SPECIES-SPECIFIC CONDITIONS IN HUSBANDRY AND PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS OF ANIMALS - MATURITY AND ADAPTATION AT SPECIFIC AGE PERIODS IN CALVESREARED ON DIFFERENT WAYS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO METABOLIC AND HEMATOLOGICAL VARIABLES AND TO THE HEART-RATE OF THE ANIMALS

Suckler calves (SK, 65 animals) from the mother cow herd and dairy cal ves reared in groups of changing composition with intensified human-an imal contact (TK-Gw, 42 animals) and in a group of constant compositio n with minimal service efforts and no supplementary human-animal conta ct (TK-Gk, 17 animals) fed with an automatic milk feeder or bucket fed calves reared single in crates (TK-E, 16 animals) were used for this investigation. At 15, 30, 60 and 90 days of postnatal age of calves lo ng lasting measurements by way of heart rate recording for 24 houres a nd blood analyses were done. Effects of different rearing conditions o n physiological variables became evident at all age points. Main facto rs consisted in quality, quantity and availability of feed, allowance and usage of motoric movements of animals and quality and intensity of human-animal contact as well. Main differences existed between SK and TK-E on one side and between TK-Gk and TK-Gw on the other side. Chang es of physiological variables between age pints and the relationships of these changes with the corresponding starting value at the age of 1 5 days (dairy calves) or 20 clays (suckler calves) were used character izing individual adaptation processes in calves and their dependence o f maturity at special life age of animals and on the special rearing c onditions. Elaborating and using reference data and establishing cutti ng points of physiological variables for clinical diagnostic tests and for assessing suitability of calf rearing conditions for animal welfa re and animal protection aspects must be done carefully taking into co nsideration age of calves, their maturity and functional state of adap tation.