Effects of management at weaning on behaviour and weight gain of farmed red deer calves

Two studies were performed to determine whether there were behavioural or p roductive differences arising from two contrasting weaning practices for re d deer; proximate vs. distant separation of dams and calves. In Experiment 1, 80 calves across two replicates were used. For each replicate, calves we re separated from their mothers, weighed and allocated to one of two treatm ents (n = 20 calves), either confinement in an unfamiliar paddock 100 m fro m their mothers for 2 weeks following weaning (treatment N), or transportat ion 2 km to a different farm (treatment F). Groups were observed during the following 6 days and weighed 14 days after weaning. In Experiment 2, the s ame procedure was performed out on two commercial farms, but using 40 calve s per treatment group, without replication or weight recording. In Experime nt 1 running, fenceline pacing and vocalising declined following weaning, w ith steeper declines for F than N calves for running and vocalising (P < 0. 01). Similar trends, with an indication of less vocalising and movement ove rall, were seen in Experiment 2, In contrast, mean post-weaning weight gain s for N calves were higher than for F calves (3.0 compared with 2.4 kg, SED 0.48 kg; P < 0.05). Weather variables (cloud, temperature and wind) were a ssociated with behaviour in both studies (P < 0.05), with a trend for pacin g, calling and running to increase as conditions deteriorated (cloud cover and wind speed increased, and temperature decreased). It was concluded that distant separation appeared beneficial to the calves but more research was required to determine optimal weaning management. The study supported prev ious evidence that weaning should be carried out in good weather. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.