Milk allowance affects play responsiveness in calves

Area of Science:

• Animal Behaviour
• Animal Welfare Science
• Dairy Science

Background:

• Play behaviour is a key indicator of animal welfare.
• Calves on restricted milk diets often exhibit less play, potentially due to hunger.
• The specific play behaviours most sensitive to nutritional status are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between milk allowance and various calf play behaviours.
• To determine if play responsiveness is a more sensitive indicator of welfare than locomotor play.
• To explore how nutritional intake affects social play dynamics in calves.

Main Methods:

• Pair-housed calves (n=22) received either 6 L (standard) or 12 L (enhanced) milk daily.
• Play behaviour was assessed in pairs and individually after a 7-day diet imposition.
• Play responsiveness, defined as reacting to a partner's play, was specifically measured.

Main Results:

• Milk allowance did not significantly affect overall locomotor play (running, kicking).
• Calves receiving lower milk allowances exhibited significantly reduced play responsiveness.
• This suggests a higher threshold for initiating play or reduced motivation for social engagement in underfed calves.

Conclusions:

• Play responsiveness may be a more sensitive indicator of nutritional status and welfare in calves than general locomotor play.
• Further research into play responsiveness is recommended for its potential as a refined welfare assessment tool.
• Nutritional deficits may impact social play initiation more than general activity levels.