Suckling Behaviour of Beef Calves during the First Five Days Postpartum

Abstract

Observations of 17 heifer-calf pairs were collected over the first 5 days postpartum (p.p.) to study nursing and maternal behaviour of beef cattle. Cattle were managed in a 6 ha paddock and heifer–calf interactions were determined from both regular visual observations and video recordings. Of 17 potential calves, one was stillborn and 3 died in the first 5 days p.p. associated with dystocia and congenital malformation. Four further potential neonatal calf mortality risks were identified, which included poor calving site selection (n = 1), calf misadventure (n = 1), heifer-calf separation (n = 3) and mismothering (n = 3), with each resulting in distress, physical exhaustion of the calf and impaired nursing. There was marked variation between heifers in the expression of optimal maternal behaviours, with only 39% classified as ‘good’ mothers. Dam terminated nursing bouts were 27% shorter in duration than calf terminated nursing bouts; 29% of heifers terminated nursing bouts at least 50% of the time. Only 68% of observed suckling interactions were considered effective. On average, the nursing behaviour lasted 7.0 min, with sucking making up 54% of the total nursing time, the sucking rate was 2.0 sucks/s, and the calves performed 7.5 teat-switches, 2.4 butts and 0.9 teat-strips per min of nursing. In 67% of nursing interactions, the calves sucked on all four teats. By three days p.p., all calves developed a clear, consistent suckling pattern. Prior to this, the calves had shorter nursing bouts, spent less time nursing and manipulating the udder, paused more, switched teats and butted less, and had a slower sucking rate. The behaviour of some calves (i.e., low teat fidelity and high levels of milk stimulation behaviours) suggested that their dam milk availability was low. This study has quantified early post-partum nursing behaviour of neonatal beef calves and highlighted dam and calf behaviours that may adversely affect milk intake and, therefore, impact calf survival.