Prevalence of Potential Indicators of Welfare Status in Young Calves at Meat Processing Premises in New Zealand

SIMPLE SUMMARY: In New Zealand, every year, more than two million calves between four and seven days of age are sent to meat processing premises. At present, the only information related to calf welfare that is routinely collected is the mortality rate before slaughter. This study aims to describe the status of calves in lairage using animal-based indicators of welfare status that are non-invasive and easy to evaluate. We made 23 visits to 12 meat processing premises across New Zealand. Data collection involved a group-level assessment of nearly 6000 calves in 102 pens, followed by non-invasive measurements on 504 individual calves. We rarely observed calves coughing or engaging in play behaviour. In each pen, faecal soiling occurred on at least one calf, and the percentage of calves affected in each pen ranged from 1% to 48%. Observation on individual calves found that more than 60% had signs of dehydration, and nearly 40% had some faecal soiling present. In conclusion, the most commonly observed potential indicators (dehydration and diarrhoea) were linked to conditions known to be common causes of morbidity, mortality, and compromised welfare. Both dehydration and diarrhoea can be easily assessed in the field, making them potential indicators of welfare for young calves during transport and lairage. ABSTRACT: In New Zealand, over two million dairy calves between four and seven days of age are sent to meat processing premises every year. There is a need to develop protocols for holistically assessing the welfare of calves sent to slaughter in the first week of life. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of potential animal-based indicators of the welfare state in bobby calves in lairage. The study observed calves in lairage between June and October 2016. Data collection involved assessing groups of calves in pens followed by non-invasive measurements on up to five calves within each pen. We made 23 visits to 12 meat processing premises with group-level observations made on 5910 calves in 102 pens, followed by a non-invasive examination of 504 calves. During the group level observations, none of the calves had their heads tilted or were panting, and coughing and play behaviour were observed in only 1% of pens. In contrast, at least one calf had faecal soiling in all the observed pens, with the percentage of calves affected in each pen ranging from 1% to 48%. In the individual observations, more than 60% of calves had signs of some degree of dehydration, and nearly 40% had some faecal soiling present. In addition, 24% of calves had a respiratory rate over 36 breaths per minute, considered higher than normal. The change in prevalence of some indicators—as time spent in lairage increased or as the calving season progressed—is worth further exploration. Identification of prevalent animal-based indicators facilitates better understanding of the welfare status of young calves in lairage, and these should be incorporated into more holistic calf welfare assessment schemes.