Does nutritive and non-nutritive sucking reduce other oral behaviors and stimulate rest in calves? Journal of Animal Science 80, 2574-2587 (2002)

Veissier, I., de Passille, A. M., Despres, G. et al.

Abstract

We conclude that, for calves housed individually, teat-feeding reduces non-nutritive oral activities after the meal and induces a calmer state than bucket-feeding. Providing calves with a dry teat partly compensates for the lack of nutritive sucking. For calves housed in groups, the use of an automatic teat feeder may not reduce calves' motivation for sucking.