Dairy Cow Welfare Resources

Preparing for Animal Welfare Assessments and Audits

Over the last decade, a number of assessment programs have been developed to assure consumers that farm animals are well-cared for. Part of the extension efforts at OSU have been used to prepare dairy producers and other members of the dairy industry for these animal welfare assurance programs. The learning outcomes of this program are for participants to be able to:

1. Explain the difference between an audit and assessment.

2. Identify both resource-based and animal-based measures of animal welfare used in common audits and assessments.

3. Describe the specific requirements of the most common dairy cow welfare assessment programs (e.g., the National Dairy F.A.R.M. Program).

• "Preparing for Animal Welfare Assessments and Audits" (slides) 
• "Prepare for Animal Welfare Assessments"  (article)

Facility Design and Animal Handling from the Cow’s Perspective

Insight about animal behavior can improve the way we move, house, and manage cows and calves. The learning outcomes from this program are for participants to be able to:

1. Identifying behaviors that indicate poor housing and handling (e.g., lameness, hock lesions, calving difficulties, and disease).

2. Identify risk factors for these outcomes.

3. Creating facilities and animal handling practices that accommodate natural cow behavior.

Dairy cow handling

• "Good Handling Skills and Dairy Cow Comfort" (Wisconsin Public Television Webinar)
• "The Importance of Good Dairy Cow Handling Skills" (DAIReXNET Webinar)
•  "The Importance of Good Dairy Cow Handling Skills" (Progressive Dairyman)

Maternity Pen Design

• "Management of the Calving Process" (YouTube video)
• "Maternity Pen Design and Management from the Cow’s Perspective" (Tri-State Nutrition Conference Proceedings)
• "Tips for Designing your Maternity Pen around Cow Behavior" (Progressive Dairyman)
• "Improving Cow Comfort at Calving" (Farm and Dairy)

Cow Comfort, Health and Lameness

• "Measuring Hock and Knee Lesions On-Farm" (article)
• "What Does a Cow’s Behavior Tell You About Her Health" (Progressive Dairyman)

Calf Management

• "Raising Calves Together Offers Advantages" (article)