Veterinarians’ and agricultural advisors’ perception of calf health and welfare in organic dairy production in Norway

Ellingsen, Kristian; Mejdell, Cecilie Marie; Hansen, Benni Winding; Grøndahl, Ann Margaret; Henriksen, Britt I. F.; Vaarst, M.

doi:10.1007/s13165-012-0025-8

Cited by 17 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 20 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Particularly, the limitation of proven effective therapies by the current NOP3 resulted in animal welfare and food safety concerns by many responding veterinarians. The former had also been previously reported by O’Neill5 and Ellingsen and others 17. Similar to a previous survey,5 many veterinarians were not opposed to using alternative therapies and were even using some alternative therapies already (eg, probiotics), but they again clearly expressed their need for scientific data to provide their clients with evidence-based medicine rather than become a ‘snake-oil-salesmen’ selling ‘ineffective therapies’.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

Bovine veterinarians’ perspective on organic livestock production in the USA

2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The objective was to determine possible challenge areas that bovine veterinarians may face when working on certified organic livestock operations. All members of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners’ electronic mailing list, who practised in the USA, were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey. Veterinarians (n=213) from 38 states participated in the survey. The focus of the survey was on the veterinarian’s interest in and perception of organic farming, their knowledge of the use of alternative therapies under federal regulations and their needs for providing veterinary services to organic farms. Most participants worked in dairy practice and served ≥1 organic client. Their attitude towards organic production was balanced. Many veterinarians struggled to offer sick animal care with alternative therapies within the regulatory framework and expressed their need to have more evidence-based alternative therapies. Two-thirds of veterinarians were concerned that the lack of proven effective therapy options would impair livestock welfare on organic farms in the USA. Almost 90 per cent of respondents did not think that organic livestock was healthier than conventionally raised livestock and most participants (74 per cent) thought livestock health was dependent on management rather than organic or conventional farming practices. In summary, participants were generally not opposed to organic farming. However, most veterinarians expressed their need to have a better access to clear information about organic regulations and most importantly more evidence-based alternative therapies to ensure animal health and welfare on organic livestock operations.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

Bovine veterinarians’ perspective on organic livestock production in the USA

2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Veterinarians may not be focused on the calf rearing of their dairy farm clients [33] and are often not asked by the farmers about calf feeding. It might seem more appropriate to seek advice from trusted animal nutritionists or feed merchants [70], though some participants in this study indicated they would be distrustful of receiving a sales pitch rather than honest information about the best way to feed their calves. Collaboration between veterinarians and the feed industry could help to improve the consistency of recommendations for ensuring suitable calf nutrition.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Appropriate Dairy Calf Feeding from Birth to Weaning: “It’s an Investment for the Future”

Palczynski

Bleach

Brennan

et al. 2020

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Dairy calves must be fed appropriately to meet their nutritional needs, supporting optimal growth and development to achieve the recommended target age at first calving (AFC) of 24 months. Traditional restricted milk feeding practices suppress growth, contribute to negative welfare states and may result in malnutrition and immunosuppression. Despite more recent recommendations to increase milk allowances for pre-weaned calves, restricted feeding remains a common practice. This study explored the rationales behind the calf feeding protocols used by dairy farmers in England. Forty qualitative interviews (26 farmers, 14 advisors) were conducted between May 2016 and June 2017, transcribed in full, then coded into themes. Results indicate that a variety of calf feeding regimes are used on farms, largely determined by farmers’ attitudes regarding ease of management and the wellbeing of calves. Advisors were concerned about widespread underfeeding of calves, which may be partially due to insufficiently clear recommendations for calf milk replacer (CMR) feeding rates. There was also evidence of uncertainty regarding best practices for weaning calves. Collaboration between academic research and industry is essential to establish a consensus on calf feeding standards which support physiological function, facilitate weaning, support growth targets and ensure calf health and welfare is protected.

show abstract

“…Conversely, some groups within the agricultural industry (e.g., the Dutch pig producers in Benard and de Cock Buning, 2013) do not see natural behavior as a critical aspect to positive animal welfare. The opinions of other industry stakeholders, such as veterinarians, also vary considerably depending upon region; for instance, Canadian veterinarians participating in a focus group study spoke in Beaver et al: PRODUCTION, MANAGEMENT, AND THE ENVIRONMENT SYMPOSIUM: FUTURE OF HOUSING support of cow and calf separation , but this position was not typically favored by Norwegian veterinarians (Ellingsen et al, 2012). Even within region and within farming groups, variation exists in the conceptualization of naturalness and its importance to animal welfare; in one study, organic dairy farmers in Scandinavia provided differing perspectives when queried about natural living for dairy calves (Vetouli et al, 2012).…”

Section: The Misalignmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Symposium review: Considerations for the future of dairy cattle housing: An animal welfare perspective

Beaver

Proudfoot

Keyserlingk

2020

Journal of Dairy Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Many contemporary dairy cattle housing practices are at odds with societal perceptions of positive animal welfare. The public (i.e., those external to the dairy industry) typically emphasizes the importance of naturalness for dairy cattle, such as through provision of pasture, freedom of movement, and the ability to interact socially with conspecifics. Yet, in the United States, the majority of lactating dairy cattle are reportedly housed without any access to pasture, and almost 39% of dairy farms use tiestalls, which restrict movement and social interactions. In addition to being in conflict with public expectations, a lack of pasture access and restrictive housing systems are also in conflict with the animals' own motivations, which can adversely affect their welfare. For example, dairy cattle are highly motivated to access pasture and show a reduction in oral stereotypies when allowed on pasture after periods of tethering. Calves housed without social contact have cognitive deficits and exhibit increased fear responses to novelty. We argue that the long-term sustainability of the dairy industry will depend on the extent to which housing systems reflect public concerns and the animals' priorities. The adoption of technologies, such as automated feeders and remote monitoring systems, may represent a means to practically promote the animals' natural behavior while simultaneously improving individualized care. Although older generations of the public may consider technological solutions to be a further deviation from naturalness and a departure from dairy farming's agrarian roots, the definition of "naturalness" for younger generations may well have expanded to include technology. As the buying power shifts to these younger generations, the adoption of technologies that promote natural cattle behaviors may be one means toward reconciling the disconnect between public perceptions of animal welfare and contemporary dairy farming practices.

show abstract

Veterinarians’ and agricultural advisors’ perception of calf health and welfare in organic dairy production in Norway

Cited by 17 publications

References 20 publications

Bovine veterinarians’ perspective on organic livestock production in the USA

Bovine veterinarians’ perspective on organic livestock production in the USA

Appropriate Dairy Calf Feeding from Birth to Weaning: “It’s an Investment for the Future”

Symposium review: Considerations for the future of dairy cattle housing: An animal welfare perspective

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About