Studies on the effect of social environment on the behaviour and growth rates of artificially-reared British Friesian male calves

Abstract

SUMMARY Observations have been carried out on the effect of social environment on the behaviour and growth rates of British Friesian male calves artificially reared on an automatic Nursette milk dispenser. The observations were made during two watches of 3 hr duration per week for the first 9 weeks of the calves' stay in the rearing unit. The calves appeared to be in a high state of anxiety on arrival and showed a vigorous following response to each other and the stockman. Although the lighter subordinate calves spent less time in sucking the Nursette than the heavier dominant calves, and had a lower pre-weaning growth rate, they spent more time ingesting dry feed. Consequently they suffered a less severe check in growth rate at abrupt weaning after 6 weeks than the dominant calves. Non-nutritive cross-sucking of the ear, scrotum or prepuce of others in the group occurred in some calves. The aetiology of cross-sucking is discussed and interpreted in terms of an oral deprivation hypothesis.