PARTNERSHIP: Motivating dairy producers to improve the health and welfare of male calves - OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

PARTNERSHIP: MOTIVATING DAIRY PRODUCERS TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND WELFARE OF MALE CALVES

Sponsoring Institution

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Project Status

COMPLETE

Funding Source

AFRI COMPETITIVE GRANT

Reporting Frequency

Annual

Accession No.

1019070

Grant No.

2019-67015-29574

Cumulative Award Amt.

$645,000.00

Proposal No.

2018-07133

Multistate No.

(N/A)

Project Start Date

Jun 1, 2019

Project End Date

May 31, 2024

Grant Year

2019

Program Code

[A1251]- Animal Health and Production and Animal Products: Animal Well-Being

Recipient Organization
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY - VET MED
1900 COFFEY ROAD, 127L VMAB
COLUMBUS,OH 43210

Performing Department
Veterinary Preventive Medicine

Non Technical Summary
This partnership project brings together researchers at The Ohio State University and the University of Guelph to improve the health and well-being of male calves on dairy farms in the United States and Canada. Male dairy calves are often viewed as an unwanted byproduct of dairy production; nonetheless, they have important an important impact on economic and consumer perception. Male calves are usually transported from the home farm where they are born and sold within days after birth. Male calves often receive a lower standard of care compared to female calves that remain in the herd, yet why occurs this is not well understood. The level of care calves receive within hours of birth directly impacts their long-term health and well-being, and colostrum administration, navel care, and early-life nutrition provided on home farm directly influences disease incidence and mortality risk later in life. This is a very important issue because male dairy calf production systems, including veal (marketed at 16 to 20 wk of age) and dairy-beef (marketed at 12 to 14 months of age), have struggled with negative stigma and legitimate societal welfare concerns. Regardless of the overall impact on economics or consumer opinion, there is an existing moral and ethical obligation to ensure the welfare for this overlooked population of young animals. Previous research from our group has identified key health and welfare concerns for male calves at arrival to veal calf rearing facilities, and this research suggests that deficient care after birth significantly contributes to poor male calf welfare. However, very little information exists regarding the level of care provided to male calves prior to leaving the home farm, and no research has identified or tried to overcome these barriers to improve the management of male calves on the home farm. Specifically, there is no research on how dairy producers perceive the welfare of male calves, and what motivates them to make decisions when it comes to managing these young animals. Thus, the overall goal of this project is to understand how male calves are managed prior to leaving the home farm, and if and why this level of care differs from female calves. We will also provide direct feedback to dairy farmers about the health and welfare of the animals under their care, and ultimately motivate them to implement best management practices for all calves after birth.The specific objectives of this partnership project are to: 1) develop a complete understanding of the underlying attitudes and beliefs associated with discrepant male and female post-natal calf management practices among dairy farmers, 2) identify the specific postnatal management practices and factors associated with suboptimal care of male calves on dairy farms, and 3) design and test the effectiveness of a "benchmarking" intervention to motivate behavior change among dairy producers by providing them consistent feedback on the health of their neonatal calves in comparison to their peers.

Animal Health Component

100%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

100%

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
315	3410	1170	100%

Knowledge Area
315 - Animal Welfare/Well-Being and Protection;

Subject Of Investigation
3410 - Dairy cattle, live animal;

Field Of Science
1170 - Epidemiology;

Keywords

health

male dairy calves

welfare

Goals / Objectives
This partnership project brings together researchers at The Ohio State University and the University of Guelph to improve the health and well-being of male calves on dairy farms in the United States and Canada. Male dairy calves are often viewed as an unwanted byproduct of dairy production; nonetheless, they have important an important impact on economic and consumer perception. Male calves are usually transported from the home farm where they are born and sold within days after birth. Male calves often receive a lower standard of care compared to female calves that remain in the herd, yet why occurs this is not well understood. The level of care calves receive within hours of birth directly impacts their long-term health and well-being, and colostrum administration, navel care, and early-life nutrition provided on home farm directly influences disease incidence and mortality risk later in life. The overall goal of this project is to understand how male calves are managed prior to leaving the home farm, and if and why this level of care differs from female calves. We will also provide direct feedback to dairy farmers about the health and welfare of the animals under their care, and ultimately motivate them to implement best management practices for all calves after birth.

