Milk feeding through an open bucket or nipple bucket: Performance and behavior of dairy calves

Objective

This study compared the performance and behavior of dairy calves using 2 different milk feeding methods: open bucket and nipple bucket.

Materials and Methods

Thirty newborn Holstein calves were blocked and randomly assigned to 1 of 2 milk feeding methods: (1) open bucket (n = 15) or (2) nipple bucket (n = 15). Calves were individually housed with ad libitum access to water and pelleted starter. Calves were fed 6 L/d of whole milk divided into 2 meals for 8 wk of life. Starter intake was recorded daily. Body weight and metabolic parameters were recorded weekly. Calf behavior was recorded weekly from wk 2 to 8 of life.

Results and Discussion

All calves consumed their al- located milk; however, the nipple bucket feeding decreased starter intake and consequently total DMI (1,067.8 and 964.3 ± 27.08 [SEM] g/d), with no effect on ADG or BW. The average fecal score was greater for calves fed with an open bucket, reflecting more fluid feces (1.85 and 1.59 ± 0.071). Calves fed with a nipple bucket presented greater glucose concentration levels 2 h after feeding (121.1 and 131.5 ± 3.95 mg/dL), but the protein, albumin, and he- matocrit were not affected. Milk intake speed was great- er for calves fed with a nipple bucket (1.86 and 5.33 ± 0.233, min/3 L). Calves fed with a nipple bucket spent less time eating starter (3.71 and 1.92 ± 0.311, min/4 h) and performing non-nutritive oral behavior (1.09 and 0.58 ± 0.212, min/4 h); however, they spent more time consum- ing milk (7.01 ± 0.224, min/4 h).

Implications and Applications

The milk feeding method has a short-term positive influence on calves’ pre- weaning behavior, although it does not affect performance.