Chapter 6 - Caring for the Animals PDF

Chapter 6 - Caring for the Animals Table of Contents Chapter 6 - Caring for the Animals..................................................................................................... 1 6.1 The Need for the Dairy Industry to embrace Animal Welfare....

Chapter 6 - Caring for the Animals Table of Contents Chapter 6 - Caring for the Animals..................................................................................................... 1 6.1 The Need for the Dairy Industry to embrace Animal Welfare................................................................. 2 6.2 Managing Heat Stress in Dairy Cows...................................................................................................... 3 6.2.1 The effect of heat stress on cows................................................................................................................................ 3 6.2.2 Measuring heat stress – the Temperature Humidity Index (THI)................................................................................ 4 6.2.3 The problem with the summer heat wave.................................................................................................................. 5 6.2.4 Management responses to heat stress....................................................................................................................... 6 6.2.5 A case study in heat stress management.................................................................................................................. 11 6.3 Carefully Managing Routine Husbandry Practices................................................................................ 11 6.3.1 Disbudding of calves and dehorning of cattle........................................................................................................... 11 6.3.2 Tail docking................................................................................................................................................................ 12 6.3.3 Caring for downer cows............................................................................................................................................. 13 6.3.4 Handling bobby calves............................................................................................................................................... 14 6.4 Ill-health causing pain and discomfort................................................................................................. 14 6.4.1 Mastitis...................................................................................................................................................................... 14 6.4.2 Lameness................................................................................................................................................................... 15 6.4.3 Dystocia...................................................................................................................................................................... 16 6.4.4 Production diseases................................................................................................................................................... 16 6.4.5 Calf Scours.................................................................................................................................................................. 16 6.4.6 Calf Pneumonia.......................................................................................................................................................... 17 1  6.1 The Need for the Dairy Industry to embrace Animal Welfare Dairy farmers rely on their cows for their livelihoods. They know that healthy and contented cows are more productive and less prone to disease. The Dairy Industry in Australia has developed the National Dairy Industry Animal Welfare Strategy, where the industry sees itself as leaders in the care of the animals. By enhancing their record in animal care, the industry believes that it will retain the confidence of the community and retain access to all markets. There are situations and practices that occur in the dairy production system that raise concerns for animal welfare. How are these being managed or reduced? It is clear from the experiences with mulesing in sheep, and with beef cattle slaughter in Indonesia, that there is zero tolerance for animal cruelty by society at large. Negative media coverage, and attention from animal rights groups could lead to a loss of the industry’s reputation for animal welfare practices, from the community and consumers. The dairy industry is being proactive with these issues. Visit the Dairy Australia website www.dairyaustralia.com.au and follow the prompts to animal welfare. A commonly accepted view of animal welfare is encapsulated in the Five Freedoms. This provides the framework for this chapter and states that farm animals should have: 1. Freedom from thirst, hunger and malnutrition; 2. Freedom from discomfort; 3. Freedom from pain, injury and disease; 4. Freedom to express normal behaviours; 5. Freedom from fear and distress. Another accepted view is that the owner of an animal has duty of care and is responsible for maintaining the five freedoms in any environment in which animals are kept. 1. Freedom from thirst, hunger and malnutrition Cows need water Water availability and quality are extremely important for animal health and productivity. Water is consumed frequently several times a day, and is generally associated with feeding and milking. Lactating cows have