The care of surplus dairy calves is a significant issue for the United States and Canadian dairy industries. Surplus dairy calves commonly experience poor welfare as evidenced by high levels of mortality and morbidity, and negative affective states resulting from limited opportunities to express natural behaviors. Many of these challenges are a result of a disaggregated production system, beginning with calf management at the dairy farm of origin and ending at a calf-raising facility, with some calves experiencing long-distance transportation and commingling at auction markets or assembly yards in the interim. Thus, the objectives of this narrative review are to highlight specific challenges associated with raising surplus dairy calves in the U.S. and Canada, how these challenges originate and could be addressed, and discuss future directions that may start with refinements of the current system, but ultimately require a system change. The first critical area to address is the management of surplus dairy calves on the dairy farm of origin. Good neonatal calf care reduces the risk of disease and mortality, however, many dairy farms in Canada and the U.S. do not provide sufficient colostrum or nutrition to surplus calves. Transportation and marketing are also major issues. Calves can be transported more than 24 consecutive hours, and most calves are sold through auction markets or assembly yards which increases disease exposure. Management of calves at calf-raisers is another area of concern. Calves are generally housed individually and fed at low planes of nutrition, resulting in poor affective states and high rates of morbidity and mortality. Strategies to manage high-risk calves identified at arrival could be implemented to reduce disease burden, however, increasing the plane of nutrition and improving housing systems will likely have a more significant impact on health and welfare. However, we argue the current system is not sustainable and new solutions for surplus calves should be considered. A coordinated and holistic approach including substantial change on source dairy farms and multiple areas within the system used to market and raise surplus dairy calves, can lead to more sustainable veal and beef production with improved calf outcomes.

Providing optimal calf care remains a challenge on many dairy farms and has important implications for the future health, welfare, and productivity of male and female calves. Recent research suggests that male dairy calves receive a lower quality of care early in life than female calves, but further investigation is required to determine the factors that influence this disparity. The objectives of this study were to understand dairy producer perspectives on neonatal calf care practices and explore differences between male and female calf care. Overall, 23 dairy producers in Ontario, Canada, participated in 4 focus groups about calf care practices that were recorded and evaluated qualitatively using thematic analysis. Major barriers for good calf care included lack of knowledge about the best management practices for calf care and the prioritization of farm resources toward the milking herd. Some producers also noted that farm infrastructure (particularly during challenging weather) and employee training were important limitations. The economic cost of providing good neonatal calf care was important primarily for male calves and acted as a motivation or a barrier depending on the producer's beliefs about calf care and how they chose to market their calves. The primary source of knowledge producers used to develop calf care practices was their own experience, although many also relied on dairy-industry advisors, most often veterinarians. Producers were motivated by social norms, along with intrinsic pride and obligation to provide good calf care, and these motives were influenced by their emotional state. Producers expressed beliefs about which aspects of calf care are most important-notably colostrum management-and appreciated simple and economical solutions to calf-rearing challenges. Calf care practices were varied, and we identified a diversity of knowledge, motivations, and barriers to adopting best management practices, which sometimes differed between male and female calves. Some producers said that they did not know what happened to their male calves after they left the farm and tended to prioritize the care of female over male calves in subtle ways, such as less timely provision of colostrum. The infrastructure investment and other costs associated with caring for male calves often limited their care, but producers were still motivated to provide adequate care for male calves. These findings represent potential targets for additional research and intervention strategies to improve calf care practices on dairy farms.

