A recently completed study by Canadian veterinary researchers considered how to improve the lives of animals in agricultural systems. Using dairy cattle, dairy veterinarians and veterinary students, the study focused on minimizing negative experiences, according to study authors who set out to see where veterinarians influence the promotion of positive welfare experiences for animals.
Veterinarians are favorably disposed to positive aspects of welfare for dairy cows and their role extends beyond simply treating and preventing disease. The research shows veterinarians are more focused on the avoidance of negative aspects of welfare given they must also balance complex ethical responsibilities between their profession, the owner, and the animal patient.
Source: Frontiers in Veterinary Science, December 18, 2023. Link.
INSIGHTS: This research identifies the potential while acknowledging the barriers to promoting positive welfare in dairies. Even with routine visits, veterinarians are frequently called after the welfare status has declined.
Related content: 65 percent of the Nation’s dairy herd lives on 1,000-plus-cow operations, Dairy Herd Management, February 28, 2024. Link. While dairy operations with less than 500 cows make up 80 percent of the nation’s dairy farms, the majority of cows within the nation’s herd reside on farms with 1,000 animals or more.
What remains is a conundrum; “veterinarians in short supply, the sheer economics of dairy profitability, lack of producer education . . . and ultimately, veterinarians with significant responsibility but lacking reach and true authority.”