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Why is dam-calf contact rearing needed?

In Switzerland dam-calf contact rearing in dairy production is hardly known. In over 99% of cases, calves are separated from their mothers shortly after birth and often individually kept in calf igloos or in peer groups with other calves. To complicate matters, today’s organic labels provide hardly any specifications regarding the rearing of calves. The separation of mother and calf is – for example – also allowed among labels like Bio and Demeter. But beside the ethical responsibility towards the animals, there are also advantages of dam-calf contact rearing methods. For example: by suckling on the dam’s udder, the calf receives the necessary antibodies to build its immune system and protect itself of the prevalent pathogens. This leads to resilient, fit calves.

Dairy cows are caring mothers, as shown in this video:

What does dam-calf contact rearing mean exactly?

There is no official definition for dam-calf contact rearing yet. For mu-ka.ch, dam-calf contact rearing means that all male and female calves can stay with their mother-cows for at least for three months or longer; they can suckle their udder & spend time with her. This approach distinguishes from foster cow systems, where calves are nursed by another cow, a foster cow. A foster cow usually nurses 2 to 4 calves. We are also not referring to the suckler cow husbandry applied in the meat industry. These calves stay with their mothers without the mothers being milked.

Dam-calf contact rearing is a topic abroad as well

In Germany there exists a designated list of farms that apply the dam rearing method. However, that list does not exclusively include farms applying dam-calf contact rearing but farms applying foster cows husbandry as well. This is specified in this description: Link

In other countries there are also various projects and initiatives for dairy farming with dam-calf contact. Cowpassion has put together a list which can be seen below:
https://www.cowpassion.ch/cow-calf-international/

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