Characteristics of the electrolyte balance of the blood of healthy newborn calves and calves with diarrhea

Cows and newborn (just after the birth, and on the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 10th days after it) calves were tested for the peculiarities of the electrolyte blood composition and acid-base balance under normal and diarrheic conditions. The values of Na+/K+, Cl-/HCO3-, Pn/Ca2+ ratios in the blood serum of sick animals remain unchanged, which testifies to the deep disturbances of the water-salt metabolism in tissues.     

Congenital cerebellar hypoplasia in newborn calves

A sporadic outbreak of congential cerebellar ataxia (CCA) was seen in calves. The abnormality of this disorder of the central nervous system characteristic was cerebellar hypoplasia, which was observed in eight calves. The cerebellum was almost completely absent in some of these calves and approximately one-fifth of the normal size in some others. Six of the eight calves were also affected with hydrocephaly. The significant changes of the cerebellum were complete or partial destruction of the cortex, deficiency of granules and/or Purkinje cells, clumping of the remaining granule cells, and an irregular cavity formation in the terminal portion of the folium. The clinicopathological changes of CCA quite closely resembled those of the bovine viral diarrhea-mucosal disease virus infection.     

Comparison of video recording and a portable electronic device for measuring the feeding behaviour of individually housed dairy goats

A detailed knowledge of chewing behaviour is important in understanding the factors that can affect digestive function in high producing ruminants. The aim of this study was to compare chewing behaviour either measured with a portable automatic system (APEC) which records jaw movements or obtained by scan sampling video analysis in 12 individually housed dairy goats. One hour and daily time-intervals were used for the analysis. APEC and video showed better agreement for 1 h than for daily time-intervals but a very high individual variability was observed for all the parameters measured. Daily duration of rumination seemed to be assessed better by the APEC than by the video because it is sometimes difficult to determine if the goats are resting or ruminating on the video. Daily duration of intake was however assessed better by the video because the automatic recorder interpreted all oral behaviours as intake. However, total chewing time is directly related to the amount of saliva produced which an important factor in ruminant nutrition. The APEC allows continuous recording of activity independently of the animal's position in the pen or in a group or at pasture where animals cannot be filmed, however the device can be easily damaged by the animals. Video cannot be damaged by the animals but it can be difficult to determine the animal's activity if the animal is lying-down or not facing the camera, or in a dark part of its pen. Both systems were relevant to measure chewing behaviour of stall housed dairy goats, and to study the daily time-budget of feeding behaviour but results have to be interpreted carefully.     

Neospora caninum-like protozoon associated with fatal myelitis in newborn calves

Neospora caninum-like organisms were found in histologic sections of spinal cord of 4 paralyzed calves as reported by Parish et al. (1987). Tachyzoites divided by endodyogeny. Tissue cysts were up to 62 microns wide and the cyst wall was up to 2.5 microns thick. The organism in calves was structurally distinct from Toxoplasma gondii and Sarcocystis species and reacted positively with anti-N. caninum serum in an immunoperoxidase test.     

The effect of age at introduction and number of milk-portions on the behaviour of group housed dairy calves fed by a computer controlled milk feeder

This study is an investigation of the effect of age at introduction (6 days versus 14 days) and number of milk-portions (four milk-portions a day versus eight milk-portions a day) on integration into a large dynamic group of calves, fed by a computer controlled milk feeder. Forty calves (Jerseys, Danish Reds and Holstein-Friesians) were allocated equally to the two age conditions (A6 and A14) and the two milk-portion conditions (M4 and M8) in a 2 × 2 factorial design, according to sex and breed, and introduced into the group in pairs (one A6 and one A14). The behaviour of each pair was video-recorded for 8 h from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 1 h from 1 to 2 a.m. on days 1, 8 and 15 after introduction.

The A6 calves performed less licking and sniffing, changed posture more often and tended to spend less time standing than the A14 calves. In the course of time A14 calves lay closer to other calves than the A6 calves.

