Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T18:33:13.022Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A Comparison of Weaning Techniques in Farmed Wapiti (Cervus Elaphus)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

J C Haigh ,
J M Stookey ,
P Bowman  and
C Waltz
J C Haigh
Affiliation:
Department of Herd Medicine & Theriogenology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, 52 Campus Drive, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon SK S7N 5B4, Canada
J M Stookey*
Affiliation:
Department of Herd Medicine & Theriogenology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, 52 Campus Drive, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon SK S7N 5B4, Canada
P Bowman
Affiliation:
Department of Herd Medicine & Theriogenology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, 52 Campus Drive, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon SK S7N 5B4, Canada
C Waltz
Affiliation:
Department of Herd Medicine & Theriogenology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, 52 Campus Drive, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon SK S7N 5B4, Canada
*
† Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Twenty-one wapiti calves, born between 24 May and 4 July were weaned on 5 September. They were weighed, divided into two groups (10 and 11 calves) and either moved to a familiar paddock, adjacent to their dams and allowed fence-line contact (contact wean - CW), or moved to a familiar paddock which was visually obscured, and separated from their dams by approximately 50m (remote wean - RW). For the next two days after weaning the calves were observed from dawn until dusk. All observations were done using a 10-minute instantaneous scan sampling technique. Activities recorded included the number of calves standing, walking, lying, fence-line pacing, running, grazing, and feeding at a trough. On day 4 the observation time was reduced to 9 hours and 20 minutes. Observations were continued for a further six days during 2-hour periods after dawn and before dark. The calves were held in these separate paddocks for 10 days and during that time were weighed. After that they were held together in the remote wean paddock and weighed again at 31 and 63 days. There were no significant differences in the amount of time spent grazing between the two groups and there were no differences in weight gains between the groups throughout the trial. The CW calves vocalized less and spent less time standing, walking, fence-line pacing and running compared to RW calves. The CW calves were also observed spending more time lying and feeding at the trough. Overall, the CW calves displayed fewer behaviours indicative of the distress following weaning.

Keywords

animal welfareCervus el aphusdeer farmingwapitiweaning
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 6 , Issue 3 , August 1997 , pp. 255 - 264
Copyright
© 1997 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Csermely, D and Ballarmi, G 1988 Some aspects of weight gain and social behaviour in caged early weaned pigs. Monitore Zoologico Italiano 22: 1–16Google Scholar
Ensminger, M E 1987 Beef Cattle Science, 6th edition. The Interstate Printers and Publishers Inc: Danville, USAGoogle Scholar
Friedel, B A and Hudson, R J 1994 Productivity of farmed wapiti in Alberta. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 74: 297–303CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gonyou, H W and Stookey, J M 1987 Maternal and neonatal behaviour. Veterinary Clinics of North America 3: 231–249Google Scholar
Haigh, J C and Hudson, R J 1993 Farming Wapiti and Red Deer. Mosby-Year Book Inc: St Louis, USAGoogle Scholar
Houpt, KA 1991 Domestic Animal Behaviour for Veterinarians and Animal Scientists. Iowa State University Press: Ames, USAGoogle Scholar
Karren, D B, Basarab, J A and Church, T L 1987 The growth and economic performance of preconditioned calves and their dams on the farm and of calves in the feedlot. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 67: 327–336CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kozak, H M, Hudson, R J, French, N and Renecker, L A 1995 Winter feeding, lactation, and calf growth in farmed wapiti. Rangelands 17: 116–120Google Scholar
Lehner, P N 1979 Handbook of Ethological Methods. Garland STPM Press: New York, USAGoogle Scholar
McCall, C A, Potter, G D and Kreider, J L 1985 Locomotor, vocal and other behavioural responses to varying methods of weaning foals. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 14: 27–35CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pollard, J C, Littlejohn, R P and Suttie, P M 1992 Behaviour and weight change of red deer calves during different weaning procedures. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 35: 23–33CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Trivers, R 1985 Social Evolution. Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company Inc: Menlo Park, USAGoogle Scholar
Wood-Gush, G D M, Duncan, I J H and Fraser, D 1975 Social stress and welfare problems in agricultural animals. In: Hafez, ESE (ed) The Behaviour of Domestic Animals pp 182–200. Ballière Tindall: London, UKGoogle Scholar