Views of Western Canadian dairy producers on calf rearing: An interview-based study

Abstract

Calf rearing practices differ among farms, including feeding and weaning methods. These differences may relate to how dairy producers view these practices and evaluate their own success. The aim of this study was to investigate perspectives of dairy producers on calf rearing, focusing on calf weaning and how they characterized weaning success. We interviewed dairy producers from 16 farms in Western Canada in the following provinces: British Columbia (n = 12), Manitoba (n = 2), and Alberta (n = 2). Participants were asked to describe their heifer calf weaning and rearing practices, and what they viewed as successes and challenges in weaning and rearing calves. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and subjected to qualitative analysis from which we identified the following 4 major themes: (1) reliance on calf-based measures (e.g., health, growth, and behavior), (2) management factors and personal experiences (e.g., ease, consistency, and habit), (3) environmental factors (e.g., facilities and equipment), and (4) external support (e.g., advice and educational opportunities). These results provided insight into how dairy producers view calf weaning and rearing, and may help inform the design of future research and knowledge transfer projects aimed at improving management practices on dairy farms.

A Survey of Calf Housing Facilities Pre-Weaning, Management Practices and Farmer Perceptions of Calf Welfare on Irish Dairy Farms

“…Most farms have a calf rearing team of many people, however in this case careful and clear communication is required to ensure rearing runs smoothly. This echoes a farmer sentiment in a recent study [ 48 ] which noted the difficulty in identifying inconsistencies in calf care when too many people are involved in the process. Most farms demonstrate good communication, whereby time is taken to hand over daily tasks from one rearer to another.…”

“…Additionally, calf rearing guides detailing standard operating procedures are available on most farms aiding with role transition and task completion. These are a tool, which has been cited as valuable in the calf rearing process on-farm [ 48 ]. All primary calf rearers are on-farm at least five days per week.…”

An Empirical Evaluation of Policy Options for Increasing Dairy Production in Indonesia: A System Dynamics Approach

“…As a result, in the pessimistic policy, the calf rearing program, higher cow imports, and higher conception rates simultaneously positively impact the share of domestic dairy production to dairy demand. According to Russell et al (2022), implementing calf rearing needs to consider several factors, including calf growth, health, behavior, management practices, the rearing environment, equipment, and external advice. To increase the conception rate, dairy farmers need extensions and training in feed nutrition and reproductive management (Siddiqui et al, 2013).…”

Veterinarian perceptions on the care of surplus dairy calves

“…Veterinarians work with dairy farmers to improve various dimensions of animal care and management, and farmers perceive veterinarians as trusted advisers regarding calf management (Wilson et al, 2021;Russell et al, 2022). Previous studies have investigated the perspectives of veterinarians on calf welfare and dairy farmer attitudes toward calf rearing (Russell et al, 2022) and the welfare of male calves (Maher et al, 2021), but to our knowledge no research to date has explored veterinarians' views on the welfare of surplus calves. As Bolton and von Keyserlingk (2021) argue, it is critical to include all industry stakeholders, including veterinarians, in discussions of surplus calf management.…”