Opinion
Dairy farming wrong besmirched on TV segment
A recent ABC Nightline segment (Disturbing Reality of Dairy Land, 1/27/10) indicted dairy-cattle-management practices as abusive and incompatible with animal well-being. Increasingly, issues of food-animal welfare are rarely out of the media spotlight.
Animal welfare, along with environmental impacts of farming and food safety, are highly visible agricultural issues that cross-cut societal concerns so the media interest is not surprising. What is disheartening is the often biased reporting and lack of recognition of the science that supports many agricultural practices. Since very few Americans are directly involved in farming, biased reporting may easily instill distrust of contemporary agriculture, whereas true education is an arduous and lengthy process.
In the ABC segment, the primary expert was a spokesperson for the Humane Society of the United States — demonstrably a biased source of information regarding livestock management. A quick perusal of their Web site reveals a vegetarian agenda.
The segment questioned several common aspects of dairy management but pilloried two dairy-management practices in particular: tail docking and dehorning.
An undercover investigation revealed what appeared to be instances of animal abuse on a dairy farm in New York state. But no attempt was made to explain the reasons for these practices, and the implication was that many modern management practices result in needless pain and distress to the cow. Furthermore, the viewer might well conclude that dairy farmers themselves really do not care about their animals' well-being.
Tail docking of all cows is practiced on approximately 15 percent of dairy farms in an attempt to keep the cows as well as the milker clean, thereby producing higher quality milk. Disadvantages for the cow include pain at the time of the procedure and impaired fly swatting ability (no small matter if you're a cow).
Published research finds no consistent benefit (J. Dairy Sci. 2001. 84:84-87) on cow cleanliness or milk quality. In addition, recent research indicates that some cows with docked tails may suffer phantom limb pain (J Dairy Sci. 2006. 89:3047-3051). Hence, the dairy industry does need to reconsider whether tail docking is a desirable practice, and in fact the American Veterinary Medical Association does not support tail docking. An alternative approach practiced on dairy farms is simply trimming the tail switch, thereby avoiding the potential for pain. Unfortunately, none of this fundamental information was examined in the ABC story, and an educational moment was squandered.
Unlike tail docking, dehorning is ubiquitous in the dairy industry and for good reason: reduced risk of injury to herd mates and farmers handling the cows.
The well-being of calves being dehorned has been of great concern to researchers, farmers and the general public alike. Researchers have assessed how to reduce pain associated with dehorning by using local anesthetics such as lidocaine that mitigate initial pain and stress responses in the animal being dehorned (J. Dairy Sci. 2007. 90:4232-4239). As a result, the use of analgesics and anesthetics is becoming increasingly common on dairy farms. Interestingly, the ABC segment did not mention this trend toward improved animal welfare on-farm.
More generally, facilities and management practices that accommodate the cow's natural behavioral requirements invariably enhance their well-being, productivity and health. Accumulating scientific evidence demonstrates that ensuring cow well-being also enhances farm profitability. Animal-welfare-assessment programs have been developed, and cutting-edge dairy farms are beginning to implement these programs to document that their management practices do not impair the welfare of the cattle on their farm.
Taking an isolated instance of animal abuse on one farm and tarring an entire industry by association is misleading. The news segment ended with a riff on the well-known line "Got Milk?" The Humane Society spokesperson added "Got Ethics?" Questioning the ethics of the entire dairy industry stymies real progress on animal-welfare issues within the industry and the genuine education of society. Instead, we must focus on research-based farm-management practices that promote animal well-being as well as farm profitability.
In my opinion, the answer to the question of whether dairy farming and animal welfare are compatible is emphatically "yes:" Dairy farming and animal welfare are entirely compatible, and we must engage society with research rather than rhetoric.
Rick Grant is president of Miner Institute in Chazy.
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