Culling Decisions and Dairy Cattle Welfare During Transport to Slaughter in the United States

Abstract

Nearly a third of dairy cows are removed from herds annually in the United States. Our objective is to describe what is known about the process of sending a dairy cow to slaughter in the United States including our perspectives about her fitness for transport, her condition upon arrival at the slaughter plant and the decisions to transport her in the first place. This process begins when the decision is made by the farmer to remove a cow from the herd. Once a cow leaves the farm, she makes her way either directly to slaughter or goes through one or more livestock auctions or markets along the way. Cull cows can travel considerable distance to slaughter and may face a number of welfare challenges during this process. These stressors are exacerbated if the cows are compromised and not fit for transport. While all major industry stakeholders have recommendations or guidelines about fitness for transport, none are enforced rules or regulations. There is little financial disincentive for farmers to stop shipping compromised dairy cows, and, in some cases, slaughter plants are willing to take the risk on purchasing cows in this condition as those that survive the journey often generate a good margin of return. As a result, the decision to ship compromised cull cows is too common, as indicated by data about cow condition both at the farm and the slaughter plant. Compromised culled dairy cattle continue to arrive at slaughter plants and leadership within the industry is needed to tackle this welfare challenge.

Behavior and Health Indicators to Assess Cull Cow's Welfare in Livestock Markets

“…Gallo and Tadich ( 5 ) indicate that comingling animals from diverse origins as it occurs at livestock markets implies an additional physiological and behavioral stress for the animals that can cause fatigue, fear, dehydration, hunger, weight loss, and lesions. It is well-known that the prevalence of bruises in carcasses of cattle that have undergone auction commercialization is higher than in carcasses of cattle sold directly from farms to slaughterhouses ( 3 , 6 , 7 ). The increased prevalence of bruises can be attributable to the fact that cattle sold through livestock markets undergo more handling events and have more human-animal, animal-animal, and also animal-facilities interactions ( 3 , 8 ).…”

Welfare of cattle at slaughter

“…The most common reasons for culling are too low productivity, infertility, lameness and mastitis (Edwards‐Callaway et al., 2019). Welfare problems arising from cull cow slaughtering arise from the fact that most of the cull cows are lactating, that depending on the country they may be transported long distances and that even when fit for transport, their health state may be compromised to a certain extent (Edwards‐Callaway et al., 2019; Stojkov et al., 2018; Langford and Stott, 2012). In a study of 6,152 of long haul journeys in North America, cull cattle and calves were more likely to die and become non‐ambulatory during the journey than feeder cattle (steers and heifers before finishing).…”

Timely Euthanasia in the United States Dairy Industry–Challenges and a Path Forward

“…Edwards-Callaway et al [53] provide a summary of the market dis/incentives related to cull cow transport, sale, and purchasing decisions. Although the decision to not euthanize a cow and send her to a sale barn or slaughter plant begins on the dairy farm, it is a burden shared by the entire supply chain (e.g., livestock market owners, cattle buyers, transporters, packing facilities).…”

“…Although the decision to not euthanize a cow and send her to a sale barn or slaughter plant begins on the dairy farm, it is a burden shared by the entire supply chain (e.g., livestock market owners, cattle buyers, transporters, packing facilities). Although there are risks associated with transporting and purchasing compromised cows, such as death during the process resulting in a complete loss or potential regulatory action from the handling of compromised animals, there are still benefits that often outweigh the risks, including but not limited to cost savings associated with carcass disposal, sale price of a cow even if minimal, maintaining business relationships by accepting cows of questionable condition, and the potential profit margin associated with processing lean cows [53].…”