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The early separation of cow and calf has long been standard practice in dairy farming, including organic systems. However, this approach is increasingly questioned, as farmers, scientists and consumers raise concerns about its implications for animal welfare.
A new scientific paper, led by Anna Rademann (Veterinarian, PhD Student in Animal Welfare Science, partner of TDN) and supervised by Susanne Waiblinger (Veterinarian, Professor for Animal Husbandry and Welfare, partner of TDN), provides valuable evidence on this important topic. The study compared the welfare of calves and heifers on 50 Austrian dairy farms—25 practicing CCC and 25 with early separation (ES)—using the Welfare Quality® Protocol for dairy calves and heifers. This is the first time a comprehensive welfare assessment protocol has been applied on-farm to evaluate the welfare of animals in CCC systems.
Key Findings
The results clearly show that CCC systems provide measurable welfare benefits:
- Higher welfare scores – Both calves and heifers on CCC farms scored significantly better in behavior and overall welfare classifications, and calves also in housing.
- Better living conditions – CCC animals had more space, more access to pasture, and were less often disbudded.
- Fewer health problems – Calves in CCC systems had fewer lesions, and heifers were less likely to suffer from overgrown claws.
- More positive behaviors – CCC calves showed fewer non-nutritive oral behaviors and both CCC calves and heifers scored higher in qualitative behavior assessments.
In fact, 20% of CCC farms achieved an “excellent” welfare classification for calves and 32% for heifers, compared to 4% and 8% of ES farms, respectively.
Beyond Welfare: Sustainability and One Welfare
The study highlights that CCC is not only about improving animal lives—it is also part of the bigger picture of sustainability in farming. The authors emphasize that animal welfare must be considered a central element of sustainable agriculture.
The next steps in this research will explore the human dimension—looking at farmers’ work satisfaction, their relationship with animals, and the broader One Welfare concept, which connects animal welfare, farmer wellbeing, the environment, and societal expectations.
Read the Full Paper
The publication is available open access and is highly recommended for anyone interested in CCC research and practice, or more generally in animal welfare and sustainability in dairy farming.
This work was made possible thanks to the collaboration of farmers, project teams, and the support of the Austrian Science Fund FWF [10.55776/CM4].
This study is not part of TransformDairyNet project.