‘Welfare of Cattle’ in Commercial Dairy Operations

Khushboo Gupta &Coordinator-Farm Animals,FIAPO

Dr.M.L.KambojSenior ScientistLPM, NDRI

What is Animal Welfare?

• The ability of an animal to cope physiologically, behaviorally, cognitively and emotionally with its physiochemical and social life environment, including the animal’s subjective experience of its condition

(Gonyou, 1993; Duncan & Fraser,1997;Scott,2004)

• State of well-being, in which at least basic needs are met and suffering is minimized

(Spedding, 2000)

Oie- Office International Des Epizootieson Animal Welfare

“Animal welfare means how an animal is coping with the conditions in which it lives. An animal is in a good state of welfare if (as indicated by scientific evidence) it is healthy, comfortable, well nourished, safe, able to express innate behaviour, and if it is not suffering from unpleasant states such as pain, fear, and distress”

Good animal welfare requires disease prevention and veterinary treatment, appropriate shelter, management, nutrition and humane handling

Why Animal Welfare?• Animals are sentient beings: Emotional

aspect of using animals • The reality of dairy industry is different

from what is shown in advertisements for publicity of animal products

• Consumer awareness• “Well managed and gently handled

animals are productive than anxious animals , or those handled roughly”

(Pawelek & Croney,2003)

Indian dairy industry- A brief overview• India has a population of 199.1 Million cows

and 105.3 Million buffalos(2007 Census)• Prevalence of cross bred cows & various

breeds of buffalo • Dairying as a tool for rural empowerment-

livelihood & food security • Specially for small farmers • Shift in nature of dairying: from household

to commercial• Completely production oriented• Dairy industry superficially regulated

Prevailing Milk Production Systems{Typologies}

• Large commercial dairy• Urban & peri- urban dairy• Small holder backyard farmers• Government farms & breeding centres• Gaushalas

Milk production to be doubled by 2020

• Strengthening of present small holder in the country

OR

• Start large commercial units with numerous milk producing cows

Dairy Industry

But within this market…

Loser

Welfare considerations in commercial dairy operations

The Five freedomsIndicatorsPractices

The 5

Freedoms

Freedom from thirst, hunger and malnutritio

n

Freedom to express

normal behavior for the

species Freedom from fear

and distress

Freedom from pain, injury and disease

Freedom from

discomfort due to

environment

Freedom statement What it entails

Freedom from Hunger and Thirst Ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigour

Freedom from Discomfort Providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.

Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease Prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.

Freedom to Express Normal Behaviour Providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal's own kind.

Freedom from Fear and Distress Ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.

Indicators of Reduced Animal Welfare

Behaviour Physical Physiological Production

Bar bitingTongue rollingWind suckingInter/Cross-

suckingEye rollingTail biting

CutInjury

Body damage

Reduced feed intake,

Immune suppression,

Adrenal activity altered

Milk production decreased,

Body Weight decreased,

Reproduction impaired,

Cheap milk is good but the cows are losing…….

Production & Reproduction

• Growth hormones - bST• Diet related/ nutritional problems

- challenge feeding, milk fever ( calcium intake vs milk extraction) etc

• ‘One calf an year’- Metabolism of animal & male calves- Longevity - Effect on consistent productivity

• Tie stalls “Mammary infections and/or teat injuries have been found into

be more common in cows kept in tie stalls compared to cows kept in free stalls or straw yards”

(Hultgren J.2002)• Lying space

“Lying behaviour plays a critical role in the production potential, profitability and welfare status of intensively managed dairy cattle. When cows are deprived of adequate lying time, their welfare may be reduced”

(Fregonesi & Leaver (2001) & Cooper et al. (2008) )

• Freedom of movement

Housing

Activity Time devoted to activity per day

Eating 3 to 5 h (9 to 14 meals/d)

