Species specific conditions in husbandry and physiological functions of animals. The post natal development of calves and adaptation to rearing in calves with an automatic milk feeder

Investigations were conducted on 38 daily calves (20 male, 18 female), and their dams, with respect to body weight, blood sampling and heart rate afte r birth and in the calves at 15 days of age after being reared in groups on an automatic milk feeder from the first day of life. Venous blood samples were examined for acid-base balance, haematocrit, haemoglobin, haemoglobin derivatives and variants, gas content, gas pressure, total protein, albumin , creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, Ca, Mg, P and Fe. Significant difference s between the dams and calves were observed in mean values for all paramete rs except acid-base balance and haematocrit. Fourteen of the 23 possible co rrelations were significant, with values of r ranging from 0.29-0.63. For t he majority of the between calf and dam differences of the parameter values there was a positive correlation with the values observed in calves after birth. At 15 days of age, calves had greater pH, pO(2), HCO3, BE, total pro tein, albumin, blood urea nitrogen, P, MCHC and HHb values and smaller conc entrations of pCO(2), creatinine, Ca, Mg, Hb, O2CONT, O(2)CAP and O(2)SAT t han at birth. Changes in values of the parameters at 15 days of age were co rrelated significantly with those of calves at birth and in a positive way ensuring optimisation of functional adaptation. The mean heart rate was bet ween 110 and and 120 bpm until 15 days of age and subsequently reduced sign ificantly to 90-100 bpm. The growth rate of calves varied considerably at 7 days of age, it was reduced lip to 14 days of age and thereafter increased slowly.