REACTION PATTERNS OF DAIRY CALVES AT THE END OF MILK-FEED PERIOD TO SHORT-HAUL ROAD TRANSPORT - EFFECTS OF AGE OF CALVES AND OF REARING CONDITIONS ON METABOLIC, HEMATOLOGICAL AND HORMONAL VARIABLES

Dairy calves kept in a group of constant composition (TK-GL) provided with minimals service and in such one of changing composition provided with intensified human-animal-contact (TK-Gw) were reared with an aut omatic milk feeder. Six animals out of each group were exposed to stan dardized transport by road at 60 days and again at 90 days of age. Lon g time measurements by way of heart rate recording were used in combin ation with blood sampling before, just after transport and in the morn ing of the next day as well. In both groups the starting measurement s howed higher values of body temperature, total protein, albumin, blood urea, Mg, T-4, FT4, FT3, Hb, Hk, O(2)CAP, pH, BE and blood serum cort isol and lower values of creatinine, COHb, pCO(2), pO(2), P and saliva ry cortisol along with the age of calves. Just after transport body te mperature, serum and salivary cortisol, pO(2), O2CONT, O(2)SAT and Met Hb were increased and HHb, pCO(2), Ca, Mg, P and Fe decreased comparin g with mean values before transport. The degree of changes of most blo od measures depended on the level of the starting values. Heart rate w as higher in calves at 90 days of age than at 60 days of age and was l ower in calves of TK-Gk than in those of the TK-Gw.