• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.322-332
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• 2023

Objective: We determined the impact of maintaining pasture-based dairy cows and calves together over 100 days on cow milk production, cow and calf behavior, and calf liveweight and carcass quality. Methods: Six Holstein-Friesian cows and their male calves were monitored for 106±8.6 days. Cows were temporarily separated twice a day for milking with calves remaining in the paddock. Cow and calf behaviors were recorded via scan sampling at 6 different timepoints, for the first 7 days and twice a week thereafter. Calves were weighed weekly and immediately processed for meat quality and rumen development analysis at 106±8.6 days. Daily cow milk yields were collected from enrollment until 109±8.6 days (3 days post-weaning). Results: The average daily gain of calves was 1.4±0.73 kg/d, with an average carcass dressing percentage of 59%. Calves had the greatest frequency of observed close proximity to cow and suckling in the first two weeks and decreased with experiment duration. During separation for milking, cow vocalizations and attempts to return to their calf decreased over time. Reticulorumen weight was on target for calf age, but as a proportion of total stomach weight was lower than industry averages of calves the same age due to the larger abomasum. Cows produced an average of 12±7.6 kg of milk yield per day over the 3-days before the calves were weaned and increased to mean of 31±8.3 kg/d the 3 days after weaning, indicating a consumption of close to 20 kg per calf per day. Conclusion: The impact of a pasture-based cow-calf rearing system on cow and calf behavior and the potential for high levels of calf liveweight gain when provided ad-libitum milk and feed were determined. Further research is required to determine the practicality of replicating such systems with large herds and impact on reared calves post-weaning.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.7-11
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• 1995

Ethylene glycol was given orally in 6 crossbred male cow calves @ 12 ml/kg b wt for 2 days continuously to develop acute nephrotoxicity and monitor blood chemicals profile in affected calves. Progressive depression, hypersalivation, ataxia, incoordination, staggering gait, grinding of teeth, recumbency, coma, convulsions and death were prominent symptoms in affected calves. Respiration and pulse rates were increased whereas body temperature and rumen movements were low. Haematological investigations revealed increase in total erythrocyte count, platelets count and packed cell volume till death and total leukocyte count up to day 3 which decreased on day 4 and 5. These calves revealed azotaemia, reduction in calcium, chloride and potassium and rise in sodium and AST, ALT and alkaline phosphatase enzymes activity.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.133-144
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• 2007

This study was conducted to determine the effective environmental control measures in preventing calf diarrheal disease in farms. It was found that the high numbers of calves in a cow house was directly related with the high incidence rate of diarrheal diseases. When the number of calves was increased in a cow house, it was difficult to reduce the diarrheal diseases of calves. It was revealed that the incidence rates of calf diarrheal disease were dramatically reduced when the delivery house which faced south. The periodical changes of bedding materials seemed beneficial good to control the possible resident infectious agents, including pathogenic viruses and bacteria. The control of the delivery time was important for reduction of calf diarrhea. It was revealed that September and October were the best time as the delivery period. In order to use old cow house as a delivery house, it should be sterilized by the disinfectant and the flame. When the diarrheal feces were removed as soon as possible, the transmission of diarrheal diseases among calves In the same house was reduced. When the diarrheal feces were not disposed, the incidence rate of diarrhea reached up to 50%. When the morbid calves were not quarantined, the incidence rate of diarrhea was 100%. In contrast, when the diseased calves were quarantined from other calves, the incidence rate of diarrhea was reduced, remarkably. The mean recovery time from the diarrhea of the treated calves in the southern cow house was much faster than that in the north cow house. The treatment of calves in a clean and well-ventilated cow house with dry bedding was more effective than that in a cold, wet, and dark house. It could be postulated that the most important environmental factor in the reduction of diarrheal diseases of calves is the blocking of the entry of the infectious agents. The complete sanitation and control of the delivery house in the using farm is more important than building a new cow house, for prevention of calf diarrheal diseases.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.184-187
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• 2002

