The care and well-being of cattle in Wisconsin are important to consumers and farmers alike. Dairy producers, employees, and service providers are responsible for the welfare of cattle under their care, and are committed to making sure all animals are treated humanely.
Animal care begins at the farm level. Although all farmers strive to take excellent care of their animals, there are times when cows are injured or sick and are not able to stand on their own.
Our approach to dairy animal well-being begins with maintaining the health of the animals in our care. This approach includes a herd health plan in the context of a veterinary/client/patient/relationship which includes:
- Management protocols for painful procedures and conditions
- Protocols for special needs cattle and compromised cattle
- Animal diagnosis, treatment and prevention training
To learn more about developing animal care plans, please read the Planning Dairy Animal Well-Being factsheet. Written by UW-Extension Taylor County Agriculture Educator Sandy Stuttgen, DVM and UW-Extension Fond du Lac County Dairy & Livestock Agent Tina Kohlman, the factsheet provides insight on developing an animal care plan as well as additional resources available for employee training.
Source:uwex.edu