The aim of this study was to analyze the development of the lung in newborn calves. The sample consisted of 28 Holstein Friesians calves which were examined clinically, and their chest segment was measured with computed tomography. The tests were performed on the first, sixth, and twelfth hours of life and after the first, second, and third weeks. Also, blood gases and blood counts were determined. Besides Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests, analyses of variance, t-tests (on a significance level of ), and correlation analyses were used. The most significant changes occurred between birth and the first hour. However, there were significant differences in the gas filling between cranial and caudal and between dorsal and ventral parenchyma segments. This difference remained over the entire study period. At the end of the first week between 85 and 93% were involved in gas exchange. Only after the completion of the second week of life, the air supply was achieved throughout the whole lung. The pO2, pCO2, and pH values confirmed this. This study shows that a healthy bovine neonate needs about 2 weeks before all lung units are integrated into the gas exchange. This explains why calves in unfavorable environments often suffer from pulmonary affections. 1. Introduction In many publications, mainly from the last 70 years, researchers have addressed questions regarding the developmental anatomy and physiology of the fetal and postnatal lungs. Essential research to understand the development of pulmonary tissues directly post natum was driven by the team around Barcroft [1–3]. The fundamental cross-species results of their and the following research, mainly studied in sheep and lambs, are still valid today [4–17]. Based on the present knowledge, it has generally been agreed so far that with the first breaths lung areas progressively start filling with gas, which is completed after a few hours [18–23]. Thus, the oxygenation of neonatal bodies is secured. The question, whether a full ventilationof the lungs is reached within 12 hours p. n. for healthy, vital bovine neonates, has not yet been finally clarified [24–26]. Various research teams presume due to histological findings that the lung maturation in the alveoli stage still takes place in the first post uterine phase in neonatal ruminants [16, 27–30]. Serial radiographic-sonographic studies in vivo on native vital, healthy bovine individuals could not reveal whether 12 hours after birth the pulmonary tissue is fully ventilated [31]. Therefore, the relevant question is, at which time all alveolar regions in bovine neonates
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