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Comparison of Four Methods of Calf Confinement. I. Physiology^1,2,

Texas A&M University, College Station 77843

Abstract

Holstein bull calves were blocked by birth order and randomly assigned to one of three treatments in trial I: stall (N=7), pen (N=7) and hutch (N=7), and to one of four treatments in trial II: stall (N=6), pen (N=5), hutch (N=6) and yard (N=8). Stalls were elevated, .56 x 1.2 m, with wooden slatted floors. Stalled calves were tethered from the front with a collar and .5-m chain. Pens were elevated, 1.2 x 1.5 m, with wooden slatted floors and were located in the same open-front building as the stalls. Hutches were 1.2 x 1.2 x 2.4 m long and open on one end. Hutch calves were restrained with a dog collar and 2.4-m chain. Yard calves were housed as a group in a 3.6 x 7.9 m, outdoor enclosure, of which one-half was a covered, three-sided structure. Calves were placed on treatment between 12 to 24 h of age, bottle-fed 1.9 liters colostrum twice daily for 2 d and then bucket-fed 1.9 liters milk replacer twice daily, with continuous access to hay and grain. Jugular blood samples taken at 6 wk were analyzed for blood cell counts, blood chemistry profile (13 items), triiodothyronine (T₃), thyroxine (T₄), basal Cortisol and adrenal response (cortisol) to exogenous adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH). Average daily gain from 0 to 42 d was highly variable and was not significantly different for different treatments. Percentage neutrophils, total serum protein, Ca, blood urea nitrogen, creatine kinase, T₃, T₄ and adrenal response to ACTH were elevated, whereas blood urea nitrogen and creatine kinase were lower (P<.05) in the stalled and(or) penned calves. A gradation was evident in the above items across the stall, pen, hutch and yard treatments. The congruity of physiological data in this study indicates a gradation of stress across treatments.

¹ Technical article 18960 from the Texas Agr. Exp. Sta.

² The authors thank Dr. W. L. Jenkins for valuable suggestions and for reviewing the manuscript.

³ Dept. of Anim. Sci., Texas A&M Univ.

⁴ Dept. of Statistics, Texas A&M Univ. (Current address: Bureau of the Census, Statistical Research Division, Washington, DC 20233.)

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