Effect of Transport and Mart Experience on Production, Health, Immune and Physiological Parametres of 2 to 4 Week Old Calves.

Abstract

This study examined the effects of transporting dairy calves (less than four weeks of age), on a journey of 170-mile-route to and from a mart in Spring 1996 and 1997, Calf performance, immunological and physiological variables were examined prior to and subsequent to transport. There was no effect of treatment on liveweight or intakes at any time throughout the experiment. Interferon  production was reduced in all treatment groups on days 1, 2 and 5, compared to Day 0 in experiment 1, indicating that even the procedures imposed on the control (C) calves had been sufficient to cause suppression of this component of the immune response. Calves in all treatment groups in Experiment 1, had increased (P<0.05) cortisol concentrations at Day 0.5 (post-transport on Day 0) and experienced physiological changes related to food restriction, e.g., increased (P<0.05) plasma non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) on Day 0.5. Cortisol levels remained low on days 1, 2 and 5 after the journey and there was no obvious response in the levels of either plasma glucose or haematological parameters indicating that the calves did not show a stress response following transportation and/or mart experience. Transportation of 2 to 4 week old calves had no effect on plasma haptoglobin (acute phase response) levels indicating that the calves did not experience a stress response which would affect cell mediated immunity. The acute phase response is the reaction of the animal to disturbances in its homeostasis caused by infection, tissue injury, stress or immunological disorders. The absence of significant stressful responses in young dairy calves following transportation and mart experience could be interpreted as indicating that transport did not pose significant welfare problems.