Welfare of calves

This Scientific Opinion addresses a European Commission request on the welfare of calves as part ofthe Farm to Fork strategy. EFSA was asked to provide a description of common husbandry systemsand related welfare consequences, as well as measures to prevent or mitigate the hazards leading tothem. In addition, recommendations on three specific issues were requested: welfare of calves rearedfor white veal (space, group housing, requirements of iron andfibre); risk of limited cow–calf contact;and animal-based measures (ABMs) to monitor on-farm welfare in slaughterhouses. The methodologydeveloped by EFSA to address similar requests was followed. Fifteen highly relevant welfareconsequences were identified, with respiratory disorders, inability to perform exploratory or foragingbehaviour, gastroenteric disorders and group stress being the most frequent across husbandrysystems. Recommendations to improve the welfare of calves include increasing space allowance,keeping calves in stable groups from an early age, ensuring good colostrum management andincreasing the amounts of milk fed to dairy calves. In addition, calves should be provided withdeformable lying surfaces, water via an open surface and long-cut roughage in racks. Regardingspecific recommendations for veal systems, calves should be kept in small groups (2–7 animals) withinthefirst week of life, provided with~20 m2/calf and fed on average 1 kg neutral detergentfibre(NDF) per day, preferably using long-cut hay. Recommendations on cow–calf contact include keepingthe calf with the dam for a minimum of 1 day post-partum. Longer contact should progressively beimplemented, but research is needed to guide this implementation in practice. The ABMs bodycondition, carcass condemnations, abomasal lesions, lung lesions, carcass colour and bursa swellingmay be collected in slaughterhouses to monitor on-farm welfare but should be complemented withbehavioural ABMs collected on farm.