Comparison between a traditional and a tool-based weaning method in dairy calves

The phase of weaning calves is a delicate one in a cow's life. Several studies have been conducted to understand the causes of mortality and morbidity, and their impact on growth and lifelong productivity. Calves’ feeding techniques and ingestion frequency can play a role in animal growth as well. In this context, this study aims to compare 2 different feeding techniques to understand if a different method and ingestion frequency can influence the growth of calves: the automatic feeding system and the traditional bucket-feeding. These alternative techniques were monitored in two dairy farms during 2024 and 2025. The farms were in Northern Italy and had similar herd dimensions and characteristics. A statistical analysis was conducted to compare the daily weight gain of the monitored calves in the two farms. The results revealed a not significant difference in daily weight gain among the two farms, but a significant difference was observed in the interaction between farm and season, favoring the farm equipped with the tool-based weaning method.