the highest requirement for water due to the demands of milk production, which increases their metabolic rate and heat production. In mild weather conditions, a dairy cow requires 30 to 40 litres of water each day for maintenance, plus an additional 4-5 litres of water for every litre of milk produced. So a cow producing 25 litres of milk needs between 130-165 litres of water each day. Cattle should not be deprived of water for longer than 24 hours. Lactating cattle should not be deprived of water for more than 12 hours. Water requirements increase as temperatures rise. Dairy cows in hot weather need access to 200 to 250 litres of drinking water per cow per day. Water troughs in every paddock will keep cows grazing longer in hot weather. Large volume concrete troughs (see next page) keep drinking water cool and a large water trough on the exit side of the dairy is a very good investment, particularly when the temperatures are high. Remember, after calving, a cow really needs to rehydrate and providing her with 25 litres of water, close to the calving site will help her immensely. 2 Water quality is also important. A large dairy farm in northern Victoria was relying on salty water (> 1200µS/cm) for drinking water for the cows. They installed a desalinization plant to remove the salt, and the milk production increased by more than 2 litres/cow. Cows need good nutrition When it comes to the provision of food to the dairy cows, well the different State Animal Welfare Acts state that animals must be provided with sufficient food and drink to meet the nutritional requirements for maintaining the animal in reasonable body condition, and allow for growth and reproduction. Healthy and well-fed cows are more efficient and productive, so not only is it a legislative requirement, but it also makes good economic sense to feed the cows adequately. Chapters 1 & 3 deal with the management underpinning good nutrition practices for dairy cows. 2. Freedom from discomfort 6.2 Managing Heat Stress in Dairy Cows The issue of heat stress will increase in importance with climate change, as the incidence of extended periods of high temperature will increase. This will be more important to the northern Victoria, as temperatures are higher there than south of the divide. 6.2.1 The effect of heat stress on cows Cows generate their own metabolic heat, and also receive heat from the external environment. They can off- load heat by re-radiating heat to the environment, by convective cooling, and by evaporation from breathing and from sweating. This enables the cow to maintain her core body temperature within the narrow range of 38.6 to 39.30C. Once the air temperature exceeds the cow’s body temperature, then heat loss can only occur through evaporation. The humidity in the atmosphere will affect how efficient evaporation can be for cows to lose heat. The lower the humidity the greater will be the heat loss for a given temperature. If the sum of the metabolic heat and the heat gained from the environment begins to exceed that lost, then the cow’s heat load starts to build. As the heat load builds, the cow becomes increasingly uncomfortable and heat 3 stressed. If a cow is carrying an excessive heat load for a long time and does not encounter conditions that allow her to cool and lose heat, then she will eventually die. As heat stress builds, the cow’s body struggles to cope. There are a series of observable signs of excessive heat load. At the same time as this is happening there are (i) decreases in feed intake, (ii) blood hormones change, and (iii) blood flow is redirected to the skin areas. You can observe how the cows are coping. On hot days or after an extended hot period, check the cows twice daily. Measure their breathing rate by counting the number of breaths, by observing flank movements over a 20-second interval, and then multiply by 3. If the breathing rate is 60 breaths / minute, then this corresponds to a core body temperature of 39oC. At 70+ breaths per minute the cow is starting to struggle. In the 80s, heat stress is severe. If more than 90-100 breaths / minute, the cow may die. The susceptibility to heat stress varies. The most susceptible cows are the high producing (> 8,000 litres/cow/year), older Holstein cows. Jersey cows are the least vulnerable to heat stress among the European breeds. 6.2.2 Measuring heat stress – the Temperature Humidity Index (THI) The Temperature Humidity Index (TMI) is a useful way to assess the risk of heat stress. It combines the effect of ambient temperature and relative humidity. The Figure on the next page shows the relationships between TMI --- and temperature and relative humidity. The THI is calculated from the equation: THI = (dry bulb temperature oC) + (0.36 x dew point temperature oC) + 41.2 So some useful THI values for the dairy cow are: When THI exceeds 72, cows are likely to begin to experience heat stress and their in-calf rates will be affected; When the THI exceeds 78, milk production is seriously reduced; When THI exceeds 82, there are very marked declines in milk production, the cows are severely stressed and many may ultimately die. 4 Note that a THI of 78 can occur at: 31 oC and 40% RH or 27 oC and 80% RH There are limitations with the THI measure. The THI will under-estimate the heat stress for a high-yielding Holstein herd. In fact increasing milk production from 25 to 45 litres/day reduces the threshold temperature for heat stress by 5oC. The THI does not account for solar radiation (and therefore shade), or air movement – which can affect heat loss from the cow. THI also does not account for the cumulative effect of the heat load that can build up over a series of hot days. Nevertheless it is a useful guide. All dairy farmers need to determine what their THI probability graph looks like. This information, and also a weather Forecaster tool at www.coolcows.com.au to obtain up-to-date heat load information specific to all dairying regions. 