Long-term effects of good handling practices during the pre-weaning period of crossbred dairy heifer calves
The aim of this study was to determine whether applying good practices of handling during the pre-weaning period have long-term effects on behavioral and physiological indicators, health status, and average daily gain (ADG) of crossbred Bos taurus × Bos indicus heifer calves. During the pre-weaning period, 98 crossbred of Holstein × Gir heifer calves were allotted into three treatments: (1) good practices of handling + brushing (GPB; n = 25), (2) good practices of handling (GP; n = 25), and (3) control (n = 48). Every 2 months, four evaluation periods (EV1 to EV4) were conducted to record data. Behavioral indicators comprised time to drive (TD), flight speed (FS), flight distance (FD), and composite reactivity score (CRS). Physiological indicators of acute stress during handling comprised respiratory and heart rates. Health status comprised data regarding occurrence of most common diseases (i.e., pneumonia and anaplasmosis). Collected data were analyzed by using a linear mixed model for repeated measures, Tukey’s test, and chi-squared procedures. Treatment influenced (P < 0.05) TD, FS, and FD but not CRS (P = 0.78). From EV1 to EV3, the control calves had the lowest TD. The GPB group had lower FS than the control but did not differ from GP. The GPB group had lower FD means than the other two groups in EV2, EV3, and EV4. No differences (P > 0.05) due to treatment were observed on heart and respiratory rates, ADG, or occurrence of pneumonia and anaplasmosis. It was concluded that adoption of good practices of handling during pre-weaning period may lead to long-term positive effects.
The development of behaviour patterns and temperament in dairy heifers
Observations were carried out on a group of twenty autumn born Friesian heifer calves from birth until calving at about 25 months of age. During rearing they experienced several rearing conditions; (I) Calf house, where from 48 hrs of age they were individually penned. (II) Group housed Indoors. At weaning they were housed in pens in groups of 10-20 animals and fed hay or silage ad libitum plus some concentrate food. (III) Grazing out doors (HGI) from spring to autumn in groups of 15-30 animals and moved to fresh pastures at about 2 week intervals. (IV) Housed indoors in large groups of 70-80 animals in a yard with access to covered or indoor cubicles, and fed silage ad lib. During this period they were artificially inseminated. (V) Second grazing period. In the following spring they were kept in large groups for grazing. Focal animal sampling to allow sequence analysis of behaviour was performed and a time base was used to estimate time budgets. In addition the temperament of each animal was assessed by recording its reaction to being touched. The development of behaviour was strongly influenced by changes between rearing conditions but generally stabilized rapidly within a particular husbandry condition. The time spent resting was greater when the animals were in the fields than indoors. Ruminating increased over the first 20 weeks and then stabilized. In the calf house the time spent in investigation increased up to 4-5 weeks and then decreased while the frequency of investigation increased. Grooming generally decreased over the study period. In the calf house calf licking increased but after grouping this decreased and rubbing of the body increased. Social encounters tended to decrease with age. The development of temperament as defined later in the text here appears to be determined at an early age and to be stable thereafter. Sequence analysis showed that behavioural sequences became shorter and less variable in content and that as the animal matured fewer behavioural activities were associated in any sequence and that these showed an increase in their degree of association.
CRIMINAL PROSECUTION FOR PRENATAL INJURY
A case of maternal assault resulted in fetomaternal hemorrhage and subsequent neonatal death, leading to a verdict of criminally negligent homicide against the assailant.