Background
Cows must be repeatedly impregnated to produce milk. [5] This is because after pregnancy, milk production rates fall and lead to a dry period. This process is called the lactation cycle and usually lasts 305 days. [6] Overall, cows typically give birth to around 2-3 calves in their life prior to slaughter at around 4-5 years old. [7] [8]
These calves, without separation, would drink their mother's milk which would reduce milk production amounts for the industry. [3] Moreover, male calves are seen as unneeded since they don't produce milk. For efficiency, male calves (along with some excess female calves) are usually either killed for veal or killed for beef after separation. [9]
Effects
Deviations from natural nursing behaviors are thought to have an impact on animal welfare. In nature, cows often start licking their calves on average 5-7 minutes after birth to remove the amniotic fluid and establish a bond. Around 90 minutes after birth, calves begin suckling. Calves naturally spend large amounts of time nearby their mother compared to other members of the herd and also mimic their mother's behaviors. Cows also often distance themselves and their calf from the rest of the adults in the herd for a few days after birth. [10] Calves tend to remain close to their mother until fully weaned at around 8-11 months old. [11] A 5-year study on social relationships within cattle find that they held stable attachments between mother and child for at least that time frame. [12]
Effects on mothers
Post separation, cows have been reported to vocalize for a while. [5] [13] Stress is higher, [14] activity levels increase, their calls become higher in pitch, and they stick their heads outside pens more frequently. [15] Cows also show reduced milk production after separation. [16]
Effects on calves
After separation, calves are known to have increased vocalizations, weight loss or slow weight gain, and increased disease risk. [17] It also appears to lead to higher stress levels with higher catecholamine secretion. [14] The amount of contact or lack thereof with the mother influences calf development. Weight gain improves with at least 4 days of contact. Diarrhea reduces with at least 2 weeks of contact. Social competence improves with at least 12 weeks of contact. [18] Calves with longer contact with their mother also stand earlier post-birth. [19]
Calves are often placed in induvidial housing such as calf hutches following their separation. This limits social behavior overall and leads to increased stress and fear. [18]
Early vs late separation
Researchers have found minimal contact is needed to make bonds. 5 minutes of maternal contact after birth with the calf is enough to result in a bond lasting 12 hours after separation. [20] Dairy farmers have often argued for doing separation early to minimize this bond. However, a 2019 review found the effects on behavior were worse with earlier separation. Another review found that changing the time of separation did not consistently improve overall cow or calf health. [21]
In systems where cows are separated later and allowed to nurse pre-weaned calves, cows show signs of increased aversion to being milked. Researchers think they are trying to save milk for their calves. [22]
Controversy
Cow-calf separation has faced criticism from members of the general public along with various animal rights and animal welfare groups. For instance, Animal Equality has called it "cruel," "unnatural." and "painful." [23] Animal Justice has called it "some of the worst cruelty in the dairy industry" and called to end its use. [24]
Polling finds much of the public is unaware of the practice, but when informed, a majority are currently against it. Providing more information and arguments in favor tends not to change the level of disapproval. [4] [25] Moreover, some researchers have found bringing people unaffiliated with the industry to a dairy farms caused a net loss of confidence in the industries' animal welfare, in part due to unawareness of cow-calf separation. [4]
Those within the industry have offered different justifications for maintaining the cow-calf separation. Decreasing the cost of operations is a commonly cited reason. [26] Also often cited is the physical safety of calves as a reason for separation. Though others argue this is more an issue with the existing housing rather than with keeping calves and mothers together. [27] Another reason cited by the industry has been to separate to reduce disease risk to calves. Researchers do not find consistent support for this claim. [27] [21] Some farmers have claimed that increased time between calves and mothers makes them behave more "wild" and difficult to manage. Other farmers have stated the opposite experience and claimed they are calmer. [28]
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