In a more natural setting, dairy cows separate from herdmates and seek a secluded area to give birth. However, on many dairy facilities, cows calve in barren group pens with limited space, which may limit their ability to perform these behaviors. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of stocking density and provision of a blind (a single-sided solid partition) in group bedded pack maternity pens on the behavior of dairy cattle. The study included 4 experimental treatments: (1) high stocking density (7.7-12.9 m 2 of lying space/cow) with a blind, (2) low stocking density (15.4-25.8 m 2 ) with a blind, (3) high stocking density without a blind, and (4) low stocking density without a blind. We analyzed the effect of these treatments on locomotor and separation behavior as well as blind use during the 24 h before calving. A total of 127 primiparous heifers and 247 multiparous cows were housed in 16 mixed-parity groups (4 groups per treatment) from approximately 3 wk before to immediately after calving. Locomotor behavior increased from 24 to 2 h before calving regardless of treatment but increased the most in high stocking density pens without a blind. Additionally, heifers performed more locomotion than cows. Animals increased their distance from other cows beginning approximately 4 h before calving. Animals in low stocking density pens had a greater distance from other cows compared with those in high stocking density pens. Additionally, heifers had a greater distance from penmates during the 4 h before calving than cows. More animals calved in the area of the pen that con-tained a blind compared with the same respective areas of high and low stocking density pens that did not contain a blind. These results suggest that periparturient dairy cattle in group maternity pens are motivated to seek seclusion at calving, but increased stocking density may impede their ability to do so. Providing additional space and a blind may benefit periparturient dairy cows and heifers by facilitating natural calving behaviors.

The objectives were to (1) investigate the effectiveness of hair cortisol concentration (HCC) as a measure of long-term stress in beef cattle and (2) determine whether meloxicam would decrease postcastration stress. Bull calves on two farms [site 1: Hereford cross (n = 73); site 2: Black Angus (n = 85)] were assigned to three treatments: (1) surgical castration with saline (CS, n = 52), (2) surgical castration with meloxicam (CM, n = 54), and (3) sham castration with saline (S, n = 52), balanced for age. Hair was collected from the left hip on day 0, prior to castration, and day 14, after 2 wk of regrowth from the day 0 location. Standing time was recorded on 129 calves (CS = 47, CM = 42, S, = 40) from 0 to 7 d post castration. On day 14, CS calves had 13.8% greater HCC than S (P = 0.031) and tended to be higher than CM calves (P = 0.095); CM and S calves did not differ. Standing time did not differ between treatments. Lower HCC in CM compared with CS calves indicates that meloxicam may be effective at reducing postcastration stress. With differences between treatments, HCC shows promise as a technique for measuring long-term stress in beef cattle.

Many dairy cows succumb to disease after calving. Disease risk may be affected by the cows' social environment and ability to perform maternal behaviors. In nature, cattle isolate from others and find seclusion to give birth; these behaviors may be limited in indoor group pens and could potentially affect the cows' ability to cope. The aim was to determine whether stocking density and a physical blind in prepartum bedded-pack group pens affected physiological biomarkers, disease risk, and hygiene of peripartum dairy cows. A randomized complete block designed with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments was used. Approximately 3 wk before calving, 374 cows (primiparous = 127; multiparous = 247) were assigned randomly to 1 of 4 treatment pens with the following 2 factors: (1) high versus low stocking density (7.7 to 12.9 m 2 vs. 15.4 to 25.8 m 2 lying space per cow), and (2) presence or absence of a blind. The blind was created using plastic road barriers and plywood, a steel gate, and shade cloth. After calving, cows were moved into a freestall pen and milked 3 times per day. Blood was sampled on the day of enrollment (baseline; −24 d) and approximately −14, −7, 3, 7, 10, and 14 d relative to calving, to measure inflammatory (haptoglobin) and metabolic (nonesterified fatty acids and β-hydroxybutyrate) biomarkers. β-Hydroxybutyrate (≥1.2 mmol/L) was used to diagnose subclinical ketosis. Vaginal discharge was scored 3, 7, 10, and 14 d after calving, to diagnose metritis (none, mild, or severe). Hygiene was scored on −24, −14, and −7 d before calving. Before calving, haptoglobin was lower in pens with a blind. After calving, cows in pens with low stocking density before calving tended to be at greater odds of being diagnosed with metritis. Cows were more likely to have poorer hygiene scores in high stocking density pens. No treatment effects were detected for pre-and postpartum nonesterified fatty acids, β-hydroxybutyrate, postpartum haptoglobin, or subclinical ketosis. Results suggest that the provision of a blind and lower stocking density may be beneficial for reducing inflammation before calving. However, low prepartum stocking density might increase the odds of metritis after calving. Although the reason for this paradox is unclear, the effects of prepartum stocking density may require further exploration.