Dam and calf behavior in an early separation system under commercial dairy settings

Objective

This study aimed to describe dam and calf behaviors following calving in an early separation system (≤2 h of life) under commercial dairy settings. Analyzing the association of the early interactions between the dam and her calf with the separation behaviors at the time of calf removal was a secondary objective of this study. Potential associations of reference variables such as parity number, calf sex, calving time, environmental conditions, and time from calving to dam-calf separation with dam- calf interactions and separation behaviors were also tested.

Materials and Methods

A total of 163 calvings were video recorded for analysis. Associations among the 3 groups of variables (reference; dam-calf interactions; and separation behavior) were initially tested using the chi- squared test of independence. Subsequently, significant associations of reference and dam-calf interaction variables with separation behaviors identified in the chi-squared test of independence were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression.

Results and Discussion

According to the chi-squared test, the only separation behavior affected by reference variables was calf seeking the dam, which occurred more often in morning calvings, calvings in the dry lot, and when there was greater time from calving to separation. On the contrary, associations between the occurrence of dam-calf interactions and the expression of separation behaviors were identified for most of the variables, with calf attempting suckling showing the most evident associations. The subsequent multivariate logistic regression analysis identified that calf seeking their dam at separation was positively associated with calving in the dry lot (reference variable) and calf suckling their dams (dam-calf interaction variable). In addition, both dam following her calf and dam watching her calf at separation were positively associated with calf attempting suckling (dam-calf interaction variable).

Implications and Applications

The cows and calves in this study evidenced some immediate reactions to separation occurring before 2 h after calving. Further research into the long-term effects of early separation between the dam and calf in commercial settings would offer a broader perspective on the relevance of the findings reported in this study.