Because farm animal
well-being works.

Improving the lives of animals in agricultural systems has primarily focused on minimizing negative experiences. Research is needed on the promotion of positive experiences (such as pleasure, enjoyment, play, choice, happiness) for animals and the role of veterinarians in their promotion. While our research indicates that the role of a veterinarian involves positive aspects of welfare for dairy cows the veterinary role may be more focussed on avoidance of negative aspects of welfare. Positive attitudes and positive professional values exist in the veterinary community towards positive welfare for dairy cows but much uncertainty exists regarding a veterinarian’s ability to influence change to current on farm practices.

Calving is a natural process and an essential requirement in which cows initiate lactation and provide the future replacements of the herd. Cow preparation is essential to reduce problems at calving and achieve optimal welfare. Preparation needs to take into consideration all body systems. Poor health prior to calving will result in reduced milk yield, increased risk of death or culling and impaired wellbeing of both the dam and her calf. 

Designing a maternity area for dairy cattle requires knowledge of cows’ natural calving behaviors, as well as risk factors for poor health of cows and calves after parturition. Maternity area design and management is highly variable throughout the world, and recommendations for maternity areas vary by country. Individual areas allow one cow giving birth in a separated area, and group areas allow for more than one cow to give birth. There are advantages and disadvantages of both maternity area types

Dairy cow and calf are typically separated shortly after calving preventing the formation of a maternal-filial bond. This practice is increasingly criticized by consumers, who view it as detrimental to the animals’ welfare. The welfare implications of this procedure are receiving increased attention from both consumers, farmers, and researchers. Cow-calf contact, or lack thereof, is expected to affect emotional states of cows. Recently there is interest in providing cow-calf contact for only part of the day, which may improve saleable milk yield and facilitate cow and calf management, while still achieving the behavioral and health benefits reported from full-time cow-calf contact.

Calving difficulty negatively impacts overall herd productivity due to increased calf morbidity and mortality, reduced subsequent fertility and production in cows, and increased labor inputs by ranch personnel. Calving assistance is performed regularly by both cattle producers and veterinarians when failure of progression is observed during parturition. Calving difficulty is a subjective measure used to describe the amount of effort or force required to extract the calf. Proper assistance at calving and peri-parturient care of the dam can help mitigate the impacts of difficult calving.

Although the pain associated with parturition performs the primary physiological function of maintaining frequent, strong myometrial contractions, its biological consequences can affect the health of both mother and calf. Managing pain around labor requires appropriate knowledge of the respective safety and efficacy properties of analgesics. After calving, pain medication therapy may be initiated as soon as possible to alleviate signs of pain and inflammation that is associated with potential tissue damage to the birth canal.

Clinical scores are gaining increasing popularity in veterinary medicine thanks to their multiple advantages, which include quickness, ease, and convenience of use. Clinical scores aim to assess newborn calf viability and to diagnose and monitor neonatal calf diarrhea and respiratory diseases, helping the clinician promptly recognize calves needing medical assistance.

Dystocia is defined as difficult or delayed calving and some factors can include calf size, pelvic size of the dam, calf presentation, uterine torsion or inadequate cervical dilation. Severe calving difficulty often results in a compromised calf. Specifically, the incidence of fetal trauma, broken bones and dislocated joints, and hypoxia and mixed respiratory and metabolic acidosis increase with the severity of calving difficulty, and these directly impacts the vitality, transfer of passive immunity as well as overall health, welfare, survival and performance of the calf.

Dystocia calves are typically slow to take their first breath, slow to nurse, or may have some swelling in their tongue or face after a difficult birth. These newborns require extra time and attention over the early days of life to make sure they overcome the added stress of a difficult birth. Proper care of calves experiencing a difficult birth can certainly help reduce the mortality of newborn calves within the few hours following birth.

A prolonged or assisted delivery may increase birth stress in calves and lead to injury, inflammation, hypoxia, acidosis, pain or an inability to maintain homeostasis. Assisted calves have a higher risk of morbidity and mortality. Optimal newborn vitality is essential to the health, survival and welfare of the calf. Administration of NSAIDs at birth in assisted calves has shown benefits on pain and inflammation, passive immunity, health, and growth.