A Survey of Calf Housing Facilities Pre-Weaning, Management Practices and Farmer Perceptions of Calf Welfare on Irish Dairy Farms

Abstract

It is unknown whether calf rearing facilities in the Republic of Ireland are fit for purpose, or if facilities sufficiently consider calf and farmer welfare. The aim of this study was to review current calf housing facilities and management practices on Irish farms to determine if calves are reared in structurally appropriate facilities with management decisions that safeguard calf and farmer welfare. Fifty-one farms located in the Munster region in the Republic of Ireland were visited twice: (1) Pre-calving (December–January) and (2) During peak calving (January–March). During visit one, herd owners completed a questionnaire regarding calf housing and management practices on-farm and each facility used to rear calves was measured (measurement of cubic air capacity, ventilation, pen area, drainage etc.) without calves being present. Visit two consisted of a short interview with the principal calf manager to validate previously asked questions and environmental based measurements of each calf house that had been recorded, with any deviation from the first visit noted (measurements of temperature, wind speed, light intensity, facility provisions in-house and in-pen; calves present). Average herd size was 254, operating a spring calving system with a median calving season length of 11.6 weeks. While most farms expanded (88%; N = 51), this did not appear to have negatively affected calf space allowances (9.9% houses overcrowded at a space allowance of 1.5 m2/calf; N = 121). Calves were most commonly housed in group sizes of < 12 (71.6% of all groupings; N = 394), with farmers moving away from individual housing for a period immediately post-birth, to grouping them immediately instead (58.8%; N = 51). The number of farmers testing colostrum was 31.4% (N = 51). Although the calving season was compact, most farmers were unconcerned about the upcoming spring workload (58.8%; N = 51). Farms appeared sufficiently prepared for spring, with most using the same number or less sheds during visit two than declared in visit one (76.5%; N = 51). To conclude, farmers made sufficient provision for calf housing and space allowances for calves that facilitated group housing post-birth. While structural and management components of rearing systems appear in line with sectoral recommendations, certain areas require attention on many farms (e.g., colostrum testing) to safeguard calf welfare and reduce the workload associated with calf rearing for farmers.

Effects of Individual and Pair Housing of Calves on Short-Term Health and Behaviour on a UK Commercial Dairy Farm

“…Traditional farming techniques utilized individual housing with the aim of bio-containing neonatal pathogens linked to bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and diarrhoea [1,2]. This individual housing choice is still prevalent across North America [3] and Europe [4,5] due to stock people's concerns over disease transmission [6], potential cross sucking and health monitoring [7]. However, the importance of socialization for calves is now more thoroughly understood, with social facilitation and learning [8] playing a key role in reducing neophobia [9] and increasing solid feed intakes [10][11][12][13][14].…”

Calf Health, Feeding and Social Behaviours within Groups Fed on Automatic Milk Feeders

“…This highlights the current widespread underfeeding of milk across the UK. Restricted milk feeding has been found in other studies [62,63], with farmers often citing ease of management as a reason for their chosen feeding regime [64]. The use of AMFs is still relatively low in the UK [61] and Ireland [63] at around 4% of farms, but these systems do offer a method for increasing milk intakes without the associated labour impacts.…”

Effect of source and journey on physiological variables in calves transported by road and ferry between Ireland and the Netherlands

“…In the EU, calves must be fed a suitable amount of milk (or milk replacer) at least twice a day when housed (Council Directive 2008/119/EC). Regulations do not state the amount of milk (replacer) that must be fed, but calves are commonly fed 3 L of milk or milk replacer twice a day in Ireland ( 9 ). Energy demands may be higher during transport due to stress and constant readjustments to overcome the truck's movements and are compounded by infrequent feeding ( 10 , 11 ).…”