Preweaning calf transportation practices in the United States: A cross-sectional survey of dairies, haulers, and calf raisers

Transportation is a significant stressor for cattle, but research is lacking regarding preweaning dairy calf transport practices in the United States. Improving our understanding of calf transportation practices can inform management practices that minimize welfare challenges of transport. The objectives of this study were to (1) describe current industry practices regarding transportation of preweaning dairy and beef-on-dairy crossbred calves, (2) determine differences in pre-transport management on dairies between replacement heifers, beef-on-dairy crossbreds, and dairy bull calves, and (3) identify outreach and research needs to address calf welfare concerns related to transportation. Dairy producers, calf raisers, or other individuals receiving transported calves, and haulers were recruited through digital advertisement, email, and extension agents to complete an online survey in 2023. Survey topics for dairy producers included pre-transport practices (e.g., colostrum management, health evaluations, marketing), and topics for operations that received transported calves included calf condition at arrival, preweaning disease incidence, and preconditioning requirements. Haulers were asked questions related to their route demographics (e.g., travel distance, number of stops, destination). Wilcoxon signed rank, Kruskal-Wallis, or McNemar tests were conducted to determine differences in calf management practices; the predictor of interest was calf class (replacement heifer, beef-on-dairy, dairy bull), and outcomes of interest included age at transport, colostrum timing and quantity, feeding and preconditioning practices before transport, calf health characteristics pre- and post-transport, and transport distance and duration. A total of 123 responses were accepted for analysis (n = 69 dairy producers; 29 operations that received transported calves; 25 haulers). Replacement heifers were transported at older ages, compared with beef-on-dairy calves, but no difference in age was found between replacement heifers and bulls or beef-on-dairy and bulls. More dairy operations reported vaccinating replacement heifers versus nonreplacement calves. Operations that received transported calves reported considerable variability in preweaning morbidity and mortality rates. Stakeholder groups also highlighted the need for best practice recommendations related to transport and increased communication and collaboration between dairies and calf raisers. Although this study was limited by a small sample size, our findings provide a deeper understanding of transport practices in the United States, which can be used to inform research and outreach efforts to promote the health and welfare of dairy calves and support the longevity of the dairy industry.