A survey of dairy calf management practices among farms using manual and automated milk feeding systems in Canada

Abstract

Dairy calves in North America traditionally are housed individually and fed by manual milk feeding (MMF) systems with buckets or bottles. Automated milk feeders (AMF) allow for more natural milk feeding frequencies and volumes, and calves are usually housed in groups. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the prevalence of various milk-fed calf management and feeding practices and (2) compare these practices between dairy farms using MMF and AMF systems. A national online survey was performed from January to May 2015 to quantify management practices for the care of milk-fed dairy calves in Canada. A total of 670 responses were received (6% of all dairy farms in Canada). Among respondents, 16% used AMF and 84% used MMF. Seventy percent of the farms using AMF had freestall barns compared with only 48% of those using MMF. A greater proportion of AMF farms (30%) also had automatic milking systems (AMS) compared with MMF farms (8%). Among tiestall farms, a herd size of >80 milking cows was associated with having an AMF [odds ratio (OR) = 3.8; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.6-11.4]. For freestall or bedded-pack farms, a herd size of >80 milking cows (OR = 3.5; CI: 1.8-6.6), having an AMS (OR = 3.1; CI: 1.6-5.7), and use of cow brushes (OR = 3.1; CI: 1.3-6.9) were associated with having an AMF. Calves fed with AMS typically were housed in groups of 10 to 15, whereas almost 76% of the farms with MMF housed calves individually. Although both AMF and MMF farms fed similar amounts of milk in the first week of life (median = 6 L/d), the cumulative volume fed in the first 4 wk differed significantly, with a median of 231 versus 182 L for AMF and MMF, respectively. Median peak milk allowance was higher for AMF than for MMF (10 vs. 8 L/d, respectively). In summary, farms using AMF were larger, provided more milk to calves, and used more automation in general (i.e., in other areas of their operation). These data provide insights into calf-rearing practices across Canada and into how the use of AMF is affecting calf feeding and management on dairy farms.

Producer perceptions of manual and automated milk feeding systems for dairy calves in Canada

“…Moreover, producers from our study also indicated that their farm size was too small to justify the purchase and the use of an automated milk feeder. This result is parallel to what we found regarding features of surveyed farms, where larger farms were more likely to have AMF compared with small farms (Medrano-Galarza et al 2017). Manufacturers promote that an AMF can supply a group of approximately 25 calves per feeding station (Käck and Ziemerink 2010).…”

“…In addition, the survey was advertised in dairy cattle magazines and on social media. Detailed description of the survey development, administration, and data handling is presented in Medrano-Galarza et al (2017). Briefly, the survey consisted of two questionnaires with closed-and open-ended questions; one questionnaire was for producers using MMF systems [i.e., milk offered via open bucket or teat (bottle, bucket, and milk bar)], and another questionnaire was for producers using AMF systems (i.e., computer-controlled systems).…”

“…Farms with AMF systems were significantly (P < 0.001) larger [median (25th-75th percentiles): 110 milking cows (66-150)] compared with farms with MMF systems [median (25th-75th percentiles): 60 milking cows (45-100)]. For more details on farm demographics see Medrano-Galarza et al (2017).…”

Effect of age of introduction to an automated milk feeder on calf learning and performance and labor requirements

“…Many dairy producers prefer to introduce calves to an AMF as soon as possible (Jorgensen et al, 2017;Medrano-Galarza et al, 2017a) without clear evidence Figure 3. Mean daily milk intake (±SE) across the 5 stages of the milk feeding period (from 1 to 60 d of age) for 60 calves introduced to a group with an automated milk feeder at 5 d of age (conventional introduction) and before 24 h of age (early introduction).…”

“…Although research (Svensson and Liberg, 2006;Jensen, 2007) suggests that later introduction (i.e., >2 wk of age) to the group pen may be preferable in terms of calf health and farm labor, recent data on commercial dairy farms in North America indicate that the median age of introduction to group pens with AMF is 5 d and ranges from <1 to 14 d (Jorgensen et al, 2017;Medrano-Galarza et al, 2017a; mean group size was 17 calves and ranged from 6 to 60). This may stem from producers seeking to minimize the labor required for manually feeding milk to calves when using AMF.…”