Contemporary dairy cattle housing practices are at odds with societal perceptions of positive animal welfare. Non-dairy persons often emphasize the importance of naturalness for dairy cattle. Their expectations include pasture, freedom of movement and the ability to interact socially with other cows.
In a symposium review, the authors share perspectives on animal welfare issues and the future of cattle housing.
Source: Journal of Dairy Science. Link. The continued adoption of technology could represent a means of repairing the fissure between the needs of the public, the animals, and the farming community by maintaining and improving the high level of individualized care while incorporating opportunities for natural behavior expression in cattle.
INSIGHTS: Pressure from the non-dairy public has opened the door to new concepts and opportunities for dairy producers. Free-range dairy products are already being marketed. Share this with dairy teams as they consider capital investments over the next five or more years.