Our responsibility for the wellbeing of stock starts at birth and continues, not only while they are in our care but also beyond the farmgate.
Farmers must make sure all animals are treated with respect and cared for in a healthy and safe environment.
Insisting on the highest standards of animal husbandry and welfare on our farms is good for us, our farm teams, our animals, our industry and New Zealand’s reputation.
Improving bobby calf care
How some bobby calves are cared for was thrown into the spotlight last year when covert video footage, recorded by animal rights group Farmwatch, was aired on national television.
Fortunately, the findings of our annual animal welfare survey indicate practices like those portrayed are not typical and represent a very small percentage of farmers.
DairyNZ has been working closely with industry partners – the Meat Industry Association, Federated Farmers, the Road Transport Forum, the Petfood Manufacturers Association, the Dairy Companies Association, the Veterinary Association and the Ministry for Primary Industries – and we have made a joint commitment to stamp out mistreatment of calves.
Farmers have also given valuable feedback on how to improve the system of care for bobby calves from birth onfarm to processor.
The aim of the review was to create greater transparency across the supply chain and to reinforce the message that everyone has a part to play.
If everyone takes responsibility and does their part, we will have better outcomes.
An action plan has been developed for this calving season.
It emphasises that:
• All calves should receive the same care from birth, regardless of fate;
• Calves should be assessed before transport and only calves that are at least four days old and meet all the criteria required to be fit for transport are presented for pick-up;
• A Fit for Transport poster, with a visual eight-point checklist, is available on DairyNZ’s website and will be included with June’s Inside Dairy;
• Calves should be kept warm and dry and be able to walk on to the truck or someone should be there to help and;
• Everyone in the supply chain should take responsibility for their own element of it but should be working together to make sure calves receive the best care.
Transporting bobby calves
Before transporting make sure:
• Calves are at least four days old (counted from arrival at the shed);
• Calves are fit for transport. Regardless of destination, calves need to be healthy, fit and fed and;
• Pick-up is away from the roadside with easy access for the truck. Roadside collection is hazardous for truck drivers, staff and other road users. Make it easy for the truck driver;
• Talk to your transporter about how to make loading easier. For example, use a ramp or a raised pen and;
• If you don’t have raised loading facilities, be there to help and ensure that calves are handled with care.
Get trained and get ready
DairyNZ has two training opportunities to help farmers make the right decisions – Bobby Calf Focus and CalvingSmart.
Bobby Calf Focus is aimed at owners and decision-makers. The 1.5 hour workshop outlines bobby calf responsibilities and good practice. It will be delivered by vets and will discuss new regulations, help you as a decision-maker to fine-tune calf care processes with new resources, confirm fit-for-transport requirements, address risk and enable you to communicate well with your team and to the transporter.
The CalvingSmart programme is a full-day event for the whole farm team. The day is split into a series of sessions for different experience levels, from developing practical skills to improving management practices to help the calving season go well.
Those new or in the their first couple of seasons of dairy farming can attend sessions to learn to identify the signs of calving, stages of labour, normal and abnormal calf presentation and when to call for help. By the end of the practical session participants will know how to handle newborns safely, why it’s important to feed colostrum, and how and why to record calvings.
For those who have been farming for longer and who make the onfarm management decisions we have sessions on new colostrum research that might make you rethink your approach to care of newborn calves, simple low-cost management strategies to prepare your cows for a healthy productive lactation, managing staff at calving and upcoming changes to the animal welfare minimum standards. This season, it’s important we work well together.
SAFE and Farmwatch have indicated they will be investigating and exposing cases of cruelty this calving season.
Ensure everyone in your team clearly understands their responsibilities.
If you see something in your area that’s not right, either speak to the farmer concerned or report it to the MPI hotline on 0800 00 83 33. For more details on the training courses and to order resources, visit dairynz.co.nz/calves.
• Chris Leach is animal husbandry and welfare team manager at DairyNZ