Project Methods
For Specific Aim 1, we will conduct a quasi-structured, focus group interview in the formative stage of survey development to record the knowledge and attitudes of dairy producers regarding the postnatal care of male calves. Approximately 25 dairy owners and/or herd managers in Ohio and Canada will be asked to participate in the focus group interview. After the interview is complete, we will use qualitative analysis to identify the themes surrounding each question and/or management practice. This data and the resulting themes will be used to inform survey design, and guide the survey instrument development. This survey will gather data on dairy producer attitudes and knowledge on male calf care in the United States and Canada using a mixed-modal, cross-sectional survey design.The objective of the second specific aim is to determine which dairy calf- or farm-level factors are associated with discrepancies between male and female dairy calf SPT, navel health, and body condition.A subset of 20 dairy farms from Ohio and Ontario (total of 40 farms) indicating a willingness to participate from the survey conducted in Aim 1 will be enrolled. Dairy farms in Ohio and Ontario are geographically and demographically diverse, with a similar number of small, medium, and large herds, based on the herd sizes within each country.To determine whether SPT, navel health, and body condition differs between male and female dairy calves, a physical evaluation, including a blood sample and clinical examination, will be conducted for available male and female calves identifiedby the dairy producer as being ≤ 9 d of age.Specific Aim 3 will determine if benchmarking key postnatal calf health and welfare outcomes will result in behavioral changes among dairy producers and improved health and welfare of male calves. Following the initial 12-week data collection period (Aim 2), each farm will be visited monthly for 9 consecutive months (Figure 3). The first 6 visits will consist of data collection and benchmarking feedback, and the last 3 months will consist of data collection to assess sustained management efforts and improvements in calf health following the intervention. Producers allocated to the intervention group will receive tailored benchmark reports that summarize male and female calf health (e.g. SPT, navel health, body condition) on their farm, together with the results from other farms in their region; farms will be anonymized before presenting group comparisons to maintain confidentiality. Male and female calf health data will be reported separately, and data will be graphically presented to facilitate interpretation. The confidential reports will also include: 1) information regarding the importance of SPT, navel health, and body condition to calf health and welfare, 2) resources for identified areas of improvement, and 3) risk factors for poor welfare outcomes (Aim 2). Farms enrolled in the control group will receive similar reports at the end of the research study. Producers will be encouraged to consult their herd veterinarian before they choose to implement new calf care protocols.

