Views of American animal and dairy science students on the future of dairy farms and public expectations for dairy cattle care: A focus group study

Ritter, Caroline; Russell, Elizabeth R.; Weary, Daniel M.; Keyserlingk, M.A.G. von

doi:10.3168/jds.2020-19732

Cited by 12 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…To perform such transition in large scale, with some herds having many thousands of individual hutches, will be difficult and will require further training of the operations’ staff. In addition to improved perceived welfare of calves and improved performance, societal pressure may also play a role in the motivation to transition calves from individual to pair-housing systems ( Ritter et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: The Pre-weaning Periodmentioning

confidence: 99%

Overview of common practices in calf raising facilities

Machado

Ballou

2022

Translational Animal Science

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In this literature review, we overview some of the common management practices associated with calf rearing in specialized operations of the United States. Given the growing importance of dairy-beef calves entering the beef production of the US, we overview aspects related to housing, nutrition, and health events during the pre- and post-weaning period. Based on data on dairy animals, we hypothesize how early life experiences could impact the feedlot performances of dairy-beef animals. Most of the large calf raising operations, where the majority of dairy-beef animals are raised, are located in the Central Great Plains and West regions of the US. Approximately 80% of calves are individually housed, but the type of housing (e.g., outside hutch, inside a barn) varies based on location of calf-raising facilities. Milk-replacer is fed in more than 80% of operations, while milk (saleable or non-saleable) is fed in approximately 30% of calf raising facilities (some operations fed more than one type of liquid diet). In addition to liquid feed, water and calf starter are offered ad libitum to calves. Adequate starter intake at weaning is crucial for feed transition from pre- to post-weaning period, which occurs at approximately 2 months of age. Then, calves are mainly housed in group pens and transition from calf-starter to total mixed ration (TMR). Health challenges such as scours, and bovine respiratory disease (BRD) can hinder the performance of calves and are major causes of morbidity and mortality in calf ranches. Transportation at a very young age and comingling with animals from other dairies can increase the risk of diseases. Current research efforts are focusing on determining individual factors such as body weight (BW) at arrival or biomarkers of inflammation and stress that can be predictive of disease morbidity, mortality, and performance of calves. Future research should focus on how to utilize this information to optimize management and to develop targeted preventative strategies to reduce incidence of diseases and mortality and improve performance during the pre-weaned period. Also, more research is needed to understand how colostrum management, housing, and nutrition can impact the adult performance of dairy-beef animals.

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Section: The Pre-weaning Periodmentioning

confidence: 99%

Overview of common practices in calf raising facilities

Machado

Ballou

2022

Translational Animal Science

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“…One key stakeholder is the public, defined for the purposes of this discussion as individuals living in communities who have little to no involvement in the dairy industry and arguably little knowledge of farming practices (Ritter et al, 2021). This stakeholder is key to the discussion given that they are the primary purchasers of products arising from animal agriculture.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Public perceptions of potential adaptations for mitigating heat stress on Australian dairy farms

Hendricks

Mills

Sirovica

et al. 2022

Journal of Dairy Science

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Temperature variability resulting from climate change poses challenges around the world for livestock production and the welfare of the animals in these systems. As animal industries attempt to combat these challenges, it is vital to understand how potential changes implemented by farmers resonate with societal values. The aims of this study were to determine how different proposed changes to mitigate heat stress in dairy cattle influence public perceptions toward Australian dairy farm systems, including perceptions of (1) cow welfare, (2) confidence in the industry, and (3) trust in farmers. Participants were presented with 1 of 4 treatments representing a potential solution to mitigate heat stress in dairy cattle: (1) indoor system (a fully indoor barn), (2) choice system (cows have agency to choose to be indoors or outdoors), (3) gene edition + pasture (cows are genetically modified to become more resilient to heat stress), and (4) pasture (outdoor system that is currently used in Australia, but the farmer plants more trees). Participants were then asked to respond to questions on a 7-point Likert scale. Questions were about cow welfare (3 questions), confidence in dairy industry (4 questions), and trust in farmers (9 questions), with each section followed by an open-ended question for participants to explain their answers. Participants perceived cow welfare to be the lowest in the indoor system (2.80 ± 0.10), followed by gene edition + pasture (4.48 ± 0.11), with choice and pasture systems being the highest but not different from each other (5.41 ± 0.11 and 5.32 ± 0.11, respectively). Confidence in the dairy industry was lower among participants in the indoor (4.78 ± 0.08) compared with participants assigned to the choice (5.28 ± 0.08) or pasture (5.25 ± 0.08) systems. Confidence was also lower among participants in the gene edition (4.95 ± 0.08) compared with the choice system. Trust in farmers was similar across all treatments. Our results provide the first evidence that the Australian public may be reluctant to accept heat stress mitigation strategies that either do not allow cows to have access to pasture or those that include gene-editing technologies.

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“…Animal welfare and food safety have increasingly become a core pursuit in global agricultural development [ 1 , 2 ]. In areas such as Europe and America, animal welfare has become one of the main principles of agricultural development and is regarded as the key to ensuring the quality of animal products [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]. In 2021, the European Parliament expressed support for the ‘End the Cage Age’ initiative and strived to prohibit the use of cages for farm animals, including laying hens, by 2027.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Potential of Understory Production Systems to Improve Laying Hen Welfare

Yan

Yang

Zhu

et al. 2022

Animals

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The welfare of laying hens in cage systems is of increasing concern. Represented by the European Union’s ‘End the Cage Age’ initiative, more and more countries have advocated cage-free farming. China, an important country for poultry farming and consumption in the world, is highly dependent on cage systems and lacks confidence in alternative (e.g., free-range) systems. In this context, using China’s abundant woodland resources (including natural forests, plantations, and commercial forests) to facilitate the management of laying hens in a free-range environment may provide highly promising welfare improvement programs. On the basis of the Five Freedoms, we assess the welfare status of understory laying hen management systems with reference to the behavioural needs and preferences of laying hens and the EU standards for free-range and organic production (highest animal welfare standards in the world). The results show that the considered systems meet or even exceed these standards, in terms of key indicators such as outdoor and indoor stocking density, outdoor activity time, and food and drug use. Specifically, the systems provide sufficient organic food for laying hens without using antibiotics. They allow laying hens to avoid beak trimming, as well as to express nesting, foraging, perching, reproductive, dustbathing and other priority behaviours. The presence of roosters and higher use of woodland space allow the laying hens to achieve better feather and bone conditions, thus reducing stress and fear damage. Notably, the predation problem is not yet considered significant. Second, there is evidence that understory laying hen systems are profitable and have been welcomed and supported by farmers and governments in the southwest, south, and north of China. However, whether it can be scaled up is uncertain, and further research is needed. In addition, laying hens in this management system face various risks, such as foot injury, parasitism, and high dependence on consumer markets, which must be considered. Overall, agro-forestry, or accurately, understory poultry raising, provides opportunities and possibilities for free-range laying hens and welfare improvement in China and other countries.

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Views of American animal and dairy science students on the future of dairy farms and public expectations for dairy cattle care: A focus group study

Cited by 12 publications

References 44 publications

Overview of common practices in calf raising facilities

Overview of common practices in calf raising facilities

Public perceptions of potential adaptations for mitigating heat stress on Australian dairy farms

The Potential of Understory Production Systems to Improve Laying Hen Welfare

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