Alliance research impact: Continuing the feed culled dairy cows could deliver a 2:1 return for producers

Every year, Canadian dairy farmers turn over about one-third of the cows in their milking herd. Dr. Todd Duffield’s interest in cull cows – or “market” cows as he calls them – was sparked several years ago while working as a provincial veterinary inspector and visiting local auction marts in Ontario. “What I saw made me wonder if we could do something with these cows to improve their welfare and raise their value,” says Duffield, professor and chair of the Department of Population Medicine in the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College.

His team found that continuing to feed culled dairy cows delivers a 2:1 return for producers, depending on the costs of additional feed space and market prices. Read the story: Beefing up dairy cull cows improves welfare and meat quality