6.2.3 The problem with the summer heat wave It is important to be able to recognize some of the common weather scenarios that can occur in south east Australia over the hot summer months. Unfortunately these scenarios, with climate change, are going to increase in frequency in your lifetime. So below is an extreme weather map, than you might see on the TV after the evening news, and the associated TMI values that occurred over this weather event. The synoptic map below is for a mid-late summer heat wave in south eastern Australia. A heat wave such as this occurred over an 8 day period in the second week in November in 2009, just as many of the dairy farms in Victoria were half way through their mating program! Remember the huge ‘blocking high pressure’ that occurred for the week prior to ‘Black Saturday’ in February 2009. 5 Discussions with Markus Lang, a dairy farmer from northern Victoria and a graduate in Agricultural Science from La Trobe University, revealed that the heat wave conditions during the 2012-2013 summer were manageable as the cool nights enabled the cows to cool down and get relief from the heat. However, this would not be the case in the example above for the 5th day of the heat wave, when the THI reached 80 at 3 am in the morning. 6.2.4 Management responses to heat stress If you are observing the weather map, and counting cow breaths – then you will know when you need to take action – to minimize the impact of the heat stress. Different levels of heat stress warrant different cooling strategies. Provide shade in paddock in afternoon Bring cows to shed to feed carefully feed extra concentrates or a partial mixed ration Sprinkle cows at afternoon milking Ensure access to cool drinking water Do all above plus Have cows close to dairy for afternoon milking Cows in coolest paddock during the day Cows into best quality pasture at night Sprinkle cows at am and pm milking Delay pm milking from 3 pm to 5 pm Increase grain feed rate + give high quality forage. 6  Do all of above plus: Use fans if insufficient air movement; Further alterations to diet as appropriate Take emergency action –ie give cows access to dam. Provide more shade [more important in Northern Victoria than in Gippsland] In hot weather there are three shade options to provide relief to dairy cows. These are (i) natural shade from trees, (ii) portable/fixed paddock shade structures and (iii) a permanent shade shed. As always you pay for what you get. A series of different shade options are illustrated in the photographs below. 7 Note that shade can reduce radiant heat by 50% or more, so there is no wonder that cattle actively seek shade during hot weather. The shade options above do not require electricity so they are cheap to run! Obviously, the permanent shade shed is expensive. However, it can double up as a feed-out facility, it can also have active cooling with sprinklers and fans, at it will have a long life of 25 years or more. The benefit/cost ratio based on (i) expected increase in milk production (ii) improvements in milk composition and (iii) improvements in fertility is around 2-3 : 1. When designing a shade shed one must consider the orientation of the shed and the summer and winter sunshine angles. Provide more cooling Evaporative cooling involves the use of sprinklers, fans or a combination of both – to use on the cows in the yards or feed pads, with or without a shade shed. This will increase air flow and overcome the limitations of cows trying to cool themselves by sweating. 8 To be effective the sprinklers must wet the cow’ hair close to the skin. Air movement really helps to cool as well. Every dairy yard in Australia should be fitted with sprinklers. There is a real pay-off in terms of improved milk production and improved milk let-down when the THI is above 78. Remember that shade is ‘always king’. Even if you are using sprinklers, consider planting trees on the western side of the dairy and installing a shade cloth over the yard to reduce solar radiation. This combination works particularly well if little paddock shade is available. Milking Times Walking cows during the hottest part of the day (about 3 pm) just adds to their heat loads. Delaying afternoon milking until 5 pm may increase milk yields by up to 1.5 litres per day. On hot days be sure to milk the cows before 10 am. On heat-wave days, complete the morning milking before 9 am. Changing the paddock rotation You need to identify the coolest paddocks on the farm. This is based on the amount of shade that they provide in the middle of the day. The ideal is 4 square metres of shade per cow. You can develop a ‘shade score’ by giving a rating of 1 to 10 for the amount of shade during the middle of the day. However, you then need to multiply that shade score by the walking distance to the dairy 5 for 2km. The paddocks with the highest cool score (shade x distance) are your coolest paddocks for use in a heat wave. 9  Note that the continued use of tree lines like the one adjacent, without fences to protect the trees’ roots, will ultimately lead to dead trees from soil compaction. It may be hardly worth sending the cows to a grazing paddock during the day in the heat wave. It may be better to keep them in