Affiliative behaviour of dairy cows in two types of cow-calf contact systems

Currently, there is an interest in alternative rearing systems that allow for prolonged cow-calf contact. Yet, a better understanding of welfare implications of those systems is needed. Since affiliative behaviours may be indicators of positive experiences in farm animals, we evaluated the effect of type of cow-calf contact on calf-directed affiliative behaviour of dairy cows. At parturition cows were permitted to have either: (1) partial contact (PC) with their calf; calves were housed in a pen adjacent to the cow area allowing physical contact on initiative of the dam but no suckling (n=18); or (2) full contact (FC) with their calf including suckling; calves were housed together with their dams in a free-stall barn (n=20). Proximity and physical contact between the cow and her own calf were recorded between 0-48 h postpartum in an individual maternity pen (continuous sampling method), and from 1-5 weeks postpartum in a free-stall barn (scan sampling). Data were analysed with generalized linear models. After parturition, latency to onset of allogrooming did not differ among treatments (mean ± SE, 8±3 min, P>0.10). Throughout the first 48 hours postpartum, no treatment differences (P>0.10) were found in times spent allogrooming the calf (PC: 9±2.1%, FC: 8±1.4%), standing in proximity (<1 m radius) (PC: 26±3.5%, FC: 23±2.8%;), or lying in proximity (PC: 30±5.6%, FC: 33±5.1%). However, in the following 5 weeks, relative to PC cows, FC cows spent more time on average (% of scans) in proximity to their calf (11±1.2% versus 4±0.9%, P<0.001), and on allogrooming (2±0.2% versus 0.3±0.1%, P<0.001). These results indicate that, in comparison with partial contact, full cow-calf contact increases the expression of calf-directed affiliative behaviours in dairy cows, except in the 48 hours following parturition.This might reflect a stronger bond. The bonding process in FC might be stimulated because the calf could also initiate contact.