11 April 2025
Findings from the Teagasc calf transport studies
Findings of major calf transport studies undertaken by researchers in Teagasc, Moorepark were shared with delegates at the British Society of Animal Science (BSAS) Conference, which took place in Co. Galway from April 8-10.
Teagasc Walsh Scholars, Susanne Siegmann and Luca van Dijk discussed various studies at the gathering of leading scientists in the animal science space.
As part of the Tuesday session on ‘Young Stock’, Susanne Siegmann presented a paper titled: ‘Effects of age and diet on the physiology of unweaned calves during ferry and road transport’, and detailed how Teagasc researchers followed a commercial shipment of 138 male dairy-bred calves from an assembly centre in Ireland via road and ferry to a lairage in France, before their ongoing journey to a farm in the Netherlands.
To quantify the impact of this journey on calf welfare and physiology, Susanne Siegmann explained, that calf age (2-3 weeks versus 4-5 weeks) and pre-transport diet (a feed of 2L versus 4L of milk replacer on the morning of transport) were compared. The energy balance, hydration status, muscle fatigue and stress indicators were all examined throughout the study via blood testing, including prior to departure from the assembly centre in Ireland, arrival at the lairage in France and then again upon arrival at the farm in the Netherlands, and eight days post arrival. Body weight was recorded at the same time points and on day 22 after arrival.
From this analysis, Susanne Siegmann shared the key results:
- More than half of all blood variables were outside reference limits during transport regardless of treatment, but normal calf physiology was mostly restored by day eight after transport and most likely before day 8, but there was no possibility to measure before day eight.
- Calf age affected energy balance, hydration status and body weight: younger calves had higher glucose levels and showed fewer signs of dehydration (lower levels of electrolytes) during transport.
- Feeding calves 4L of milk replacer instead of 2L prior to transport had positive effects on their hydration during the journey: urea levels were higher and outside reference limits for calves only fed 2L.
Concluding this presentation, Susanne Siegmann said: “This study emphasises the importance of feeding unweaned calves adequate amounts of milk replacer before transport to reduce dehydration, but shows that long-distance transport highlights the need for more comprehensive strategies to improve welfare during transportation.”
Potential strategies
One of these potential strategies was detailed by Luca van Dijk, who presented a paper titled: ‘Feeding on the Moove: Assessing the effect of on-board feeding during long-distance road-ferry-road transport on the blood physiology of unweaned calves’, during the Cattle Behaviour and Welfare session on Wednesday.
Similar to the above study, calves were monitored from the start of their journey at an assembly point in Ireland the whole way through to their arrival in the Netherlands. This time, however, 40 calves (FEED calves) were fed on board the truck during the ferry section of the transport between Ireland and France using an on-board feeding system, and the remaining 60 calves were included as controls. Again, blood tests were used to assess calf welfare and physiology.
Luca van Dijk explained: “This study aimed to assess changes in the blood physiology of unweaned calves as a result of using an on-board milk replacer feeding system during a road/ferry/road journey from Ireland to the Netherlands.”
Commenting on the results of the study, Luca van Dijk added: “In general, most blood variables were better for the 40 calves offered milk replacer during the journey than for the control calves at the first sampling after feeding on the ferry. On-board feeding of calves has the potential to improve the blood physiology of calves but more work is needed to avoid blood physiology indicators falling out of reference ranges.”