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Table 2 Ethogram for play and non-nutritive sucking behaviour

From: The effect of age when group housed and other management factors on playing and non-nutritive sucking behaviour in dairy calves: a cross sectional observational study

Observed behaviour

Description

Play

 Galloping/Running

Calf runs in circles, back and forth and/or in multiple and changeable directions

 Bucking

Calf lifts both hind legs from the ground, resulting in a kick where both hind legs are stretched backwards in the air

 Jumping and leap

Calf lifts both forelegs from the ground, and the hind legs may also be lifted from the ground at the end of the sequence

 Turn

Calf suddenly turns in another direction, usually in a jump or running sequence

 Head shake

Calf shakes or rotates its head

 Frontal pushing or butting

Calf pushes the frontal part of its head against another calf’s head

 Non-reproductive mounting

Calf lifts both forelegs to jump upon another calf’s back, side or head

 Butting fixtures

Calf puts the front of its head against an object in the pen such as the bars (usually performed in a standing position)

 Butting straw

Calf kneels in the straw and pushes the front of its head against the straw

 Rubbing straw

Calf kneels in the straw and rubs its head, throat or neck down into the straw

Sucking

 Sucking on other individuals

Calf sucks on another calf’s ears, udder, foreskin, navel or other head- and body parts

 Sucking on objects

Calf sucks on fixtures, including bars, buckets, teats, troughs and all other fixtures in the pen

 Licking objects

Non-functional licking on fixtures, including bars, buckets, teats, troughs or any other fixture in the pen

  1. The ethogram for play behaviour [18] is divided into 10 subcategories and non-nutritive sucking behaviour [26] is divided into three subcategories. No distinction was made between subcategories when observing and recording play and non-nutritive sucking behaviour