The effect of farmer and advisor perspectives about calf rearing practices on dairy farms in England: "There might be other priorities"

Despite the vital importance of replacement heifer calves to farm performance and the future dairy herd, there is evidence of high morbidity and mortality. This research aimed to explore potential reasons for poor calf performance by exploring calf management on dairy farms through 40 in-depth face-to-face interviews with farmers, farm workers, designated calf rearers, veterinarians and other advisors including feed company representatives. Interviews were recorded and subsequently transcribed in preparation for thematic analysis. The main focal topics which emerged from the data were: colostrum management, preweaning calf nutrition, disease management, and the perceived value of calves, calf performance data and advice. All participants stressed the importance of colostrum being fed to calves, but the importance of feeding sufficient quantity of high quality colostrum quickly after birth (the 'Three 'Q's) appeared to be more widely recognised than hygiene practices and quantification of passive transfer of immunity and challenges with the practical implementation of advice and recommendations were evident. There were a large range of calf feeding practices used on participating farms, largely based on perceived calf performance, and the simplicity, efficiency and cost- or time-effectiveness of their feeding practices versus potential alternatives. Results also pointed to conflicting recommendations for calf feeding, which may contribute to the failure of farmers to feed calves sufficiently to align with their physiological needs and recommended growth targets, suggesting advisory efforts need to be improved. With regards to disease management, participants emphasised the role of good stockmanship and attention to detail for preventing, or limiting the negative effects of disease. Advisor and farmer participants believed that good husbandry could mitigate the problems associated with housing calves in suboptimal conditions, but in many cases calf feeding is assigned to a general farm worker rather than a designated calf rearer. Although industry have promoted youngstock management as key to farm economic efficiency, it appears that calves often have not been fully integrated into the whole dairy farm system, nor culturally as an integral part of the productive herd. These results indicate a culture shift is needed within the dairy industry and associated advisory services which could be aided by improved technical and support structures to foster action towards improved calf wellbeing. This thesis adds to the literature (e.g. Escobar & Buller 2014, Rose et al. 2018) which calls for social change approaches that address the wider context within which farming take place