Management practices for male calves on Canadian dairy farms

Abstract

Morbidity, mortality, and antimicrobial use and resistance are major concerns in the rearing of male dairy calves, so information to support disease prevention is important. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to describe management practices associated with the care of male calves during their first days of life on Canadian dairy farms. A survey was completed by dairy producers across Canada between March 1 and April 30, 2015. The survey included 192 questions covering producer background, farm characteristics, biosecurity practices, disease prevalence, calf health, animal welfare, lameness, milking hygiene, reproduction, and Internet and social media use. A total of 1,025 surveys were completed online, by telephone, or by mail, representing 9% of all dairy farms in Canada. Five percent of respondents (n = 49) answered that they had euthanized at least 1 male calf at birth in the previous year, and blunt force trauma was commonly used in these cases. The majority of respondents always fed colostrum to male calves; however, 9% (n = 80) did not always feed colostrum. Almost 40% (n = 418) of respondents reported always dipping the navels of male calves, 12% (n = 123) vaccinated male calves, and 17% (n = 180) did not provide the same quantity of feed to male calves as heifer calves. The care of male calves differed greatly depending on the geographical region of the respondents. However, some regional effects may be confounded by economic conditions and the logistics of marketing male dairy calves in different parts of the country. Herd size was another important variable in many aspects of the management of male calves on dairy farms. Larger herd sizes were more likely to use an appropriate method of euthanasia at birth but were less likely to always feed colostrum to their male calves or feed them the same as female calves. Familiarity with the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle (National Farm Animal Care Council) by respondents was associated with better care of male calves on dairy farms. The results of this survey suggest that the treatment of male dairy calves on Canadian dairy farms varies and that there are opportunities to improve the health management of male calves on the farms of origin.

Clinical and metabolic indicators associated with early mortality at a milk-fed veal facility: A prospective case-control study

“…One of the major challenges with veal production is that veal producers rely on dairy producers to provide the necessary care of these calves on the dairy farm of origin before departure. As a minority (9%) of Canadian dairy producers did not always feed colostrum to male calves (Renaud et al, 2017), this is an area that needs to be addressed to improve the health and welfare of male calves.…”

“…Improved energy status protects against disease and supports immune function (Todd et al, 2017). It has been reported that 17% of surveyed Canadian dairy source farms providing inferior nutrition to male calves compared with female calves (Renaud et al, 2017), and this, combined with the energy expenditure and mobilization occurring during calf transport (Knowles et al, 1999), means that many male calves enter the veal industry with suboptimal energy status and low body fat cover (Wilson et al, 2000). Serum concentrations of BHB, nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), cholesterol, glucose, and urea could all serve as markers of energy status in calves.…”

Associations between group sizes, serum protein levels, calf morbidity and growth in dairy-beef calves in a Finnish calf rearing unit

“…were male, for which the care on source farms is sometimes questioned. However, at least a study on Canadian 307 farmers reported that 91% of the farmers administered colostrum to all male calves (Renaud et al, 2017). The concentrations of other APPs were not associated with elapsed time to antimicrobial treatments.…”

The complex relationship between welfare and reproduction in cattle

“…Unfortunately, the welfare of bull calves is frequently overlooked given they often leave the farm within a week or two after birth and are often of low value (Holden & Butler, ). In Canada, 17% of dairy farmers stated that they did not provide the same quantity of food to male calves compared to heifer calves, and using blunt force was a common method among the 5% of farmers that reported having euthanized at least one male calf at birth in the last year (Renaud, Duffield, LeBlanc, Haley, & Kelton, ). Long distance transport of young male “bobby” calves in Australia to slaughter plants is of grave concern, with approximately 0.6% of calves dying during transport due to adverse environmental stressors (Cave, Callinan, & Woonton, ).…”