Perspectives on the Management of Surplus Dairy Calves in the United States and Canada

Abstract

The care of surplus dairy calves is a significant issue for the United States and Canadian dairy industries. Surplus dairy calves commonly experience poor welfare as evidenced by high levels of mortality and morbidity, and negative affective states resulting from limited opportunities to express natural behaviors. Many of these challenges are a result of a disaggregated production system, beginning with calf management at the dairy farm of origin and ending at a calf-raising facility, with some calves experiencing long-distance transportation and commingling at auction markets or assembly yards in the interim. Thus, the objectives of this narrative review are to highlight specific challenges associated with raising surplus dairy calves in the U.S. and Canada, how these challenges originate and could be addressed, and discuss future directions that may start with refinements of the current system, but ultimately require a system change. The first critical area to address is the management of surplus dairy calves on the dairy farm of origin. Good neonatal calf care reduces the risk of disease and mortality, however, many dairy farms in Canada and the U.S. do not provide sufficient colostrum or nutrition to surplus calves. Transportation and marketing are also major issues. Calves can be transported more than 24 consecutive hours, and most calves are sold through auction markets or assembly yards which increases disease exposure. Management of calves at calf-raisers is another area of concern. Calves are generally housed individually and fed at low planes of nutrition, resulting in poor affective states and high rates of morbidity and mortality. Strategies to manage high-risk calves identified at arrival could be implemented to reduce disease burden, however, increasing the plane of nutrition and improving housing systems will likely have a more significant impact on health and welfare. However, we argue the current system is not sustainable and new solutions for surplus calves should be considered. A coordinated and holistic approach including substantial change on source dairy farms and multiple areas within the system used to market and raise surplus dairy calves, can lead to more sustainable veal and beef production with improved calf outcomes.

Preliminary Exploration of Weekly Peer Group Discussions as a Strategy for Coping with Feelings Associated with Euthanasia in Dairy Caretakers

“…In a study of shelter caretakers, participants reported that euthanasia felt like a beneficial act and authors speculated that this may have been particularly salient in old animals [ 12 ] suggestive of the fact that euthanizing younger animals can be more emotionally distressing. Additionally, in dairy systems in North America “surplus calves,” which are animals that are not going to be used to replace the milking herd, are often euthanized, likely driven by a lack of a market for the calves [ 41 , 42 ]. This creates a unique scenario in which caretakers may be expected to euthanize healthy, newborn animals potentially exacerbating emotional distress in caretakers.…”

The use of common antimicrobial agents in US veal calves

“…Antimicrobial stewardship interventions are particularly challenging in veal calves due to the higher risk of bacterial infections compared with dairy and beef production systems. Since veal calves are primarily comprised of ‘surplus’ male calves from dairy farms, evidence has shown these animals received discrepantly worse care, e.g., lower volume of colostrum received, relative to the female replacement calves that remain on the dairy farm (Creutzinger et al., 2021; Shivley et al., 2019). In addition, veal calves are primarily marketed through livestock auctions, which results in stressors and exposures to infectious pathogens including Salmonella spp .…”

Historical Evolution of Cattle Management and Herd Health of Dairy Farms in OECD Countries

“…Similar to the evolutionary process, the process of rearing has experienced several substantial changes in the last decades, in terms of housing and feeding calves and heifers based, again, on increased knowledge concerning the physiology, pathology, and requirements of the animals at each life stage [ 59 ]. Although rearing is the most sensitive sector of a dairy herd [ 60 ], on many farms, the poor management of calves leads to high mortality and morbidity rates [ 61 ].…”

“…The most common type of calf housing in the EU and in the USA is the individual housing of the new-born calf based, on observed good health results and weight gain [ 81 , 82 ]. This is a biosecurity measure, since this type of housing reduces the transmission of respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases, albeit limiting the animal’s natural behavior [ 61 ]. A recent study compared the risk of contamination by diarrheal viral agents, and there was a lower risk in individual housing when compared to group housing [ 83 ].…”