Progress 06/01/19 to 05/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience includes farmers and professionals involved with the care of surplus calves born on dairy farms. This includes farmers and farm personnel, veterinarians, calf dealers, calf haulers, and all individuals working within these sectors. Additionally, the target audience includes researchers interested in identifying interventions and filling knowledge gaps regarding the health and welfare of surplus dairy calves. Changes/Problems:The first and second Specific Aims were accomplished without any major changes or problems. Our primary challenge within the third Specific Aim is being able to sample enough calves to determine if the benchmarking reports are resulting in changes in producer behaviors and improved health metrics. Farmers have many options for where to sell their calves, and we were not able to sample at all of the possible outlets. Nonetheless, we still generated meaningful information about improving the levels of hydration among the dairy calves. Additionally, as an alternative, we conducted an additional qualitative study to identify methods to enhance the efficacy of benchmarking report delivery to farmers.We used interviews of producers before and after receiving the reports and conducted a qualitative analysis of the findings to optimize the delivery of the reports. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project provided training for to graduate students that completed a PhD and a Masters degree. Additionally, over the past reporting period, this project provided training for a graduate research associate (50% FTE) and a postdoctoral researcher (0.35 FTE). All of the graduate students, post-doctoral researchersindividuals received training in qualitative data collection, analysis, and communication. They interacted directly with farmers, producers, and marketers within the dairy calf production chain. The experience will be an integral component of their training as scientists. Additionally, the research personnel attended scientific conferences for the dissemination of the results, incuding attendance at the Conference of Research Workers in Animal Disease (CRWAD)and the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We reached our target audience of dairy and calf professionals and scientists. The results of our work were presented to the scientific community through the peer-reviewed publications and presentations at scientific conferences, including the Conference of Research Workers in Animal Disease and the American Dairy Science Association conference. Additionally, we reach dairy producers through associated outreach activies and producer conferences. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? We had a strong collaborative group, and we've collectively made substantial progress towards the overall goal of improved welfare for surplus calves on dairy farms. Our productive is evidenced by the publications that directly resulted from this work. In total, we published tem peer-reviewed manuscripts (primarily in theJournal of Dairy Science) and fourteen conference papers, abstracts, or presentations. There are two additional pending manuscripts that are close to submission.Additionally, there were two PhD dissertations that resulted from this work. Our group used innovative approaches to understand calf care behaviors and avenues for motivating change. Details on progress are described for each Aim of the proposal below. Specific Aim 1: The first aim of the project is to identify dairy producer knowledge and attitudes associated with reported suboptimal postnatal care of male calves on dairy farms. The objectives within this aim were to: 1) use qualitative focus groups to understand producer attitudes on postnatal care of male calves, and 2) use an international survey to estimate the association between producer knowledge and attitudes and suboptimal postnatal male calf care. Our team has achieved the objectives of this specific aim. We have published twojournal articles that detail the perspectives of dairy producers on male calf care in the United States and Canada using qualitative methodology. These results are crucial for understanding how to motivate better calf care on dairy farms. Wilson, D. J., et al. (2021). A focus group study of Ontario dairy producer perspectives on neonatal care of male and female calves. Journal of Dairy Science, 104(5), 6080-6095. doi:10.3168/jds.2020-19507 Creutzinger, K., et al. (2022). Dairy producer perceptions toward male dairy calves in the Midwestern United States. V3. doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2022.1000897 Additionally, we have achieved the second objective to use quantitative and representative surveys to understand calf care practice. The results of the quantitative survey of Canadian producers have been published in the Journal of Dairy Science. The results from the survey have been published in peer reviewed literature. The results shed considerable light on the dairy producer knowledge and attitudes associated with suboptimal postnatal care of male calves has been conducted, analyzed, and disseminated to the target audiences. Cheng, Ting-Yu, et al. "Dairy producers' colostrum practices, marketing, and attitudes toward male dairy calves." Journal of Dairy Science 107.6 (2024): 3885-3898. Wilson, D., et al. (2023). A survey of male and female dairy calf care practices and opportunities for change. Journal of Dairy Science. 106(1): 703-717. doi: 10.3168/jds.2022-22238 Specific Aim 2: The second aim of the project was to determine which dairy calf- or farm-level factors are associated with discrepancies between male and female dairy calf passive transfer, navel health, and body condition. To accomplish this aim, teams of research personnel visited calf dealers in Ontario and Ohio and sampled neonatal calves on arrival. We collected health information and measured serum total protein to identify calves with failure of transfer of passive immunity (FTPI). This aim included health assessments of over 2,000 calves brought to livestock dealers in British Columbia and Ohio.We've shown considerable gaps in the care for surplus calves. Most notably, the level of dehyration among transported calves is an important problem that needs to be address. Also, the results of the study conducted in British Columbia have been published and showed that approximately one-quarter of surplus calves have failure of transfer of passive immunity. Wilson, D., et al. (2022) Serum total protein concentrations in surplus dairy calves in British Columbia. The Canadian Veterinary Journal. 64(5): 451-456. Maggard, H. L., et al. "Condition of surplus dairy calves during marketing: a cross-sectional study."Journal of Dairy Science107.4 (2024): 2444-2453. Specific Aim 3: The third specific aim of the project was to determine if benchmarking postnatal calf health and welfare outcomes would result in behavioral changes among producers and improved health and welfare of male calves. In Ohio, we leveraged data from Specific Aim 2, identified 11 farms in Ohio with the largest number of calves sampled, and randomized them to receive benchmarking reports. Then, we continued to sample calves at the calf dealers, specifically targeting calves enrolled in the benchmarking intervention. In short, calves from farms that received benchmarking reports had a lower incidence of dehydration relative to calves from farms that did not receive the benchmarking reports. However, there were no apparent effects of the intervention on the failure of transfer of passive immunity. Habing, G., Pempek, J., Cheng, T-Y., Bellow, N. Maggard, H., England, Z. (2023). Benchmarking the health of surplus calves at calf dealers. Therefore, we additionally conducted a qualitative study of the limitations and potential improvements to be made regarding benchmarking interventions. Farms and veterinarians participating in routine benchmarking of serum total proteins were interviewed, and these data were qualitatively analyzed. The results, which have been published to the Journal of Dairy Science, will provide critical insights into optimizing the use of behavioral interventions to improve early-life care of male dairy calves. Wilson, Devon J., et al. "How can better calf care be realized on dairy farms? A qualitative interview study of veterinarians and farmers." Journal of Dairy Science 107.3 (2024): 1694-1706. These data inspired additional research to better understand the calf marketing system and the inherent limitation towards improving calf welfare. Therefore, over the most recent reporting period,we conducted qualitative researchto understand surplus calf marketer and calf raiser perspectives on the strengths and challenges or opportunities for improvement within the surplus calf system in the United States. We conducted twenty-two interviews during this past reporting period. The interviews were conducted using a questionnaire developed by our team and piloted with other veterinarians. We used an inductive thematic analysis to explore the perspectives of calf marketers and calf raisers in the U.S., and created a codebook using a collaborative approach. The thematic analysis has been completed, and the large volume of qualitative data has been distilled into six different themes, including 1) calf management, performance, and living conditions, 2) farm resources, 3) marketing, 4) calf movement, performance, and living conditions, and 5) human resources. Future work to streamline calf marketing, as well as bolstering resources available to calf growers, may be beneficial to the industry. In any case, these results are critical to laying a foundation for future research and investigation into methods for improved animal welfare within dairy calf production systems. By making progress toward these objectives, we are specifically addressing the Animal Well-Being priority area to improve the quality of life and optimize the health and production efficiency of male dairy calves. To our knowledge, these results are the first to investigate dairy producer knowledge and attitudes associated with the management of surplus calves and to use the benchmarking approach to motivate dairy producers to implement best management practices to improve the health and welfare of surplus dairy calves. The results have been broadly disseminated, and we and other researchers continue to build on these results and broadly distribute this novel information.

Publications

Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Cheng, Ting-Yu, et al. "Dairy producers colostrum practices, marketing, and attitudes toward male dairy calves." Journal of Dairy Science 107.6 (2024): 3885-3898.
Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Wilson, Devon J., et al. "How can better calf care be realized on dairy farms? A qualitative interview study of veterinarians and farmers." Journal of Dairy Science 107.3 (2024): 1694-1706.
Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Cheng, Ting-Yu, et al. "Basic human values of dairy producers in Canada and the US: A cross-sectional survey study." Journal of Rural Studies 101 (2023): 103060.
Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Maggard, H. L., et al. "Condition of surplus dairy calves during marketing: a cross-sectional study." Journal of Dairy Science 107.4 (2024): 2444-2453.

