Welfare problems in dairy calves

Abstract

The most significant welfare problems in dairy calves in intensive rearing conditions have been investigated in this paper. These problems mainly result from inadequate intake of colostrum (separation from the dam), inadequate ventilation (resulting in inappropriate airflow, low or high temperatures, high humidity and poor air quality), poor floor conditions (wet floor, without bedding), inadequate monitoring of health, exposure to pathogens causing respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders and occurrence of iron deficiency. In addition, on cattle farms in our country welfare problems in calves originate from continuous restocking (no 'all in - all out') and mixing calves from different sources, as well as insufficiently balanced solid food, insufficient access to water and generally poor response of farmer to health problems, especially necessary dietary changes. A special welfare problem is insufficient floor space allowance which results in calf's discomfort.

U radu su istraženi najznačajniji problemi dobrobiti kod teladi u intenzivnim uslovima gajenja. Ovi problemi su uglavnom posledica neadekvatnog uzimanja kolostruma (odvajanja od majke), neadekvatne ventilacije (dovodi do neodgovarajućeg protoka vazduha, niske ili visoke temperature, visoke vlažnosti i lošeg kvaliteta vazduha), loših uslova poda (vlažan pod, pod bez prostirke), neadekvatnog praćenja zdravlja teladi od strane odgajivača, izloženosti patogenim mikroorganizmima koji izazivaju respiratorne i gastrointestinalne poremećaje i pojave nedostatka gvožđa. Pored toga, na farmama u našoj zemlji problemi dobrobiti kod teladi potiču od kontinuiranog korišćenja staja (ne 'sve unutra- sve napolje'), mešanja teladi iz različitih izvora, kao i od nedovoljno izbalansirane čvrste hrane, nedovoljnog pristupa vodi i generalno lošeg odgovora farmera na zdravstvene probleme teladi, a posebno neophodne promene u ishrani. Poseban problem dobrobiti teladi su nedovoljne površine individualnih boksova koje rezultiraju u neudobnosti teladi.