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JessicaPempekDissertation.pdf (1.16 MB)
ETD Abstract Container
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IMPROVING THE WELFARE OF DAIRY COWS AND CALVES: THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Author Info
Pempek, Jessica A
Permalink:
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1440436193
Abstract Details
Year and Degree
2015, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Animal Sciences.
Abstract
The objective of this dissertation was to address animal welfare as a continuous state as it pertains to dairy cattle and their environment. Chapter 1 reviews the concept of animal welfare and how to assess it scientifically, based on the three critical components of welfare proposed by animal welfare scientists: 1) the animal’s health and biological functioning, 2) the affective state of the animal, and 3) the animal’s ability to display innate behavior. Chapter 2 thoroughly reviews the literature pertaining to Chapters 3, 4, 5, and 6, beginning with the welfare of the dairy calf in utero, continuing through the pre-weaning phase for young heifer calves in relation to the benefits of social companionship, and concluding with the importance of the environment to the welfare of the mature dairy cow. Chapter 3 acknowledges that animal welfare science thus far has primarily considered the homeostatic challenges production animals may encounter after birth; however, it emphasizes that the prenatal period is also of critical importance to mammalian species, as this period of development may significantly influence and predetermine the capability of offspring to respond and adapt to their future environment. Chapter 3 specifically investigates the prenatal period in relation to maternal social stress experienced by overstocking the feeding area for multiparous cows during late gestation and how this may affect the postnatal growth of the offspring. The results of this first experiment indicate that the experimental conditions of overstocking imposed did not compromise the postnatal growth of the offspring through weaning. Chapter 4 continues to examine the effect of pair housing on the behavior and performance of Jersey heifer calves during the milk-feeding phase; the majority of studies have been conducted with Holstein calves, and it is currently unknown if Jersey calves behave the same as Holstein calves when pair-housed. Calves housed in pairs performed better than calves housed individually, especially during the weaning period. However, cross-sucking behavior was prevalent, as calves were fed milk via bucket. Future research should aim to reduce cross-sucking behavior within the Jersey breed through alternative feeding systems or environmental enrichment. Lastly, Chapters 5 and 6 examine the effect of overstocking the feed bunk during the dry period on dairy cow metabolic health, stress, productivity, and indicators of cow temperament. Although the overstocking conditions imposed did not compromise metabolic health or productivity, overstocking the feed bunk made cows less approachable by an approaching experimenter.
Committee
Maurice Eastridge, Dr. (Advisor)
Pages
154 p.
Subject Headings
Agriculture
;
Animal Sciences
Keywords
Animal welfare
;
Dairy cattle
;
Cows
;
Calves
;
Environment
Recommended Citations
Refworks
EndNote
RIS
Mendeley
Citations
Pempek, J. A. (2015).
IMPROVING THE WELFARE OF DAIRY COWS AND CALVES: THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT
[Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1440436193
APA Style (7th edition)
Pempek, Jessica.
IMPROVING THE WELFARE OF DAIRY COWS AND CALVES: THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT.
2015. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation.
OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center
, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1440436193.
MLA Style (8th edition)
Pempek, Jessica. "IMPROVING THE WELFARE OF DAIRY COWS AND CALVES: THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1440436193
Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)
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Document number:
osu1440436193
Download Count:
1,198
Copyright Info
© 2015, some rights reserved.
IMPROVING THE WELFARE OF DAIRY COWS AND CALVES: THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT by Jessica A Pempek is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.