Progress 06/01/22 to 05/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience includes farmers and professionals involved with the care of surplus calves born on dairy farms. This includes farmers and farm personnel, veterinarians, calf dealers, calf haulers, and all individuals working within these sectors. Additionally, the target audience includes researchers interested in identifying interventions and filling knowledge gaps regarding the health and welfare of surplus dairy calves. Changes/Problems:The changes to the project in the current reporting period relate to the activities within Specific Aim 3. There wereimportant challenges with recruiting dairy farmers to participate in the benchmarking intervention (Specific Aim 3). For the study conducted in British Columbia, there were not sufficient dairy farm participants to conduct a benchmarking trial. The benchmarking trial was successfully conducted (albeit with a limited number of farms) in Ohio.Therefore, our team members at the University of Guelph pivoted to conduct two additional qualitative studies that were still focused on benchmarking for calf care and motivations among dairy producers for improved calf care. Specifically, the study enrolled dairy producers that routinely received benchmarking reports from their veterinarian, and used qualitative interviews of both the producers and the veterinarians to elucidate motivations and attitudes about calf care. The objectives of the first study were to "evaluate how and which circumstances providing dairy farmers with benchmark data on their calves can motivate better calf care practices." These results have been submitted for publication in the Journal of Dairy Science.The objectives of the second study were to "assess ways to improve the care calves receive on dairy farms from the perspective of dairy farmers and veterinarians." Likewise, these results have been submitted for publication in the Journal of Dairy Science. Additionally, our team noted the lack of information on general management practices of neonatal calves after they leave the dairy farm in the first days of life. The calves are most frequently transported from dairy farms to auctions and calf dealers before ultimate arrival at the veal or dairy-beef grower. Therefore, we're additionally using interviews of personnel from transportation companies, auctions, and growers to identify the general management practices of calves in these facilities. These data are necessary to identify practicable interventions in these environments. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?There have been substantial opportunites for training and development for undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral students. Undergraduate students studying animal sciences and interested in veterinary medicine played a critical role for assessing the health of dairy calves that were enrolled in the study. Two of the undergraduate students have since been admitted to the College of Veterinary Medicine. Additionally, the studies were the basis for one Master's thesis and one PhD thesis at The Ohio State University and The University of Guelph, respectively. Likewise, a post-doctoral researcher has spent approximately half of his time focused on generating the results described in this report. As noted, the funds from the study have resulted in attendance of faculty and graduate students at The American Dairy Science Association Conference, The International Symposium of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics, The Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases, which all provided critical training and networking opportunities. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results provide critical insights on potential methods to improve the health and welfare of surplus dairy calves. Given the nature of the target audience, we've used a multi-pronged approach to dessiminate the results. To reach other researchers working to improve the health and welfare of surplus dairy calves, we've published manuscripts in academic journals, including the Journal of Dairy Science, Frontiers in Animal Sciences, and Preventive Veterinary Medicine. Additionally, we've disseminated these results through presentations at conferences, including the American Dairy Science Association Conference, The International Symposium of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics, The Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases, and the Ohio Dairy Veterinarians meeting. Additionally, we've reached dairy producers through articles in lay magazines, includingDairy Herd Management. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to continue disseminating these results through presentations at conferences and additional publications in academic journals. Specifically, we plan to present the results of the benchmarking study at the 2023 ADSA conference, and submit multiple publications to the Journal of Dairy Science.Additionally, our team recognized the general lack of information on the management of surplus dairy calves after they've left the farm. Therefore, we plan to gather information on the general management of calves during transport, at auctions, and at veal and dairy-beef growers to understand the movement patters of surplus dairy calves and general obstacles to improved care after the calves have left the farm. We'll do this by conducting qualitative interviews of key individuals involved with the transport, sale, and raising of veal and dairy-beef calves. These data are necessary for further understanding of the surplus calf production systems and appropriate design of interventions.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Specific Aim 1: The first Aim of the project is to identify dairy producer knowledge and attitudes associated withreported suboptimal postnatal care of male calves on dairy farms. The objectives within this aim were to 1) use qualitative focus groups to understand producer attitudes on postnatal care of male calves and 2) use an international survey to estimate the associate between producer knowledge and attitudes and suboptimal postnatal male calf care. Our team has achieved the objectives of this Specific Aim. There are two published journal articles that detail the perspectives of dairy producers on male calf care in the United States and Canada using qualitative methodology. These results are crucial to understand how to motivate better calf care on dairy farms. Additionally, we've achieved the 2nd objective (i.e. the international survey). The results of the quantitative survey of Canadian producers have been published in the Journal of Dairy Science. The results from the survey conducted in the U.S. have been presented at the International Symposium of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics (ISVEE), and the publication will be submitted within the next few weeks. Additionally, a component of the survey measured producer values that might explain attitudes among dairy producers about male calf welfare. These results were presented at ISVEE, and a manuscript describing the values of Canadian and U.S. dairy producers is under review. Taken together, the research team achieved the stated Specific Aim. In other words, research on dairy producer knowledge and attitudes associated with suboptimal postnatal care of male calves have been conducted, analyzed, and disseminated to the target audiences. Specific Aim 2: The second of Aim of the project was to determine which dairy calf- or farm-level factors are associated with discrepancies between male and female dairy calf passive transfer, navel health, and body condition. This Aim has been achieved, with the exception of outstanding publications. To accomplish this Aim, teams of research personnel visited calf dealers in Ontario and Ohio and sampled neonatal calves on arrival. We collected health information and measure serum total protein to identify calves with failure of transfer of passive immunity (FTPI). This Aim has also been achieved and included health assessments of over 2,000 calves brought to livestock dealers in British Columbia and Ohio. The results of the study conducted in British Columbia have been published and showed that approximately one quarter of surplus calves have failure of transfer of passive immunity. The results of the study conducted in Ohio have been presented at the American Dairy Science Association and at the Ohio Dairy Veterinarians Meeting and have been submitted to the Journal of Dairy Science. Specific Aim 3: The third specific aim of the project was to determine if benchmarking postnatal calf health and welfare outcomes will result in behavioral changes among producers and improved health and welfare of male calves. In Ohio, we leveraged data from Specific Aim 2and identified 11 farms in Ohio with the largest number of calves sampled and randomized them receive benchmarking reports. Then, to test the intervention, we delivered benchmarking reports andcontinued to sample calves at the calf dealers,specifically targetingcalves enrolled in the benchmarking intervention. In short, calves from farms that received benchmarking reports had a lower incidence of dehydration relative to calves from farms that did not receive the benchmarking reports. However, there were no apparent effects of the intervention of failure of transfer of passive immunity. Therefore, we additionally conducted a qualitative interview study of the limitations and potential improvements to be made regarding benchmarking interventions. Farms and veterinarians participating in routine benchmarking of serum total proteins were interviewed, and these data were qualitatively analyzed. The results, which have been submitted to the Journal of Dairy Science, will provide critical insights into optimizing the use of behavioral interventions to improve early-life care of male dairy calves. By making progress towards these objectives, we are specifically addressing the Animal Well-Being priority area to improve the quality of life and optimize the health and production efficiency of male dairy calves. To our knowledge, these results are the first to investigate dairy producer knowledge and attitudes associated with the management of surplus calves, and use the benchmarking approach to motivate dairy producers to implement best management practices to improve the health and welfare of surplus dairy calves.

