Animal welfare standards in the dairy industry have changed rapidly over the past couple of years. Management practices on farms that are common and widely accepted are now being scrutinized more closely. Producers are being asked or in some cases, told that they can no longer operate the same as in the past. Changing management practices is difficult on farms, especially when there are a large number of employees and animals involved. However, change can happen smoothly when farms utilize the services of veterinarians, nutritionists, extension educators and other agricultural professionals. When it comes to animal welfare, producers will be better off when a proactive, rather than a reactive approach is taken.
Why dock tails?: Tail docking is a management practice used on some dairies with the goal of keeping udders clean, reducing SCC and thus improving milk quality. Other goals of tail docking include improving the comfort (or in some cases reducing the frustration) of the milker. Unfortunately, it used to be common in certain tie-stall herds to see crooked and bent tails… One other perceived benefit of tail docking is to reduce the spread of leptospirosis. (Leptospirosis in New Zealand was thought to be spread to humans when coming in contact with a tail soiled in urine from an infected cow).
What the research says: Since tail docking became a popular practice, many studies have been conducted, mainly testing the hypothesis of cleaner cows, lower SCC and improved milk quality. In one study that looked at cow and udder cleanliness, rear udder cleanliness scores were better for cows with docked tails versus intact tails; however, no statistical differences were observed with respect to udder cleanliness or somatic cell count, (SCC); (Eicher, SD, et. J. Dairy Science, 2001).
Other studies have focused specifically on milk quality and reducing the incidence of mastitis. Causes of environmental mastitis include dirt, water and manure that could be caked on the udder by a heavily soiled tail. However, the conclusions of these studies tell us that tail docking does not reduce SCC, intramammary infections or improve udder cleanliness, (Tucker, CB et al, J. Dairy Science 2001; Schreiner, DA et al, J. Dairy Science 2002).
There are other welfare concerns associated with tail docking; the two biggest are pain and change in animal behavior. Studies on pain have shown that if neuromas form (a growth of tangled nerve axons that forms a mass) on docked tails, this was a source of chronic pain, (Barnett, JL, et al Aust. Vet Journal, 1999). The most obvious change in behavior was in fly avoidance. Docked animals showed greater incidence in kicking and stomping behavior, skin twitching, head and ear motion and taking flight, (Eicher SD, et al, J. Dairy Science 2002).
What does the industry say?: There are many agricultural professionals, veterinary clinics, pharmaceutical companies, etc. that support tail docking. However, there are also some well-respected groups who have started to create guidelines on these touchy, animal-welfare issues. One such group is NYSCHAP (New York State Cattle Health Assurance Program), and many NY herds are already enrolled in the NYSCHAP core module.
NYSCHAP has created a module for dairy cattle welfare that addresses all animal-husbandry type practices on a dairy herd. They are not opposed to tail docking, but recommendations for the practice state: “Tail docking must be performed by trained personnel, under sanitary conditions and in consultation with a veterinarian. The decision to dock tails must also include other environmental management considerations such as fly control…”.
On the other hand, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) current policy includes a statement of opposition to tail docking. Other countries that oppose tail docking are: Germany, Sweden, Scotland, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and some Australian states. Canadian national guidelines state that, “the procedure must be performed on young calves by trained personnel with the proper equipment and attention to pain relief”.
What should you do?: There are no laws against tail docking in the U.S., so it is a perfectly legal procedure. However, in our society, you never know who’s going to show up at your farm asking questions. If you choose to dock tails, then discuss the procedure with your veterinarian and develop written SOPs. Also make sure you consider other environmental factors such as fly control, manure management, stall maintenance, etc.
However, leaving tails intact does not make managing cows impossible, even in freestall herds, (although this may be a concern with alley scrapers). If you choose to leave tails intact, there are plenty of ways to maintain low SCC and keep cows clean, including: scraping the back of stall beds frequently, using plenty of bedding, or bed more often but use less each time, scrape alleys daily, minimize wet floors, flame or clip udders, and/or trim the switch on tails. Some of these techniques may seem time-consuming, but they will improve the cow’s living environment and help to keep them clean and comfortable.
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