Maintenance and competitive behaviour study in dairy calves

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of age, gender and sire on behaviour of calves. The study involved 40 dairy calves kept in pens with straw bedding. Three observations of maintenance behaviour were done: at 14, 19 and 24 weeks of age. The activities were registered during 24 h by direct observations at intervals of 10 minutes. The social dominance rank was determined by recording herdmate encounters during 1 h feeding on access to limited amounts of feed during three consecutive days in 22nd week. Maintenance behaviours were increasing with the age (P<0.001). Total standing time was steadily decreased from the age of 14 weeks to the age of 24 weeks (P<0.001). Total time of eating at the age of 19 weeks was significantly higher opposite to other ages (P<0.001). Calves spent lying on the left side and ruminating while lying on the left side longer time. The longer period of total lying, lying on the left side, and lying on the right side was found at the age of 19 weeks. Periods number was increasing within ages in ruminating while on the left and right sides, ruminating while lying, and total ruminating. Eating periods were decreasing from the age of 14 to 24 weeks. The genotype of Sire 3 was significantly manifested in times of total standing, total eating, and number of eating periods. Sire 1 progeny was realized in higher time of total lying and number of lying periods. No significant differences were found between male and female gender in maintenance behaviour. The most successful in competition were calves from Sire 1. They had the most win and total duels (P<0.05). No significant differences were found among sires in social index; however, the highest value was recorded for Sire 3. We found higher number of win duels and lower number of total duels in female calves.