Goal
In addition to user-friendliness, the system's animal welfare will be the primary focus of the study. To this end, parameters suitable for adequately assessing the animals' health and well-being will be collected. These include measuring the temperature and humidity inside the igloo, as well as the calves' internal body and surface temperatures, and their heart and respiratory rates. Since there are considerable structural variations between the individual hutches, a total of five different models will be tested. Besides evaluating the health and behavior of the breeding calves and the ease of use, particular attention will also be paid to the quality of workmanship of the various hutches and, of course, their price-performance ratio. The results of the study will provide insights into the animal welfare of the system and the individual hutches and can subsequently serve as a basis for discussion. Since they will also be published immediately, they will be available to farmers as a valuable decision-making tool for planning and potentially redesigning their barns, especially the calf area.
introduction
From 2006 onwards, compliance with regulations concerning calf rearing has been monitored by AMA inspection bodies as part of cross-compliance checks. These checks include the prohibition of tethering and mandatory group housing from eight weeks of age, as well as barn climate and lighting conditions. Failure to comply with these regulations results in reductions in subsidies and, in extreme cases, the loss of subsidies altogether. Consequently, many farmers are forced to adapt their barns for calf rearing or seek alternative solutions.
The simplest way to meet this requirement is to keep calves in calf igloos. This housing method has proven particularly effective for small herds or when construction work is not feasible. A calf igloo is a shelter for calves, but it can also be used for foals and other animals of similar size. It is usually made of fiberglass-reinforced plasticand is open at the bottom and on one side. A metal mesh is attached to the open side to define the outdoor area. The floor of the calf igloo is bedded with straw. These igloos are usually placed outside under the eaves or a canopy, but they can also be located entirely outdoors. This provides the calves with optimal air and light conditions around the clock. They can be outside whenever they want and are still protected from cold winds and other weather conditions. If it gets too windy, sunny, rainy, etc., they can retreat inside the igloo. To achieve this protective effect, the opening of the calf igloo must not face the weather side.
The calves are moved to the hutches immediately after birth, or at the latest once their coats have dried, and can be kept there individually until they are eight weeks old. The hutches should be positioned so that the calves have at least visual contact with each other. Keeping calves outdoors has proven particularly effective when health problems arise in the barn. However, this requires thorough cleaning and disinfection before each new occupancy, a sufficiently thick straw mattress for insulation, and close attention from the farmer.
Igloos are therefore an optimal housing system for calves. For example, FRERKING et al. (1975), SCHULZE HOCKENBECK (1980), HANCOCK (1983), and SVENSSON et al. (2003) found that diarrheal diseases are more severe in calves kept in groups than in individual pens. Ideally, calves should be kept in an area where they have no contact with older calves (FINK, 1980; SCHULZE HOCKENBECK, 1980; RADEMACHER, 2000). FRERKING et al. (1975), RADEMACHER (2000), and BIEWER (2001) assert that individual pens and calf igloos are suitable housing systems for the first weeks of life, with the igloo being even better than the individual pen. Fresh air, sufficient light and stronger environmental stimuli contribute significantly to the health, vitality and well-being of the calves.
In contrast, animal welfare advocates are often highly skeptical of keeping calves in calf igloos. It is claimed that this circumvents the ban on individual stalls, and it is also overlooked that larger calves are kept in group igloos. It is considered intolerable that even in organic farming, animals kept individually must endure additional, organic-style animal cruelty in "free-range" conditions during extreme cold or heat (Dr. Friedrich Landa, German Animal Welfare Federation).
Experimental design
Since the manufacturers claim that the huts hardly heat up in the summer and, moreover, in Austria only the test results of the individual companies are usually available, a comparative study on the heat resistance of individual calf huts (calf igloos) will be carried out at the LFZ Raumberg - Gumpenstein over a period of approximately 3 months (June - August 2007) together with the trade journal "Der fortschrittliche Landwirt".
For this purpose, the huts of the various companies will be set up parallel to each other, each facing north. The site is in the open and is neither sheltered from the wind nor shaded.
The calves are placed in these igloos immediately after birth and remain there until they are five weeks old (35th day). Afterward, they join the other animals in group housing. Each igloo is then cleaned and disinfected and restocked. Following this second five-week period, a two-week trial is conducted. For this purpose, the fences in front of the igloos are connected to create a common run for all the hutches. This unit is then populated with two new calves, and their lying behavior is videotaped and analyzed.
To prevent any feeding bias, all calves are fed a standardized diet, meaning all calves receive exactly the same amount of feed.
Feeding plan
|
Week |
Whole milk kg / day |
Concentrated feed kg / day |
hay kg / day |
|
1 2 3 4 5 |
Colostrum 4 - 5 6 7 7 8 |
- 0,125 0,25 0,375 0,5 |
- Free admission " " " |
Additionally, clean drinking water is offered from the first week of life.
The following parameters are examined:
- Optical assessment and technical processing (measuring dimensions)
- Ease of use: for feeding, watering, mucking out (stable and paddock), moving animals and cleaning; recording the time required for feeding and cleaning, determining individual straw requirements;
- Feed intake surveys: Drinking water and concentrated feed amounts are rationed (every animal the same); hay and water are offered free access;
- Weighings and records: Animal weights weekly; stool consistency daily; internal body temperature twice a day (7:00 and 16:00); all abnormalities and illnesses including treatments;
- Animal health parameters and animal behavior:
pulse rate (Art. coccxgea med), core body temperature, surface temperature (infrared thermometer), respiratory rate, thermography (thermal imaging camera), weight gain, drinking and eating behavior (video observation)
Frequency of surveys: every 2 hours starting at 6:00 AM
Appointments - Time: 6:00
8:00
10:00
12:00
14:00
16:00
18:00
