Make her last days good

Many dairy cows go on to a second career as beef, and it’s the responsibility of everyone on the farm to care for them properly until they leave the farm.

Veterinarian Dr. Julia Herman, who consults on animal health for the National Cattleman’s Beef Association (NCBA), says dairy farms have a lot to consider when they put an animal on the trailer, but appropriate care begins well before shipping time.

“Animal well-being has to be considered in every decision made throughout the animal’s life,” said Herman, “even when she leaves the operation.”

Transportation within the cattle industry is very complex. Cows are often subjected to other animals and unfamiliar environments and will probably drop in body condition score (BCS). Herman said losing one body score point amounts to about 100 lbs., depending on how strenuous the trip is. She may travel another several hours to a packing plant but hasn’t been milked during travel. If she goes down in the trailer and can’t walk into the plant on her own, she is condemned.

A good ending begins a solid herd health plan. “Work with your veterinarian,” said Herman. “Focus on preventive medicine to minimize the risk of defects and disease that might diminish the animal’s quality of life as they go to processing.”

The farm resource team – veterinarian, nutritionist, Extension specialist – are great resources to help evaluate the herd, including culls that will be shipped. Dairy farmers have control over protocols and on-farm training, including identifying and correcting problems early.

Topics such as drug residue, proper injection technique and animal handling should be discussed with employees. Make sure protocols and labels are in a language workers can understand so they know what they’re administering and where to find information if needed.

Minimize the risk of drug residue by keeping accurate treatment records. Follow label instructions for dosage, storage and withdrawal information. If the animal has received multiple drugs prior to shipping, the withdrawal period should be the longest of any of the products that have been used. Research shows that compromised animals don’t process medications as well as healthy animals so the withdrawal period may need to be even longer.

Herman said effective communication is critical for all involved in transporting animals. Decisions to treat, cull or euthanize should be made as quickly as possible. Cattle in labor should not be transported – animals can’t be processed until the placenta has passed, and it’s a welfare issue for the newborn calf.

Whenever possible, market animals before they become thin and weak so they have a higher BCS and better condition, are less lame and can withstand the trip, all of which will result in a better-quality product. If treating an animal, be realistic about her chance of recovery. Animals should be improving with treatment, but if they aren’t, make culling or euthanasia decisions earlier. Non-ambulatory animals should be euthanized on the farm.

Animals with recent fractures should be assessed to minimize the risk of becoming a downer during transport. Evaluate locomotion scores before loading onto a trailer. If an animal repeatedly tries to lie down, don’t transport her. She’s likely to go down and not be able to get up.

Animals must be able to walk off the trailer unassisted – any with hobbles on will be euthanized. If animals arrive at the plant down, they will be euthanized per USDA rules. On-farm protocols help streamline the determination to euthanize, making it easier to come to this important decision.

The BCS of any animal being shipped should be 4 or above to minimize bruising. Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) fitness for transport recommends animals with a BCS equal or less than 2 are not fit for transport. High stocking density in the trailer leads to increased risk of bruising due to insufficient body condition.

Most bruising on cattle in shipping occurs in the hind end and along the backside. It’s primarily due to facilities and handling. Animals should always be handled calmly as they are loaded prior to shipping.

“As animals go into the cattle pot, if they aren’t being handled calmly, they jump as they go down into the belly and scrape along their spine and rump and sides (ribs),” said Herman. “Taller animals, especially Holsteins, are more at risk, which makes it more important that cattle pots and trailers can fit tall animals.”

In addition to being a welfare issue, bruising is an economic problem. Plant workers must search for bruising when they’re cutting out areas that aren’t fit for human consumption. All bruised tissue must be discarded, which results in product loss from high-value cuts.

The incidence of cattle arriving at the plant with arthritic joints has been going down since 1999, which Herman said is a win for the industry. “This is an animal welfare issue,” she said. “If animals are transported and walking into the harvest facility with arthritic joints, they’re likely in pain and more at risk of injury at the plant.”

Arthritic joints are also an issue at the plant when the carcass is hung. If the arthritic joint is nicked with a knife and opens, the joint fluid becomes a contaminant and requires discarding up to an entire quarter of the carcass.

Other defects include retained placentas, failed suspensory ligaments, mastitis and full udders. The full udder itself isn’t a defect – it’s the milk inside. Milk leaking onto a hanging carcass is a contaminant and a food safety issue. If milk splashes on any of the meat, the entire section must be cut out and discarded.

Foreign objects such as broken needles and pieces of wire are also seen at processing. Broken needles can be avoided with proper handling equipment and technique. Despite the use of magnets to counter hardware disease, wire sometimes travels to organs or other areas of the body, necessitating excess trimming or condemnation.

Herman urges dairy farmers to follow FARM guidelines or become BQA certified to ensure dairy animals heading for a packing plant are fit for transport and processing.

“Consider the animal’s condition when she leaves the farm,” said Herman. “Do you want that animal to be the billboard for the industry and for your farm?”

by Sally Colby