Dairy sector makes big change to housing code

Afew years ago, researchers set out to find out how Americans, caught up in a frenzy of real or pending animal welfare litigation, felt about a dairy housing system called tie stalls.

In this system, dairy cows are tethered with a rope or chain in stalls. One reason is to make it easier for labour-strapped farmers to keep an eye on their animals’ health status.

Tie stalls are popular with farmers. When the research was conducted, in 2018, about 40 per cent of US dairy cows were in tie stalls.

But many animal rights advocates detest tie stalls. They say this kind of housing restricts the dairy cow’s movement and that it should be banned.

Like many agricultural matters, the public doesn’t know what to think. Tie stalls had never entered their psyche—about half of the 430 people surveyed for the research didn’t know what a tie stall was. And why would they?

However, when told by the researchers tie stalls restrict an animals’ movement and that they are tethered for 10-12 hours a day, opinions formed quickly. “We conclude that current knowledge of the use of tie stalls is low, but if this situation were to change there may be considerable public concern about the use of this housing method,” the researchers wrote in a paper published in conjunction with the National Library of Medicine.

On the Canadian side of the border, producers are taking control of their own destiny as far as tie stalls are concerned.

Last week, the industry said a new code of practice for dairy animals would be enacted that would see continuous tie stall housing phased out. The change takes effect at this time next year.

The dairy sector is putting a positive spin on the change. Besides the advantage to public perception and animal welfare, one executive said industry research suggests animals that have less time in tie stalls can be more productive.

So, it’s not all public relations. But that has a lot to do with it.

The change also draws further attention to how farmers have addressed farm labor challenges. Foundationally, farmers will do whatever they can to keep their livestock healthy. Good manage

ment is the key to productivity and profitability, two factors that keep them in business. And it’s much better to make changes on your own accord, rather than have them forced on you by arm’s-length regulations.

Producers could sense this particular change coming for awhile. The code has been under review for a year, but the research showing public uncertainty has been around longer.

The same goes for labour matters, not just for dairy, but for the entire agri-food sector. We balk at rising food prices at the grocery store, and look to farmers for answers. However, very few people want to work in agriculture. Rising wages and improved working conditions are held out as carrots to prospective workers. But someone has to pay.

This housing change is a huge opportunity for dairy producers to connect with the public and help people understand how animal health and public health are connected. Dairy products promote good health in humans. The sector depends on healthy animals. It’s an easy story to understand.