Charlotte Dolphin

• BSc (Hons) Animal Science
• Can dummy teats reduce stress in young dairy calves?

This research will test if young dairy calves given a dummy cow’s teat will have a stress reducing effect similar to a child’s pacifier in babies. To assess how stressed the calves are a Polar^TM heart monitor will record their heart rate variability, a recognized measure of stress load.  Typically bucket fed young dairy calves separated from their mothers actively suck objects, this non-nutritive sucking behaviour represents a thwarted reflex to drink milk. As dummy sucking calms some babies, the hypothesis is young dairy calves with access to dummy teats would be less stressed by satisfying their urge to suck.

Funding Source: Newcastle University