Environmental enrichment in the form of synthetic analogs of appeasing pheromones have shown promising results in improving the welfare of domestic animals, including dogs, pigs, horses, and cattle. The main objective of this study was to determine if the use of the bovine appeasing pheromone (BAP) would improve the welfare of dairy calves; therefore, in this randomized controlled trial, 72 Holstein Friesian dairy calves were housed in individual hutches after birth and were randomly allocated to receive BAP or a placebo once every 2 wk from birth through weaning. After weaning, calves were moved to group hutches according to treatment for 4 additional weeks. It was hypothesized that dairy calves treated with BAP would display fewer signs of stress compared with calves receiving the placebo during the weaning process. To operationalize stress, calves were fitted with triaxial accelerometers on the hind leg after birth, and activity levels were monitored throughout the experiment. Data on live weight gain (ADG) and cortisol levels in saliva and hair were also obtained. Calves were fitted with heart rate monitors every week for at least 24 h to assess heart rate variability (HRV). The use of BAP had a positive effect on ADG after weaning and during group housing and resulted in increased resting time after weaning. Moreover, BAP was associated with a reduction in the activation of the neuroendocrine system evidenced by higher HRV parameters after weaning, including increased standard deviation of beat to beat of normal sinus beats and root mean squares of successive differences. These results suggest a potential welfare benefit of the use of BAP during the artificial rearing of dairy calves.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2024-25452 | DOI Listing |
Metabolites
January 2025
Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.
Background/objectives: The transition from a non-lactating to a lactating state is a critical period for lipid metabolism in dairy cows. Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT), stimulating energy metabolism, ameliorates diseases related to lipid metabolism disorders and is expected to be an effective supplement for alleviating excessive lipid mobilisation in periparturient dairy cows. This study aimed to investigate the effects of supplemental DBT on serum biochemical indices, faecal microbial communities, and plasma metabolites in dairy cows.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Dairy Sci
February 2025
Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Aarhus University, 8830 Tjele, Denmark. Electronic address:
J Dairy Sci
February 2025
ANDHIL LLC, St. Louis, MO 63122. Electronic address:
Vet Immunol Immunopathol
January 2025
Department of Internal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address:
Waste milk (WM) is commonly used in calf feeding to reduce rearing costs; however, its effects on the innate immune response remain unexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of WM on the innate immune response and inflammatory profile of pre-weaned dairy calves. Thirty male Holstein calves were assigned to receive pasteurized waste milk (PWM), saleable milk (SM), and WM (n = 10 in each group).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Veterinary School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Salmonella Dublin is a serovar that causes severe infections and cattle. Despite the importance of this agent, research on achieving its elimination from dairy farms is limited, which complicates risk mitigation and control efforts. This study thus aimed to assess the prevalence of S.
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