Publications

Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Cheng, T.-Y., Brooks, C., Renaud, D., Proudfoot, K., Pempek, J., Habing, G. August 7-12, 2022. Comparison of early-life care between male and female calves on U.S. dairy farms accounting for producers attitudes toward male calf care. 16th International Symposium of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics (ISVEE 16). Halifax, Nova Scotia, CA. Paper number 240.
Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Cheng, T.-Y., Wilson, D., Brooks, C., Pempek, J., Proudfoot, K., George, K., Renaud, D., Habing, G. August 7-12, 2022. Basic human values of Canadian and U.S. dairy producers. 16th International Symposium of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics (ISVEE 16). Halifax, Nova Scotia, CA. Paper number 239.
Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Wilson, D., Habing, G., Winder, C., Renaud, D.(2022). A scoping review of neonatal calf diarrhea case definitions. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 211. doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2022.105818.
Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Wilson, D., Pempek, J., Habing, G., Proudfoot, K., Renaud, D. (2022) Serum total protein concentrations in surplus dairy calves in British Columbia. The Canadian Veterinary Journal. 64(5): 451-456.
Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Maggard, H., Moran, M., Habing, G., Renaud, D., Proudfoot, K., Wilson, D., Pempek, J.. (2022). Condition of surplus dairy calves at livestock dealers in Ohio: A cross-sectional study. American Dairy Science Association. Kansas City, MO.
Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Wilson, D., Winder, C., Habing, G., Renaud, D. (2022) Evaluating neonatal calf diarrhea case definitions: A scoping review. American Dairy Science Association. Kansas City, MO.
Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Wilson, D., Winder, C., Habing, G., Renaud, D. (2023) Evaluating neonatal calf diarrhea case definitions: A scoping review. Conference of Research Workers in Animal Disease. Chicago, IL.
Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Wilson, D. (2023) A multi-disciplinary approach towards improving surplus calf care on dairy farms. A Thesis presented to the University of Guelph.
Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Habing, G., Pempek, J., Cheng, T-Y., Bellow, N. Maggard, H., England, Z. (2023). Benchmarking the health of surplus calves at calf dealers.
Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Creutzinger, K., Pempek, J., Locke, S., Renaud, D., Proudfoot, K., George, K., Wilson, D., Habing, G. (2022). Dairy producer perceptions toward male dairy calves in the Midwestern United States. V3. doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2022.1000897
Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Wilson, D., Pempek, J., Cheng, T-Y., Habing, G., Proudfoot, K., Winder, C., Renaud, D. (2023). A survey of male and female dairy calf care practices and opportunities for change. Journal of Dairy Science. 106(1): 703-717. doi: 10.3168/jds.2022-22238
Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Maggard, H., Condition of surplus dairy calves at livestock dealers in Ohio: A cross-sectional study. A thesis presented to the Graduate School of The Ohio State University

