was performed at 5, 10, and 16 wk. Behaviors analyzed by video observation included latency to approach the object (s), vocalizations (n), and time spent immobile, walking, or running (s/10 min). Linear mixed models were used to determine the effect of treatment (INDV or PR) on calf growth, activity, and behavioral outcomes, which accounted for time, breed, the interaction of time and treatment, the random pen, and variability in testing day and repeated measurements within calf when appropriate. Twenty-four Holstein and crossbred calves (PR: n = 12, 6 pairs; INDV: n = 12) were enrolled from November 2 to December 23, 2018. The PR calves were 7.1 kg heavier at weaning and gained 0.15 kg/d more during the preweaning period as compared with INDV calves. In the 24 h after movement to the postweaning pen, PR calves lay down for longer periods of time (14.3 vs. 11.0 ± 0.4 h/d), and PR calves urinated more during novel object testing at 5 wk of age. Our study demonstrated benefits, such as better growth and increased lying time, of pair housing calves during the preweaning period.