Indian Journal of Animal Research

  • Chief EditorK.M.L. Pathak

  • Print ISSN 0367-6722

  • Online ISSN 0976-0555

  • NAAS Rating 6.50

  • SJR 0.263

  • Impact Factor 0.4 (2024)

Frequency :
Monthly (January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December)
Indexing Services :
Science Citation Index Expanded, BIOSIS Preview, ISI Citation Index, Biological Abstracts, Scopus, AGRICOLA, Google Scholar, CrossRef, CAB Abstracting Journals, Chemical Abstracts, Indian Science Abstracts, EBSCO Indexing Services, Index Copernicus
Submit

Research Article

Indian Journal of Animal Research, volume 53 issue 5 (may 2019) : 680-684

Influence of weaning on growth, health and behaviour of Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) calves

Pankaj Kumar Singh, M.L. Kamboj, Subhash Chandra, Amit Kumar, Nishant Kumar
1Livestock Production and Management, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal- 132 001 Haryana, India.
Cite article:- Singh Kumar Pankaj, Kamboj M.L., Chandra Subhash, Kumar Amit, Kumar Nishant (2018). Influence of weaning on growth, health and behaviour of Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) calves. Indian Journal of Animal Research. 53(5): 680-684. doi: 10.18805/ijar.B-3546.

ABSTRACT

Present investigation was carried out to determine the effect of calf weaning and natural suckling on the growth performance, immune status, health and behaviour of buffalo calves. Sixteen newly born calves (8 calves from weaned group and 8 calves from natural suckling group) were raised in two separate groups under loose housing system. The mean daily colostrum intake during first two days was higher in suckled calves as compared to weaned calves. The average daily body weight gain was significantly higher (0.506  vs. 0.438 kg/day) in suckled calves as compared to weaned calves. The mean of time spent on cross sucking, licking self and licking objects were significantly higher in weaned calves as compared to suckled calves. The level of oxidative stress of weaned calves were significantly higher as compared to suckled calves. It was concluded that the growth performance, immune status, health, behaviour and oxidative stress of natural suckled calves were better as compared to that of weaned calves.