Progress 06/01/21 to 05/31/22

Outputs
Target Audience:The original intended target audience includedfarmers and professionals involved with the care of surplus calves on dairy farms. This includes farm owners and farm personnel, veterinarians, calf dealers, calf haulers, and all individuals working within these sectors. For this reporting period, our products include abstracts, posters, and presentations for conferences with audiences that included the entire range of the originally intended target audience. Three abstracts were presented at the American Dairy Science Association as a result of the work, and the conference is attended by dairy science professionals, other researchers, and dairy veterinarians. Additionally, we presented the results at the Ohio Dairy Veterinarians group to veterinarians practicing in Ohio and with heavy dairy industry involvement. Thus we reached veterinarians that don't typically attend academic conferences. Lastly we presented results from the study at the Maritime Dairy-Beef stakeholder group meeting, and delivered results directly to farmers and other stakeholders directly involved in the dairy beef production system. Changes/Problems:The first and second Specific Aims were accomplished without any major changes or problems. Our primary challenge within the third Specific Aim is being able to sample enough calves to determine if the benchmarking reports are resulting in changes in producer behaviors and improved health metrics. Farmers have many options for where to sell their calves, and we're not able to sample at all of the possible outlets. Nonetheless, we will analyze the data we've collected and determine the impact of the benchmarking intervention thus far. Additionally, we were able to design a new qualitative study intended to shed light on the characertistics ofbenchmarking (i.e. feedback) reports that make them the most effective. We will use interview of producers before and after receiving the report and conduct a qualitative analysis of the findings to optimize the delivery of the reports. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The research team includes a doctoral student, post-doctoral student, veterinary student, and undergraduate students. For the veterinary and undergraduate students, sampling at the calf dealers has provided, in some cases, the first opportunity to collect research data in the field. Additionally, the veterinary students have become very proficient in calf health assessments and skilled at collecting blood samples, competencies they'll need in their future careers.The doctoral student has learned to manage the project and troubleshoot inevitable problems. The post-doctoral researcher has learned social science data analysis skills, including structural equation modeling and regression modeling. Lastly, all the students have been required to communicate the findings to our audiences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Our work has been dessminated to dairy science professionals, veterinarians, and producers. We've presented at conferences that included dairy science professionals and other researchers, including the American Dairy Science Association and the Conference of Research Workers in Animal Disease. Additionally, we've delivered information back to stakeholders and to farmers participating in the project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Over the next reporting period, our group is primarily focused on additional communication of the research findings through presentation at conferences and manuscripts. We have several manuscripts under preparation that we expect to have published by the end of the year. Additionally, we need to analyze the dat a from the 3rd Specific Aim, and determine the impact of the benchmarking intervention on the health and passive transfer of calves. Lastly, we plan to meet with stakeholder groups and discuss the findings and next logical steps for the research.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Specific Aim 1:The first Aim of the project was to identify dairy producer knowledge and attitudes associated withreported suboptimal postnatal care of male calves on dairy farms. The objectives within this aim were to 1) use qualitative focus groups to understand producer attitudes on postnatal care of male calves and 2) use an international survey to estimate the associate between producer knowledge and attitudes and suboptimal postnatal male calf care. Ultimately, our team used parallel qualitative and quantitative approaches in each country to accomplish the goals of the project. For the first objective, we published a manuscript in the Journal of Dairy Science that details the perspectives of Canadian dairy producers on the care of male calves. A second manuscript that details the perspectives of Midwestern dairy producers on the care of surplus calves has been submitted for publication. For the second objective, we conducted national-level surveys in Canada and the United States to identify knowledge and attitudes associated with suboptimal postnatal care in surplus calves. Additionally, the survey assessed human values of dairy producers in each country. As a result of this project, we have a substantial understanding of the drivers of early-life calf care on dairy farms, and this knowledge can be used to design interventions to improve the welfare of calves. For instance, we know that one of the primary reasons for suboptimal care of surplus calves are the time and costs associated with the care of male calves. Producers that are more conscious of operating costs are also more likely to deliver suboptimal care. Despite this, producers are often motivated by their own emotions or morality to provide adequate care, even though they didn't realize any profit from such care. By contrast, the underlying values of producers were not associated with calf care practices. The results of each survey have been collected and analyzed, and three separate manuscripts are in preparation that describe 1) The values of Canadian and United States Dairy Producers, 2) estimates on the attitudes and practices of Canadian producers for calf care, and 3) estimates on the attitudes and practices of U.S. producers for calf care. Already these results have been presented at conferences including the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) and the Conference of Research Workers in Animal Disease (CRWAD). Thus, we expect to have completed the 1st Aim of the project, including delivering the expected products, by the end of the year. Specific Aim 2:The second of Aim of the project was to determine which dairy calf- or farm-level factors are associated with discrepancies between male and female dairy calf passive transfer, navel health, and body condition. To accomplish this objective, teams of research personnel visited calf dealers in Ontario and Ohio and sampled neonatal calves on arrival. They collected health information and measure serum total protein to identify calves with failure of transfer of passive immunity (FTPI). We collected data on over 1,500 calves at calf dealers in Ohio and Ontario and identified solid estimates and associations for the health conditions in calves. Based on this project, we know that about one of every five surplus calves have failure of passive transfer of immunity. In other words, the calf did not receive sufficient quality or quantity of colostrum. This estimate was similar in Ohio and Canada. Male calves were in worse health condition than female calves, and dairy cross-bred calves had a lower passive transfer of immunity. The latter finding demonstrates that higher economic value calves are more likely to receive better care, which is consistent with the findings from Specific Aim 1. The results from Ohio will be presented at the 2022 ADSA conference, and the results from Canada have been presented elsewhere, and the manuscript is in preparation. Therefore, we expect to have completed the 2nd Aim of the project, including delivering the expected products, by the end of this year. Specific Aim 3: The third specific aim of the project was to determine if benchmarking postnatal calf health and welfare outcomes will result in behavioral changes among producers and improved health and welfare of male calves. To accomplish this objective, we identified 12 farms with the largest number of calves sampled and randomized them receive benchmarking reports. We continued to sample calves at the calf dealers, and specifically targeted calves from farms enrolled in the benchmarking intervention. Through this process, we assessed 282 calves before (n=136) and after (n=146) the intervention, and simultaneously assessed 371 calves from farms that had not received the intervention. Data analyses are ongoing, but we expect to have presented and published the results before the end of the year. By making progress towards these objectives, we are specifically addressing the Animal Well-Being priority area to improve the quality of life and optimize the health and production efficiency of male dairy calves. To our knowledge, these results are the first to investigate dairy producer knowledge and attitudes associated with the management of surplus calves, and use the benchmarking approach to motivate dairy producers to implement best management practices to improve the health and welfare of surplus calves.This information will provide foundational knowledge for future research, and contribute to the body of literature necessary to develop and maintain evidence-based animal welfare standards and guidelines for male dairy calves in the United States and Canada.

