Dairy farmers' preferences for immediate versus late calf separation

The practice of separating calves from their dams right after birth is one of the main dairy cattle welfare concerns among the public. Farmer perceptions about the practice and the available alternative contact systems in the US are however, not well understood. Using data from a sample of Wisconsin dairy farmers, the study examines farmer preferences for different prolonged (relative to immediate separation) contact systems and the potential role of farm structural and individual-level specific factors. Four alternative hypothetical systems - free dam, half day, foster cow, and restricted suckling systems - differing on the basis of calf access to dam-were considered. The analysis controls for farm size, production system (conventional, organic, grazing), farmer socio-demographic characteristics in addition to farm animal welfare (FAW) perceptions. The findings indicate that amongst the set of alternative practices considered, foster cow system is most preferred alternative to the conventional early separation practised by most farmers. This is followed by restricted suckling systems. The least ranked alternative system is free calf-dam contact. The analyses further indicate that calf contact duration is negatively associated with herd size. Relative to conventional farms, calf-dam pairs on grazing, organic and mixed farms are less likely to be separated immediately after birth. Prolonged calf-dam contact is also prevalent amongst older farmers. Overall, the findings imply that farming system and structural considerations may be the key drivers of transition to prolonged contact systems in dairy production. Foster cow systems may offer the most feasible pathway for achieving this objective.