The effect of different physical and social housing conditions on the behaviour of Norwegian Red calves in a social novel environment test

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe the exploratory and active behaviour of Norwegian Red calves in a social novel environment test when housed in different physical and social housing conditions. Seventy-two Norwegian Red calves were divided into four batches and randomly allocated into one of three treatments, with six calves in each treatment: Minimal calves (MC): were housed individually until 26 ± 3 d of age and then grouped with five other calves, receiving 7L milk/d; Enriched calves (EC): were housed in a group of six calves and had ad libitum access to milk (consuming on average 15 L milk/d); Cow-calf contact (CCC): calves were housed in a maternity pen with their dam for the first 3 d of life and then moved to a group pen with five other cow-calf pairs, having ad libitum access to milk.