16
Caring for our cows
Caring for our cows
Our cows are our livelihood. Healthy and well-cared for cows are essential for the success of every dairy farming business.
The husbandry practices on every farm underpin the domestic and global reputation and integrity of the dairy industry. We care for our cows because it is the right thing to do, and in doing so we continue to meet industry, community, consumer and government expectations.
Through Dairy Australia, the industry delivers a range of programs to support farmers in caring for our cows. This booklet demonstrates the industry’s commitment to ensuring every dairy animal is well cared for.
Terry Toohey Chair, Animal Health and Welfare Policy Advisory Group Australian Dairy Farmers
August 2014
Foreword
Published by Dairy Australia Limited.Whilst all reasonable efforts have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the Caring for our cows, use of the information contained herein is at one’s own risk. To the fullest extent permitted by Australian law, Dairy Australia disclaims all liability for any losses, costs, damages and the like sustained or incurred as a result of the use of or reliance upon the information contained herein, including, without limitation, liability stemming from reliance upon any part which may contain inadvertent errors, whether typographical or otherwise, or omissions of any kind. © Dairy Australia Limited 2014. All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-9924204-7-5 (Print)
3Caring for our cows
Caring for our cows
To deliver safe, quality dairy products, dairy farmers must keep their animals in peak condition. Good husbandry practices are integral to the day-to-day care of our cows. These include:
Nurturing – careful breeding, pre- and post-calving care, a clean and comfortable environment, appropriate shelter and good nutrition ensures our cows are born healthy and remain fit and strong.
Feeding – a highly nutritious diet maintains body condition and animal well-being.
Milking – the milking routine allows for regular assessment and early treatment of any injury or disease long before welfare is compromised.
Monitoring – daily monitoring of milk production and quality provides almost instant feedback on changes in cow health, nutrition and welfare.
Handling – good stockmanship practices create calm, low stress environments which are good for the wellbeing of our cows and our people.
Adapting – we are constantly adopting new and better ways of caring for our cows. We regularly attend courses, workshops and field days to keep in touch with the latest ideas and practices that contribute to improving animal welfare.
Assuring – our dairy farming practices deliver good animal welfare outcomes and are integrated into everyday quality assurance programs underpinned by regulations.
Routine care for cows includes:
• twice-dailyobservationspriortoandduringmilking
• comprehensivediseasepreventiontreatments including vaccinations
• inspectionstocheckforcompleterecoveryafter giving birth
• caringforcalvestobethenextgenerationof milkers
• participationinnationaldisease-controlprograms.
Milking and handling cows in a calm, stress-free environment is important. Routine practices that reduce stress include:
• allowingcowstoremainintheirnaturalsocial order when coming into the milking shed
• preventinginjurytoanimalsbykeepingfarmfacilities such as laneways, fences, troughs and the milking shed in good condition and safe working order
• providinganenvironmentthatrespectsnormal cow behaviour and their responses to light, noise and smells.
4
Working with cows the best job in the world
South Australian share-farmer Beck Middleton says she has the best job in the world. After starting as a farmhand on an Illawarra dairy in Mount Gambier, Beck then worked as a herd manager before doing relief herd management and milking, followed by stints for a couple of AI companies. Eventually she settled at Meningie, SA.
“I can’t imagine doing anything else,” she said.
“I’m a vet, a mechanic, a milker, a pasture specialist, a soil scientist and a midwife. I get to do this huge variety every day.
“I love working with dairy cattle and I love the science behind it,” she said. “That’s my number one. What we expect from them every day and what they manage to achieve – they’re super-athletes. Just astounding animals.”Beck Middleton, South Australian share-farmer
5Caring for our cows
An industry approach
As an industry, our vision is that every dairy animal is well cared for.
To support this vision, the National Dairy Industry Animal Welfare Strategy sets out husbandry principles and practices to guide farmers in the care of their animals. It builds on existing practices to ensure all dairy animals are well cared for throughout their lives.
