Health, milk ejection and welfare in dairy cows that have contact with their calves

The interest in keeping dairy cows and calves together is increasing among consumers and farmers, as this is perceived as more natural than conventional practice. However, it is important that cow-calf contact (CCC) does not negatively impact the cows´ health and productivity.

Previous research has reported a lower risk of mastitis in cows suckled by calves but the effects on other common diseases, such as metritis, have not been evaluated.

Therefore, health registrations will be performed in the project.Other studies indicate that it is common that cows suckled by calves have disturbed milk ejection during machine milking.

Disturbed milk ejection leads to incomplete udder emptying, which in turn can result in lower milk production both in the short and long term.

The project will therefore evaluate if milking routines adapted to CCC systems can reduce the problem.Keeping cows and calves together is often advocated as something positive for the animals, but it also causes stress at separation.

This short-term stress could potentially be offset by predominantly positive experiences during the time the calves are kept with the cows.

Newly developed ethological methods will be used in the project to evaluate if the cows show signs of positive welfare when they have contact with the calves.

The design of the project, where several different aspects of animal welfare are evaluated, gives a better overall picture of how CCC affects the cows´ welfare.