Effect of type of housing on veal calf growth performance, behaviour and meat quality

A study compared the traditional housing of veal calves in individual crate s (IC) with group pen housing (GP). Thirty-four pure Holstein male calves ( 67.6+/-4.9 kg LW) imported from Poland were used, of which 16 were kept tet hered in IC while the remaining animals were housed in six pens of three ca lves each. The growth trial lasted 142 days during which the calves were fe d only a milk replacer diet. Calves health, average daily gain (ADG) and fe ed efficiency (FE) were similar between types of housing throughout the tri al. However, GP calves had higher ADG (1387 vs. 1317 g/day; P < 0.05) and b etter FE (1.83 vs. 1.94; P < 0.05) than IC calves in the last 72 days of th e trial. Behavioural measurements were taken at the 10th week of the study. The GP calves were allowed to adopt more comfortable resting postures and displayed increased social behaviour than the IC calves. Haemoglobin in sam ples taken at the end of the growing cycle was higher in GP than in IC calv es (10.9 vs. 7.7 g/100 mi; P < 0.01). At slaughter, the dressing percentage was unaffected by the housing system, but GP calves showed a better carcas s conformation than IC calves. Meat quality evaluation was carried out on t he Longissimus thoracis muscle. The meat of GP calves had lower intramuscul ar fat content (3.92 vs. 6.85% DM; P < 0.01) and showed a better tenderness and flavour than that of the IC calves. Consistent with the haemoglobin da ta, the calves reared in group pens produced carcasses and meat with a dark er colour than calves in individual crates. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.