The strategy seek the following outcomes:
1. Fostering and encouraging improved animal husbandry practices to achieve good animal welfare outcomes
2. Ensuring farmers have adequate information to understand and adopt good animal welfare practices, and to speak confidently about their approaches
3. Providing government, community and consumer confidence in the Australian dairy animal husbandry practices and welfare outcomes
4. Ensuring there are effective processes in place to identify, prioritise and respond to animal welfare issues at an industry wide level.
The strategy also highlights priority areas to support farmers in achieving high standards of animal health and wellbeing. These priority areas drive the industry’s objectives and action plans for animal health, and have clear performance goals to guide us.
Focus areas and performance goals
1. Legislation, standards, assurance and training
• All farmers adhere to animal welfare legislation and standards;
• All farmers have on-farm assurance programs incorporating relevant animal welfare standards; and
• All farmers have training protocols and procedures for handling and management of dairy cattle, including calves.
2. Calf management across the supply chain
• All farmers adhere to standards and agreed industry practices for the management of their calves; and
• People handling and transporting calves for sale or slaughter adhere to animal welfare standards.
3. Minimise lameness – prevention, early detection and treatment
• All farms have lameness prevention and treatment strategies in place.
4. Continue to reduce calving induction
• Ongoing research in genetic improvement and fertility management to achieve longterm improvement in herd fertility
• All farmers adopt management options to minimise the use of calving induction.
5. Eliminate tail docking
• Tail docking is only undertaken to treat for injury or disease, under the recommendation of a vet.
6. Minimise pain associated with horn removal
• All farmers disbud calves by eight weeks;
• All farmers have access to practical pain management options; and
• All farmers have access to semen from polled bulls for use in breeding programs.
7. Manage sick or injured cows
• All farmers ensure sick or injured cows are treated or humanely euthanased as soon as possible.
Caring for Cows_2014.indd 5 18/09/2014 4:48 pm
6
Animal care key to a sustainable industry
The Australian dairy industry has developed a whole-of-industry Sustainability Framework which aims to:
• Enhance livelihoods across the industry
• Improve community and animal wellbeing
• Reduce our environmental impact
In 2013, the Australian Dairy Industry Council endorsed a series of targets and performance measures under the Sustainability Framework including a target for animal welfare – “to provide best care for all animals”. To monitor industry progress against this target, the following performance measures have been established.
I. 100% of industry complying with legislated animal welfare standards
II. All of industry adopting relevant industry recommended practices for animal care
III. 25% increase in the number of consumers who believe dairy farmers do a good job caring for animals
Guiding principles for animal care
The National Dairy Industry Animal Welfare Strategy recognises the ‘Five Freedoms’ as guiding principles in achieving good welfare outcomes for dairy animals.
1. Freedom from hunger and thirst by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigour.
2. Freedom from discomfort by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.
3. Freedom from pain, injury and disease by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.
4. Freedom to express normal behaviour by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of their own kind.
5. Freedom from fear and distress by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.
7Caring for our cows
Continuous consistent care Around 400 cows are raised each year on the Jelbart dairy farm near Leongatha in Gippsland. The farm has developed its own manual for calf rearing called “Continuous consistent care”. Protocols cover all aspects of calf care including feeding, weaning, preparing for transport and caring for sick calves.
Nutrition is everything, according to Max Jelbart, and making sure the calves are well fed is a focus in the calf shed.
“From birth to weaning is the most efficient time for an animal to gain weight and sets them up for life.”
Calves are removed from their mothers usually within 12 hours of birth, to minimise Johnes risk and ensure calves that do not drink from their mothers are fed at least two litres of colostrum at the first feed – with more at subsequent feeds.
“It’s important to feed calves good quality colostrum, so we use a Brix meter to test it,” says Max.
Calves are then fed milk twice a day until around day 14 and once a day after that, with weaning occurring at 10-12 weeks in a process taking about 10 days. All calves have access to hay grain and water at all times. Calves are closely observed during feeding to monitor their health and wellbeing.
