In Practice 8: 85-89 (1986)
© 1986 British Veterinary Association

Health and welfare of animals in modern husbandry systems-Dairy cattle

This paper has considered the major welfare problems facing cattle at the present time. Such ‘problems’ may not necessarily be a cause for outrage but more a matter of importance which is incompletely understood or not fully under control. Solutions will emerge slowly from rational and judicious application of three fundamental principles which provide the foundations, not just for animal welfare, but for most of what we call civilisation.

These are:

(1) The acquisition of new knowledge by research.

(2) The dissemination of knowledge and ethics by education.

(3) The enforcement of human principles (especially where they conflict with market forces) by legislation.

Few would quarrel with the first two of these three principles. Legislation is less popular because it implies bureaucracy and infringement of individual freedoms. Nevertheless, the successful farmer is one who operates efficiently within any given set of rules. Good farmers, whether they farm cattle, pigs, sheep or poultry, have nothing to fear from new sets of rules, created by law and fairly enforced.

Note:

I am grateful to David Welchman and the Animal Health Trust for giving me access to new, unpublished information on veal calves.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. J. Booth, L. D. Warnick, Y. T. Grohn, D. O. Maizon, C. L. Guard, and D. Janssen Effect of Lameness on Culling in Dairy Cows J Dairy Sci, December 1, 2004; 87(12): 4115 - 4122. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]