Views on contentious practices in dairy farming: The case of early cow-calf separation

Abstract

The public has become increasingly interested in the welfare of food animals, but the food animal industries possess few mechanisms for public engagement. Here we present results from a web-based forum designed to allow stakeholders to share views on controversial issues in dairying. In response to the question "Should dairy calves be separated from the cow within the first few hours after birth?" participants were able to indicate "yes," "no," or "neutral" and either write a reason in support of their view or select reasons provided by other participants. Four independent groups of participants were recruited (a total of 163 people); 31% said they had no involvement in the dairy industry; the remaining 69% (with some involvement in the industry) were students or teachers (33%), animal advocates (13%), producers (11%), veterinarians (9%) and other dairy industry professionals (3%). Overall, little consensus existed among participants across groups; 44% chose "yes," 48% "no," and 9% "neutral." Responses varied with demographics, with opposition to early separation higher among females, animal advocates, and those with no involvement with the dairy industry. A fifth group was recruited at a dairy industry conference (an additional 28 participants); 46% chose "yes," 32% "no," and 21% "neutral." Across all 5 groups, opponents and supporters often referenced similar issues in the reasons they provided. Opponents of early separation contended that it is emotionally stressful for the calf and cow, it compromises calf and cow health, it is unnatural, and the industry can and should accommodate cow-calf pairs. In contrast, supporters of early separation reasoned that emotional distress is minimized by separating before bonds develop, that it promotes calf and cow health, and that the industry is limited in its ability to accommodate cow-calf pairs. These results illustrate the potential of web-based forums to identify areas of agreement and conflict among stakeholders, providing a basis for the development of practices that address shared concerns.

Public concerns about dairy-cow welfare: how should the industry respond?

“…Understanding the welfare consequences of early cow-calf separation provides a good example. As described by Ventura et al (2013), early separation is a concern to some because they see this as unnatural, preventing the natural bonding and interactions between cow and calf. These individuals may also believe that early separation is harmful because it robs cows and calves of the opportunity to experience the positive affective states associated with these affiliative relationships.…”

“…A particularly interesting example concerns the early separation of the cow and calf. In this case, the majority of the public sees early separation as a threat to the welfare of both cow and calf, while most working within the industry believe that later separation creates greater problems (Ventura et al 2013). In the following section, we describe how animal-welfare science can be used to address this and a few other examples.…”

“…Early cow-calf separation provides another example of this divergence between public views and industry practice (Ventura et al 2013). There is evidence that the public is often unaware of common practices on farms (Ventura et al 2016a) and failure to address these gaps may affect public trust when the public does become aware (Robbins et al 2016b).…”

Societal views and animal welfare science: understanding why the modified cage may fail and other stories

“…Early separation of cow and calf The calf is separated from the dam within the first hours after birth in many modern dairy operations, but this practice is the most contentious of any topic we have studied date (Ventura et al, 2013). Opposition to early separation was high among participants with no involvement in the dairy industry, while most people working within the dairy industry (including farmers) were in support of early separation, sometimes because they perceived that there were no practical alternatives.…”

“…One reason some people oppose early separation is the high levels of calf morbidity and mortality on many farms (Ventura et al, 2013), a concern echoed by industry stakeholders in more recent focus-group-based research (Ventura et al, 2015). Thus, opposition to conventional methods of calf rearing may wane if the dairy industry is able to adopt and maintain consistently high standards of calf care.…”