THIS PARTNERSHIP PROJECT BRINGS TOGETHER RESEARCHERS AT THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF MALE CALVES ON DAIRY FARMS IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA. MALE DAIRY CALVES ARE OFTEN VIEWED AS AN UNWANTED BYPRODUCT OF DAIRY PRODUCTION; NONETHELESS, THEY HAVE IMPORTANT AN IMPORTANT IMPACT ON ECONOMIC AND CONSUMER PERCEPTION. MALE CALVES ARE USUALLY TRANSPORTED FROM THE HOME FARM WHERE THEY ARE BORN AND SOLD WITHIN DAYS AFTER BIRTH. MALE CALVES OFTEN RECEIVE A LOWER STANDARD OF CARE COMPARED TO FEMALE CALVES THAT REMAIN IN THE HERD, YET WHY OCCURS THIS IS NOT WELL UNDERSTOOD. THE LEVEL OF CARE CALVES RECEIVE WITHIN HOURS OF BIRTH DIRECTLY IMPACTS THEIR LONG-TERM HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, AND COLOSTRUM ADMINISTRATION, NAVEL CARE, AND EARLY-LIFE NUTRITION PROVIDED ON HOME FARM DIRECTLY INFLUENCES DISEASE INCIDENCE AND MORTALITY RISK LATER IN LIFE. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE BECAUSE MALE DAIRY CALF PRODUCTION SYSTEMS, INCLUDING VEAL (MARKETED AT 16 TO 20 WK OF AGE) AND DAIRY-BEEF (MARKETED AT 12 TO 14 MONTHS OF AGE), HAVE STRUGGLED WITH NEGATIVE STIGMA AND LEGITIMATE SOCIETAL WELFARE CONCERNS. REGARDLESS OF THE OVERALL IMPACT ON ECONOMICS OR CONSUMER OPINION, THERE IS AN EXISTING MORAL AND ETHICAL OBLIGATION TO ENSURE THE WELFARE FOR THIS OVERLOOKED POPULATION OF YOUNG ANIMALS. PREVIOUS RESEARCH FROM OUR GROUP HAS IDENTIFIED KEY HEALTH AND WELFARE CONCERNS FOR MALE CALVES AT ARRIVAL TO VEAL CALF REARING FACILITIES, AND THIS RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT DEFICIENT CARE AFTER BIRTH SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTES TO POOR MALE CALF WELFARE. HOWEVER, VERY LITTLE INFORMATION EXISTS REGARDING THE LEVEL OF CARE PROVIDED TO MALE CALVES PRIOR TO LEAVING THE HOME FARM, AND NO RESEARCH HAS IDENTIFIED OR TRIED TO OVERCOME THESE BARRIERS TO IMPROVE THE MANAGEMENT OF MALE CALVES ON THE HOME FARM. SPECIFICALLY, THERE IS NO RESEARCH ON HOW DAIRY PRODUCERS PERCEIVE THE WELFARE OF MALE CALVES, AND WHAT MOTIVATES THEM TO MAKE DECISIONS WHEN IT COMES TO MANAGING THESE YOUNG ANIMALS. THUS, THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO UNDERSTAND HOW MALE CALVES ARE MANAGED PRIOR TO LEAVING THE HOME FARM, AND IF AND WHY THIS LEVEL OF CARE DIFFERS FROM FEMALE CALVES. WE WILL ALSO PROVIDE DIRECT FEEDBACK TO DAIRY FARMERS ABOUT THE HEALTH AND WELFARE OF THE ANIMALS UNDER THEIR CARE, AND ULTIMATELY MOTIVATE THEM TO IMPLEMENT BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR ALL CALVES AFTER BIRTH.THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THIS PARTNERSHIP PROJECT ARE TO: 1) DEVELOP A COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNDERLYING ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS ASSOCIATED WITH DISCREPANT MALE AND FEMALE POST-NATAL CALF MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AMONG DAIRY FARMERS, 2) IDENTIFY THE SPECIFIC POSTNATAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH SUBOPTIMAL CARE OF MALE CALVES ON DAIRY FARMS, AND 3) DESIGN AND TEST THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A BENCHMARKING INTERVENTION TO MOTIVATE BEHAVIOR CHANGE AMONG DAIRY PRODUCERS BY PROVIDING THEM CONSISTENT FEEDBACK ON THE HEALTH OF THEIR NEONATAL CALVES IN COMP,ARISON TO THEIR PEERS.