Different animal welfare orientations towards some key research areas of current relevance to pastoral dairy farming in New Zealand

<p>The intensification and expansion of New Zealand’s dairy industry have caused animal welfare and environmental sustainability issues to arise. Animal welfare issues directly impact the physical and mental wellbeing of cattle, and environmental sustainability issues contribute to climate change, impact human and animal health and cause biodiversity loss. As the first step to creating a better world for dairy cattle and sustaining the environment for future generations, this research investigates how cultural and design research can be used to understand what New Zealand dairy is today and imagine what it could become in the future. Semi-structured interviews and an observational site visit were conducted with the Happy Cow Milk Company founder and one of their dairy farmers. The interviews and site visit focused on developing an understanding of the participant’s values, their relationships with their cows and the land, and how they address their dairy farming concerns through their farming practices. This cultural research provided insight into what the participants considered the most significant animal welfare and environmental sustainability issues in New Zealand and how these issues could be addressed through alternative dairy farming practices and farmer, cattle, and environmental relationships. The cultural research then inspired the development of the experimental discursive prototype, The Dairy Oracle. This prototype aims to prompt discussion around existing understandings of New Zealand dairy farming and spark imagination around the future possibilities of dairy farming. It was tested at a local farmers’ market to investigate its potential. The findings from the event reflect and discuss how The Dairy Oracle was engaged with by shoppers at the farmers’ market, its potential to address the design objectives, and how it could be developed in future research.</p>

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The Dairy Oracle: A cultural and design exploration of New Zealand dairy

10.26686/wgtn.16674490.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Lily Nichols

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Animal Welfare ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Dairy Farming ◽

Site Visit ◽

Farming Practices ◽

Farmers Market ◽

Cultural Research ◽

Observational Site ◽

The Future

<p>The intensification and expansion of New Zealand’s dairy industry have caused animal welfare and environmental sustainability issues to arise. Animal welfare issues directly impact the physical and mental wellbeing of cattle, and environmental sustainability issues contribute to climate change, impact human and animal health and cause biodiversity loss. As the first step to creating a better world for dairy cattle and sustaining the environment for future generations, this research investigates how cultural and design research can be used to understand what New Zealand dairy is today and imagine what it could become in the future. Semi-structured interviews and an observational site visit were conducted with the Happy Cow Milk Company founder and one of their dairy farmers. The interviews and site visit focused on developing an understanding of the participant’s values, their relationships with their cows and the land, and how they address their dairy farming concerns through their farming practices. This cultural research provided insight into what the participants considered the most significant animal welfare and environmental sustainability issues in New Zealand and how these issues could be addressed through alternative dairy farming practices and farmer, cattle, and environmental relationships. The cultural research then inspired the development of the experimental discursive prototype, The Dairy Oracle. This prototype aims to prompt discussion around existing understandings of New Zealand dairy farming and spark imagination around the future possibilities of dairy farming. It was tested at a local farmers’ market to investigate its potential. The findings from the event reflect and discuss how The Dairy Oracle was engaged with by shoppers at the farmers’ market, its potential to address the design objectives, and how it could be developed in future research.</p>

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Levy oration - 2015

Journal of New Zealand Grasslands ◽

10.33584/jnzg.2016.78.506 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 78 ◽

pp. 7-10

Author(s):

C.W. Holmes

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Dairy Farming ◽

Competitive Edge

New Zealand dairy farming has lost its competitive edge

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The Significance of Mr. Richard Buckley's Exploding Trousers: Reflections on an Aspect of Technological Change in New Zealand Dairy Farming between the World Wars

Agricultural History ◽

10.1525/ah.2004.78.3.346 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 78 (3) ◽

pp. 346-360 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

JAMES WATSON

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Technological Change ◽

Dairy Farming ◽

The World

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Profit margin hedging in the New Zealand dairy farming industry

Journal of Commodity Markets ◽

10.1016/j.jcomm.2021.100197 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 100197

Author(s):

Adrian Fernandez-Perez ◽

Bart Frijns ◽

Ilnara Gafiatullina ◽

Alireza Tourani-Rad

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Dairy Farming ◽

Profit Margin ◽

Farming Industry

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The Carbon Footprint of Energy Consumption in Pastoral and Barn Dairy Farming Systems: A Case Study from Canterbury, New Zealand

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11174809 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (17) ◽

pp. 4809 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hafiz Muhammad Abrar Ilyas ◽