“If a calf is aggressively feeding, it will do well. If a calf is not drinking, or just fiddling with its milk, it’s a sign of trouble.” Max Jelbart
Calves are susceptible to scours, particularly in the first week. To reduce the incidence, it is important to prevent any contact with mature animals or their manure, and ensure calves have clean housing. At the Jelbart farm, calves have dry bedding in a well-ventilated, draught free area. A new vaccine is also available for E.coli and rotavirus which was used for the first time last autumn at the Jelbart farm.
“We think it’s made a difference,” says Max.
Detailed records of all health treatments are kept. Different coloured necklaces identify which calves need special attention or are on treatment of any sort.
“Observation and individual treatment is the key to success” states the Jelbart farm manual.
What else? “Plenty of TLC,” says Max.
8
Investment in animal husbandry
It is critical that we continue to advance our husbandry practices. The industry invests in activities to improve animal welfare outcomes.
• Research into better dairy animal welfare: calf management, transport, lameness, fertility management, dehorning and management of downer cows.
• Educating and training farmers on good husbandry practices.
• Educating and training all people who work with bobby calves.
• Industry quality assurance for the production of high quality milk from healthy, well cared for animals.
• Development of national standards and guidelines and state legislation and regulations in animal welfare and land transport.
Rearing young calves in a clean, warm environment away from the adult herd helps protect them from diseases and parasites.
9Caring for our cows
Simple measures achieve good reproductive performance
With the decline in dairy cow fertility in Australia, there has been increasing difficulty for seasonal calving dairy herd owners to maintain a seasonal calving pattern. Calving induction has sometimes been used in order to maintain this pattern, and avoid culling cows.
Port Fairy dairy farmers Trevor and Carolyn Beasley run a 260 cow operation and have never undertaken early calving induction. By only keeping fertile cows in their herd they have reduced the need for induction and they are able to maintain the performance of their herd through five simple measures:
• Keeping meticulous records
• Knowledge of each cow’s history
• Maintaining efficient heat detection
• Keeping the herd well fed during all stages of lactation
• Treatment of pre-joining and non-cycling cows
In addition, Trevor and Carolyn suspect that keeping less fertile cows results in less fertile replacements.
And because they don’t rely on staff to manage the herd, they need to know the history of all cows – this is where their meticulous record keeping comes in handy.
Eventually the Beasley’s intend to milk fewer cows and achieve a better quality herd.
“By not inducing cows and by selling late calvers, we keep only replacements from cows with proven fertility. Getting cows back into calf quickly relies on having cows that are well fed, and cows that are well fed are much healthier,”
Trevor and Carolyn Beasley
10
Keeping calves warm and dry
Camperdown dairy farmer Chris Place milks 400 cows with his wife and brother and says correctly caring for his calves is not a difficult task. He believes a warm, dry shed is central to rearing healthy calves and ensuring they are fit for transport.
“We treat our bobby calves the same as our heifer calves, no different – it’s not hard to do it and that way we don’t have to worry about looking after sick calves.”
“We keep them clean and dry and well looked after and bring them in within 12 hours of being born. We house them in a warm, dry shed so we can give them a good feed of colostrum and get them out of the wet grass,” Chris Place, Dairy Farmer
Calves in the new shed at the Place farm in Camperdown, Victoria
11Caring for our cows
Initiatives to support cow care
As an industry, we continue to participate in programs and activities which build knowledge and improve the care of our cows. Current initiatives include:
Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Cattle – due to be endorsed in 2014.
On-farm assurance programs – incorporate recording, analysis, and auditing of animal health and welfare.
Cool Cows – assists dairy farmers to manage the risk of heat stress in their herds.
Grains2Milk – addresses issues associated with feeding concentrates to dairy cows in order to minimise the risk of animal health and welfare issues such as acidosis and laminitis
CowTime – provides farmers with options to make milking more efficient and easier, and reduce stress for cows in the dairy by ensuring a calm and quiet environment in the dairy.
FutureDairy – assesses animal behaviours in automatic milking systems.
InCalf – helps farmers improve the fertility of their cows, reducing the need for interventions such as calving induction.
