Comparison and Evaluation of Production and Welfare Indicators for Two Holstein Calf Breeding Systems (tie and stall housing) in Colombian High Tropics

Abstract

Three production indicators and seventeen welfare indicators in ten Holstein calves under two breeding systems (estaca and salacuna) in Lenguazaque, Cundinamarca, were evaluated and compared in this study. In order to carry out this evaluation, the protocol proposed by Whay to reduce subjectivity and risk of personal bias to a minimum was used as a guideline. In the experimental process, carried out in 132 days, a lot of five calves ranging from three to five days of age were used for each treatment. They received the same kind of food and veterinary assistance. The results led to determining that the stall calf breeding system was productively more efficient and showed a higher welfare level, due to the fact that the salacunas provided favorable surroundings that mitigated the adverse environmental conditions, minimizing the calves’ effort to adapt and increasing their productivity. This was mostly reflected on the indicators: weight, height, physical condition, dirtiness and diarrhea cases, with statistically significant differences (p < 0,05) between treatments and, likewise, stall bred calves showed desirable behaviors such as ingestion, rumination, rest and playing more frequently, while undesirable behaviors such as stillness, coughing, oral and vocalization, as well as shorter fleeing distance, were less frequent. The economic analysis indicated that stall housing initially represented a higher cost than tie housing, though it was more profitable in the long run because calves gained more weight in a shorter span of time