A survey of practices and attitudes around cull cow management by bovine veterinarians in Ontario, Canada.

Abstract

The removal (culling) of dairy cows from the farm is a regular and required management practice. The main objectives of this study were to describe the involvement of bovine veterinarians in Ontario, Canada, in dairy cull cow management decisions, their expectations of current producer practices, and their perspectives on welfare issues and best management practices for cull dairy cows. Between February and May 2021, a province-wide survey was conducted among all members of the Ontario Association of Bovine Practitioners (OABP), with questions addressing veterinarians' background and demographics, veterinary clinic characteristics, cull cow management, down cow management, and learning preferences. The response rate for the survey was 25.1%, with 45 responses meeting all eligibility criteria. Dairy veterinarians would like to have greater involvement in cull cow management; when asked for desired involvement in culling decisions, 57.5% of veterinarians would like to be involved in culling decisions most of the time or always. Most (70.0%) veterinarians believed that cull cow welfare has improved over the last decade. However, most respondents also identified at least one area of management (farm of origin, transportation, auction, slaughter) as currently being a high risk to cull cow welfare. Given the frequency of their visits, trust by dairy producers, and knowledge, herd veterinarians are among those in the best position to improve the care of cull dairy cows. Information generated from this survey can be used to inform the development of improved decision-making tools for culling cows, and this, along with increased veterinarians' involvement in cull cow management, could improve the economic and welfare outcomes of culling decisions for dairy producers.