Abstract
The production of surplus male offspring illustrates a socioethical concern in the dairy industry. In this article, we highlight the animal health and welfare implications of production outputs for surplus dairy calves, namely veal production, dairy calf to beef production, and euthanasia. Moreover, we present a pilot study focus on exploring the perception of key industry actors within the dairy industry in Ireland regarding the use of sexed semen as a mitigation strategy to reduce the production of surplus male dairy calves. A pilot survey was completed by farmers (n = 6), veterinarians (n = 17), and dairy farm advisors (n = 11). All the veterinarians, 80% of the farmers, and 62% of the advisors believed that the use of sexed semen had a positive influence on herd welfare. All participants identified the same barriers to the implementation of sexed semen: lower conception rate, lower availability, and higher cost. The reviewed literature highlights the importance of tailored communication to support knowledge exchange between stakeholders and key industry actors such as dairy farmers, their veterinarians, and advisors. Research to understand stakeholders' perception is pivotal to address socioethical concerns such as the surplus male dairy calves.
Highlights
The increased demand for animal products led to the industrialization of the agriculture system in the northern hemisphere in the mid-nineteenth century, in particular milk production has increased exponentially per farm, per cow, and per input of feed and labor [1]
The barriers to using sexed semen identified in this pilot study were similar to Johnson [9] even if recent evidence asserted that sexed semen can be successfully used in both heifers and multiparous cows, highvalue bull semen is widely available in most of the developed countries, and methods of extended semen storage, for liquid semen are in place [28, 29]
The use of sexed semen will not entirely eliminate the problem of surplus male dairy calves, as other strategies are needed to reduce the numbers of surplus female dairy calves
Summary
The increased demand for animal products led to the industrialization of the agriculture system in the northern hemisphere in the mid-nineteenth century, in particular milk production has increased exponentially per farm, per cow, and per input of feed and labor [1]. The low retail pricing has put dairy farmers under financial pressure, which has been a driver to herd expansion for farmers to remain competitive [2]. Following the abolition of milk quota in the European Union, dairy herd expansion was encouraged by the Irish government and supporting research bodies. Dairy farmers in Ireland followed this guidance to expand their herd [3]. Between 2015 and 2016, milk production in Ireland increased by 18.5%, supported by an increase in the number of dairy cows by 23% from 2013 to 2017 [4]. Irish dairy farming is seasonally grassland-based, providing a lower cost production system by maximizing pasture utilization. Compact calving in the spring is a key strategy to support production efficiency and is characterized by a 6-week calving period. Compact calving has increased from 61 to 72%, and the mean calving
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