Comparison of Four Methods of Calf Confinement. I. Physiology2

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Holstein bull calves were blocked by birth order and randomly assigned to one of three treatments in trial I: stall (N=7), pen (N=7) and hutch (N=7), and to one of four treatments in trial II: stall (N=6), pen (N=5), hutch (N=6) and yard (N=8). Stalls were elevated, .56 × 1.2 m, with wooden slatted floors. Stalled calves were tethered from the front with a collar and .5-m chain. Pens were elevated, 1.2 × 1.5 m, with wooden slatted floors and were located in the same open-front building as the stalls. Hutches were 1.2 × 1.2 × 2.4 m long and open on one end. Hutch calves were restrained with a dog collar and 2.4-m chain. Yard calves were housed as a group in a 3.6 × 7.9 m, outdoor enclosure, of which one-half was a covered, three-sided structure. Calves were placed on treatment between 12 to 24 h of age, bottle-fed 1.9 liters colostrum twice daily for 2 d and then bucket-fed 1.9 liters milk replacer twice daily, with continuous access to hay and grain. Jugular blood samples taken at 6 wk were analyzed for blood cell counts, blood chemistry profile (13 items), triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), basal Cortisol and adrenal response (cortisol) to exogenous adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH). Average daily gain from 0 to 42 d was highly variable and was not significantly different for different treatments. Percentage neutrophils, total serum protein, Ca, blood urea nitrogen, creatine kinase, T3, T4 and adrenal response to ACTH were elevated, whereas blood urea nitrogen and creatine kinase were lower (P<.05) in the stalled and(or) penned calves. A gradation was evident in the above items across the stall, pen, hutch and yard treatments. The congruity of physiological data in this study indicates a gradation of stress across treatments. Copyright © 1985. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1985 by American Society of Animal Science

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: