FEBRUARY 2020 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC
The effects of separating cows and calves Consumer preferences are part of the UBC animal welfare team’s study
Separation of calves from cows within hours or days of birth is common and widespread on dairy farms. But is this a good thing or a bad thing for the animals’ welfare and production?
Research by MARGARET EVANS
For years, there have been
conflicting attitudes and perspectives toward the practice, so much so that Marina von Keyserlingk and her colleagues in the animal welfare program at UBC’s Faculty of Land and Food Systems undertook a review of the literature to look at the varying effects of the practice. “We were contacted by Dairy
Australia in late 2017 with questions about this practice,” says von Keyserlingk. “My understanding is that they had been under some pressure from the humane movement. They requested that we conduct a systematic review of the available literature on cow-calf contact systems.”
The team evaluated the scientific evidence for both acute and long- term effects of early separation versus extended cow-calf contact. They focused on behaviour, welfare (excluding physical health) and performance related to milk yield and growth respectively of dairy cows and calves. There are several reasons for the
practice. It has been thought that early separation would maintain financial profits since the system allows for the harvest and sale of milk the calves would otherwise drink. Feeding calves artificially allows for the monitoring of the quality and quantity of colostrum they consume. The cow’s milk let-down is thought to be more efficient, and early separation minimizes the development of the cow-calf bond and avoids distress between the two. But are calves really better off with
this practice? FILE PHOTO
“At present, the only available evidence with regards to immediate versus later separation is that cows vocalize less when separation takes place earlier,” says von Keyserlingk. However, there are practical values
for keeping cows and their young together. “There is a body of evidence that
shows positive effects in terms of growth when calves can suckle,” she says. “This is likely due to the calves having access to more milk. Traditionally calves were only fed about 10% body weight-equivalent, which is only about one third of what they would drink if they had access to the mother. There has been much progress made on this aspect with many farms now feeding calves much higher volumes of milk than in the past. In terms of behaviours, calves
that are able to suckle from the dam also show positive effects in terms of reduced cross sucking (sucking on other things [which is] often viewed as a sign of hunger).” The report published in the Journal
of Dairy Science stated longer cow-calf contact had a more positive long-term effect on the calf, promoting normal behaviours and reducing responses to stresses. Extending nursing increased calf weight gains. In terms of productivity, allowing cows to nurse calves did result in a decrease in milk volume during the nursing period but there was no evidence of a drop in milk production long-term. The practice of separating calves
from cows within hours of birth is largely unknown among the general public outside the dairy industry. From a welfare point of view, Von
Keyserlingk says that when people learn of it, they are not generally in favour, given the high priority for animal welfare and ethical food production.
“I do think that farmers are aware that the public considers animal welfare to be a high priority,” she says. “In Canada, the Dairy Farmers of Canada take this very seriously and have pushed hard to launch the animal care module of ProAction. The challenge, I think, will be keeping pace with public expectations as millennials and subsequent generations clearly have high expectations of where their food comes from. I believe questions will continue to come on this arguably contentious topic so it is important that we engage in research on what this may look like if implemented. In terms of research, I know that there are a number of studies being undertaken on this topic at research institutions in Australia, Sweden, Norway, Germany, France and no doubt other countries. As with most things, the answers will not come from a single study but rather from a collection of studies. For example, best practices for feeding dairy calves are based on 20 years of research done at numerous institutions around the world.” If, in the future, dairy farmers decide to transition from early separation to keeping cows and calves together longer, critical research will be required for the success of a new system for the welfare of both. Meanwhile, von Keyserlingk and her team are researching public perceptions. “We are doing a study right now
where we are conducting a survey of Canadians and Americans looking at attitudes to different cow-calf contact practices, including separating calves immediately and individually or group-housing the calves, separating them from their mother but rearing them using a nanny (foster) cow or keeping calves together with their mother. We hope to have this completed by mid-summer.” Margaret Evans is a freelance writer based in Chilliwack specializing in agricultural science.
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