Abstract
Nearly a third of dairy cows are removed from herds annually in the United States. Our objective is to describe what is known about the process of sending a dairy cow to slaughter in the United States including our perspectives about her fitness for transport, her condition upon arrival at the slaughter plant and the decisions to transport her in the first place. This process begins when the decision is made by the farmer to remove a cow from the herd. Once a cow leaves the farm, she makes her way either directly to slaughter or goes through one or more livestock auctions or markets along the way. Cull cows can travel considerable distance to slaughter and may face a number of welfare challenges during this process. These stressors are exacerbated if the cows are compromised and not fit for transport. While all major industry stakeholders have recommendations or guidelines about fitness for transport, none are enforced rules or regulations. There is little financial disincentive for farmers to stop shipping compromised dairy cows, and, in some cases, slaughter plants are willing to take the risk on purchasing cows in this condition as those that survive the journey often generate a good margin of return. As a result, the decision to ship compromised cull cows is too common, as indicated by data about cow condition both at the farm and the slaughter plant. Compromised culled dairy cattle continue to arrive at slaughter plants and leadership within the industry is needed to tackle this welfare challenge.
Highlights
In the United States, 28% of dairy cows are removed from dairy herds each year (1)
In 2014, a large survey was conducted to benchmark the prevalence of several cattle health problems of cull cows arriving at slaughter plants that supplied to a specific multinational company (14)
What holds the current system in place, preventing significant change and improvement when so many within the supply chain identify cull cow condition as an important welfare concern? In part, there could be a lack of understanding by some within the supply chain of the entire journey a cull cow must make once she leaves the farm, as these data are not routinely collected
Summary
In the United States, 28% of dairy cows are removed from dairy herds each year (1). The majority of these animals are culled and are often slaughtered in specialized plants. There are datasets quantifying transport distance for culled dairy cows for certain segments of the trip (i.e., from the farm to the livestock auction/market or from the last pick up point to the slaughter plant), there is a shortage of information about the duration and distance of the entire journey from the place of origin. This is likely, due in part, because cows change owners through this process and each part of the supply chain tracks cow movements in their own way. We discuss what holds this system in place and opportunities to improve cull cow welfare
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