a cool sacrifice paddock close to the dairy, with access to shade and sprinklers, and feed them a high-quality ration or PMR. Access to cool drinking water Allow for 200-250 litres per cow per day of drinking water, which is double what cows normally need. A large water trough on the exit side of the dairy is a must. Large volume concrete troughs help keep the water cool. Make sure the cows have access to plenty of cool water wherever they are - during the hot days. Changes to the feeding regime Hot weather affects the cow in two ways. First it reduces her appetite by 10-20%, and then makes it more difficult for her to digest and absorb the nutrients – so she will be running short of energy. Furthermore, her energy requirements will increase as she has to expend energy by trying to lose heat (panting etc.). So there need to be a change in the cows’ ration during the hot weather: Increase the energy density (ie more grain concentrates) and other nutrients; The risk of acidosis will increase. You may need to add buffers in the diet to counter this risk, Feed extra high quality fibre to ensure that effective rumen function is maintained; For high producing herds, then you need to consider using slowly fermenting starch, such as corn products, in the diet. Changes to reproductive management Increased heat loads during periods of continuously hot and humid weather can have marked negative effects on reproduction, particularly in high-producing cows. All measures of reproduction appear to be affected. These include a decrease in 6-week in-calf, an increase in not-in-calf rates, the length and intensity of the heats are reduced, the conception rates are reduced, the risk of embryo death is increased, and the calf birth weight and calf viability are reduced. Some farmers will delay mating until the cool weather returns. If you continue with the AI program, then you might consider using cheaper semen, and increase efforts to detect heats. 10  6.2.5 A case study in heat stress management Trevor and Ailsa Dudgeon milk 190 cows year-round on a dryland farm north of Lismore on the north coast of NSW. Managing heat stress in the herd had been a real problem for this herd as there was not a lot of shade, and the cows struggled to stay cool on hot summer days. Trevor put in a concrete feed pad, and ended up with hot cows on hot concrete. He started with putting up a solid tin roof over the holding yard at the dairy. It worked well but was expensive. So, Trevor opted for a shade-cloth structure over the feed pad to reduce the solar radiation load. The 1200 square metre feed pad was totally covered by the shade-cloth for a total cost of $20,000. The shade- cloth has a 10-year guarantee. Silage is fed on the feed pad at 2 pm every afternoon which is in the hottest part of the day. The cows now camp on the shaded feed pad to stay cool before the afternoon milking. Trevor no longer sees any panting cows on hot days, and there are no longer any losses in milk production on these days. Trevor has made sure that there are plenty of water troughs around the feed pad and all water pipes are buried to make sure the water running into the troughs is cool. Trevor is planning now to plant deciduous trees along the concreted farm laneways and adding more water troughs around the farm. 3. Freedom from pain, injury and disease 6.3 Carefully Managing Routine Husbandry Practices The issue here is that the husbandry practices that are routinely carried out on animals should be done so in a manner that will minimize pain. 6.3.1 Disbudding of calves and dehorning of cattle Dehorning is seen as a measure to reduce injury in the herd from horn damage. It needs to be carried out before the heifer is 6 months of age, preferably before 2 months of age, or as young as possible. 11 There are a range of procedures used including a hot iron (shown above), a cutting scoop, or the application of chemicals to the horn bud. Calves should be disbudded as soon as the horn buds are detectable and there are a number of veterinary clinics providing pain free disbudding nowdays. This includes sedation, local anaesthetic and an anti-inflammatory. 6.3.2 Tail docking Tail docking was where 2/3 of the cow’s tail is removed by different means at 12- 18 months of age. The reason was for farmers’ comfort, so that the swishing tail, that may be wet and covered with manure or mud, does not swish in the face of the person doing the milking. Around 16% of herds were carrying out tail docking in 2005. The concerns are that there may be acute or chronic pain experienced in the docking procedure, therefore it has now been banned as outlined in the national Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines. This photograph shows the full extent of coverage, that a swishing tail can have. What tends to happen on some farms, is that the hairs in the brush of the tail are trimmed, so no tail tissue is damaged. 12 Better animal welfare can be achieved by using switch trimming (trimming the hair at the end of a cow’s tail). One approach is to trim the tip of the switch of each cow when it is first brought into the dairy after calving. Trimming takes about 5-10 seconds per cow, using a tail trimming attachment for a power drill. 