The effects of handling at different times after birth on the subsequent re
sponse to humans was investigated using 40 Danish Friesian calves removed f
rom their dams immediately after birth. Treatments were feeding and handlin
g during days 1-4 after birth (H1-4), during days 6-9 (H6-9), or during day
s 11-14 (H11-14), and no handling (C: control). The handling treatment was
carried out three times daily for 4 days and consisted of 6 min of hand-fee
ding with milk from a teat-bucket and patting, stroking and talking to the
calf. All calves were housed in single pens. Human contact was minimised ex
cept during the treatment periods.
The approach behaviour of each calf to an unknown person was tested at days
20, 40 and 55 in their home pen. The test at day 55 was carried out in a l
arge single pen where the calves had been housed for 24 h prior to the test
. Latency to interact with the person was shorter in all three tests for ca
lves in H1-4 compared to C. There was no significant difference between H11
-14 and C. Group H6-9 differed only from the control group at day 20. Treat
ment also affected the position and the orientation of the calf in the pen
during the tests. Calves in H1-4 stood at the front of the pen and faced th
e person more often than calves in C. There was no difference between H11-1
4 and the C. All the three handled treatments had a shorter flight distance
at day 55 compared to the control group. The results indicate that handlin
g and hand-feeding, especially during the first 4 days after birth, increas
es the motivation of young calves to approach a human compared with calves
that receive minimal human contact. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All righ
ts reserved.