Responsible

Abstract

Partners

Danish Cattle Federation

Description

Housing of calves in groups combined with computer-controlled milk feeding saves labour, but includes a higher risk of infectious diseases. Furthermore, health surveillance is more difficult, partly due to the group housing and partly due to the automatic feeding.

The project aims to model the behavioural changes due to disease of milk-feed calves and will form the basis for a development of a system for health surveillance. The development will be based on data on milk feeder use, data from other sensors (activity and temperature), clinical examinations and blood samples.

The relations between data from milk feeders, activity meters, clinical examinations and blood parameters will be analysed. Normal development of behaviour related to milk intake (age and diurnal variation) in healthy calves will be described. Identification of disease in the individual will happen by an ongoing evaluation of the deviation from the expected development. Deviation from normal behaviour related to milk intake in calves with diagnosed respiratory disease and diarrhoea will be modelled.

The development of a system for health surveillance of milk fed dairy calves will give the stockperson the opportunity to respond to health problems earlier. The initiative will thus affect calf health and welfare positively, will help reduce calf mortality, and will make the stockpersons time in the calf barn more efficient.

Financing