Lying/resting 12 to 14 h

Social interactions 2 to 3 h

Ruminating 7 to 10 h

Drinking 30 min

Outside pen (milking, travel time) 2.5 to 3.5 h

Typical daily time budget for a lactating dairy cow

Grant and Albright, 2000

Relationship between resting time and milk yield in dairy cows Grant, 2004

Cows have a strong behavioral need to rest

Cows will take more rest when

• Microclimate inside the house is comfortable• Comfortable resting place is available• They are not over crowded• Surface of the floor is conducive for rest

- not hot in summers- not cool in winters- not slippery

In order to maximize milk production, a cow should spend over 12 hours, or more than 50% of her day, lying in a stall or a pasture

Ryan A., 2010

Flooring• Concrete floors

“ The presence of excreta on walking surfaces causes discomfort to cows and predisposes them to developing leg and foot problems” (Wells et al. 2008)

• The greater use of free stall housing with concrete floors may be contributing to reproductive loss.

(Phillips and Morris, 2001)

• Concrete flooring has also been blamed for a higher incidence of lameness in modern dairy cows

Lame cows with claw lesions (approximately 18% of the herd) were half as likely to conceive when compared to healthy cows(Hernandez et al., 2001)

Lameness

Calf Rearing• Separation from mother

(Day old weaning)

• Feed to calves-Biased feeding-Male in buffalos, female in local & draught breeds

• Male calves (young & adult) - Disposal in young and adult mainly in cross bred cows- Unwanted, uncared, unnourished, made to die

Other problems…• Inadequate feeding

-Increased aggression in the feeding area when cows are overcrowded has been noted by a number of researchers (Olofsson, 1999; DeVries et al., 2004; DeVries and von Keyserlingk, 2006,Huzzey et al., 2006)

• Frequent re -grouping• Locomotion and activity• Physical- Lameness, mastitis, tail docking,

de horning• Branding • Handling, transport & slaughter

Are current dairy production systems ethical?

Considerations:–Animal welfare

• Is the animal harmed? • Are the animals’ needs met?

–Human obligations• Are the animals being used

responsibly?• What is the impact on the

environment?(Croney,

2004)

Dairy operators’ approach to welfare

• Many would like to spend more on improving cow health and welfare

– But variation in attitudes

• Not always clear return on investment for health / welfare matters

Fears in adopting animal welfare

• Unclear about what it entails• Avoid making large, expensive

changes• Unaware of the impacts of poor

animal welfare• Misconception that animal

welfare is being taken care of

Who will improve the condition then?

Farmer?

Government?

NGOs?

Consumer?

Vets?

YOU can make a difference to lives of thousands of animals at dairies!

By enhancing your knowledge on animal welfareBy introducing your students to this concept &By including AW in course curricula- UG & PG

levelBy encouraging research in this areaBy publishing scholarly articles on ‘harmonizing

animal welfare in dairy operations’By vocalizing animal welfare at scientific foraBy advising commercial dairy operators to adopt

welfare practices

FIAPO’s efforts….

• Developing scientific scaling methods to assess welfare of dairy cows across different typologies of milk production units in India • Development of strategy to

promote animal welfare of dairy animals

Possible Strategy to promote AW

• Development of a national code of dairy standards• Incorporation of dairy standards in the Bureau of

Indian Standards• Up gradation of Registration of cattle premises rules• Work with Animal Husbandry departments to adopt

dairy code• AH depts. to include animal welfare indicators such

as housing and waste disposal as eligibility for dairy promotion schemes

Strategy continued…..• Invoke India’s commitment to international covenants

and treaties• IEC to farmers• Capacity building of cooperatives to ensure

functionaries to ensure compliance of animal welfare practices by their members.

• NIAW to run training programme on animal welfare best practices in dairy operations

• Consumer outreach & public awareness• Network of dairy scientists & progressive dairy farmers

Applying good animal welfare can be as simple as applying good husbandry practices on

consistent basis

Good animal welfare

EQUALS

Better health Improved productivity

Quality productsIncreased overall profitability

I can be reached at-Email: khushboo@fiapo.org

Contact: 09717867045

THANK YOU!

www.fiapo.org