Tail-Docking Influences on Behavioral, Immunological, and Endocrine Responses in Dairy Heifers

Behavioral and physiological changes were measured following tail-docking in primiparous heifers. One month before projected first parturition, 21 heifers were assigned to control (nondocked), docked, or docked with lidocaine groups. Heifers were banded to initiate tail-docking and the necrotic tail was removed after 144h. Physiological, immunological, and behavioral measures were taken for 240h following banding. Cortisol was not different for control and treated heifers. Haptoglobin increased for docked heifers by 168h postbanding (24h postdocking). alpha1-Acid glycoprotein decreased as haptoglobin increased, and α1-acid glycoprotein increased until 240h postbanding. Tumor necrosis factor-α increased only with lidocaine and did not show an effect of docking by 240h postbanding. Lymphocyte phenotyping demonstrated increased CD4+ and CD8+ peripheral blood mononuclear cells for docked plus lidocaine heifers and γδ+ cells of those heifers tended to be reduced compared with docked heifers. Eating was the only maintenance behavior affected by banding in both docked groups (increased with banding and decreased with docking). The initial banding procedure did not alter heifer physiology and altered only eating behavior, but the cutting of the tail (docking) increased haptoglobin in response to the tissue damage and returned eating behavior to baseline. The use of lidocaine to anesthetize the tail before banding affected lymphocyte phenotypes and TNF-α (banding alone did not alter these parameters).