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European Directives regulate the transportation of calves (the journey length and structure, the intervals for feed, water and rest, and the space allowances to be used during transport). Research is required to evaluate the scientific basis of the legislation and to identify the important factors likely to affect the welfare of calves during transport. The effects on the welfare of calves of a journey structure that represented the maximum times that young calves could be transported (i.e. two 9h journeys separated by a mid-journey resting or lairage period) were investigated together with a comparison of the effects of the minimum mid-journey lairage duration (1h) with an extended lairage duration of 12h, and an examination of the effects of transporting calves at the extremes of the recommended space allowances.
Transportation was significantly stressful for young calves, but the effect of this stress reduced with journey duration. Lying behaviour was reduced during transport. Increasing the space allowance from 0.375 to 0.475 m2/calf, did not affect lying, stability or the risk of injury. Under normal environmental conditions, lack of water was not an important factor during a 9-h journey. Although fasting for up to 9 h was associated with mobilisation of body energy reserves, these reserves were not exhausted. A mid-journey lairage provided an opportunity to obtain nutrient energy and to rest, but the duration of the lairage was not an important factor. Subsequent growth was not affected by transportation. The effects on slaughter-weight veal calves of a 3-h road journey to a slaughterhouse as compared with on-farm slaughter on behaviour, stress, injury and meat quality were also investigated. Although, the journey was stressful and resulted in less resting behaviour compared with those that remained at the veal unit for on-farm slaughter, there were no adverse effects on carcase bruising and meat quality.
Current state of the art: Young calves are transported to veal and other types of rearing units either from their farm of origin or via a dealer or market. At the end of the rearing period, veal calves are transported to slaughterhouses for slaughter. The transport conditions during these journeys are regulated by European Council Directives. However there is insufficient scientific information on which to base many aspects of these regulations and little information is available on the effects of transportation on veal meat quality. The result of this study provides information on the relative importance of some of the factors potentially affecting the welfare and meat quality of calves during road transportation, the suitability of the current regulations and provides detailed recommendations on improvements to the current directives.
The adoption of the group pen housing system as an alternative to the traditional individual crate is advisable considering the reduction of calf stress due to the social contact among pen mates. Studies on veal calf housing have shown that group pen increases growth performance in comparison to the individual crate. Calves in group pen reduced abnormal oral behaviours and they were allowed to adopt more comfortable laying postures. However, hierarchy and feeding competition among calves in group pen can affect their feeding behaviour particularly when the pen has no system to separate the animals during the meals. In comparison to the individual crate, the locomotion allowed by the group pen seems to lead to the production of darker carcasses and meat. Considering the number of calves to be housed in the same pen, no differences have been observed in growth performance, social behaviour and meat quality increasing from 3 to 7 the number of animals per pen. However, these findings arose from a study using housing facilities which avoided a competitive feeding behaviour among calves.
Current state of art: in the EU veal industry, a wide number of commercial farms are still housing the calves in individual crates. However, the new EU directives on veal calf welfare impose a mandatory adoption of the group pen housing within January 2006. In this transition period, it is important to collect scientific information on how to manage the group housing of veal calf at commercial level. The results were consistent with the state of the art giving more deep information on specific fields such as the management of group housing and the effects on meat quality.
Contacts that calves receive from stockmen influence their behavioural and physiological responses related to fear of people and transport, and the quality of veal meat. Gentle contacts such as petting, touching, talking friendly or letting suck fingers reduce the calves tendency to withdraw at human approach, and facilitate the calves approach of/interactions with humans. These contacts also reduce calves reactions to handling during transport to slaughter (lower heart rate, less incidents such as falling down), and this in turn improves carcass quality (paler meat due to a higher pH resulting from a higher preservation of glycogen reserves during transport). Rough contacts such as slapping and shouting have opposite effects, that is; they increase fear reactions and result in more carcasses classified as dark.
These effects are observed both when calves are housed individually and when they are housed by pairs. However, calves which are in pairs are more fearful of people and less easy to handle.
It is concluded that gentle contacts with veal calves during rearing should be encouraged in order to reduce fear reactions when calves are in the presence of people and to improve veal meat colour. This is of even greater importance for calves housed in groups. Also, veal calves should be handled carefully during transport to slaughter.
The result is in the form of a technical advice to the veal industry.
