NEARLY ALL DAIRY CALVES ARE SEPARATED FROM THEIR DAM WITHIN HOURS OF BIRTH AND REARED ARTIFICIALLY BY DAIRY PRODUCERS. DESPITE COW-CALF SEPARATION BEING A STANDARD INDUSTRY PRACTICE, IT MAY HAVE NEGATIVE IMPLICATIONS FOR ANIMAL WELFARE AND IS MISALIGNED WITH SOCIAL VALUES ABOUT REARING AGRICULTURAL NEONATE ANIMALS. STILL, A KNOWLEDGE GAP EXISTS REGARDING HOW KEEPING COW-CALF PAIRS TOGETHER AFTER BIRTH MAY AFFECT WELFARE AND RISK FACTORS TO HEALTH. MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS ARE AFFECTED BY COW-CALF EXTENDED CONTACT, ESPECIALLY DAIRY PRODUCERS. ENGAGING PRODUCERS DURING EARLY STAGES OF RESEARCH DECREASES THE RISK OF PRODUCERS REJECTING THE ADOPTION OF NEW PRACTICES. THUS, OUR GOAL IS TO IDENTIFY KEY ANIMAL AND RESOURCE-BASED MEASURE OF WELFARE, INCLUDING HEALTH, AND UNDERSTAND PRODUCER PERSPECTIVES ON DAIRY FARMS THAT CURRENTLY USE COW-CALF CONTACT TO REAR CALVES. TO ACHIEVE THESE AIMS, WE WILL CONDUCT AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY ON DAIRY FARMS IN THE UNITED STATES. DURING FARM VISITS WE WILL PERFORM EXAMS ON DAIRY COWS AND CALVES TO RECORD ANIMAL-BASED MEASURES OF WELFARE AND SIGNS OF DISEASE, RECORD RESOURCE-BASED WELFARE MEASURES, AND COLLECT FARM RECORDS TO RETROSPECTIVELY DESCRIBE MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY. WE WILL ALSO USE SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS TO UNDERSTAND DAIRY PRODUCER PERSPECTIVES ON COW-CALF CONTACT. RESULTS FROM THIS RESEARCH WILL PROVIDE FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT COW-CALF CONTACT AND PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE COW AND CALF WELFARE DURING THE CRITICAL WEEKS TO MONTHS AFTER CALVING. BY INVESTIGATING COW-CALF CONTACT, THE DAIRY INDUSTRY WILL BE TAKING A PROACTIVE STEP TOWARD REDUCING SOCIAL CONCERN OVER THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF ANIMALS IN THEIR CARE.

University Of Vermont & State Agricultural College, Burlington VT

Investigators