Could Autofeeders Help Detect Calf Disease?
More and more farms have made the switch from feeding calves individually to group autofed systems. However, disease detection in group-housed calves remains a challenge. Researchers from the University of Guelph recently published a study in the Journal of Dairy Science that examined how feeding behavior data could be used to aid in the detection of neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD), bovine respiratory disease (BRD), and general disease, in preweaning group-housed calves being fed via an automated milk feeder.
A total of eight dairy farms agreed to participate in the study, with each farm being visited once each winter, spring, summer and fall. During these visits, the calves’ health was scored and data was collected from the automated milk feeders. Throughout the study, there was a total of 523 calf observations with 130 events of neonatal calf diarrhea, 115 events of BRD, and 210 events of general disease.
The researchers used mixed linear regression models to help identify associations between feeding behavior data (milk consumption, time spent at the feeder, drinking speed, and the number of rewarded and unrewarded visits) along with the presence of NCD, BRD, or general disease. At the end of the study it was determined that:
- Calves with BRD consumed 63% less of their daily allotment of milk, had 2 fewer unrewarded visits to the automated milk feeder, and drank milk 152 mL/min slower compared with calves without BRD.
- Calves with NCD consumed 57% less of their daily milk allotment, consumed 758 mL less per day, and drank 92 mL/min slower than calves compared with calves without NCD.
- Calves with general disease drank 50% less of their daily milk allowance, consumed 496 mL less per day, drank 80 mL/min slower, and had 2 fewer unrewarded visits to the automated milk feeder when compared with calves without disease.
According to the researchers, the results of this study indicated that total daily milk consumption, percentage of milk allotment consumption, drinking speed and the number of unrewarded visits was associated with one or more of BRD, NCD, and general disease. While automated milk feeders cannot stand alone in the detection of disease calves, it can serve as a useful tool to producers to help identify calves that need further inspection when the feeding behaviors are measured in parallel.
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