Publications

Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: K. Creutzinger, J. Pempek, S. Locke, D. Renaud, K. Proudfoot, K., George, D. Wilson, and G. Habing. (2021). United States Dairy Producers perceptions of male dairy calves. Presented at the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA).
Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: H. Maggard, J. Pempek, T. Cheng, Habing, G. (2021) Health and Passive Immunity of Surplus Dairy Calves. Ohio Dairy Veterinarians Conference. Columbus, OH.
Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: T. Cheng, C. Brooks, D. Renaud, K. Proudfoot, J. Pempek, G. Habing, (2021). U.S. dairy producers attitudes on male calf care and its relationship with on-farm care. Paper presented at Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases, (pp. 217-217). Chicago, IL, United States.
Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: D. Wilson. Moving beyond a byproduct: How can we improve the care of male dairy calves? Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, Three Minute Thesis.
Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: D. Renaud. Surplus Calves in the dairy industry - How do we address this challenge? (2022). ADSA Discovery Conference.
Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: D. Wilson. Maritime Dairy-Beef Stakeholder Group Meeting. (2021). Where do we go next with surplus calves?

Progress 06/01/20 to 05/31/21

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience includes farmers and professionals involved with the care of surplus calves on dairy farms. This includes farmers and farm personnel, veterinarians, calf dealers, calf haulers, and all individuals working within these sectors. Changes/Problems:Our research team has made substantial progress towards accomplishing the goals of the project. As described in an earlier report, the qualitative research study was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, we pivoted to using interviews rather than focus groups, and the manuscript is nearly ready for submission. Additionally, we originally planned to sample calves on dairy farms for Objectives 2 and 3; however, we established relationships with calf dealers that routinely aggregate neonatal calves for shipment to dairy-beef or veal producers. This presented an opportunity to more efficiently collect data from a larger number of calves that will facilitate epidemioogical analysis. Furthermore, we've worked with the calf dealers to collect the source farm information, and we'll use this to randomize farms to intervention and control groups in Specific Aim 3. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The research team includes a doctoral student, post-doctoral student, veterinary student, and undergraduate students. For the veterinary and undergraduate students, sampling at the calf dealers has provided, in some cases, the first opportunity to collect research data in the field. Additionally, the students become very proficient in calf health assessments and skilled at collecting blood samples. The doctoral student is becoming proficient in managing the project and troubleshooting inevitable problems. The post-doctoral researcher has learned social science data analysis skills, including structural equation modeling. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Our research team has published a review article, and research article, and made presentations at scientific conferences. These efforts have primarily reached other researchers and practicing veterinarians. Our future efforts will include more direct outreach to dairy farmers. These efforts will be more beneficial after we have firm results from Specific Aims 2 and 3. For instance, we're proposing a presentation to the organizers of the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The next reporting period has three primary tasks. First, we need to complete analysis of the international survey and publish the results. Second, we need to complete an epidemiological analysis of the health and FTPI data from calves sampled at calf dealers. Third, we will begin sending benchmarking reports to dairy farms enrolled in the intervention as a component of Specific Aim three. In short, all components of the project are in motion, and there are not major barriers towards completion of the stated objectives. We're confident that we can accomplish these goals in a reasonable time frame.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Our research team made substantial progress towards the original goals and objectives of the project. Specific Aim 1:The first Aim of the project is to identify dairy producer knowledge and attitudes associated with reportedsuboptimal postnatal care of male calves on dairy farms. The objectives within this aim were to 1) use qualitative focus groups to understand producer attitudes on postnatal care of male calves and 2) use an international survey to esetimate the associate between producer knowledge and attitudes and suboptimal postnatal male calf care. Our team has completed the first objective of this aim. In Canada, our research team members conducted focus groups of dairy farmers on male calf care and published the results (see Products). In the U.S. the research team switched to interviews following the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, and completed interviews of 16 dairy farmers. These data have been analyzed, and the manuscript is nearly ready for submission. Additionally, we've made substantial progress towards completion of the second object (i.e. the international survey). We created a shared survey document that was distributed to dairy farmers in Canada and the U.S. In Canada, the research team used electronic delivery and recruitment to garner over 200 survey responses. In the U.S., the research team mailed hard copies of teh survey materials to producers in five different states, and received over 300 usable survey responses. Members of the research team are analyzing the data, and constructing structural equation models to identify values and attitudes associated with discrepantly worse care of male calves. Results from the Canadian survey have been presented at the American Dairy Science Association meeting (see Products). Specific Aim 2:The second of Aim of the project was to determine which dairy calf- or farm-level factors are associated with discrepancies between male and female dairy calf passive transfer, navel health, and body condition. To accomplish this objective, teams of research personnel are visiting calf dealers in Ontario and Ohio, and sampling neonatal calves on arrival. They are collecting health information and measure serum total protein to identify calves with failure of transfer of passive immunity (FTPI). Additionally, andin collaboration with the calf dealers, we have been able to identify the source dairy farm of the calves sampled at the dealers. This will enable us to determine the farm-level variation in FTPI and implement Specific Aim 3 of the project. Due to current market conditions and an oversupply of female dairy calves, many of the sampled surplus calves arriving at the dealer are female, which will enable comparisons between the health and FTPI incidence between males and females. So far, we've collected data on over 1,500 calves at calf dealers in Ohio and Ontario. Specific Aim 3:The third specific aim of the project was to determine if benchmarking postnatal calf health and welfare outcomes will resultin behavioral changes among producers and improved health and welfare of male calves. To accomplish this objective, We'll leverage the data from Specific Aim 2. We will identify the 12 farms with the largest number of calves sampled, and randomize them receive benchmarking reports. We'll continue to sample calves at the calf dealers, and specifically target calves enrolled in the benchmarking intervention. To further assess the impact of benchmarking reports, we'll conduct qualitative interviews before and after the intervention on both the control and intervention farms. These data will be useful to understand the impacts and further refine the reports. Furthermore, our research team collectively decided to write a review article on our perpectives on the care of surplus calves, and included potential future interventions and necessary research to further address challenges within this system. This review article has already been published (See Products). By making progress towards these objectives, we are specifically addressing the Animal Well-Being priority area to improve the quality of life and optimize the health and production efficiency of maledairy calves. To our knowledge, these results are the first to investigate dairy producerknowledge and attitudes associated with the management of surplus calves, and use thebenchmarking approach to motivate dairy producers to implement best management practices toimprove the health and welfare of surplus calves. This information will provide foundationalknowledge for future research, and contribute to the body of literature necessary to developand maintain evidence-based animal welfare standards and guidelines for male dairy calvesin the United States and Canada.

