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| Author(s): |
Glauber dos Santos
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | Piracicaba. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALA/BC) |
| Defense date: | 2015-02-06 |
| Examining board members: |
Carla Maris Machado Bittar;
Laerte Dagher Cassoli;
Marcos Aurélio Lopes;
Alexandre Mendonça Pedroso;
Marcia Saladini Vieira Salles
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| Advisor: | Carla Maris Machado Bittar |
| Abstract | |
One cause of the low dairy calves performance is related to failures during colostrum feeding process, because it may have low nutritional and microbiological quality. After this initial period of life, the dairy calves performance is under direct influence of the handler. In an attempt to identify weak points in the dairy calves raising systems the study aimed to characterize the dairy calves management, through a survey of the main husbandry adopted practices, assess the nutritional and microbiological composition of colostrum and the calves handler attitude. To characterize the dairy calves raising system an interview with 179 producers and / or field technicians, addressing issues related to creation of calves from the dry cow management until weaning, was held. To characterize colostrum quality, 66 samples were collected directly from recently calved cows or colostrum bank, for chemical and microbiological analyzes. The evaluation of the attitude of calves handlers was conducted by interviewing 100 handlers, which allowed the collection of self-reported data. The interview was conducted based on a semi-structured questionnaire applied by a single interviewer and directed to calves handler. The items of attitude were measured and ranked according to the handler\'s response on a five point scale (Likert scale). Through the survey it was possible to identify areas for improvement in the dairy calves system of production, especially with pre-partum cows and monitoring of deliveries, and better care with the colostrum feeding process as to identifying the quality of colostrum to the correct feeding time for the newborn. Management practices aimed to obtain good quality colostrum must be priorities besides, care with sanitation during the harvest and storage of the same, since only 22.6% of colostrum samples meet the recommendation of nutritional and microbiological quality. Thus, most of the calves in the studied population are likely to present failures in the transfer of passive immunity and exposed to pathogens when fed colostrum. For some variables the handler has a positive attitude, but in practice the behavior performed is not always the same. It is possible that the calves handlers have positive affective and cognitive components, in other words, have had previous experience of successful practices or even know the technical importance of the main practices in dairy calves raising. However, the behavioral component stands on some actions, leading them to a divergence between the attitude and behavior. Programs for education, training and commitment of employees are an interesting way to reduce the low performance of dairy calves. (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 12/17740-4 - Evaluation of management, nutritional and microbiological quality of colostrum and of the human factor in the transfer of passive immunity in calves |
| Grantee: | Glauber dos Santos |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate |