The influence of feeding and handling on the development of the human-animal interactions in young cattle

The effect of feeding and handling on the response of young cattle to human s was investigated using 40 Danish Friesian calves removed from their dam i mmediately after birth. From day 3 to 17 of age calves were either: fed by humans and handled (stroking); fed by humans but not handled; fed without v isual contact with humans and handled; or fed without visual contact with h umans and not handled (control). Observations during the handling and/or fe eding treatments revealed that calves fed with a human present performed mo re bunting behaviour but performed less play behaviour than those handled b ut not fed. The approach behaviour of each calf to an unknown person was as sessed at days 3, 17, 32, and 62 in both their home pen and in an arena. Ln the home pen, handling had no effect on latency to interact with the perso n, but at days 17, 32, and 62 calves fed by humans were quicker to interact with a person than those fed without a human present. When tested in the a rena, no consistent significant treatment effects were found at any age in latencies to approach or interact with the person. In a third test, the app roach behaviour towards a person when social companions were present was as sessed. With the human present only, time spent within 1 m of the person di d not differ with age or treatment (17 to 62 days). But when two other calv es were present, latency to approach the person increased (p < 0.05) and ti me spent near the person decreased (p < 0.05) with age. It is concluded tha t feeding has a greater influence on the responses of young calves towards humans than handling. However, this appears to be limited to the location i n which the feeding took place. Despite receiving no additional handling, c alves that were fed without a human present readily approached and interact ed with an unknown person and spent a large proportion of time near the per son in the arena tests, suggesting that handling in the first 2 days after birth may be very important in the development of the subsequent interactio ns between humans and cattle. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights res erved.