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Cited by 33Animal Behavior and Welfare StudiesAnimal health and immunologySustainable Agricultural Systems Analysis

Factors affecting the welfare of unweaned dairy calves destined for early slaughter and abattoir animal-based indicators reflecting their welfare on-farm

Open access
Boyle, Laura A., Mee, John F.·2021·Frontiers in Veterinary Science
DOI 10.3389/fvets.2021.645537PMC PMC8085530
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Abstract

In many dairy industries, but particularly those that are pasture-based and have seasonal calving, "surplus calves," which are mostly male, are killed at a young age because they are of low value and it is not economically viable to raise them. Such calves are either killed on farm soon after birth or sent for slaughter at an abattoir. In countries where calves are sent for slaughter the age ranges from 3-4 days (New Zealand and Australia; "bobby calves") to 3-4 weeks (e.g., Ireland); they are not weaned. All calves are at the greatest risk of death in the 1st month of life but when combined with their low value, this makes surplus calves destined for early slaughter (i.e., <1 month of age) particularly vulnerable to poor welfare while on-farm. The welfare of these calves may also be compromised during transport and transit through markets and at the abattoir. There is growing recognition that feedback to farmers of results from animal-based indicators (ABI) of welfare (including health) collected prior to and after slaughter can protect animal welfare. Hence, the risk factors for poor on-farm, in-transit and at-abattoir calf welfare combined with an ante and post mortem (AM/PM) welfare assessment scheme specific to calves <1 month of age are outlined. This scheme would also provide an evidence base with which to identify farms on which such animals are more at risk of poor welfare. The following ABIs, at individual or batch level, are proposed: AM indicators include assessment of age (umbilical maturity), nutritional status (body condition, dehydration), behavioral status (general demeanor, posture, able to and stability while standing and moving, shivering, vocalizations, oral behaviors/cross-sucking, fearfulness, playing), and evidence of disease processes (locomotory ability [lameness], cleanliness/fecal soiling [scour], injuries hairless patches, swellings, wounds], dyspnoea/coughing, nasal/ocular discharge, navel swelling/discharge); PM measures include assessment of feeding adequacy (abomasal contents, milk in rumen, visceral fat reserves) and evidence of disease processes (omphalitis, GIT disorders, peritonitis, abscesses [internal and external], arthritis, septicaemia, and pneumonia). Based on similar models in other species, this information can be used in a positive feedback loop not only to protect and improve calf welfare but also to inform on-farm calf welfare management plans, support industry claims regarding animal welfare and benchmark welfare performance nationally and internationally.

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  • Male dairy calves destined for rearing facilities or early slaughter can be transported as early as a few days of age in the USA, Australia, and New Zealand or between 2 and 4 weeks of age in EU member states and the UK.

    “Male dairy calves destined for rearing facilities or early slaughter can be transported as early as a few days of age in the USA, Australia, and New Zealand (3) or between 2 and 4 weeks of age in EU member states and the UK (4).”

    From Effect of source and journey on physiological variables in calves transported by road and ferry between Ireland and the Netherlands (2023) · cites this paper as [4]

    The Introduction and the New Zealand and Australia section describe calves transported for early slaughter at about 3–4 days of age in those two countries. The Introduction mentions calves in North America being raised for veal or killed soon after birth, but does not establish that calves in the USA are transported at a few days old or that this age applies to transport to rearing facilities. The EU/UK age is attached to a different citation in the citing sentence. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Authors
Boyle, L. A., & Mee, J. F.
Affiliations
Teagasc - The Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority (IE)
Corresponding author
Mee, John F.
ORCID
Venue
Frontiers in Veterinary Science
Publisher
Frontiers Media SA
Published
2021-04-16
Volume
8
Pages
645537-645537
ISSN
2297-1769 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3389/fvets.2021.645537
PMC
PMC8085530
OpenAlex
W3156089031
Cited by
33
References
138
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 2
FWCI
0.84
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Frontiers in Veterinary Science (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • T-Stór (Teagasc) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • Arrow@dit (Dublin Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • T-Stór (Teagasc) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
  • Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Animal health and immunology
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Sustainable Agricultural Systems Analysis
Keywords
welfare, early slaughter, animal-based welfare indicators, slaughterhouses, calf mortality, calf health, seasonal calving, pasture-based dairy systems, omphalitis, lameness, gastrointestinal diseases, cross-sucking

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