Animal welfare: Where is the dairy industry?
Jeffery Bewley, Graduate Research Assistant, Purdue University, for Progressive Dairyman
Previously, I discussed some
of the insight I gained from an
animal welfare course I recently
completed here at Purdue
University. Throughout this
course, I found myself continually
questioning where the dairy
industry fits in the discussion of
animal welfare. Ultimately, the
answer for me is that, generally
speaking, the welfare of dairy
animals is good, but there is room
for improvement.
Luckily, the animal welfare
challenges the dairy industry
faces may not be as daunting
as challenges faced by other
animal industries; however,
positive changes can occur in
this regard without turning the
entire industry upside down.
In fact, many changes that
would improve animal welfare
would also improve dairy farm
profitability and the morale of
the people working with these
animals.
Where are these opportunities
for improvement? It should not
take any dairy producer long
to think of areas where the
welfare of dairy animals might
be compromised. For example,
Dr. Temple Grandin suggests
lameness is the major welfare
issue facing the dairy industry.
She proposes it is the perfect
example of “bad becoming
normal” as dairy producers have
become so accustomed to seeing
a high incidence of lameness
that they have accepted it as a
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characteristic of a normal dairy
operation.
Similarly, some would argue
that high involuntary cull rates
are an animal welfare concern.
Are stress and inadequate
management impacting this
issue? Using these two examples,
it is easy to see how efforts to
improve animal welfare could
also be quite beneficial in
improving dairy productivity
and profitability. No one would
argue against efforts to reduce
lameness and involuntary culling.
Of course, if there were easy
solutions to these problems, they
would already be implemented.
Nevertheless, continued focus
on how we can impact these
issues will be beneficial for
management, profitability and
welfare.
How do increased production
levels affect the welfare of a dairy
cow? How do facilities impact
dairy cattle welfare? Tremendous
progress has been made with
regard to cow comfort in the
last twenty years. In essence,
by improving cow comfort we
are simultaneously improving
welfare. Of course, not every
animal welfare issue is as
clear-cut as these examples. For
example, how should the industry
handle more complex issues such
as tail-docking or separation of
cow and calf at birth? Though
results have been mixed, the
majority of research conducted
on tail-docking suggests the
welfare of cows whose tails have
been docked is compromised and
there are no milk quality benefits
associated with this practice.
Many producers continue this
practice, though, primarily
because of the milker comfort
benefits. How should the industry
consider these types of trade-offs?
Dairy producers should
always be cognizant of the
fact that the same people who
are asking for improvements
in animal welfare are also
current and future consumers.
In 2003, a Gallup Poll asked
the question “Do animals have
rights?” Seventy-three percent
of people surveyed believed
animals deserve some type of
protection, while 25 percent
believed animals deserved the
same rights as people; only three
percent believed they don’t need
much protection. Whether or
not you agree with these people,
it would be foolish to neglect
such overwhelming statistics and
completely ignore the concerns of
the dairy’s ultimate customers.
Many consumers indicate
a willingness to pay more for
products if they can be assured
that animals were well cared for.
Thus, one driver of change may be
through niche marketing efforts
similar to organic dairying.
Even outside of niche marketing
efforts, producers should be
concerned about the welfare
image they are presenting to the
general public.
Third-party audit programs,
such as the Animal Welfare
Assurance Review and Evaluation
(AWARE-http://www.emsllc.org/
aware04/awaredefaultpage04.
asp), Humane Farm Animal Care
(http://www.certifiedhumane.
com/) and the Dairy Quality
Assurance Center (http://
www.dqacenter.org/) are great
examples of the dairy industry
proactively moving in the right
direction toward improving
animal welfare. These types
of programs will likely play an
increasingly important role in the
dairy industry in the future.
Lastly, the dairy industry
should continue efforts to
self-regulate welfare concerns.
The amount of legislation focused
on the rights of animals continues
to increase. A 2003 Gallup Poll
showed 62 percent of people
surveyed support passing strict
laws concerning the treatment
of farm animals. Dr. Bernie
Rollin, distinguished professor
of philosophy, physiology and
animal sciences at Colorado
State University, suggests the
dairy industry should increase
efforts to improve animal
welfare themselves to reduce the
potential for misguided legislative
efforts.
As the general public
continues to become less
connected to life on the farm,
the potential for a perpetuation
of misinformation increases. If
the dairy industry fails to make
changes from within, the cries
for animal welfare policies will
increase. If dairy producers are
not involved in the creation of
new policies, the chances of
creating emotionally derived
(rather than research-based)
policies increase.
The dairy industry continues
to face new challenges related to
consumer concerns, such as food
quality, environmental concerns
and animal welfare. While each
of these issues comes with its own
set of issues and limitations, the
least effective strategy is to ignore
them. Eventually, the question of
who will pay for these changes
becomes a limiting factor and
a major concern. Additional
research focused on dairy animal
welfare is needed to identify
areas where the cow’s welfare
truly is compromised. These
research efforts should be helpful
in establishing a realistic balance
between public concerns and
dairy production system realities
and needs. PD
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DAIRYMAN
Reprinted from June 2006
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