Twenty eight percent of dairy cows are removed from dairy herds each year. Cull cows are often transported long distances to slaughter and may face many welfare challenges during this process. The authors discuss specialized slaughter locations, what holds this culling system in place and opportunities to improve cull cow welfare.
At each point of sale and during each leg of the route, dairy cattle can be exposed to stressors such as comingling with unfamiliar animals, feed and water deprivation, engorged udders, handling by various people and through multiple facilities, and various transport and environmental conditions. They also stand for much of the journey.
Source: Frontiers in Veterinary Science, January 18, 2019. Link.
It all boils down to timely marketing and management. When a cow’s productivity goes downhill, get her to market. When you know her teeth are gone, get her to market. When she’s a little bit lame, get her to market. – Gary Smith, DVM
Involuntary culling because of a health concern in many instances may be best described as emergency culling. The welfare implications of these late decisions are alarming, as a disturbingly high proportion of compromised cows are sold.
INSIGHTS: This collaborative study was not funded commercially. The need for improving cull cow management and transport is clear. Cull cow management is critical to profitability before old cows go down. Share this with dairy and beef producers. Improving the system before regulation will benefit all.