Management practices affecting calves welfare on farms in Slovenia

Ježek, Jožica (author), Grabnar, Petra (author), Beci, Barbara (author), Klinkon, Martina (author), Nemec, Marija (author), Hodnik, Jaka Jakob (author), Starič, Jože (author)

Calf rearing practices in Slovenian herds were investigated with questionnaire-based survey. The data was obtained from 293 farms in Slovenia about their management, especially milk and colostrum feeding protocol, manner of weaning, housing, hygiene on the farm and biosecurity measures. Majority of respondents think the colostrum supply is very important. In 77% of farms, calves receive the first colostrum meal within 2 hours after birth. Quality of colostrum is not considered in 59% of farms. The temperature of colostrum and milk check 73% of farmers, however majority do it manually without using thermometer. Farmers weans calves gradually, mostly considering the age at weaning (45%). Calves are weaned at mean age of 14.18 weeks. In 57.3% of farms, newborn calves are housed in individual pens. Thirty four percent of farmers are cleaning pens for newborn calves after each calf. Half of farmers observe their calves more than 15 minutes daily. Different biosecurity measures are used in 98% of farms. Many farmers are well aware that calf rearing management bear on later milk and meat production and some would need more persuasion to follow the appropriate management practices.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Animal welfare, animal housing, management, colostrum, biosecurity, cattle
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: VF - Veterinary Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2019
• Number of pages: Str. 1147-1152
• Numbering: Vol. 67, št. 5
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-122205
• UDC: 636.082
• ISSN on article: 1211-8516
• DOI: 10.11118/actaun201967051147
• COBISS.SI-ID: 4892026
• Publication date in RUL: 27.11.2020

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis
• Shortened title: Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendel. Brun.
• Publisher: Mendelova zemědělská a lesnická univerzita
• ISSN: 1211-8516
• COBISS.SI-ID: 1229448

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 27.11.2020

Secondary language

• Language: Undetermined
• Keywords: Dobrobit živali, nastanitev živali, upravljanje reje, kolostrum, biovarnost, govedo

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P4-0092
• Name: Zdravje živali, okolje in varna hrana