Comparison of Activity Levels Around Disbudding Between Individually and Pair-Housed Dairy Calves
Use of pair housing for preweaning calves has shown positive benefits in terms of health and production, with it also being thought to offer social support in times of stress such as when calves are disbudded. Calf disbudding through thermal cautery is a common procedure, with recognized physiologic...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Dairy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2624-862X/6/2/16 |
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| author | Sophie A. Mahendran Richard E. Booth D. Claire Wathes Nicola Blackie |
| author_facet | Sophie A. Mahendran Richard E. Booth D. Claire Wathes Nicola Blackie |
| author_sort | Sophie A. Mahendran |
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| description | Use of pair housing for preweaning calves has shown positive benefits in terms of health and production, with it also being thought to offer social support in times of stress such as when calves are disbudded. Calf disbudding through thermal cautery is a common procedure, with recognized physiological and behavioral implications. This study’s objective was to utilize continuous monitoring accelerometers to compare the impact of disbudding on the behavior of pair and individually housed calves. Data from an all-year-round dairy herd in the southwest of England were collected via an accelerometer (ABS breeder tag, Genus, Cheshire, UK) fitted to a forelimb of a convenience subset of calves (n = 265) within two weeks of age. Data were collected between March and December 2020 and covered the period 7 days prior to disbudding until 30 days post disbudding. Calves underwent thermal cautery disbudding by farm staff using local anesthesia and a systemic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Data from 205 calves (125 pair-housed and 80 individually housed) were included in analysis through generalized estimating equations models. The calf activity (<i>p</i> = 0.98), number of lying bouts (<i>p</i> = 0.40), and lying time per day (<i>p</i> = 0.75) were not associated with the housing treatment of the calves. Calf activity was associated with the day compared to disbudding (<i>p</i> < 0.001), with both housing treatments having decreased activity in the days following disbudding, taking approximately 14 days to return to pretreatment levels. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2e52b2ae4e6047e4aeb20fff71555e80 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2624-862X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| spelling | doaj-art-2e52b2ae4e6047e4aeb20fff71555e802025-08-20T03:13:49ZengMDPI AGDairy2624-862X2025-03-01621610.3390/dairy6020016Comparison of Activity Levels Around Disbudding Between Individually and Pair-Housed Dairy CalvesSophie A. Mahendran0Richard E. Booth1D. Claire Wathes2Nicola Blackie3Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UKPathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UKPathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UKPathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UKUse of pair housing for preweaning calves has shown positive benefits in terms of health and production, with it also being thought to offer social support in times of stress such as when calves are disbudded. Calf disbudding through thermal cautery is a common procedure, with recognized physiological and behavioral implications. This study’s objective was to utilize continuous monitoring accelerometers to compare the impact of disbudding on the behavior of pair and individually housed calves. Data from an all-year-round dairy herd in the southwest of England were collected via an accelerometer (ABS breeder tag, Genus, Cheshire, UK) fitted to a forelimb of a convenience subset of calves (n = 265) within two weeks of age. Data were collected between March and December 2020 and covered the period 7 days prior to disbudding until 30 days post disbudding. Calves underwent thermal cautery disbudding by farm staff using local anesthesia and a systemic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Data from 205 calves (125 pair-housed and 80 individually housed) were included in analysis through generalized estimating equations models. The calf activity (<i>p</i> = 0.98), number of lying bouts (<i>p</i> = 0.40), and lying time per day (<i>p</i> = 0.75) were not associated with the housing treatment of the calves. Calf activity was associated with the day compared to disbudding (<i>p</i> < 0.001), with both housing treatments having decreased activity in the days following disbudding, taking approximately 14 days to return to pretreatment levels.https://www.mdpi.com/2624-862X/6/2/16behaviorhousingdisbudding |
| spellingShingle | Sophie A. Mahendran Richard E. Booth D. Claire Wathes Nicola Blackie Comparison of Activity Levels Around Disbudding Between Individually and Pair-Housed Dairy Calves Dairy behavior housing disbudding |
| title | Comparison of Activity Levels Around Disbudding Between Individually and Pair-Housed Dairy Calves |
| title_full | Comparison of Activity Levels Around Disbudding Between Individually and Pair-Housed Dairy Calves |
| title_fullStr | Comparison of Activity Levels Around Disbudding Between Individually and Pair-Housed Dairy Calves |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparison of Activity Levels Around Disbudding Between Individually and Pair-Housed Dairy Calves |
| title_short | Comparison of Activity Levels Around Disbudding Between Individually and Pair-Housed Dairy Calves |
| title_sort | comparison of activity levels around disbudding between individually and pair housed dairy calves |
| topic | behavior housing disbudding |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2624-862X/6/2/16 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sophieamahendran comparisonofactivitylevelsarounddisbuddingbetweenindividuallyandpairhouseddairycalves AT richardebooth comparisonofactivitylevelsarounddisbuddingbetweenindividuallyandpairhouseddairycalves AT dclairewathes comparisonofactivitylevelsarounddisbuddingbetweenindividuallyandpairhouseddairycalves AT nicolablackie comparisonofactivitylevelsarounddisbuddingbetweenindividuallyandpairhouseddairycalves |