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The effect of age at tethering on behaviour of heifer calves.
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Year: 1995

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Abstract

The aims of the study were to investigate the behavioural consequences of tethering and to investigate the behavioural changes after tethering in calves of two different age groups. Thirty-six Danish Black and White heifer calves were housed in individual pens from birth. Eighteen of the calves were tethered in individual stalls at 12 weeks of age, and 18 calves were tethered at 23 weeks of age. The calves assigned to late tethering were housed in groups of three in deep litter pens from 12 to 23 weeks of age. From 24 h video recordings, collected in the first, second, fourth and eighth weeks after tethering in all calves, and in the eighth weeks after grouping in calves assigned to late tethering, the behaviour of individual calves was recorded instantaneously at 5 min intervals. In addition, the number of lying periods was counted. At the same age (i.e. 8 weeks after tethering and grouping, respectively) tethered calves spent more time lying down (62% vs. 56%, P P P P P P < 0.001), but no change in the number of lying periods was found in calves tethered at 12 weeks of age (10, 11, 10 and 10 lying periods per 24 h in the first, second, fourth and eighth weeks after tethering). The results on resting behaviour suggest that calves tethered at a late age have more initial problems changing position in the tie-stall, and suffer a reduction in lying time for longer than calves tethered at an early age. No difference between age groups in response to tethering was found for feeding, ruminating, oral and grooming behaviour

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