Publications

Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Calf care practices and opportunities for improvement.D. J. Wilson*1, G. Habing2, K. L. Proudfoot3, S. M. Roche4,1, D. L. Renaud1. 1University of Guelph Guelph, ON, Canada, 2The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, 3Atlantic Veterinary College Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, 4ACER Consulting Guelph, ON, Canada.
Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Perspectives on male dairy calf care and opportunities to motivate change.D. J. Wilson*1, G. Habing2, K. L. Proudfoot3, S. M. Roche4,1, D. L. Renaud1. 1University of Guelph Guelph, ON, Canada, 2The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, 3Atlantic Veterinary College Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, 4ACER Consulting Guelph, ON, Canada.
Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Wilson, D. J., Pempek, J. A., Roche, S. M., Creutzinger, K. C., Locke, S. R., Habing, G., & Renaud, D. L. (2021). A focus group study of Ontario dairy producer perspectives on neonatal care of male and female calves. Journal of Dairy Science, 104(5), 6080-6095. doi:10.3168/jds.2020-19507
Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Creutzinger, K., Pempek, J., Habing, G., Proudfoot, K., Locke, S., Wilson, D., & Renaud, D. (2021). Perspectives on the management of surplus dairy calves in the United States and Canada. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 8, 344.

Progress 06/01/19 to 05/31/20

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience includes dairy producers, veterinarians, and dairy professionals interested in the improved care of male dairy calves. Changes/Problems:The primary challenge has been navigating restrictions associated with COVID-19. The restrictions necessitated switching from a focus group approach to individual interviews. Nonetheless, we expect that we'll still be able to accomplish the goals of the project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two graduate student and one post-doctoral scholar have contributed to the work on the project. They have completed coursework and training on qualitative methodology associated with the project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we plan to complete the analysis and publication of the interviews and focus groups that have been completed. Additionally, we plan to implement the quantitative survey that has already been developed. This will include a combination of a mailed and electronic surveys to individuals involved in early life calf care.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The investigative team has planned a systematic approach to identifying effective behavioral interventions to improve the care of male dairy calves. As planned from the outset, we've used qualitative methodology to characterize motivators and barriers for critical components of care. Qualitative methodology can provide a rich understanding of dairy farmer motivations and barriers to adopting health care practices. Focus groups of dairy producers were planned in Guelph and Ohio. Twenty three dairy producers in Ontario, Canada participated in 4 focus group discussions about calf care practices which were recorded and evaluated qualitatively using thematic analysis. The focus groups were moderated by members of the investigative team, and were structured around a pre-tested discussion guide. The transcribed focus group sessions were anlyzed using Nvivo, and the themes have been extracted. A draft of the results of these focus groups is close to submission to the Journal of Dairy Science. Additionally, prior to the beginning of travel restrictions associated with the Coronavirus pandemic, the investigative team in Ohio conducted a single focus group with dairy producers. Since the onset of travel restrictions, we have changed our approach to individual interviews, and we've completed nine individual interviews with dairy producers directly involved with been conducting interviews with dairy producers, with a similar objective of identifying motivators and barriers to improving male calf welfare. We plan to continue to interview producers, with data analysis and publication planned planned for later this year.

Publications