Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T20:55:32.419Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of human handling during early rearing on the behaviour of dairy calves

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

KE Schütz ,
M Hawke ,
JR Waas ,
LM McLeay ,
EAM Bokkers ,
CG van Reenen ,
JR Webster  and
M Stewart
KE Schütz*
Affiliation:
AgResearch Ltd, Ruakura Research Centre, East Street, Private Bag 3123, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
M Hawke
Affiliation:
AgResearch Ltd, Ruakura Research Centre, East Street, Private Bag 3123, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand Department of Biological Sciences, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
JR Waas
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
LM McLeay
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
EAM Bokkers
Affiliation:
Animal Production Systems Group, Wageningen University, PO Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands
CG van Reenen
Affiliation:
Livestock Research, Wageningen University and Research Centre, PO Box 65, 8200 AB, Lelystad, The Netherlands
JR Webster
Affiliation:
AgResearch Ltd, Ruakura Research Centre, East Street, Private Bag 3123, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
M Stewart
Affiliation:
AgResearch Ltd, Ruakura Research Centre, East Street, Private Bag 3123, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: [email protected]
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.

We examined the effects of daily positive or negative human handling on the behaviour of Holstein-Friesian dairy calves (n = 20 calves per treatment, five calves per group). The response to humans and indicators of positive emotions were examined at four weeks of age. Calves that received positive handling approached a familiar handler within 1 min in 50% of the handling sessions compared to 17% of the sessions for negatively handled calves but showed no difference when approaching an unfamiliar person. Calves that received positive handling showed less avoidance behaviour in their home pen to an approaching unfamiliar person (score, positive: 3.7, negative: 2.8) but there was no treatment effect on flight distance when tested outside the home pen. Both treatment groups responded similarly to a novel object and performed the same amount of play behaviour. Calves that received positive handling interacted more with cow brushes than calves that received negative handling (positive: 9.9%, negative: 7.9% of the total time). At three months of age, avoidance behaviour was re-tested, this time including 20 control animals of the same breed and age, reared routinely on-farm. Controls showed more avoidance behaviour (positive: 1.5, negative: 1.0, control: 0.3) and had a greater flight distance (positive: 3.3 m, negative: 3.7 m, control: 4.9 m). The results confirm existing literature demonstrating that the quantity and quality of handling influence the response towards humans. Little evidence was found that the type of early handling influences behaviours indicative of positive emotions.

Keywords

animal welfarebehaviourdairy calvesflight distancehuman handlingpositive emotions
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 21 , Issue 1 , February 2012 , pp. 19 - 26
Copyright
© 2012 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Boissy, A and Bouissou, M-F 1988 Effects of early handling on heifers’ subsequent reactivity to humans and to unfamiliar situations. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 20: 259–273CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boissy, A, Manteuffel, G, Jensen, MB, Moe, RO, Spruijt, B, Keeling, LJ, Winckler, C, Forkman, B, Dimitrov, I, Langbein, J, Bakken, M, Veissier, I and Aubert, A 2007 Assessment of positive emotions in animals to improve their welfare. Physiology & Behavior 92: 375–397CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boivin, X, Garel, JP, Mante, A and Le Neindre, P 1998 Beef calves react differently to different handlers according to the test situation and their previous interactions with their caretaker. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 55: 245–247CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boivin, X, Le Neindre, P and Chupin, JM 1992 Establishment of cattle-human relationships. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 32: 325–335CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boivin, X, Le Neindre, P, Garel, JP and Chupin, JM 1994 Influence of breed and rearing management on cattle reactions during human handling. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 39: 115–122CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bokkers, EAM, Leruste, H, Heutinck, LFM, Wolthuis-Fillerup, M, van der Werf, JTN, Lensink, BJ and van Reenen, CG 2009 Inter-observer and test-retest reliability of on-farm behavioural observations in veal calves. Animal Welfare 18: 381–390Google Scholar
Breuer, K, Hemsworth, PH and Coleman, GJ 2003 The effect of positive or negative handling on the behavioural and physiological responses of non-lactating heifers. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 84: 3–22CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Breuer, K, Hemsworth, PH, Barnett, JL, Matthews, LR and Coleman, GJ 2000 Behavioural response to humans and the productivity of commercial dairy cows. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 66: 273–288CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
de Passillé, AM, Rushen, J and Martin, F 1995 Interpreting the open-field test in calves: a factor analysis. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 44: 261 (abstract)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Passillé, AM, Rushen, J, Ladewig, J and Petherick, C 1996 Dairy calves’ discrimination of people based on previous handling. Journal of Animal Science 74: 969–974CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hemsworth, PH 2003 Human-animal interactions in livestock production. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 81: 185–198CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hemsworth, PH, Price, EO and Borgwardt, R 1996 Behavioural responses of domestic pigs and cattle to humans and novel stimuli. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 50: 43–56CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jago, JG, Krohn, CC and Matthews, LR 1999 The influence of feeding and handling on the development of the human-animal interactions in young cattle. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 62: 137–151CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jensen, MB and Kyhn, R 2000 Play behaviour in group-housed dairy calves, the effect of space allowance. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 67: 35–46CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jensen, MB, Vestergaard, KS and Krohn, CC 1998 Play behaviour in dairy calves kept in pens: the effect of social contact and space allowance. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 56: 97–108CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krachun, C, Rushen, J and de Passillé, AM 2010 Play behaviour in dairy calves is reduced by weaning and by a low energy intake. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 122: 71–76CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lensink, BJ, Boivin, X, Pradel, P, Le Neindre, P and Veissier, I 2000a Reducing veal calves’ reactivity to people by providing additional human contact. Journal of Animal Science 78: 1213–1218CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lensink, BJ, Fernandez, X, Boivin, X, Pradel, P, Le Neindre, P and Veissier, I 2000b The impact of gentle contacts on ease of handling, welfare, and growth of calves and on quality of veal meat. Journal of Animal Science 78: 1219–1226CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, P and Bateson, P 1993 Measuring Behaviour. An Introductory Guide, Second Edition. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UKCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Petherick, JC, Doogan, VJ, Holroyd, RG, Olsson, P and Venus, BK 2009a Quality of handling and holding yard environment, and beef cattle temperament: 1. Relationships with flight speed and fear of humans. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 120: 18–27CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Petherick, JC, Doogan, VJ, Venus, BK, Holroyd, RG and Olsson, P 2009b Quality of handling and holding yard environment, and beef cattle temperament: 2. Consequences for stress and productivity. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 120: 28–38CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rushen, J, Taylor, AA and de Passillé, AM 1999 Domestic animals’ fear of humans and its effect on their welfare. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 65: 285–303CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schmied, C, Boivin, X and Waiblinger, S 2008 Stroking different body regions of dairy cows: effects on avoidance and approach behavior toward humans. Journal of Dairy Science 91: 596–605CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tucker, CB, Stewart, M, Rogers, AR, Stookey, JM and Webster, JR 2008 Play behavior as an indicator of animal welfare: disbudding in dairy calves. Book of abstracts of the 4th International Workshop on the Assessment of Animal Welfare at Farm and Group Level pp 37. 10-13 September 2008, Ghent, BelgiumGoogle Scholar
Waiblinger, S, Boivin, X, Pedersen, V, Tosi, M-V, Janczak, AM, Visser, EK and Jones, RB 2006 Assessing the human-animal relationship in farmed species: A critical review. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 101: 185–242CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waiblinger, S, Menke, C, Korff, J and Bucher, A 2004 Previous handling and gentle interactions affect behaviour and heart rate of dairy cows during a veterinary procedure. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 85: 31–42CrossRefGoogle Scholar