[Group housing for two to eight week old fattening calves]

The effect of three different feeding techniques (electronic automated feeder, teat bucket and bucket with floating teat) on oral activities, skin condition, health and performance of 144 German Holstein group housed veal calves was investigated. About 21% of the observed time over 24 hours was spent on oral activities and only about 1% with the particularly health-relevant activities at prepuce, navel or scrotum. As a consequence of sucking activities at pen mates in most cases reddening of the skin and, with low incidence (about 7%), additional loss of hair could be found. Altogether about 74% of the calves were affected with the highest incidence in the electronic automated feeder groups. Calves of these groups had, moreover, higher disease incidences and a lower weight gain and feed conversion rate than those fed by teat bucket or by bucket with floating teat. Altogether results show that in terms of behaviour and health it is possible to keep calves at the age of two weeks in groups, even in conventional veal calf production, when satisfactory management is applied. The electronic automated feeder still needs further technical development for use with veal calves.