REFERENCES

  1. Boonbrahm, N., Peters, K.J. and Intisang, W. (2004). The influence of calf rearing methods and milking methods on performance traits of crossbred dairy cattle in Thailand. 1. Milk yield and udder health. Arch. Tierz. Dummerstorf. 47:211-224.
  2. Boonbrahm, N., Peters, K.J. and Intisang, W. (2004). The influence of calf rearing methods and milking methods on performance traits of crossbred dairy cattle in Thailand. 2. Reproductive performance and cow body weight. Arch. Tierz. Dummerstorf. 47: 303-312.
  3. Boonbrahm, N., Peters, K.J. and Kijora, C. (2004). The influence of calf rearing methods and milking methods on performance traits of crossbred dairy cattle in Thailand. 3. Calf performance. Arch. Tierz. Dummerstorf. 5: 405-414.
  4. Enriquez, D.H., Ungerfeld, R., Quintans, G., Guidoni, A.L. and Hötzel, M.J. (2010). The effects of alternative weaning methods on behaviour in beef calves. Livest Sci. 128:20-27.
  5. Foulkes, D. (2005). Management of orphaned or weaned buffalo calves. www.nt.gov.au/dpifm 
  6. Froberg, S., Gratte, E., Sjaunja, K.S., Olsson, I., Berg, C., Orihuela, A., Galina, C.S., Garcia L. and Lidfors, L. (2008). Effect of suckling (‘restricted suckling’) on dairy cows udder health and milk let-down and their calves weight gain, feed intake and behaviour. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 113:1–14.
  7. Hagberg, MS. (2003). Introduction to buffaloes. www.milkproduction.com pp. 1-6.
  8. Haley, K.J. and Fessler, D.M. (2005). Nobody’s watching Subtle cues affect generosity in an anonymous economic game. Evol Hum Behav. 26:245-256.
  9. Khan, M. F., and Preston, T. R. (1992). Effect of restricted suckling on performance of shorthorn and sahiwal cows and calves in Pakistan. Livest. Res. Rural .Dev, 4(2), 105.
  10. Kumar, A. (2014). Influence of weaning on the performance and behaviour of calves and their dams in Murrah buffaloes. Ph. D. Thesis, Deemed University, NDRI, Karnal.
  11. Lynch, E. M., Earley, B., McGee, M. and Doyle, S. (2010). Effect of abrupt weaning at housing on leukocyte distribution, functional activity of neutrophils, and acute phase protein response of beef calves. BMC Vet. Res. 6:39.
  12. McEwan, A. D., Fisher, E. W. and Selman, I. E. (1970). Observations on the immune globulin levels of neonatal calves and their relationship to disease. J. Comparative Patho., 80(2), 259-265.
  13. Mejia, C. E., Preston, T. R. and . Fajersson P. (1998). Effects of restricted suckling versus artificial rearing on milk production, calf performance and reproductive efficiency of dual purpose Mpwapwa cattle in a semi-arid climate. Livestock Res. Rural Dev., 10: 1. 
  14. Price, E.O., Harris, J.E., Borgwardt, R.E., Sween, M.L. and Connor, J.M. (2003). Fenceline contact of beef calves with their dams at weaning reduces the negative effects of separation on behavior and growth rate. J. Anim. Sci. 81:116-121.
  15. Roth, B.A., Barth, K., Gyagax, L. and Hillmann, E. (2009). Influence of artificial vs. mother- bonded rearing on sucking behaviour, health and weight gain in calves. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 119:143–150.
  16. Roth, B.A., Schuler, U., Keil, N.M. and Hillmann, E. (2007). Influence of housing conditions on cross-sucking in calves. Curr. Res. Appl. Ethol. KTBL Darmstadt. 461:222–223.
  17. Sanh, M.V., Preston, T.R. and Fajersson, P. (1997). Effects of restricted suckling versus artificial rearing on performance and fertility of Bos taurus and Bos indicus cows and calves in Tanzania. Livest. Res. Rural Dev. 6:6
  18. Selman I. E., Fisher, G. H. De La., E.W. and McEwan, A.D. (1971). The serum immune globulin concentrations of newborn dairy heifer calves: a farm survey. Vet. Rec. 88: 460-464. 
  19. Smijisha, A. S. (2007). Effect of methods of feeding and individual housing on growth and health status of buffalo calves (Doctoral dissertation, NDRI, Karnal).
  20. Smijisha, A.S and Kamboj, M.L. (2007). Colostrum intake of weaned Murrah Buffalo calves reared under different Management Practices. Tamilnadu J. Veterinary & Animal Sciences 8 (1): 42-44.
  21. Smijisha, A.S. and Kamboj, M.L. (2010). Health status and growth performance of weaned Murrah buffalo calves reared under different management practices. J. Ind. Vet. Assoc. 9:2.
  22. Smijisha, A.S. and Kamboj, M.L. (2012). Colostrum intake of weaned buffalo calves reared under different management practices. Tamil Nadu J. Vet. Sci. 8:42–44.
  23. Snedecor, G.W. and Cochran, W.G. (1994). Statistical Methods. Oxford and IBH Publications, New Delhi. 
  24. SPSS, (1996). Statistical Software Package for the Social Sciences. SPSS Int., USA. 
  25. Stafford, K.J., Mellor, D.J. and Corner, R. (2005). Suckling behavior of hand reared new born dairy calves. New Zealand Vet. J. 53:246–48.
  26. Stott, G.H., Marx, D.B., Menefee, B.E. and Nightengale, G.T. (1997). Colostral immunoglobulin transfer in calves. IV. Effect of suckling. J. Dairy Sci. 62:1908-1913.
  27. Trevisan, M., Browne, R., Ram, M., Muti, P., Freudenheim, J., Carosella, A. N. and Armstrong, D. (2001). Correlates of markers of oxidative status in the general population. Am. J. Epidemiol. 154:348-356.
  28. Yilma, Z., Gojjam, Y. and Shumye, M. (2006). Milk production level and calf-rearing system affecting Boran, Ethiopian zebu cattle breed, cow-calf performance. Livest. Res. Rural .Dev, 18(5). 
Reviewed By

Download Article
In this Article
    Contact us
    Follow us

    Editorial Board

    View all (0)