Hautzinger T, Rauch E, Kantwerk J, Weindl P, Busch G, Zeiler E
Faculty of Sustainable Agricultural- and Energy Systems, University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf, 85354 Freising, Germany; Chair of Animal Welfare, Ethology, Animal Hygiene and Animal Husbandry, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich 80539 Munich, Germany.
Chair of Animal Welfare, Ethology, Animal Hygiene and Animal Husbandry, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich 80539 Munich, Germany.
Animal. 2025 Jul;19(7):101568. doi: 10.1016/j.animal.2025.101568. Epub 2025 Jun 9.
Most people are unaware of the common practice of separating dairy cows and calves shortly after birth, and when informed, often have a negative view of this practice. To better reflect the natural behavior of cows and calves, some dairy farms are developing alternative systems that allow longer contact between cows and calves than the conventional separation immediately after birth. Such cow-calf-contact (CCC) systems are not widespread but are becoming increasingly important to farmers. The main objective of this work was to descriptively explore the implementation strategies of successful CCC systems on dairy farms and to detect possible drivers and barriers as perceived by the farmers interviewed. To this end, we visited 19 farms in southern Germany that had been running CCC systems for at least 2 years and interviewed them using a standardised questionnaire. We found a wide range of CCC systems with implementation methods varying considerably from farm to farm. Animal welfare considerations and reduced workload were the main drivers for implementation. The interviewed farmers perceived challenges in the separation process and space requirements in their barns. The success, i.e. transitioning to a CCC system and operating it for a longer period, seemed to depend on the farmer's conviction, creativity and management skills to overcome the perceived barriers. The further development of calf rearing should consider societal interests which are increasingly demanding for improved animal welfare.
大多数人并未意识到奶牛出生后不久就与小牛分离这一常见做法，而当得知这一情况时，他们往往对此做法持负面看法。为了更好地反映奶牛和小牛的自然行为，一些奶牛场正在开发替代系统，使奶牛和小牛之间的接触时间比出生后立即进行传统分离的时间更长。这种奶牛-小牛接触（CCC）系统并不普遍，但对奶农来说正变得越来越重要。这项工作的主要目的是描述性地探索奶牛场成功实施CCC系统的策略，并找出受访奶农所认为的可能的驱动因素和障碍。为此，我们走访了德国南部19个运行CCC系统至少两年的农场，并使用标准化问卷对他们进行了访谈。我们发现了各种各样的CCC系统，其实施方法在不同农场之间差异很大。动物福利考量和工作量减少是实施的主要驱动因素。受访奶农意识到分离过程和牛舍空间需求方面存在挑战。成功，即过渡到CCC系统并长期运行，似乎取决于奶农克服所感知障碍的信念、创造力和管理技能。犊牛饲养的进一步发展应考虑社会利益，社会对改善动物福利的要求越来越高。
