Invited review: Barriers and potential strategies in the implementation of cow-calf contact systems—Insights from dairy cattle farmers and from other livestock production systems

Cow-calf contact (CCC) systems are of growing scientific interest due to the public concern about early separation of the calf from the dam on dairy cattle farms, which currently occurrs soon after calving. Despite the scientifically demonstrated beneficial effects of CCC for both the cow (improving udder health and promoting maternal behaviors) and calf (growth, social learning and reduction of abnormal behaviors), only a small number of dairy cattle farmers practice CCC. Although unpredictable, new animal welfare legislation or best practice guidelines might suggest the adoption of CCC systems in the future. Therefore, the aim of this review is to identify common barriers that prevent farmers from implementing CCC systems and suggest suitable strategies to overcome them. Thus, this review focuses first on identifying barriers that prevent farmers from choosing CCC or transitioning to CCC, considering influencing factors such as region, demographics, and farm characteristics. Second, the review proposes suitable research and knowledge transfer strategies (i.e., communication, dissemination, and education) to address these barriers. For the proposal of research strategies, an overview of mother-offspring management strategies used in other livestock production systems (e.g., beef cattle and dairy sheep) that could potentially be used by dairy cattle farmers to implement CCC systems is provided. The results show that many dairy cattle farmers without CCC experience expressed concerns about the effects of CCC on economic viability, management and staff wellbeing, and animal welfare. However, farmers who practice(d) CCC reported generally positive experiences and did not confirm some of the concerns raised by farmers without CCC experience. This implies that these concerns are knowledge barriers that could be addressed with effective knowledge transfer strategies. Nevertheless, there were also concerns (e.g., separation distress) that were confirmed by farmers who practice(d) CCC, suggesting that these practical barriers require the exploration of novel strategies. Despite differences in biology or productive values, inspiration could be drawn from mother-offspring management in other livestock systems. For instance, future research on dairy cattle could explore the efficacy of restricted suckling to increase milk yield, as well as the efficacy of keeping calves together with familiar peers to reduce separation distress. Combined with research into economic viability and effective knowledge transfer, insights from other livestock systems could improve the implementation of CCC systems in a way that is sustainable for dairy cattle farmers, beneficial for the welfare of cows and calves, and socially acceptable.