6.3.3 Caring for downer cows The term “downer cow” generally applies to any cow that is recumbent (lying down on chest or side) and unable to rise. It is often a secondary complication of clinical hypocalcaemia (“milk fever”). A downer cow is a veterinary emergency and you should seek urgent veterinary advice. Without good nursing care, further damage will occur if the cow is not got back on her feet quickly, regardless of the initial cause of the problem. In some cases, when treatment is not effective, humane euthanasia is warranted. The downer cow should be nursed in a shed with an adequate amount of dry, soft bedding e.g. 300-400mm of heaped straw or hay, or the same depth of loose rice hulls or sawdust. Ensure that the environment is keep hygienic by removing manure and keeping the bedding dry. Providing the cow with feed with sufficient energy and fibre is important, along with free access to water. Regularly hand-strip the cow’s udder to relieve pressure and reduce the risk of mastitis. It is vital to note which leg the cow is sitting on each time she is checked. If the cow is unable to swap sides, one hind leg will take all of the pressure from her body weight. This compromises the circulation in that leg and can lead to nerve and muscle damage. If the cow tries to stand, the stronger leg will tend to push the cow onto her weaker leg, causing her to fall down. If the cow cannot swap sides by herself, she needs to be rolled frequently onto her other side, especially if she is trying to stand up. The frequency of rolling can usually be reduced after a few days. 13  It is important to get the cow up on her feet to try to get her to recover. There are different devices to enable you to get the cow up on her feet. Effective lifting means that the cow is able to stand in a natural position and take some of her own weight. If downer cows cannot be looked after adequately, or if they are deteriorating in their condition, then they should be euthanased to prevent further suffering. 6.3.4 Handling bobby calves “Bobby calves” are the male calves that are born to dairy cows. They have limited value to the average dairy farmer. Whilst a proportion of bobby calves that are reared for bull beef production, a number of male calves are sold at around 5 days of age. There are very strict codes of practice for the welfare of sale bobby calves that are required by the Australian industry. However, the RSPCA is pushing for greater requirements and the ‘Bobby Calf’ issue is the sleeper that must be addressed by the dairy industry to remain sustainable in the long term. 6.4 Ill-health causing pain and discomfort 6.4.1 Mastitis Mastitis has been covered in depth in Chapter 2. The welfare concern particularly with clinical mastitis and subacute/grangrenous mastitis is that it is a disease that causes discomfort and pain through inflammation and may make the cow systemically unwell. Therefore, dairy farmers must work hard to prevent mastitis not only from an economical perspective, but also from an important animal welfare perspective 14  6.4.2 Lameness Foot lameness on pasture-based dairying systems (as found in Australia) is significantly less than for housed cattle. Lameness has several different causes and impairs the cow’s ability to graze and compete for food. There are many causes of lameness including bruised soles, laminitis, foot rot, white line disease, axial wall cracks and abscesses. Lameness can cause severe pain, as well as reducing milk production, live weight recovery and reproductive performance. The lame cow will limp along at the back of the herd to and from milking. When she is identified, the cause of the lameness needs to be determined by an experienced veterinarian, the appropriate treatment given, and she should be removed from the herd and allowed to rest and graze in paddocks close to the dairy. If the incidence of lameness in the first 3 months of lactation is greater than 3-4% in heifers, and 2-3% in cows, you should seek help. In New Zealand, it is estimated that the cost of lameness is $300 NZ per cow per occurrence. This results from lost production, (ii) reduced fertility, (iii) treatment costs, and (iv) increased risk of culling. Management strategies to reduce lameness revolve around: 1. Maintaining laneways Farmers need to look at laneways and fences that disrupt cow flow and make cows twist and turn or come under pressure. They also have to look at their behavior as stockmen – do they handle their cattle gently through the problem areas, the right angle bends etc , in a poorly designed shed? Some research in the 80s showed that lack of laneway maintenance was very important cause of lameness. There are two parts to a laneway -- the base usually made of heavy material, and the surface on top of it. On many laneways the base is also the surface, and that causes damage. A good surface is not slippery, non-damaging, and sheds water. Certainly there should be no small stones (like blue metal aggregate) on the laneway surface. Laneways should be topped with smooth, water impervious material and shaped to allow water to drain. Transition sections of race close to the shed should be constructed to allow stones and hard debris to fall from hooves before cattle enter the shed. 2. Ensuring the herd is not walked too fast Gentle and consistent droving of stock and handling through the shed will overcome many problems of poor design and poor conditions. However a good design and good conditions will not overcome poor stock handling practices. Laneways that are too steep or too narrow slow down cow flow, but as long as farmers are patient and let the cows go through those areas slowly, then there should be no problems. The length of lanes leading into the dairy are becoming more and of problem as herds become bigger 3. Ensuring the herd does not stand on concrete for too long 15  4. Acidosis has been found to be associated with laminitis, an inflammatory disease in the