Current state of the art : It is well known that giving gentle contacts to animals have beneficial effect on animal behaviour (lower fear reactions to people and to handling). This had been observed already in pigs (Hemsworth and Coleman, 1998), adult dairy cows (Munksgaard et al., 1997), and rearing calves (Boivin et al., 1994). The information generated during the project extended this finding to veal calves. In addition, we found that contacts received by calves from stockmen during rearing had an effect on veal meat quality, an area which had never been investigated before.
Provision of roughage to milk replacer-fed veal calves profoundly affects their behaviour. Those types of roughage that increase the level of rumination are also the ones that decrease the incidence of abnormal oral behaviour. Results indicate that roughage types that are rich in fibrous material (e.g. straw) are the most effective in promoting rumination and reducing abnormal oral behaviours. However, provision of roughage to veal calves increases the incidence of abomasal lesions (e.g. ulcers), in comparison with a diet without any additional solids. The smallest increase of the incidence and severity of abomasal lesions is observed when roughages are provided to veal calves that contain both fibrous materials as well as proteins and carbohydrates, and that promote rumen development. This suggests that a certain level of rumen development may be necessary to guarantee sufficient digestion of the roughage fed and, thereby, to prevent the development of additional lesions due to the entering into the abomasum from the rumen of sharp, undigested roughage particles. Additional research is necessary to optimise the feeding regime of veal calves in the sense that solid feeds and feeding strategies are developed that benefit veal calf behaviour (i.e. stimulate rumination and reduce abnormal oral behaviour), and, at the same time, do not increase the incidence of abomasal lesions relative to a feeding condition without additional roughage, and result in an adequate level of rumen development and an overall healthy digestive system.
The Result is a combination of a product (a type of roughage), a process (feeding regime), and the methodology to measure parameters in the field of behaviour and pathology of digestive organs in bovines.
Current state of the art: in the practical veal industry, a wide range of different solid feeds are provided to milk replacer-fed veal calves. The contents of solid feeds used in the veal industry differ according to the relative amounts of fibrous material and of carbohydrates, proteins and other elements. An integrated view as to the effects of roughage on behaviour and the pathological status of digestive organs is currently lacking. Relation of result with current state of the art: an integrated view as to the effects of roughage on behaviour and the pathological status of digestive organs is currently lacking.
The welfare of veal calves and the production of veal units depend at least in part on stockmen attitudes. We showed that the attitude of a farmer toward calves and work has an impact on their ability to control the health of the calves, and on the technical results of the veal unit. Farmers who have a positive attitude towards calves (i.e. they consider calves as sentient animals) are prone to behave positively with them (that is they give more gentle contacts. Also, we observed a link between positive attitudes towards calves and towards husbandry tasks (e.g. cleaning the barn) on the one hand and the health of the calves on the other hand.
Because the welfare of animals depend on their fear reactions and on their health, positive attitudes of farmers towards calves and work are linked to higher calf welfare. Because the technical results of a veal unit (growth of the calves, feed efficiency, mortality) depend largely on the health of the calves, positive attitudes are also linked to higher chance of the success of a veal unit.
At the moment, because this information was gathered from surveys, it is difficult to assert that positive attitudes result in good practice or, on the opposite, that positive attitudes result from good practice. According to the literature on psychology, those two elements (attitudes and behaviour) have positive feed-back on each other. Hence the two hypotheses (RESULT IN / RESULT FROM) seem valid. We conclude that positive attitudes towards animals and towards husbandry tasks should be encouraged.
The words "gentle" and "rough" contacts refer respectively to petting, touching, talking softly, letting suck, and to slapping and shouting (as described in the Result "Role of the farmer's behaviour on the welfare of calves").
The information generated during the project showed that attitudes of farmers have also an impact in veal production. However, whereas previous work on pigs by Hemsworth and Coleman (1998) emphasised the role of stress reactions of the animals on their growth, we found that the effect of stockmen attitudes on the veal production passed not through stress experienced by the calves but by the ability of the farmer to control the health.
The provision of drinking water to veal calves does not seem to improve their welfare because it did not modify their behaviour and growth performance. However, despite of the lack of measurable effects, veal calves receiving drinking water in addition to the traditional feeding regimen consumed increasing amounts of it throughout the fattening period.
In the absence of relevant effects, the provision of drinking water must be carefully evaluated taking into account the increased labour demand as well as the environmental impact caused by the enhanced manure volume.
Current state of the art: there are no scientific indications about the provision of drinking water to veal calves. At commercial level, farmers give drinking water to the veal calves only in the hot days of the summer or in the case of sick animals. An integrated view of the effects of water provision on behaviour, growth performance and meat quality is currently lacking.
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