The M8 calves, which were offered the same daily milk allowance as the M4 calves stood for a longer time in the milk feeding station and the M8 calves also sucked the empty teat more frequently than the M4 calves. Finally, the M8 calves initiated more social play behaviour than the M4 calves. On the first day after introduction the M8 calves lay closer to other calves than the M4 calves.

The results suggest that calves integrate better into a group when introduced at the age of 14 days than at the age of 6 days. Distributing the milk into eight daily milk-portions, rather than four milk-portions in the first period after introduction, increased milk feeder occupancy, which may facilitate learning to use the milk feeder. Surprisingly, more milk-portions also stimulated play behaviour, which is suggested to be due to M8 calves encountering more calves in the milk feeder area.     

Effect of infestation with Psoroptes ovis on the nocturnal rubbing and lying behaviour of housed sheep

The relationship between Psoroptes ovis infestation and the nocturnal rubbing and lying behaviour of sheep was examined as part of a longitudinal study of sheep scab. A total of 40 non-infested, scab-na?ve sheep were divided into six groups of between 6 and 20 individuals and each group was subsequently penned with a single infested index case. Multilevel statistical models showed that 75% of the variation in rubbing behaviour could be explained by a combination of three variables: the age of the lesion, the size of the affected area and the time since the introduction of the index case. There were significant differences between sheep in both the baseline level of rubbing activity and the rate at which this behaviour increased over time. Increased rubbing behaviour was associated with reduced total lying times and more interrupted lying behaviour. This work has contributed to our understanding of the role of parasite-induced behavioural changes on welfare and disease transmission.     

Spatial distribution and behaviour of laying hens housed in an alternative system

The spatial distribution and behaviour of perchery housed laying hens were compared at a constant stocking density (18.5 birds/m(2)) in eight pens with colonies of five different sizes (323 birds (N=1), 374 birds (N=2), 431 birds (N=2), 572 birds (N=1) and 912 birds (N=2)). The birds were placed in the perchery when they were 12 weeks old. Observations began when they were 26 weeks old and continued at 8 week intervals until 61 weeks of age. Colony size did not appear to affect the spatial distribution of birds, but more standing behaviour and less feeding behaviour were observed in the smallest and largest colony sizes. Older birds spent more time on the floor areas and less time on perches. Young birds (26-28 weeks) spent more time feeding, foraging, drinking and preening, and less time standing idle than older birds. In the afternoons, there were fewer birds on the perches and more on the floor levels, corresponding with less time spent resting and more time spent performing active behaviours. Birds did not distribute themselves evenly throughout their pens: within specific areas of pens densities varied between 9 and 41 birds/m(2). This variation, which reflects the flux of birds from one part of the pen to another, was greatest for the larger colony sizes, and may have adverse implications for welfare in terms of crowding and hysteria.     

Nature and store of fatty acid lipids in the blood of newborn calves with dyspepsia

The content of fatty acids of lipids extracted from the whole blood as well as from erythrocytes, leucocytes, plasma and serum samples of newborn dyspeptic calves were investigated for the first time. Twenty three (23) saturated, mono-non-saturated and poly-non-saturated fatty acids were detected. Native, palmitoleic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and arachidonic fatty acids, are the main components of the whole blood lipid fraction and its components. The fatty acids found in lipids and other components of the whole blood in the samples of dyspeptic and healthy calves are the same, their ratios, however, are different. The decrease in the nonsaturated fatty acids content and its increase in saturated fatty acids are considerable. The saturation coefficient is different in native blood lipids, erythrocytes, leukocytes, serum and plasma.     

Regularities in forming colostral immunity in newborn calves

Formation of acid-base homeostasis in newborn calves takes place simultaneously with developing metabolic respiration-excretion and buffer system resulting in fast adaptation of animals to new environmental conditions.     

