ANIPLAN calf

As a part of ANIPLAN, Norway wanted to look at health and welfare planning for calves in organic dairy production. One reason for this was relevant ongoing activity on calves in Norway. There was also information from earlier projects on welfare assessment (Good animal welfare in organic farming, Animal welfare in Arctic farming) in dairy herds, which showed that calf welfare is a challenge in many herds, both organic and conventional. Whereas the registration of diseases in dairy cows is considered to be very reliable in the national health recording system in Norway, this is not the case for calves. A survey found a 40 % underreporting of calf diseases and treatments. It is therefore difficult to rely on the central records when dealing with calf health.