Meat&Poultry - July 2013 - 30

Animal Welfare

Correcting the
Cull-cattle

welfare has
become an
industry priority

T

expert and Meat&Poultry contribut-

things as declining milk production or

ing editor Dr. Temple Grandin notes:

the inability to breed back, balanced

“Plants have become really good at

against economic factors at the time,

handling dairy cows, but the problem

which could include the price of grain,

now is the condition of the animal ar-

milk and beef.

riving at the plant.”

Unplanned culls are quick de-

Grandin believes the metabolism

cisions based on abrupt changes in

that makes the cow a super-milking

the health or mobility of the ani-

he public image of dairy cows rep-

machine may be detrimental to the

mal. These decisions are not so pre-

resents one of the greatest anom-

animal’s health later on. “The biolo-

dictable. Shelly Mayer, dairy farmer

alies in modern-day agriculture. On

gy has been pushed to a point where

and executive director of the Profes-

one end of the spectrum are bucolic,

the animal starts coming apart,” she

sional Dairy Producers of Wiscon-

pastoral images of cows on the farm,

explains. “I think it’s a biological sys-

sin (PDPW), says “Metabolically,

gentle animals that produce the milk,

tem overload.”

cheese and ice cream we love to eat.

The condition of cull-dairy cows

Who can forget all those commercials

arriving at slaughter today doesn’t dif-

featuring those happy, mischievous

fer greatly from five years ago. Against

California cows?

the backdrop of a complicated supply

At the other end of the spectrum

chain, however, the welfare world of

are the stark images from the Hall-

the cull-dairy cow is about to get a

mark Westland video of 2008. The

lot better. 

image of emaciated, mobility chalders being mishandled by a forklift

Improve culling
decisions

has been burned into the national

Veterans of the cull cow supply chain

consciousness.

say changes in two critical areas are

lenged cows with pendulous ud-

“The biggest
problem with
dairy cows

is that the decision to
ship them [to slaughter]
is made later than it
should be.”

needed to improve cow conditions at
slaughter: better culling decisions and
a greater understanding of the journey
cows undergo from dairy to slaughter.
Jennifer Woods, owner of J Woods
Livestock Services, has worked with
dairy cattle and transportation for
more than 25 years. She says: “The
biggest problem with dairy cows is
that the decision to ship them is made
later than it should be.”

Most processors handling cull cows

into two categories: planned and un-

humane techniques. There is still a di-

planned. Planned culls are advance

lemma, as renowned animal-welfare

30

Culling decisions can be grouped

for slaughter do so responsibly, using

decisions to slaughter based on such

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Meat&Poultry - July 2013

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