Strategies to improve housing for pre-weaned dairy calves are gaining attention, especially for reducing the potential impacts of heat stress on their growth and well-being. Researchers have studied how these strategies affect the ability of calves to regulate body temperature, their behavior, and overall performance. The impact of housing on the nasal microbiota, however, remains unexplored. Given the potential role of nasal microbiota in respiratory health, understanding how housing conditions influence its composition could provide valuable insights into disease susceptibility and overall calf well-being. We conducted this experiment to evaluate the nasal microbiota of calves raised outdoors, in a naturally ventilated barn, and in a naturally ventilated barn with fans to enhance airflow. The findings suggest that housing can affect nasal microbiota. Specifically, housing them in barns with forced ventilation reduced certain harmful bacteria at 5 and 9 wk of age. While this may indicate that certain housing strategies could lower the risk of respiratory disease in calves, more research is needed to confirm this hypothesis.

Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.