Impacto of castration in calves at the beginning of fattening on welfare and animal efficiency

Abstract

Castration is a widely used practice in calves. The age of the animal and method of castration cause pain and stress in different magnitude. The study of its effects on welfare and production are necessary to contribute to meat production. The objective of this work was to evaluate the impact of castration and analgesia on stress and performance of calves at the fattening beginning. Castration at the beginning of the fattening adaptation affected the welfare and efficiency of the animals. All the indicators showed alterations after castration practice. In these cases, analgesia reduced negative impact of castration. The results of the indicators were consistent with the production efficiency.