Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 28, 2026
11:59
In Vivo Real-Time Study of Drug Effects on Carotid Blood Flow in the Ovine Fetus
Published on: April 28, 2023
778
Decrease in cow-calf attachment after weaning
I Veissier1, P Le Neindre1, J P Garel2
1Laboratoire de l'Elevage Bovin, INRA Theix, 63122 Ceyrat France.
Behavioural Processes
|June 14, 2014
Summary
Suckler calves remained attracted to their dams for over three weeks post-weaning. However, dams began rejecting calves from day 20, while calf-calf attraction increased.
Area of Science:
- Animal behavior
- Reproductive science
- Veterinary medicine
Background:
- Abrupt weaning is a common practice in suckler beef production.
- Understanding the post-weaning social dynamics between dams and calves is crucial for animal welfare.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the duration of dam-calf attraction after abrupt weaning.
- To assess changes in social preferences of calves and dams post-weaning.
Main Methods:
- Calves were housed in a pen allowing proximity to dams or familiar conspecifics.
- Social preference tests were conducted at multiple time points after weaning.
- Reunion periods allowed observation of dam-calf interactions.
Main Results:
- Calves showed a preference for their dams over other cows up to 24 days post-weaning.
- Calf preference for dams decreased significantly after day 24.
- Dams began rejecting calves from suckling as early as day 20.
- Attraction between calves increased post-weaning.
Conclusions:
- Calf attraction to dams persists for at least three weeks post-weaning.
- Dams exhibit rejection behaviors towards calves earlier than calves cease seeking their dams.
- Weaning alters social dynamics, increasing calf-calf affiliation.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Imprinting
9.9K
Behavioral imprinting is observed in some newborn animals and occurs when they develop strong and specific attachments to another animal (usually a parent) following brief, early-life exposures. Offspring imprint onto parents within a brief period after birth or hatching; this time window is called the critical period. Once imprinting occurs, the bond established between the parents and their offspring is usually long-lasting.
9.9K
01:20Attachment
787
Attachment is vital for infant development, as warm social interactions support growth and well-being. In a classic 1958 study by Harry Harlow, the significance of warmth and comfort in forming attachments was examined. Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers and provided two artificial "mothers": one made of cold wire and the other covered in soft cloth. Despite the wire mother offering food, the infant monkeys preferred the comfort of the cloth mother, demonstrating that...
787
01:08Cloning of Dolly the Sheep
8.7K
The first successfully cloned mammal was Dolly, a sheep, born on 5th July 1996 at Roslin Institute, Scotland. The cloned sheep was named after the American singer Dolly Parton. Dolly lived for seven years and died of respiratory complications, which is speculated to be due to the actual age of her DNA. Because the DNA in cloned cells belongs to an older individual, the cloned individual’s life expectancy may be affected. Indeed, analysis of Dolly’s DNA revealed shorter...
8.7K
00:55Parental Care
11.6K
Many animals exhibit parental care behavior, including feeding, grooming, and protecting young offspring. Parental care is universal in mammals and birds, which often have young that are born relatively helpless. Several species of insects and fish, as well as some amphibians, also care for their young.
11.6K