increase in the available space increases the occurrence of locomotor play in the home environ- ment at 5 weeks of age. It also shows that calves kept in pens with the smallest space allowance
performed more locomotor play behaviour when released in a large arena at 10 weeks of age. q
2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Play behaviour; Cattle; Open-field test; Space allowance; Welfare
1. Introduction
In the assessment of animal welfare, the focus has been on indicators of negative feelings and poor welfare. However, the absence of negative feelings does not automati-
cally ensure positive feelings, and it is relevant to find and use indicators of positive feelings and good welfare. Juveniles play when their primary needs are met and the
performance of play behaviour appears to be reinforcing. Play behaviour has been
Ž suggested to be an indicator of good welfare in wild as well as captive juveniles Fagen,
. 1981; Lawrence, 1987 , and has been used to assess welfare in different farm environ-
Ž .
ments e.g., Dannenman et al., 1985; Blackshaw et al., 1997 . Under natural or semi-natural conditions, play in calves is typically seen in a social
Ž .
context either as locomotor play or play fighting Reinhardt, 1980 . Locomotor play includes vigorous jumping, kicking, and running, often interrupted by fast stops and
turns in a new direction. Locomotor play is typically performed by several calves at the Ž
. same time parallel play , but it does not involve physical contact. Play fighting involves
two or more individuals facing each other, pushing and bunting each other. Invitation to play fight may be seen as approach and rotations of the head. Play fighting is often
interrupted by parallel locomotor play, and unlike serious fights, play fighting is
Ž terminated without submission, flight or chase Reinhardt and Reinhardt, 1982; Vitale et
. Ž
al., 1986 . Another type of social play is playful mounting Reinhardt et al., 1978; Vitale .
et al., 1986 . Finally, play behaviour in calves also includes bunting and pushing objects Ž
. Brownlee, 1954 , as well as ground play, where the calf rubs its neck and head against
Ž .
the ground while kneeling down Schloeth, 1961 . Increasing the space allowance from 1.4 m
2
per calf to 4 m
2
per calf increased the Ž
occurrence of locomotor play in 4–6-week old calves kept indoors in group pens Jensen .
2
et al., 1998 . The minimum requirements according to EU legislation are 1.5 m per calf Ž
.
2
Anonymous, 1993, 1997 and a space allowance of 4 m per calf is a lot more than
that. Therefore, it would be relevant to investigate whether space allowances between these two extremes affect the calves’ performance of play behaviour.
More running, bucking and kicking has been observed in calves from small individ- ual pens when released in a large area compared to calves from large group pens
Ž .
Ž Dellmeier et al., 1985 , or large individual pens De Passille and Rushen, 1995; Jensen,
´
. 1999 . The observed locomotor activities are identical in structure to the activities that
are categorised as locomotor play when observed in the calves’ home environments, e.g., in spacious pens or at pasture. Therefore, it would also be relevant to investigate
how smaller differences in space allowance in group-reared calves affect the motivation to perform these locomotor activities when released in an open-field test arena.
The present study investigated, firstly, how four different space allowances between 1.5 and 4 m
2
per calf affect the occurrence of play behaviour in calves, and secondly, if Ž
calves kept at low space allowances perform more locomotor activities identical to .
locomotor play when released individually in a large open-field test arena.
2. Material and methods