This study was designed to examine the response of feeding early weaning diets without and with amino acids supplemented cottonseed meal on growth performance and digestibility of early weaned cow calves. Fifteen 14-21 days old cross bred cow calves were randomly allotted to three experimental diets. Diet A comprised of milk replacer and concentrate feed whereas two isocaloric and iso-nitrogenous early weaning diets viz., B and C were prepared without and with lysine and methionine supplemented cottonseed meal, respectively. These early weaning diets were used as substitute of milk replacer for calves. Calves were placed in individual cages and fed twice daily for a period of 60 days. Daily feed intake, feed refused and weekly weight gain was recorded. Two digestibility trials I and II were performed at 5th and 9th week of the experiment, respectively. During the digestibility trial I, calves were fed on ad libitum basis whereas in trial II, calves were fed at 90% of their voluntary DMI. Feed, orts and feces samples were collected, weighed daily, composited, subsampled and analysed for DM and CP. Results indicated that weight gain of calves was (p<0.05) higher on diets A (0.63 kg/d/calf) and C (0.64 kg/d/calf) compared to calves on diet B (0.57 kg/d/calf). Significantly (p<0.05) less daily DMI was observed on diet A (1.48 kg) compared to early weaning diets B (1.70 kg) and C (1.72 kg). The feed efficiency was (p<0.05) better on diet A (2.33) compared to diets B (2.95) and C (2.65). The economic efficiency was noticed to be better on diets B and C compared to diet A. In trial I, digestibility of DM and CP of diet A was (p<0.05) higher than diets B and C. Whereas in trial II, digestibility of DM and CP of diet A was (p<0.05) less than diets B and C. It was concluded that early weaning diet based on lysine and methionine supplemented cottonseed meal produced better weight gain and feed efficiency compared to non-supplemented cottonseed meal based diet.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.810-817
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• 2023

Objective: The aim was to compare the behavioral response to full separation of cows and calves maintained together for 100 days or 24 h. Methods: Twelve Holstein-Friesian cow-calf pairs were enrolled into either treatment or industry groups (n = 6 cow-calf pairs/group). The treatment cows and calves were maintained on pasture together for 106±8.6 d and temporarily separated twice a day for milking. The Industry cows and their calves, were separated within 24 h postpartum. Triaxial accelerometer neck-mounted sensors were fitted to cows 3 weeks before separation to measure hourly rumination and activity. Before separation, cow and calf behavior was observed by scan sampling for 15 min. During the separation process, frequency of vocalizations and turn arounds were recorded. At separation, cows were moved to an observation pen where behavior was recorded for 3 d. A CCTV camera was used to record video footage of cows within the observation pens and behavior was documented from the videos in 15 min intervals across the 3 d. Results: Before separation, industry calves were more likely to be near their mother than Treatment calves. During the separation process, vocalization and turn around behavior was similar between groups. After full separation, treatment cows vocalized three times more than industry cows. However, the frequency of time spent close to barrier, standing, lying, walking, and eating were similar between industry and treatment cows. Treatment cows had greater rumination duration, and were more active, than industry cows. Conclusion: These findings suggest a similar behavioral response to full calf separation and greater occurrence of vocalizations, from cows maintained in a long-term, pasture-based, cow-calf rearing system when ompared to cows separated within 24 h. However, further work is required to assess the impact of full separation on calf behavior.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.207-210
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• 2006

A probable case of superfetation in a Korean native cow met in a small farm located in Imsil Gun, Chonbuk. The cow delivered twice a living male and female calves in September 4 and December 9, 2004, respectively. Thus, we determined whether this case is a case of superfetation using parentage testing technique. The parentage testing was carried out for a dam and two calves using microsatellite DNA and blood typing. As the calves had at least one of the alleles on all marker tested that existed in dam, it was estimated that both of the calves were offsprings of the cow, and that they came from superfetation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.717-722
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• 1992

An experiment was conducted to examine the feasibility of producing multiple calves using embryo transfer in Japanese Black cattle. Milk yield of cows and forage intake of calves were measured for 11 cows with single calves, 14 cows with twins and one cow with triplets. The means of 26 weeks cumulative milk yield were 854, 1028 and 1271 kg for cows having singles, twins and triplets, respectively. Male birth weights for single calves, twins and triplet were 34.9, 26.6 and 19.9 kg, and female ones were 31.7, 24.1 and 22.1 kg, respectively. Weight and daily gain of calves were affected by weeks (W), sex (S), the number of calves (N), parity, birth season, $W{\times}N$, $S{\times}N$ and regression on milk yield. Growth rate was higher for single calves than for twins until about 9 weeks of age, then weights increased at a similar rate. Male calf weaning weights for singles, twins and triplets were 207.0, 177.1 and 162.2 kg, and those for females were 185.4, 151.6 and 180.4 kg, respectively. Average regression coefficients of calf growth on milk yield were significant, and single calf was affected more than twin calves by increment of milk yield. As the number of calves per cow increased, hay intake of calves decreased and concentrate intake tended to increase between 6 and 13 weeks of age.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.227-230
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• 2001

To know and apply the factors affecting calf's gender may increase our competitiveness of Hanwoo industry. Thus, this study was carried out to analyse the effect of expected factors on calf's gender and to make an alternative idea for desired calf's gender. Gender of calves born by AI was not affected by AI year and cow parity, but significantly affected by sire and farm. Therefore, to obtain calves' gender that we want, both selecting optimum sire for AI and providing optimum feeding environment for cow should be required.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.947-953
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• 2004

The present research was designed to evaluate the effects of pre and post-partum energy level and feeding pattern on the performance of crossbred dairy cows and their calves under farm conditions. A total of 16 crossbred dairy cows were divided into two equal groups on the basis of their body weight and milk production. One group was given 30% less and the another was given 30% more energy than MAFF's (1984) recommendation. After calving all cows were given same ad.libitum diet to assess the effects of feeding during pregnancy on their performance. It was observed that just before calving cows on low energy group gained less (p<0.05) weight than that of the cows on high energy group (12.9$\pm$11.71 vs. 42.25$\pm$12.74 kg/cow. Birth weight of calves of low energy group was lower (p<0.05) than that of the calves of high energy group (17.87$\pm$1.78 vs. 20.73$\pm$2.24 kg/calf). Cows that were on low pre-calving dietary energy level produced less milk during lactation than the cows of high energy pre-calving group (3.45$\pm$0.75 vs. 4.27$\pm$0.79 lit./cow). No significant difference was noticed on calf growth rate and reproductive parameters of cow. Energy level that was 30 % less than MAFF's (1984) recommendation was found to be very low and not suitable for our crossbred cows during their last three months of pregnancy.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1735-1740
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• 2005

Forty-two single-bearing and 42 twin-bearing mature Angus${\times}$Hereford cows were allocated, seven per cell to 3 replications of 2 stocking rates (3.2 cows/ha; medium stocking rate [MSR], and 3.8 cows/ha; high stocking rate [HSR]) to graze summer-active and winter-active pastures from late pregnancy to the weaning of their calves. Cow liveweights and growth of calves were recorded as well as estimates of pasture quantity and forage intake. Pasture quantity did not differ in the paddocks grazed by single- and twin-bearing cows during pregnancy, nor effectively did forage intake. Subsequently, intake was higher during mid-lactation especially with twin-rearing cows (25% higher than single-rearing cows at the MSR; 9% at the HSR). However, quantity of pasture decreased for twin-rearing cows and was less than that available to single-rearing cows as lactation progressed. Liveweights of twinrearing cows decreased by 16% from late pregnancy to weaning at the MSR, and by 14% at the HSR, compared to decreases of 1% for single-rearing cows. Twin calves were lighter at birth, had slower growth rates, and were lighter at weaning than single calves. In spite of weaning smaller calves twinning increased the output (kg of calf weaned) per cow and per ha, and increased the efficiency (kg calf weaned per unit of forage eaten by the cow) over single calf production by 46% at the MSR and by 58% at the HSR. Twinning also increased the marginal returns from investment in high input pastures required by the enterprise.