Effect of type of housing on veal calf growth performance, behaviour and meat quality

A study compared the traditional housing of veal calves in individual crates (IC) with group pen housing (GP). Thirty-four pure Holstein male calves (67.6+/-4.9 kg LW) imported from Poland were used, of which 16 were kept tethered in IC while the remaining animals were housed in six pens of three calves each. The growth trial lasted 142 days during which the calves were fed only a milk replacer diet. Calves health, average daily gain (ADG) and feed efficiency (FE) were similar between types of housing throughout the trial. However, GP calves had higher ADG (1387 vs. 1317 g/day; P < 0.05) and better FE (1.83 vs. 1.94; P < 0.05) than IC calves in the last 72 days of the trial. Behavioural measurements were taken at the 10th week of the study. The GP calves were allowed to adopt more comfortable resting postures and displayed increased social behaviour than the IC calves. Haemoglobin in samples taken at the end of the growing cycle was higher in GP than in IC calves (10.9 vs. 7.7 g/100 mi; P < 0.01). At slaughter, the dressing percentage was unaffected by the housing system, but GP calves showed a better carcass conformation than IC calves. Meat quality evaluation was carried out on the Longissimus thoracis muscle. The meat of GP calves had lower intramuscular fat content (3.92 vs. 6.85% DM; P < 0.01) and showed a better tenderness and flavour than that of the IC calves. Consistent with the haemoglobin data, the calves reared in group pens produced carcasses and meat with a darker colour than calves in individual crates.