Calf welfare in organic herds — planning for the future

The newborn organic dairy calf needs to be born in a clean, dry and well bedded calving pen and given high quality colostrum in sufficient quantity within 2 to 6 hrs of birth. The young calf is attracted by heat and will stand or lie under a heat lamp when it is provided. The calf also has a great appetite, and feeding it milk ad libitum is recommended. The milk-fed calf is very motivated to suck, and if it cannot suckle its dam, it is important to offer milk via a teat and let the calf suck after its meal. Special care must be taken at weaning whether weaning off the dam or off milk. Calves do well in small groups where they can do exercise and satisfy their social needs. Calves must be kept in dry and clean environments. This is especially true for organic calves, which must be able to maintain health since antibiotic treatments are to be avoided. Introduction To be happy, a young calf, whether organic or otherwise, needs to be healthy, comfortable, and well fed. In this article, we summarise some of the recent research findings that help us better understand the needs of young dairy calves. We look at issues such as where the calf is born, the hygiene of its housing and its milk, the comfort of the housing, whether it can suck for milk and the amount of milk it drinks, and the importance of exercise, of being treated gently, and of having company. Care at birth: Clean calving pens and supplemental heat Being free of disease is a prerequisite of being happy. The incidence of disease among dairy calves is high. This is a very important issue for organic dairy farming. Calves should be born in a comfortable, clean, well-bedded pen, where their dam is free to move and change positions easily and where the newborn can be kept clean, free of drafts, and dry. Use of an individual calving pen may reduce the incidence of respiratory disease in calves compared with a group-calving pen (Svensson et al. 2003). Cows should not calve in a tie-stall; they need to have space to move and find comfortable positions during labour. Furthermore, adequate surveillance of calving is essential to permit timely intervention when dystocia occurs and to ensure rapid provision of the first colostrum. Newborn calves also are susceptible to cold. In a recent study, we found that newborn calves show a strong preference for lying and standing under a heat lamp during the first three days of their life (Borderas et al., 2008). Cold temperature has been associated with increased calf mortality (Azzam et al. 1993, Svensson et al., 2006), impaired absorption of immunoglobulins from colostrum (Norheim and Simensen, 1985; Olson et al., 1980), and increased pneumonic lung lesions (Reinhold and Elmer, 2002). Heat lamps are commonly used as supplemental heat sources for piglets and chicks and should be provided to all newborn dairy calves and also to calves in very cold weather. One of the first things a caregiver must do is ensure adequate and timely colostrum intake. The newborn calf does not have a fully functional immune system, and requires immunoglobulin-rich colostrum. Calves that do not receive an adequate intake of good quality colostrum are more prone to getting sick, dying, and having slow growth. Colostrum also contains maternal immune cells (neutrophiles, lymphocytes, macrophages), immune system activators, hormones, growth factors, and antimicrobial agents (lactoferrine, trypsin inhibitor, lysozyme), and is richer in nutrients than milk. A failure of passive transfer of immunity (FPT) as a result of poor colostrum management may occur in 25-40% of calves (USDA, 2002). It is not enough to rely on the dam to provide the colostrum through nursing. Colostrum should be handfed even for calves that nurse. Relying solely on normal nursing to ensure colostrum intake, rather than giving supplementary colostrum, almost doubles the chance of severe diarrhoea (Svensson et al. 2003).