Page 325 - The Welfare of Cattle

302 the WeLfare of CattLe

30

25
Ayrshire
20
Brown Swiss
Guernsey
15
Holstein
Jersey
10

5
1980 1984 1988 1992 1996

Figure 25.12 Percent survival rates to parity 5 by breed and year.
(Source: USDa arS, Norman, hare & Wright 1994 aDSa/aSaS/CSaS meeting presentation. )
8

consistent with no change in decline from 1980 to 1984, then declined sharply from 1984 to 1992 where
is leveled off again until 1996. In 1988 Brown Swiss started declining more rapidly while Ayrshire’s
declined from 1980 to 1988 and then reversed that decline through 1996. Holsteins comprise the major-
ity of the nation’s dairy herd. The authors reported no association of herd size on survival rates by parity.

CONCLUSIONS

Today’s larger dairy production systems have evolved in response to economic, social, and envi-
ronmental forces that have shaped it, especially over the last 50 years. Modern dairy farms require a
huge investment in land, facilities, cattle, equipment, debt, labor, and feed. Dairy producers have little
influence over the price they receive for their milk and milk sales comprise about 90% of their income.
Those producers who have survived in business have responded to the economic realities they’ve
faced by “right sizing” facilities, labor, and equipment to increase efficiently and lower the costs of
operation, including: regularly sorting animals into groups based on the animals nutritional needs
(feeding the highest producers the most nutrient-dense and expensive rations and lower producing
animals less expensive rations); keeping those animals that produce or are likely to produce income
over expenses while removing those that do not; and with other management changes. As a con-
sequence, herds have grown in size, production per cow has increased, more cows find themselves
housed in higher density and on harder surfaces, and longevity has decreased.
While dairy cattle represent many values to their owner, including pride, responsibility, and
status, economically dairy cattle provide three potential values to the producer: the value of the
milk she produces that is sold (including milk components such as protein, fat, etc.), the value of
her genetics as a registered breed or potential embryo supplier for implantation into surrogates,
and value she returns as a beef animal and through her by-products when slaughtered. The highest
value beef cattle go to market before 2 years of age with a lower value market for older animals that
are removed for reproduction failure, lameness, mastitis, and other similar reasons as dairy cattle.
Dairy cattle are valued for milk and when production is no longer sufficient to cover operational
costs they go to market as beef and for their by-products (leather, fat, etc.).
A dairy animal going to beef is a normal and important part of the economic equation of how
a dairy survives. There is a tendency for some to regard slaughter as failure in dairy management,
but it is a fundamental component of a successful dairy enterprise and may represent a significant