Thünen institute of organic farming

The Thünen-Institute of Organic Farming in Germany have studied cow-calf contact since 2004, investigating how this can be introduced in modern management systems and whether animals and farmers benefit from this rearing system. The effects of cow-with-calf rearing on calf health, cow performance and animal behavior have been studied here. See links below for three of the projects:

  1. Milk & Calf – Marketing of products from dairy farms practicing cow-calf-contact

  2. Cow-calf contact in dairy farming - How does it work?

  3. More time with the mother - Better for the calf?

LOUIS BOLK INSTITUTE & Wageningen University

Researchers at the Louis Bolk Institute and Wageningen University & Research carried out a project, to review and summarise available knowledge on calf suckling systems, using data from farms in Sweden, Norway, Canada and the Netherlands. Check out the Louis Bolk Cows and Calves Together project here.

As part of the project, they created the poster Rearing Organic Dairy Calves, detailing alternative rearing and weaning methods in the hope that information could be used by dairy farmers considering to switch to rearing systems in which calves and cows are kept together.

Another research project investigated marketing opportunities for dairy products from Dutch farms running a cow-with-calf system. They found that in Dutch farms, direct and regional marketing seem to be best suited to cow-with-calf products and children and mothers were most attracted to products from such farming methods. Check out Marketing Opportunities for Dairy Products from Dam Rearing Systems here.

publications