This manuscript was originally published as a chapter in The Well-Being of Farm Animals: Challenges and Solutions, GJ Benson and BE Rollin, eds, Iowa State University Press, 2004, pp 207-240. This modified version is published in The Bovine Practitioner with permission.

An Overview of Animal Welfare in the US Dairy Industry
Franklyn B. Garry, DVM, MS
Colorado State University, Department of Clinical Sciences
Fort Collins, CO 80523

Abstract
Dairy production systems in the US have changed considerably over the last several decades due to forces that promote economic efficiency of production and to scientific and technological advances that afford opportunities for change. Societal values and concerns about animal wellbeing and specifically about livestock production systems and their impact on animal well-being have also changed throughout that time. It would be worthwhile for dairy producers and veterinarians to critically evaluate production practices for their impact on the animals. 

Optimizing animal well-being is not only a moral imperative, but should also assure optimal animal productivity. This manuscript attempts to summarize industry changes that impact dairy animal management, and to highlight areas of real or perceived concern about dairy animal welfare that warrant careful attention by producers and veterinarians. This material was originally published as a chapter in the book ‘The Well-Being of Farm Animals: Challenges and Solutions’, GJ Benson and BE Rollin, eds, Iowa State University Press, 2004. Some readers may wish to see that book for thoughts on animal welfare in other livestock production industries.

Introduction
A reasonable discussion of the well-being of dairy animals relies heavily on an understanding of the structure and function of dairy production systems. The dairy industry in the United States has undergone dramatic changes over the last 40 to 50 years, and these changes are ongoing. The impetus for change is mostly provided by economic factors, plus the availability of new technology. As with other livestock production areas, changes are reflected in increased production per animal, increased total production, and decreased input of human labor per animal or per pound of production. Many features of these changing production systems have the potential to positively or negatively impact animal welfare, such as housing, nutrition and feeding systems, animal handling and disease control programs.

Some discussions of animal welfare in livestock production environments focus on a few specific practices or details of animal management that some people have considered abhorrent (e.g. debeaking of poultry, use of gestation crates for sows, downer cow management in the slaughter industry). These isolated aspects of livestock production become the lightning rods for those trying to change industry practices. Unlike the pork and poultry industries, the dairy industry has received little such attention and very few practices have achieved widespread notoriety for being indicative of dairy animal suffering. This is a very good time for the dairy industry to take stock of some of the impacts that production practices can have on animal welfare with an eye towards continual improvement of animal well-being. It is reasonable to presume that future dairy industry changes, predicated primarily on the improvement of animal welfare rather than primarily on the improvement of economic efficiency, could profoundly benefit both the animals and the industry.

Click here to download the full article (147KB)