Broken tails represent an animal welfare concern and result from improper handling. While the acceptable threshold for broken tails in adult dairy cows listed in the National Dairy FARM Program standards is five percent, a recent study found nearly half of cows had broken tails. The study results are telling of an industry management issue that needs further attention, said researcher Hannah Olsen.
. . . the longer cows lived on the dairy and the more frequently they were handled for a health event, the more likely they were to have a broken tail.” – Hannah Olsen
Source: Dairy Herd Management, January 12, 2023. Link. Industry guidelines state “the use of tail twisting as a handling method to prompt forward cattle movement involves releasing the tail after the animal moves forward, and never involves continuously twisting the tail.”