Behavioural interactions of dairy cows with their newborn calves and the effects of parity

Continuous observations of 82 individually penned Friesian cows and their calves were made during the first 6 h post partum. The behaviour observed was similar to that described for wild ungulates of the ‘hider’ type. Cows showed a marked decrease in calf-directed activities with time after parturition. This was more pronounced in older animals, which recommenced ingestive behaviour sooner. The incidence of licking and other maternal behaviour depends upon the characteristics of the calf and upon the state of the mother. Close proximity between cow and calf was maintained, in small calving pens, by the mother at the first three calvings but by the calf after these. The eating of the afterbirth is considered to be anti-predator behaviour. Calves of primiparous dams spent more time suckling and suckled from more quarters than did calves of older cows. Primiparous dams showed a higher incidence of abnormal maternal behaviour.     

Feeding,resting and social behaviour in ewes housed in two different group sizes

The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effects of increased group size on eating- and resting behaviour, aggression and feed intake in housed ewes. During an initial period of 14 days 36 adult (2–6 years old) ewes of the domestic Norwegian Dala breed were divided into four groups of 9. In the second period (14 days), these ewes were merged into one group of 36 ewes. This experiment was repeated with a second batch of ewes, but this time starting with a group of 36 individuals in the first period, then splitting them up into four groups of 9 ewes in the second period. From 24 h video recordings we scored activity behaviours using instantaneous sampling every 10 min. Aggressive interactions were continuously observed the first 10 min every hour during the 24 h (4 h in total). A mixed statistical procedure with group size, day, batch and the interactions between them were included as fixed effects, whereas individual and group were specified as random effects.Ewes in large groups (36) had a larger variation in lying time at day one (P < 0.01), less synchronized lying (P < 0.05) and eating behaviour (P < 0.01), and spent less time queuing at the feed barrier (P < 0.001) compared to in the small group size (9). There were no effects of group size on aggressive interactions or feed intake.In conclusion, a larger group size decreased synchrony in resting and feeding behaviour and reduced the time spent queuing in front of the feed barrier. It is possible that the aggression level in sheep is more sensitive to changes in space allowance than to changes in group size per se.     

Efficacy of reflective insulation in reducing heat stress on dairy calves housed in polyethylene calf hutches

The objective of this study was to determine the ability of radiant insulation hutch covers to moderate the effect of ambient temperature and radiant energy on calves housed in polyethylene hutches. The insulation had a double layer of polyethylene bubble film laminated between a layer of aluminum foil and white polyethylene (reflectance = 95 %, R value (ft²?·?°F?·h/Btu)?=?2.7). In each of two experiments (exp.), hutches were either uninsulated (control) or covered with reflective insulation across the top and sides of the hutch leaving the front, back, and pen exposed. Each hutch had a 1.2?×?1.8-m attached outdoor wire pen. In both exp., rate of increase of interior hutch temperature relative to ambient temperature was lower in insulated hutches (P?<?0.001) indicating they were warmer at low THI and cooler at high THI. In exp. 1, increase in respiration rate and ear canal temperature of the calves, relative to THI, were moderated in insulated hutches (P?<?0.001). In Exp. 2, respiration rate was not affected by treatment (P?=?0.50), but increased with increasing THI (P?<?0.001). Mean ADG did not differ among treatments in either exp. (P?>?0.21). Insulating calf hutches with reflective insulation moderated hutch microclimate, and improved calf comfort, but did not translate to improvements in economically relevant variables such as ADG.     

The influence of visual stimulation on the behaviour of cats housed in a rescue shelter

This study explored the influence of 5 types of visual stimulation (1 control condition [no visual stimulation] and 4 experimental conditions [blank television screen; and, televised images depicting humans, inanimate movement, animate movement]) on the behaviour of 125 cats housed in a rescue shelter. Twenty-five cats were randomly assigned to one of the five conditions of visual stimulation for 3 h a day for 3 days. Each cat's behaviour was recorded every 5 min throughout each day of exposure to the visual stimuli. Cats spent relatively little of the total observation time (6.10%) looking at the television monitors. Animals exposed to the programmes depicting animate and inanimate forms of movement spent significantly more of their time looking at the monitors than those exposed to the moving images of humans or the blank screen. The amount of attention that the cats directed towards the television monitors decreased significantly across their 3 h of daily presentation, suggesting habituation. Certain components of the cats’ behaviour were influenced by visual stimulation. Animals in the animate movement condition spent significantly less time sleeping, and displayed a non-significant trend to spend more time resting, and in the exercise area of their pens, than those in the other conditions of visual stimulation. Overall, the results from this study suggest that visual stimulation in the form of two-dimensional video-tape sequences, notably that combining elements of prey items and linear movement, may hold some enrichment potential for domestic cats housed in rescue shelters. Such animals, however, may not benefit from this type of enrichment to the same degree as species with more well-developed visual systems, such as primates.     

