Comparing expert stakeholders’ assessments of the relative impact of management practices on dairy calf welfare using best-worst scaling

Abstract

The UK dairy industry is under increasing public scrutiny, with growing intensification sparking concerns for farm animal health and welfare. Despite established best practices, achieving optimal calf health and welfare remains an industry-wide challenge. Research into calf health and welfare is advancing; however, it remains unclear how management practices impact welfare relative to one another. This study aimed to establish a ranking of practices according to their relative impact on dairy calf welfare using expert consensus, as well as examine variations in stakeholder perceptions. Maximum Difference Scaling, a discrete choice methodology offering greater discrimination between items than traditional ranking methods, was used. Responses were received from 55 veterinarians, 44 farmers and 43 agricultural representatives in the United Kingdom. Veterinarians and agricultural representatives ranked no pain mitigation during painful procedures as most severe, whilst farmers ranked suboptimal colostrum as most severe. Open bucket milk feeding was ranked as least severe by veterinarians, immediate cow-calf separation was ranked lowest by farmers, and age-based weaning was ranked lowest by agricultural representatives. Greater alignment in opinion was observed between veterinarians and agricultural representatives, possibly reflecting their shared role as an advisor on farms. The rankings achieved will facilitate the prioritisation of on-farm resources and guide education efforts towards practices with greater influences on welfare. Understanding the variation in stakeholder perceptions also provides an opportunity to strengthen advisor-farmer relationships and communication when addressing welfare challenges.