The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of stereotypic behaviors on the hematological and biochemical profile of calves exhibiting oral, motor and contact stereotypies, reared under intensive production systems. The integrated analysis of physiological and behavioral parameters revealed that stereotypies may be interpreted as manifestations of incomplete adaptation to chronic stress induced by restrictive environments. Erythrocyte parameters remained within physiological limits, suggesting effective compensatory mechanisms; however, the leukocyte profile indicated a stress leukogram characterized by an increased neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio above 1. In the studied calves, serum cortisol levels were significantly elevated regardless of the type of stereotypy expressed, confirming the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the presence of chronic stress. Creatinekinase and AST activities were higher in calves with motor stereotypies, reflecting repetitive muscular strain, whereas oral stereotypies were associated with minor biochemical changes. Blood glucose showed moderate variations indirectly correlated with increased serum cortisol levels. Overall, the findings support the usefulness of hematological and biochemical markers as objective indicators of animal welfare and highlight the need to optimize rearing conditions to reduce stress factors in intensively raised calves.
Ungureanu et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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