Majeed Safa ◽

Alison Bailey ◽

Sara Rauf ◽

Marvin Pangborn

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Carbon Footprint ◽

Dairy Farming ◽

Carbon Footprints ◽

Energy Inputs ◽

Study Results ◽

Feed Supplements ◽

Dairy Systems ◽

Milk Solids ◽

On Farm

Dairy farming is constantly evolving to more intensive systems of management, which involve more consumption of energy inputs. The consumption of these energy inputs in dairy farming contributes to climate change both with on-farm emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels, and by off-farm emissions due to production of farm inputs (such as fertilizer, feed supplements). The main purpose of this research study was to evaluate energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, the carbon footprint, of pastoral and barn dairy systems located in Canterbury, New Zealand. The carbon footprints were estimated based on direct and indirect energy sources. The study results showed that, on average, the carbon footprints of pastoral and barn dairy systems were 2857 kgCO2 ha−1 and 3379 kgCO2 ha−1, respectively. For the production of one tonne of milk solids, the carbon footprint was 1920 kgCO2 tMS−1 and 2129 kgCO2 tMS−1, respectively. The carbon emission difference between the two systems indicates that the barn system has 18% and 11% higher carbon footprint than the pastoral system, both per hectare of farm area and per tonne of milk solids, respectively. The greater carbon footprint of the barn system was due to more use of imported feed supplements, machinery usage and fossil fuel (diesel and petrol) consumption for on-farm activities.

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A systematic approach to evaluating and ranking the relative animal welfare impacts of wildlife control methods: poisons used for lethal control of brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) in New Zealand

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr16041 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 43 (7) ◽

pp. 553 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

N. J. Beausoleil ◽

P. Fisher ◽

K. E. Littin ◽

B. Warburton ◽

D. J. Mellor ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Animal Welfare ◽

Policy Development ◽

Management Decision ◽

Pest Species ◽

Control Methods ◽

Trichosurus Vulpecula ◽

Welfare Impacts ◽

Wildlife Control ◽

Management Decision Making

Context Control of unwanted wildlife (‘pest’ animals) is undertaken for conservation and economic reasons, and when such animals are considered a nuisance. Such control should be undertaken using approaches that minimise, as far as possible, detrimental impacts on the welfare of the animals. Using a scientific framework based on the Five Domains model, the relative welfare impacts of pest control methods can be compared across methods and pest species. Aims We demonstrate the application of a modified version of this framework to evaluate the relative impacts of seven Vertebrate Toxic Agents (VTAs) used to control brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) in New Zealand. The evaluation is used to produce a ranking of the seven VTAs based on their relative impacts on possum welfare. Methods Scientific literature describing mode of toxic action, specific effects in possums or other animals and reports from human poisonings was collated as reference material for a panel of six experts. The panel produced a median welfare impact score (‘none’ to ‘extreme’) for each of the Five Domains. The ‘Overall Grade’ (1 to 8) reflected the intensity and duration of all impacts of a VTA on possums. Key results All VTAs evaluated have at least moderate impacts on possum welfare, lasting for at least minutes. Cyanide was assessed as having the lowest welfare impacts (median grade 4), and cholecalciferol and the anticoagulants the highest impacts (7.5 to 8). Zinc phosphide was assigned an intermediate grade (6) with high confidence. While the overall impacts of sodium fluoroacetate (1080) and phosphorus were also assessed as intermediate (6), the panel’s confidence in these scores was low. Conclusions From an animal welfare perspective, anticoagulant poisons and cholecalciferol should be the least preferred options for controlling possums in New Zealand, as VTAs with less severe welfare impacts are available. Implications The results of such assessments allow animal welfare impacts to be integrated with other factors in wildlife management decision-making and policy development, and are thus useful for managers, researchers, regulators and operators. Evaluation of welfare impacts aligns with the goals and mandates of ethical wildlife control and may also be valuable in wider wildlife research and management activities.

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Dairy cow welfare: the role of research and development in addressing increasing scrutiny

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an12276 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 53 (9) ◽

pp. 924 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

A. D. Fisher ◽

J. R. Webster

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Animal Welfare ◽

Body Condition ◽

Management Practices ◽

Good Practice ◽

Stocking Density ◽

Grazed Pasture ◽

Dairy Management ◽

Animal Management ◽

Cow Welfare

Pasture-based dairying in New Zealand and Australia has come under increasing animal welfare scrutiny as a result of changing public expectations for farm animal management. Concurrently, efficiency-driven changes in dairy management practices and a broadening of the feedbase beyond traditionally grazed pasture have resulted in increased intensification and stocking density within the dairy industries. This intensification has included a higher proportion of grain concentrates in the diet (particularly in Australia), and the greater management of cows off pasture and even in housing (particularly in New Zealand). Research to assess the animal welfare implications of these changes and to recommend good practice management has concentrated on issues of cow environments and cow feeding, including body condition. Research has shown that cows may be managed for a few hours per day on concrete surfaces without compromising their lying behaviour and other indicators of welfare, but that longer periods off pasture require the provision of a well drained and comfortable lying surface. Other research has defined the extremes of hot and cold/wet conditions beyond which cows benefit from provision of adequate shade and shelter. Research on cow body condition has indicated that welfare responses are aligned with measures of health and productivity in supporting the need to maintain a minimum body condition before calving and during the subsequent weight loss period of early lactation. Continued research, extension and industry adoption will enable dairy producers to address community expectations as they continue to change their farming practices.

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