Mother cow sniffing her calf before separation is fully completed
Cow-calf separation is the practice of separatingcalves from their mothers in thebeef anddairy industries.[1] It is sometimes calleddam-calf separation. It is near universal within the beef and dairy industries globally and usually done within hours or days in the dairy industry.[2] It is used in both conventional and organic production.[1] It is a controversial practice, which opinion polling found a majority of the public opposed when they became informed.[3]
Dairy cows are repeatedly impregnated to keep them producing milk.[4] This is because after pregnancy, milk production rates fall and lead to adry period. This process is called the lactation cycle and usually lasts 305 days.[5] It is recommended to wait 45-60 days after a cow has calved before impregnating her again, allowing her body to recover.[6] Dairy cows typically give birth to around 2-3 calves in their life prior to slaughter at around 4-5 years old.[7][8] Cows that produce the most milk have the highest rate of infertility.[9] Althoughbeef cattle are typically slaughtered around 12-24 months old, beef cows kept for breeding typically give birth to 8-12 calves and are slaughtered when they become infertile, which is at about 10 years old. Calves in the beef industry are typically separated from their mothers at around 6-8 months old, whereas calves in the dairy industry are typically separated from their mothers within the first few days.[citation needed]
Newborn beef calves are temporarily separated from their mothers to perform procedures such asear tagging,[10] whereas newborn dairy calves are separated from their mothers within hours or days and relocated to prevent the mother from developing maternal instinct, which is unneeded in cows that are not being used for breeding. Moreover, early separation allows dairy farmers to ensure that saleable milk gets sold while "waste milk", or milk that is unsuitable for human consumption, is used to feed the calf, thus maximizing profit.[1][11] Dairy bulls are seen as unprofitable since they don't produce milk and are a dairy breed. For efficiency, male dairy calves (along with some excess female dairy calves) are usually either sent for veal or killed on-farm within a few days of birth.[12] A handful are sold to a dairy bull semen company.[13] Male calves of beef breeds and dual-purpose breeds may be reared for beef instead.
Deviations from natural nursing behaviors are thought to have an impact on animal welfare. In nature, cows often start licking their calves on average 5-7 minutes after birth to remove theamniotic fluid and establish a bond. Around 90 minutes after birth, calves begin suckling. Calves naturally spend large amounts of time nearby their mother compared to other members of the herd and also mimic their mother's behaviors. Cows also often distance themselves and their calf from the rest of the adults in the herd for a few days after birth.[14] Calves tend to remain close to their mother until fully weaned at around 8-11 months old.[15] A 5-year study on social relationships within cattle find that they held stable attachments between mother and child for at least that time frame.[16]
Post separation, cows have been reported to vocalize for a while.[4][17] Stress is higher,[18] activity levels increase, their calls become higher in pitch, and they stick their heads outside pens more frequently.[19] Cows also show reduced milk production after separation.[20]
After separation, calves are known to have increased vocalizations, weight loss or slow weight gain, and increased disease risk.[21] It also appears to lead to higher stress levels with highercatecholamine secretion.[18] The amount of contact or lack thereof with the mother influences calf development. Weight gain improves with at least 4 days of contact.Diarrhea reduces with at least 2 weeks of contact.Social competence improves with at least 12 weeks of contact.[22] Calves with longer contact with their mother also stand earlier post-birth.[23]
Calves are often placed in individual housing such ascalf hutches following their separation. This limits social behavior overall and leads to increased stress and fear.[22]
Researchers have found minimal contact is needed to make bonds. 5 minutes of maternal contact after birth with the calf is enough to result in a bond lasting 12 hours after separation.[24] Dairy farmers have often argued for doing separation early to minimize this bond. However, a 2019 review found the effects on behavior were worse with earlier separation. Another review found that changing the time of separation did not consistently improve overall cow or calf health.[25]
In systems where cows are separated later and allowed to nurse pre-weaned calves, cows show signs of increased aversion to being milked. Researchers think they are trying to save milk for their calves.[26]
Cow-calf separation has faced criticism from members of the general public along with variousanimal rights andanimal welfare groups. For instance, Animal Equality has called it "cruel", "unnatural", and "painful".[27]Animal Justice has called it "some of the worst cruelty in the dairy industry" and called to end its use.[28]
Opinion polling found much of the public was unaware of the practice; but when informed, a majority were against it. Providing more information and arguments in favor tended not to change the level of disapproval.[3][29] Moreover, some researchers have found bringing people unaffiliated with the industry to a dairy farm caused a net loss of confidence in the industries' animal welfare, in part due to unawareness of cow-calf separation.[3]
Those within the industry have offered different justifications for maintaining the cow-calf separation. Decreasing the cost of operations is a commonly cited reason.[30] Also often cited is the physical safety of calves as a reason for separation. Though others argue this is more an issue with the existing housing rather than with keeping calves and mothers together.[31] Another reason cited by the industry has been to separate to reduce disease risk to calves. Researchers do not find consistent support for this claim.[31][25] Some farmers have claimed that increased time between calves and mothers makes them behave more "wild" and difficult to manage. Other farmers have stated the opposite experience and claimed they are calmer.[32]
^"Is Dairy Farming Cruel to Cows? (Published 2020)". 2020-12-29. Retrieved2025-08-04.The typical dairy cow in the United States will spend its entire life inside a concrete-floored enclosure, and although they can live 20 years, most are sent to slaughter after four or five years when their milk production wanes.
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