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The author presents guidelines for what she considers to be ways the dairy industry could ease the suffering of animals the most. These involve the care of calves and the handling of downed cows, and include such guidelines and standards as not selling newborn calves until they are at least old enough to walk and stand without assistance from a person, and giving colostrum within a few hours after birth. Six ways to reduce the incidence of downed animals are also presented including use of ease of calving information for the selection of bulls to prevent nerve damage to cows and culling cows before they become infirm.
The following are from her article in volume 204, February 1,1994, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Farm animal welfare during handling, transport, and slaughter.
"Nonambulatory (downer) cattle are a major problem area. Less than 1% of the cattle handled and transported are downers, but these animals may suffer greatly. Dairy cattle are 75% of the downers (McNaughton,1993). Downed cattle are often abused when they are dragged from trucks or scooped up with bucket loaders or fork-lifts. Several people from England and Denmark told me they were shocked by the rough treatment of downed animals. It is absolutely impossible to humanely move a downed cow from the center compartment of a double-deck cattle truck unless the truck is equipped with side doors...In New Zealand, downed cattle that arrive at the slaughter plant at night are often euthanized and sent to rendering. From a welfare standpoint, euthanizing downers on the farm would be ideal. Transporting downed animals to auction markets is a bad practice, because the animal is subjected to a second stressful loading and unloading procedure. During the past two years auctions have stopped accepting nonambulatory animals. The emphasis needs to be on preventing downer animals. I estimate that 75% of all downed cattle are preventable by good management. It is likely that 10% of the bad dairies are responsible for 90% of the downers. Observations by the author indicate that cattle with broken limbs are a small percentage of downers, and many downed cattle are weak and emaciated. Calving difficulties are a common cause of downers...Another cause of downed and trampled animals is overloading of trucks. If a truck is overloaded, a downed animal is unable to get up... A survey conducted in New York indicated that 33% of the bob veal calves arriving at auctions were too young to walk (Grandin, 1990). This resulted in calves being thrown and dragged. Some people transported calves in the trunks of their cars...Mortality may reach 40%, and 10% mortality is considered usual. The dairy industry must stop this abuse. Abuse of such calves is a problem that may require legislation to correct."
Newborn calves must not be sold at an auction or to a calf dealer until; * they are old enough to walk and stand without assistance from a human,
* their haircoat and navel are dry,
* they have received colostrum (within a few hours after birth) to help them fight disease. A survey in California indicated that a high percentage of newborn diary calves were not given colostrum. Failure to feed the calves colostrum will greatly increase death losses. Much animal suffering could be prevented if dairies would manage their cows to reduce the incidence of downed animals. The most common cause of downed animals who are unable to walk are milk fever and calving difficulties. Good management will prevent most downed cow problems. The following management practices would help reduce downed cows. 1. Use of ease of calving information for the selection of bulls to help prevent difficult calving. Difficult calving can cause the cow to go down due to nerve damage.
2. Give proper nutrition, which will help prevent metabolic problems such as milk fever.
3. Use non-slip flooring.
4. Insure gentle handling.
5. Trim feet at regular intervals.
6. Cull cows before they become infirm.
Dr. Grandin is a respected consultant to the meat industry. In
fact, 30% of the cattle and pigs in the United States pass through facilities
and equipment designed by Dr. Grandin. She has designed facilities in 30
different states, Australia, Mexico, and Denmark. These sites have included
corral
systems with covered alley ways, veterinary facilities for feed
lots, and chutes and restrainer systems for meat plants. Her
trouble
shooting expertise includes the
areas of animal welfare improvement . . .
causes of bruising and injuries and corrections of those causes . . . humane
stunning methods . . . handling procedures to reduce stress, sickness, and
injury. She also
invented a system to replace shackling and hoisting
equipment in Kosher meat plants.
She received the Livestock Conservation Institutes Award for Meritorious Service in 1983, and the Innovator's Award for Technology from the meat industry in 1993.
Temple spends 80% of her time traveling and writing. She presents over twenty-five lectures a year. Like so many effective and talented heroes with a mission, her vocational activities often serve as her avocational pursuits.
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| Copies of this journal are no longer available for sale, but our other two journals, Society & Animals and the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, are available and subscriptions are quite affordable. They can be ordered online via our secure order page. |