The development of sucking behaviour in the newborn goat

The development and nature of the approach and sucking behaviour of newborn goats has been studied in kids born to normal mothers and to animals with one of the two mammary glands transplanted to the neck. The initial approaches of the kids appeared to be orientated primarily towards the mobile rounded forms of the dam's ventral surfaces, with random direction of movement. Sucking occurred when the mouth contacted a smooth hairless surface, whether this was a teat located in either a normal or abnormal position, or even a surgically exteriorized skin-covered vein. By the third day of life most kids had developed a preference for sucking either the transplanted or the normal teat and were quickly able to locate their preferred teat. Non-nutritive sucking was not observed at this stage, suggesting that a reward mechanism exists as an integral part of the sucking reflex in the kid.     

Time-dependent transition probabilities and the assessment of seasonal effects on within-day variations in chewing behaviour of housed sheep

State transitions in the chewing behaviour of six half-breed (?le de FrancexTexel) yearling female sheep (Ovis aries L.) were studied by using jaw movements recorded continuously over 5 days at the end of a number of experimental periods from 21 September 1992 to 4 April 1993. The sheep were housed in individual pens. Each of them received the same diet, that is, 250 g/day of concentrate mix (15.5% crude protein (CP), 36.5% neutral detergent fibre (NDF)) fed at 0900 h and natural grass hay (6.7% CP, 69.1% NDF) fed ad libitum at 0915 and 1600 h. Mineral salt blocks and water were continuously available. The main objective was to assess seasonal effects on within-day variations in the chewing behaviour of sheep, at small to large time scales within a day. We therefore focused on two experimental periods characterised by contrasting conditions of daylength and temperature (i.e., 'Period 1': 610 min daylight, mean temperature of 10.9 degrees C, and 'Period 4': 550 min daylight, mean temperature of 7.2 degrees C). In particular, differences between periods in the nycterohemeral pattern of chewing behaviour and the quality of forecasts of chewing states were tested. We submitted our data to a new method of analysis that we developed: the method of time-dependent transition probabilities, and compared the results to those obtained using other methods that were available in the literature.Overall, the sheep spent more time eating in Period 1 than in Period 4. Specifically, a secondary peak in eating activity, which was observed in the early afternoon in Period 1, was absent in Period 4. The nycterohemeral pattern of eating activity showed significant differences between periods, at the main rhythmic component of 24 h and at short components around 2 h. Such differences were not observed for ruminating and idling activities. The quality of forecasts of chewing states decreased from Periods 1 to 4, in terms of accuracy (based on R(2)) and lead of reliable forecasts (i.e., &z.sfnc;forecast-observation&z.sfnc;<0.1). The most (least) accurate forecasts were obtained for the ruminating (eating) state in both periods. We have attributed the differences that we found between periods to daylength instead of temperature because the sheep were mostly within the thermoneutral zone in our study. By comparison, using mean hourly times of eating activity, significant differences between periods were detected for the 24-h rhythmic component and the 4-h component, instead of the 2-h component, probably because of aliasing (i.e., when the sampling time interval used is longer than suited; the minute was found to be a suitable interval length in the calculation of time-dependent transition probabilities). Using the age-dependent model of Rook and Penning, minor differences between periods were detected. On that basis, the method of time-dependent transition probabilities may be brought forward as a complement of value to existing methods of behavioural data analysis.