Suckling as rearing method on dairy farms: The effect on farm system aspects of two dairy farms in the Netherlands

Summary

Maternal behaviour, interactions and contact between cow and calf is limited or absent in modern dairy production due to the widely use of artificial calf rearing. Introduction of suckling on a dairy farm has effects on many aspects such as calf growth, animal health, milk production, rearing costs, behaviour, welfare and naturalness etc.
In a pilot study on two farms the effect of suckling systems on calf growth and milk production of dairy cows was assessed. Furthermore, the development of naturalness on the case study farms was described, as well as the motivation, for the use of suckling as rearing method, of seven farmers.