Countdown 2020 – helps farmers manage mastitis in their herds improving herd health, cow comfort and milk quality.
Dairy Futures CRC – developing dairy cattle breeding values and genomic markers with implications for animal welfare such as calving ease, mastitis resistance and longevity.
Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Scheme – provides farmers with the information they need to make breeding decisions based on traits associated with improved animal welfare.
Rearing Healthy Calves – provides farmers with information and practical recommendations for successful calf management
National Centre for Dairy Education Australia – ensures trainers and farmers have access to formal training materials and courses, and extension workshops in animal husbandry - a key component of which is health and welfare.
Regional Development Programs – provide information resources for farmers, and facilitate workshops and training activities.
Animal health and biosecurity programs – addresses disease and illness problems such as the prevention, timely identification and treatment of diseases and the management of downer cows.
More information about these initiatives can be found on the Dairy Australia website at www.dairyaustralia.com.au
12
Table 1. Current state regulations
Principle Act Principle Code of Practice Administration Department
ACT Animal Welfare Act 1992
Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals - Cattle
Environment ACTenvironment.act.gov.au
NSW Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1997
Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals - Cattle
Department of Primary Industriesdpi.new.gov.au
NT Animal Welfare Act March 2000
Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals - Cattle
Department of Business, Industry & Resource Developmentdbird.nt.gov.au
QLD Animal Care and Protection Act 2001
Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals - Cattle
Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries dpi.qld.gov.au
SA Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1985
Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals - Cattle
Department of Environment & Heritage environment.sa.gov.au
TAS Animal Welfare Act 1993
Cattle Animal Welfare Standard No 2
Department of Primary Industries, Water & Environmentdpiwe.tas.gov.au
VIC Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986
Code of Accepted Farming Practice for the Welfare of Cattle
Department of Environment and Primary Industriesdepi.vic.gov.au
WA Animal Welfare Act 2002
Codes of Practice for Cattle in Western Australia
Department of Agricultureagric.wa.gov.au
Animal welfare regulations
As farmers, we work to provide the best possible care for our animals. We are backed by the Australian regulatory framework which outlines acceptable standards of care. States and Territories regulate animal welfare through legislation for the prevention of cruelty to animals.
New Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Cattle are due to be endorsed in 2014. The standards are legal requirements
that must be met. They create clear and consistent regulations based on current scientific knowledge, recommended industry practices and community expectations. They cover the full range of on-farm management practices for cattle and their welfare considerations including feed and water, risk management, facilities and equipment, handling, castration and dehorning, breeding, calf rearing systems, dairy management, and humane killing.
Cows need a balanced diet that gives them enough energy to keep their bodies working in top condition and to produce milk.
13Caring for our cows
A switch to trimming for cow comfort
In wet conditions, a cow’s tail can become muddy. In the past, there was a perception that removing cows’ tails could prevent mastitis and improve occupational health and safety of milking staff.
There is no scientific justification for tail docking however, and it is now recognised that the practice compromises animal welfare by increasing irritation from biting flies. The procedure itself may cause lasting nerve damage and pain for cows, although no research exists to confirm this.
The practice is not supported by the Australian dairy industry and will be banned under the new Animal Welfare Standards for Cattle.
Andrew Lester, a dairy farmer in north east Tasmania and president of the State’s Dairy Council, actively promotes alternatives such as regular switch trimming at farmer events and information sessions.
He admits it’s not pleasant to get hit in the face with a muddy tail in the dairy, but says tail docking is not acceptable.
“If you take off a cow’s tail, you remove her ability to defend herself against flies,” says Andrew.
“From a comfort perspective, it’s much better just to trim the switch. At our farm, we do this about three times per year. The tail trimmers work well, but sometimes it’s better to use shears – It’s easier with some cows than others!
“Over the last six or seven years, I’ve observed a downward trend in tail docking. We need to make sure it is stopped altogether for the good of the cows.” Andrew Lester, Dairy farmer in North East Tasmania
14
Monitoring animal welfare outcomes
We know healthy, happy cows produce high-quality milk. As dairy farmers we want to objectively track our performance so we can be sure our cows are being cared for in the best possible way.
