A Review of Beef Production Systems for the Sustainable Use of Surplus Male Dairy-Origin Calves Within the UK
Date
2021-04-27
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Frontiers Media
Abstract
The UK dairy herd is predominantly of the Holstein-Friesian (HF) breed, with a major
emphasis placed on milk yield. Subsequently, following years of continued single-trait
selection, the beef production potential of dairy bred calves has declined. Thus, male
HF calves are commonly seen as a by-product of the dairy industry. Limited markets,
perceived low economic value and high rearing costs mean that these surplus calves are
often euthanised shortly after birth or exported to the EU for further production. Welfare
concerns have been raised regarding both euthanasia and long distance transportation
of these calves. Furthermore, total UK beef consumption increased by 8.5% from 2009
to 2019. Thus, in light of this growing demand, beef from the dairy herd could be
better utilized within the UK. Therefore, the potential for these calves to be used in a
sustainable, cost-effective beef production system with high welfare standards within
the UK requires investigation. Thus, the aim of this review was to evaluate both steer and
bull beef production systems, examining the impact on performance, health, welfare,
and economic potential to enable a sustainable farming practice, while meeting UK
market requirements. The principal conclusions from this review indicate that there is
the potential for these calves to be used in UK based production systems and meet
market requirements. Of the steer production systems, a 24 month system appears
to achieve a balance between input costs, growth from pasture and carcass output,
albeit the literature is undecided on the optimum system. The situation is similar for
bull beef production systems, high input systems do achieve the greatest gain in the
shortest period of time, however, these systems are not sustainable in volatile markets
with fluctuating concentrate prices. Thus, again the inclusion of a grazing period, may
increase the resilience of these systems. Furthermore, production systems incorporating
a period at pasture are seen to have animal welfare benefits. The main welfare concern
for surplus dairy bred calves is often poor colostrum management at birth. While in
steer systems, consideration needs to be given to welfare regarding castration, with the
negative impacts being minimized by completing this procedure soon after birth.
Description
Publication history: Accepted - 29 March 2021; Published - 27 April 2021
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Article
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Keywords
Holstein,, steer, bull, concentrates, welfare, high input, low input, pasture
Citation
Rutherford, N. H., Lively, F. O. and Arnott, G. (2021) 'A Review of Beef Production Systems for the Sustainable Use of Surplus Male Dairy-Origin Calves Within the UK', Frontiers in Veterinary Science. Frontiers Media SA, 6. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.635497