Dairy cattle welfare

This online resource will cover broad welfare challenges associated with the current dairy cattle production systems, including issues linked with housing and management systems, and welfare issues common to all production systems. It also aims to provide the reader with opportunities to think about and implement strategies to improve the welfare of dairy cattle in the systems commonly used where they live.  

Introduction

Cattle (Bos taurus and Bos indicus) are social, herd living animals, which were domesticated from the ancient wild ox around 10,500 year ago. From the beginning, there is evidence of selection for animals to perform particular roles, such as to provide milk or meat or as work animals in some environments, such as providing traction power by pulling a plough or a cart. More recently, distinct differences in breeds specialised in milk production have arisen, although dual purpose milk and meat cattle are also still very common. The global cattle population is around 1.5 billion animals, including both dairy and beef cattle. India has highest number of milk cows of any country, with the European Union having the second most milk cows. Around 80 to 90% of dairy cow milk in Low- and Middle-Income countries comes from small-scale farming systems, while industrial scale farms account for less than 10% of global milk production.

There are variety of dairy milk production systems worldwide from entirely pasture-based systems to more intensive indoor housing systems. Each system has its own challenges for dairy cattle welfare. For example, conventional indoor dairy systems provide adequate shelter and nutrition for dairy cows but may restrict natural behaviour (e.g., grazing). In contrast, pasture-based or less intensive outdoor systems provide cows with the freedom to express some natural behaviours, but they may be more prone to environmental problems such as lack of feed, water or shade. Cows may also be more at risk from disease exposure. 

This module focuses on the most important welfare challenges using the Five Domains model (Introduction to Animal Welfare page).

You can download a glossary of terms, which relates to the various pdfs, below.

About the resources

This online resource will cover broad welfare challenges associated with the current dairy cattle production systems, including issues linked with housing and management systems, and welfare issues common to all production systems. It also aims to provide the reader with opportunities to think about and implement strategies to improve the welfare of dairy cattle in the systems commonly used where they live.  

Production systems

Firstly, we will develop our understanding of dairy cattle production systems. This includes the life cycle of dairy cattle in commercial production systems, and most common management systems used worldwide.

Housing and management systems for dairy cattle must meet concerns around good biological functioning (nutrition, health and productivity). Systems also must address other key elements of animal welfare that are important to both the animals and the public/consumers of dairy products, such as physical environment, natural behaviours and emotions.

Then, we will focus more on the most important welfare challenges for dairy cattle using the Five Domains model (see more in Introduction to Animal Welfare module).

You can download the pdf resources below on the welfare aspects of nutrition, physical environment, health, affective states, and the human-animal relationships (HAR).

Quiz