We clearly demonstrated that weaning was the deter-mining factor that caused vocalisation, while castrationdid not result in increased vocalisation in calves that were already weaned 8 weeks before (group Cas-8). In comparison to weaning only (group Bull-0), the combination of weaning and castration did not enhance the number of calls. Thus, the main cause for vocalisation can be attributed to weaning. A strong decrease in the standing/walking and increase in the lying duration during the observation period was observed in both bulls and castrates that were weanedin week 0. In contrast, castrates that were already weaned 8 weeks before castration increased the standing/walk in gand decreased the lying duration following castration. This supports the finding that weaning was the main cause for changes in the behavioural pattern, though castrates were observed more active as they were standing/walking more and lying less than bulls. The non-significant (P ≥ 0.05)weaning time × gonadal group interaction emphasizes thatthe combination of castration and weaning did not affectthe behavioural pattern of the calves.