Anyone who has watched lambs or calves frolicking and careering around a paddock chasing each other, knows that these young animals, just like young children, love to play, but while zoos have recognised the importance of enrichment programs that give captive-bred juveniles a creative outlet for their physical and mental stimulation, a research project led by a student at the University of Tasmania’s Institute of Agriculture is looking at how toys may also benefit the dairy industry.
Fourth year Honours student Rhiannon Cox returned to her hometown in Tasmania’s north-west to run a six-week trial at the TIA’s Dairy Research Facility at Elliott to look at the role of toys in the calf shed and the kind of enrichment activities the calves appear interested in, and which type they choose to interact with. Her research will also include the connection toys may have in reducing stress levels, and increased weight gain which are important indicators for calves.
“Previous research has found the environment in a calf shed has a significant impact on the welfare of dairy cows and can set them up for life. We’re aiming to identify practical things that farmers can easily implement on their farm without spending lots of money,” she said.
Enrichment activities that enable animals to display biologically relevant behaviours, such as suckling, appear to be more beneficial than objects that serve no real purpose like a bouncy ball.
“You see children playing with toys all the time as a way of emulating behaviours and animals aren’t so different. The calves have instincts they want to practice and learn, and you can see this when they suckle and chew on everything. They often suckle on fixtures in a calf pen, bedding or other animals, and this can lead to health problems. The introduction of enrichment activities can safely redirect behaviour and will hopefully lead to animals that are less stressed and more productive later in life,” Cox said.
To monitor the calves’ behaviour video cameras have been set up near their pens that will record how they interact with the toys while humans are not around. The three toys being assessed in the trial are balls filled with hay, bouncy balls and an object called a teething star.
“Hopefully they’ll be tired after playing with the enrichment toys and will go for a nap instead of becoming bored and going to nibble on their friend’s ear, or something that isn’t safe.”
Happier and healthier calves are an important issue for farmers and consumers alike. Farmers bond with their animals and consumers increasingly want to know their milk and meat comes from happy, contented animals. Enrichment activities in a calf pen can play an important role in achieving this outcome.
Anne Layton-Bennett