The number of calves born on dairy farms has increased by over 300,000 (approximately 30%) over the past 10 years. At the same time, dairy farms have become more specialised, with more calves than ever leaving their farm of birth. Increasingly, these calves are being transported and sold at younger ages.
All of these factors suggest there could be the potential for calf health and welfare issues on dairy farms and associated with the transport and sale of dairy calves during their early weeks of life. Consequently, dairy farmers and others need to be proactive in managing the health and welfare of all calves, including those for transport or sale.
Responsibilities
Dairy farmers have a responsibility for the health and welfare of all calves born on their farms, and to ensure that all calves due to leave the farm are fit for transport or sale and will cope well with the journey. Others, including buying and selling agents, animal handlers, transporters and managers of facilities, also have a shared responsibility to ensure that illness or injury of dairy calves is avoided while these animals are under their supervision during the selling process.
Criteria to be met
The following eight criteria must be met before calves leave the dairy farm for transport or sale.
1 Calves must be fit for transport or sale.
2 All calves should receive three litres of colostrum (first milk) within two hours of birth (Colostrum 1, 2, 3 rule).
3 Calves should be fed on the morning of transport or sale.
4 Calves should be greater than 10 days of age if they are to be transported greater than 100km.
5 Calves should be free from all obvious signs of disease (including scour, pneumonia) and injury.
6 Prior to movement, all calves should be provided with appropriate accommodation to maximise calf health and welfare and minimise the risk of disease.
7 Calves must be correctly tagged and accompanied by the correct identification documents.
8 Calves must be handled appropriately during loading and unloading, and should be transported for the minimum time possible.