Reducing weaning stress in beef cattleDerek B. Haley and Joseph M. Stookey

Large Animal Clinical SciencesWestern College of Veterinary

MedicineUniversity of Saskatchewan,

Saskatoon, SK

INTRODUCTION

Beef cattle are traditionally weaned by the abrupt and permanent separation of cows and calves, which is stressful and dramatically different from the natural weaning process. As a result calves gain less weight and many get sick and need to be treated. Finding ways of reducing weaning stress can help alleviate these problems and improve cattle welfare (Fig. 1).

OBSERVATIONS

Behaviour was observed (12 h/d) during 3 distinct time periods:

BASELINE period, for 4 d before experiment startedNO MILK period, for 4 d two-step calves unable to nurse but

still with their mother, control calves were still nursing

SEPARATE period, for first 4 d after pairs had been separated

General activity of each individual animal was recorded every 10 minutes

Vocalizations by each individual were counted during a 2-minute period, every 10 minutes

RESULTS

Both groups behaved the same during the baseline period.

The only behavioural changes seen in pairs when prevented from nursingwas a slight increase in calling rate and walking by the TWO-STEP group; 2% above baseline (Fig. 6A, 6B).

Behaviour of TWO-STEP pairs was only altered slightly by mother-young separation, which was dramatically different than the response of CONTROL cattle weaned the traditional way (Fig. 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B, 7C).

CONCLUSIONS

Calves reacted very little when milk was taken away and surprisingly little when subsequently removed from their mother.

Two-step weaning dramatically reduced the behavioural changes associated with weaning distress in both cows and calves.

Traditional methods unnecessarily exacerbate the weaning stress experienced by cows and calves and the two-step procedure reduces weaning stress in beef cattle.

QUESTION

Is stress at weaning the result of calves missing the milk or the mother or both?

Fig.1 At weaning, vocalizations increase dramatically for 4-6 days.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Funding for this research was provided by the Saskatchewan Agricultural Development Fund. Thanks to Dr. Jon Watts and Jean Clavelle for their help with observations.

Fig. 2. Anti-sucking device used. Fig. 3. Device fitted on a calf.

Fig. 4. Nursing was prevented. Fig. 5. Calves were still able to graze and be with their mother.

MATERIALS & METHODS

16 cow-calf pairs

Two-step calves wore an anti-sucking device (Fig. 2, Fig. 3), which prevented nursing (Fig. 4) but still allowed them to graze (Fig.5).

8 CONTROL traditionally weaned (see INTRODUCTION)

8 TWO-STEP nursing prevented for 4 days whilepairs were still together [step 1]then cow-calf separation [step 2]

0

5

10

15

20

25

Fig. 7C. Mean (±SEM) distance walked by calves on each of the first 4 days after being separated from their mother.

DIS

TA

NC

E W

ALK

ED

(k

m)

1 2 3 4 DAYS POST WEANING

Fig. 6A and 6B. Mean (±SEM) daily number of vocalizations given by cows and calves based on recorded observations.

NU

MB

ER

O

F

VO

CA

LIZ

ATIO

NS

DAYS OF EACH PERIOD

0

300

600

900

1200

1500

1800

2100

2400BASELINE

all calves nursingNO MILK

half calves nursing

half calves no milk

SEPARATEcow and calf pairs apart

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Fig. 6A - COWS

0

300

600

900

1200

1500

1800

2100

2400

DAYS OF EACH PERIOD

BASELINEall calves nursing

NO MILKhalf calves nursing

half calves no milk

SEPARATEcow and calf pairs apart

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Fig. 6B - CALVES

TWO-STEP cattle called 85% less (Fig 6A, 6B), walked 80% less (Fig. 7A,7B, 7C) and calves spent 25% more time eating (8A, 8B).

Fig. 7A - COWS

TIM

E S

PEN

T W

ALK

ING

(m

in)

Fig. 7A and 7B. Mean (±SEM) time spent walking per day.

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

DAYS OF EACH PERIOD

BASELINEall calves nursing

NO MILKhalf calves nursing

half calves no milk

SEPARATEcow and calf pairs apart

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Fig. 7A - COWS

DAYS OF EACH PERIOD

BASELINEall calves nursing

NO MILKhalf calves nursing

half calves no milk

SEPARATEcow and calf pairs apart

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Fig. 7B - CALVES

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

0

50

100

150

200

250

300Fig. 8B - CALVESFig. 8A - COWS

TIM

E S

PEN

T E

ATIN

G

(min

)

Fig. 8A and 8B. Mean (±SEM) time spent eating per day, after separation.

1 2 3 4 DAYS POST WEANING

1 2 3 4 DAYS POST WEANING

STATISTICS

Overall treatment effects within each period were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test statistic.

NS P < 0.01 P < 0.01 NS P < 0.01 P < 0.01

NS NSNS P < 0.03 NSNS