Neonatal Rejection

Cases of neonatal rejection are more commonly seen in first calvers especially in those having experienced difficulty at birth. As they lack previous exposure to this type of situation so they assume her calves as competitors and react accordingly. They interrupt the suckling by repeatedly making movement and turn their faces towards the calves. Sometime they may become aggressive and may butt or kick the calves as it approaches them.

Incidence of neonatal rejection has been found to be more in those pregnant heifers who have faced competition for food, water and social ranking as they are being kept in large groups till the end of gestation period. Sometimes neonatal rejection also takes place due to short-term separation of the calf immediately after birth as the critical bond formation between dam and calve (imprinting) takes place during this period.

In order to reduce the incidence of neonatal rejection it should be ensured that the calving should take place in an isolated area or in the calving box. In order to facilitate the development of imprinting and onset of suckling the calf should be not be separated from its dam immediately after its birth and should be allowed to remain with its dam to permit licking its and the removal of afterbirth from the body of the calf.

• Behavioural Problems in Dairy Animals and their Solutions
• Inter Sucking and Cross Sucking Behavior in Calves
• Inter Sucking or Self Sucking In Adult Cows
• Pica or Licking of Inanimate Objects
• Silent Heat Problems
• Milk Ejection Reflex Failure
• Kicking Backwards
• Urine Drinking Problem
• Other Behavioural Problems