hoof where toxins from microbes killed by falling pH levels in the rumen, move into the bloodstream and cause an increase of histamine in the hoof area. Monitoring cow foot condition: Cows will often give hints that they have foot problems. A sign of lameness is the arching of a cow’s back rather than its being flat, trying to move weight away from the sore foot, and so even before they get an obvious limp, an arched back when they are either standing or walking will show that they may have a problem. This was described in Chapter 4. Farmers should also watch the heads of cows – those cows that are lame on the front foot will lift their heads to transfer weight away from the sore foot; if it is a back foot that is lame the cow will drop her head to move weight forward off the painful foot. Diagnosing lameness early is important. It means you treat the foot earlier, get a quicker response to treatment and quicker relief from the condition. 6.4.3 Dystocia Avoiding calving difficulties Care should be taken to minimize calving difficulties: Growing heifers well to ensure they meet minimum target mating weight for the breed; Avoid mating heifers to bulls known to sire large birth-weight calves; Avoid over- and under-feeding of pregnant cows and heifers; Close supervision of cows and heifers around calving to allow early intervention in the event of calving difficulties. Cows should be checked twice daily, with minimal disturbance. The calving process takes about 4 hours from start to finish – heifers may take 6 hours. If they are taking longer, or the process stops, then assistance should be given as soon as possible. Cows and heifers should calve in an area that is as clean as possible (no dung or mud). 6.4.4 Production diseases The production diseases such as mastitis and the metabolic diseases such as milk fever, grass tetany and ketosis – have been discussed in earlier chapters. Again they are diseases that can largely be prevented. Bad management, resulting in the occurrence of these health problems, which cause pain and discomfort for the cows, is inexcusable. 6.4.5 Calf Scours A detailed manual titled ‘Rearing Healthy Calves’ is available on the Dairy Australia website. Go to www.dairyaustralia.com.au and place ‘managing healthy calves’ in the search engine. It is important to rear healthy heifer replacements for the herd. To ensure that calves are healthy they need : to be removed from the cow within 12 hours of birth when possible to avoid transmission of disease from the dam to the calf to be fed an adequate quantity and quality of colostrum Effective first colostrum management incorporates the 3Q principles of quality, quantity and quickly. The Gold 16 standard for colostrum intake is 10% of the calf’s bodyweight in quality colostrum within the first 6-12 hours of life. Farmers that implement this 3Q approach have fewer problems with ill-health and scours. It is reasonably common for dairy calves to suffer from calf scours (diarrhea) in the first few weeks of life, due to their exposure to bacteria and viruses, to digestive upsets and the lack of colostrum. Management of calf scours Preventing diarrhea relies on clean housing. The calves should be placed under cover on dry bedding in a ‘well- ventilated, draught-free area. You need to get air moving above the calves without down draughts at calf level. A digital thermometer determines if a calf needs treatment. If the calf: has a high temperature (above 39˚C) it may be treated with antibiotics and anti-inflammatories has diarrhoea and a normal temperature it is generally treated with electrolytes The use of electrolytes involves alternate feeding of milk and electrolytes which meet the calf’s requirements for maintenance, fluid loss (e.g. through scours) and to replace what has already been lost through dehydration. More details on rearing healthy calves can be obtained from the manual on the Dairy Australia website. 6.4.6 Calf Pneumonia Pneumonia is the second major health problem for dairy calves in Australia. It is brought about by high stocking density and poor ventilation. Calf sheds that are cool and damp have been shown to increase respiratory problems in calves, with typical signs of lethargy, nose and eye discharge, rapid or heavy breathing, coughing, increased body temperature and heart rate. Control of the calf shed environment is the only way to reduce the incidence of pneumonia. This will require adequate ventilation, no draughts, control of dust levels, and ammonia levels from manure piles. The pens need to be well drained. The calves need to be protected from extremes of sun, wind and rain. A good calf shed is the basis for healthy calves. The new shed above has been well designed. The key items to plan for are (i) shed capacity to avoid over-crowding, (ii) air space above the calves will reduce airborne bacteria, (iii) cleaning and disinfection to (iv) flooring and bedding with soft bedding to a depth of 15 cm, and (v) feed and water. 4. Freedom to express normal behaviours One cannot be sure just how much the modern dairy cow can express its natural behavior. 5. Freedom from fear and distress It is fair to say that a good dairy farmer will practice sound and caring animal husbandry procedures. They are keen to ensure that the cow is free from fear and distress. The last thing they should do is to have dogs barking at the cows to speed them up along the laneways, or have electric prodders used to force the cows into the dairy bails. Such treatment will only negatively impact on milk let down in the dairy and on overall production by the herd. 17