SPCA New Zealand - Animal Welfare Certified
Cattle

Farmed animals

Over the past two decades we’ve raised the standard of care for farmed animals by encouraging farmers to make the necessary improvements to become certified.

Dairy cattle

SPCA Certified dairy cattle are raised extensively in outdoor pasture systems and provided with good amounts of shade and shelter to protect them from the elements. All cows and calves have opportunities to scratch and groom themselves on trees and other structures that are available in paddocks.

What do dairy cattle want?

  • To be able to rest (and ruminate) comfortably under shade and shelter

  • To be looked after kindly and compassionately

  • To form strong long term bonds with other cow friends

  • To be able to rub against trees and groom properly

What SPCA Certified means for dairy cattle

SPCA Certified requirement Why? Code of Welfare Minimum Standard
Access to shade/shelter at all times. Ensures animals can manage their thermal requirements wherever they are on the farm. Provided with means to minimise the effects of adverse weather.
Housing only with continuous access to pasture. Ensures cows have a free choice between housing and pasture, where they have a degree of autonomy over diet selection, water consumption and access to shade and shelter. No specific mention.
Environmental enrichment, e.g. trees/scratching posts/brushes, in all pastures, housing, and calf sheds. Promotes the expression of positive behaviours. No specific mention.
Use of electric prodders not allowed, unless there is a definite and unavoidable risk to human/animal life. Electric prodders are extremely aversive to dairy cattle. Allowed on cattle weighing over 150 kg.
No electroimmobilisation. Stops the use of aversive procedures, which are stressful and potentially painful for dairy cattle. Use of electroimmobilisation devices allowed with some restrictions.
No electroejaculation. Stops the use of aversive procedures, which are stressful and potentially painful for dairy cattle. No specific mention.
No ear notching, hot branding, freeze branding or face branding. Avoids unneccesary and painful interventions from being done. Freeze branding allowed.
Pre and post operative pain relief regardless of age for painful procedures. Minimises pain and stress, resulting in better welfare outcomes. Required for some but not all procedures.
Pre- and post-pain relief for castration must be used regardless of calf age. Minimises pain and stress, resulting in better welfare outcomes. Pain relief not required for cattle under 6 months of age.
Disbudding only allowed when using thermal cautery, sedation and pre- and post-operative pain relief. Minimises pain and stress, resulting in better welfare outcomes. Pain relief required. Method not specified.
Dehorning performed only in exceptional circumstances and done by a veterinarian with appropriate pain relief. Minimises pain and stress, resulting in better welfare outcomes. Pain relief required. No veterinary involvement needed.
Cows must not be walked more than 4 km daily to or from the milking shed and water troughs provided along the way. Long walking distances impact on available time for eating and resting and contribute to heat stress and lameness. No specific mention.
Breeding programmes to improve welfare outcomes. Ensures good animal welfare outcomes, i.e. a better life for the animals from the start. No specific mention.
Six hourly inspections for dairy cows within four days of expected calving date. Ensures problems are identified early, which minimises pain and suffering. Dairy cows close to calving must be inspected at least twice every 24 hours
Induction by a veterinarian in exceptional circumstances only. Allows for animals to be helped where needed, without causing them pain/distress by making it routine. All induction must be conducted under the direct supervision of a veterinarian.
Warm high quality colostrum given at a minimum of 10 % bodyweight as soon as possible after birth, and ideally within the first six hours of life. Ensure that artificially reared calves have the best possible start in life. NB. We recommend calves to be naturally reared wherever possible, so colostrum access is not an issue. Newborn calves must receive sufficient colostrum or good quality commercial colostrum substitute.
Warm milk/milk replacer given at 15-20% calf bodyweight fed ad libitum or in at least three feeds per day until four weeks of age, and thereafter two feeds a day until weaning. Ensure artifically reared calves are not hungry and have the best possible start in life. Recommended to feed at 10-15% bodyweight in at least 2 feeds per day for first week after birth.
Calves must not be weaned off milk before eight weeks of age and not before they have achieved 2.5 times their birth weight. Ensure that artificially reared calves have the best possible start in life. A calf must be given suitable liquid feed until the rumen has developed sufficiently to utilise solids as a sole feed source.
Calves must have access to fibrous feed from birth. Helps to enhance rumen development and contribute to satisfying the calf's nutritional requirements. Recommended only from first week of life.
Minimum stocking density for calves 2.5m2/calf. Ensure calves can express normal behaviours, play, and have sufficient space to lie down comfortably. No specific mention.
Regular inspections done in a careful and respectful manner. Ensures that stress and fear in animals is minimised. Also promotes positive human/animal interactions, which is good for welfare. Dairy cattle must be handled in such a way as to minimise the risk of pain, injury or distress to the animals.
Animal health plan in place. Ensures that there is proper oversight of the animal's health status and that problems are addressed proactively, to reduce pain and suffering. Recommended only.
Body Condition Score (BCS) kept between 4 - 6. Ensure that dairy cattle are healthy and in good condition at all times, so they are better able to cope with weather extremes. Take urgent remedial action if Body Condition Score (BCS) falls below 3.
Water testing. Ensure that dairy cattle have access to good quality water at all times. No specific mention.
Troughs and drinkers kept clean. Ensure that dairy cattle have access to good quality water at all times. Access to water not harmful to health.
Trace element supplementation programme in place. Ensure that dairy cattle remain healthy and do not suffer from digestive/health problems. No specific mention.

Together, we can raise the bar of welfare for farmed animals

Every year over 13,000,000 farmed animals in NZ benefit from a higher standard of care. Sounds like a lot, but that’s just 21% of all the country’s farmed animals*. With your help, we can improve the welfare of many more farmed animals in NZ. *Stats NZ 2019