Stress at weaning of beef calves
Keywords:
Performance, physiology, temperament, zebuineAbstract
"Weaning stress" is a situation in which, after weaning, calves are susceptible to weight loss and greater
vulnerability to diseases, since weaning is one of the events that causes the highest levels of stress in the productive
life of these animals. In this context, the objective is to present an overview of the scientific data reported in the
literature regarding the main impacts caused by weaning stress in beef calves subjected to different methods of
separation from the dam. The findings of this review demonstrate that the weaning process causes stress and
negatively impacts the behavior of calves, which show signs of distress such as increased vocalization (+84%),
locomotor activity (+79%) and decreased time spent grazing (-24%); physiology, with increased levels of cortisol
in the bloodstream (with values ranging from 9.06 to 72.50ng/mL), heart rate (ranging from 60.00 to
84.80beats/min) and respiratory rate (with values between 28.70 and 39.60beats/min); and performance, with a
reduction in body weight gain (up to -5.20kg) from weaning to 82 days after. Therefore, it is concluded that
weaning is stressful for the animal and negatively impacts the behavior, physiology and post-weaning performance
of beef calves, especially when performed abruptly.
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