The Animal Husbandry Survey has been conducted by Dairy Australia regularly since 2005 to monitor and evaluate various animal health and welfare practices undertaken on dairy farms. The data gathered is used to identify where farmers require more support and information, as well as to track the uptake of recommended practices. It also informs implementation of the National Dairy Industry Animal Welfare Strategy.
Prevention better than the cure for lameness
Simple management practices can help reduce the incidences of lameness in dairy herds. Practices such as regular maintenance of laneways and yards, ensuring cows are not walked too fast and
ensuring cows do not stand on concrete for too long can reduce the incidences of lameness and treatment costs.
In addition, by establishing lameness strategies, farmers will not only improve animal welfare by minimising suffering and distress on cows but they will minimise the financial impact from lost production, reduced fertility and treatment costs.
Dairy Australia has been working with farmers to assist them in establishing lameness strategies on farm to minimise lameness. It has prepared a kit that provides farmers with resources to help identify and treat lameness in cows.
“The lameness kit provides vets with a ‘workshop on a platter’, says Neil Leighton, a vet Smithton, NW Tasmania.
It contains the workshop materials and resources for farmers to help assess lame cows, identify the different causes and therefore treat accordingly. A major focus is on preventing lameness in the first place using simple management practices.”
Australian Dairy. Legendairy.
• Australian dairy is a major contributor to the economy.
• It is a $13 billion industry, directly employing 43,000 Australians.
• Around 100,000 Australians indirectly rely on dairy for their livelihood from vets and scientists to mechanics and feed suppliers.
• With a farm gate value alone of $4 billion, dairy enriches regional Australian communities.
• Australian dairy exports go to more than 100 countries, earning around $2.7 billion annually
• Australian dairy farmers are highly skilled professionals, needing more than 170 different skills to run a successful farm business.
• Australia’s 6400 dairy farms collectively are home to 1.65 million cows, producing 9.2 billion litres of milk a year. With 10 essential nutrients, dairy foods have contributed to Australians’ health and wellbeing for nearly 200 years.
• The industry is committed to social, economic and environmental sustainability with a formal Sustainability Framework in place to ensure continuous improvement.
• Australian dairy farmers are dedicated to the health and wellbeing of their animals, following strict industry animal care guidelines to ensure health and wellbeing.
Useful contacts Australian Dairy FarmersTel: 03 8621 4200 www.australiandairyfarmers.com.au
Dairy AustraliaTel: 03 9694 3777 www.dairyaustralia.com.au
Regional Development ProgramsDairySATel: 08 8766 0127 www.dairysa.com.au
DairyTASTel: 03 6432 2233 www.dairytas.com.au
DairyNSWTel: 0412 825 466 www.dairynsw.com.au
GippsDairyTel: 03 5624 3900 www.gippsdairy.com.au
Murray DairyTel: 03 5833 5312 www.murraydairy.com.au
Subtropical DairyTel: 0431 197 479 www.dairyinfo.biz
Western DairyTel: 0418 931 938 www.westerndairy.com.au
WestVic DairyTel: 03 5557 1000 www.westvicdairy.com.au
Dairy Australia Limited ACN 105 227 987
Level 5, IBM Centre60 City Road, Southbank VIC 3006 Australia
T + 61 3 9694 3777 F + 61 3 9694 3701E [email protected]
www.dairyaustralia.com.au
“Our herd is our livelihood, and the welfare of our animals is linked to productivity. But it goes much deeper than that. We can see our cows every time we milk, and they stay in the herd for five, ten or more years. So we feel very connected with our cows and young stock. We take animal welfare quite personally.” Jacqui Biddulph, WA dairy farmer
Dairy Australia Limited ACN 105 227 987
Level 5, IBM Centre60 City Road, Southbank VIC 3006 Australia
T + 61 3 9694 3777 F + 61 3 9694 3701 E [email protected]
www.dairyaustralia.com.au
Copyright 2014
