Animal health and welfare on the dairy
Good welfare and good dairy farming point the same way: cows that are comfortable, well fed, healthy and calmly handled live longer, produce more and are easier to work with. This hub gathers our articles on the health and welfare of dairy cattle, written for producers, herd managers and anyone who wants to understand what welfare means on a working dairy.
Assessing welfare on the farm
- Evaluating dairy welfare on the farm: the six areas a self-assessment covers — management, health care, facilities, feed and water, handling and calves — and how to turn findings into an action plan.
- Hygiene, locomotion and body condition scoring: three animal-based scores, their scales and how to use them.
Climate and comfort
- Heat stress in dairy cows: the temperature-humidity index, signs to watch and how shade, soakers and fans are combined in a California summer.
Sick, injured and non-ambulatory cattle
A cow that cannot rise or walk is an emergency for her and a test of the farm's protocols. Since 2009, federal rules have required that adult cattle that become non-ambulatory before slaughter be humanely euthanised rather than slaughtered for food, which puts the decision squarely on the farm. Every dairy should have a written protocol, agreed with its veterinarian, for assessing such animals, moving them without dragging, giving care, and deciding when and how euthanasia is carried out, with trained staff and the right equipment. Our welfare evaluation guide covers what auditors look for.
Health, milk and food safety
Animal health and food safety meet in the treatment record. Every treatment with a drug that has a milk or meat withdrawal time must be recorded and the animal identified so that her milk is kept out of the tank and she is not shipped before the withdrawal has passed. Mastitis control, vaccination plans and biosecurity for incoming animals belong in the herd health plan drawn up with the veterinarian.
Recently published in this area
Sources
- National Dairy FARM Program, Animal Care standards.
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, rule on non-ambulatory disabled cattle, 74 Fed. Reg. 11463, 18 March 2009.