Cow-calf contact (CCC) is attracting growing interest as dairy farmers and researchers explore ways to improve animal welfare while maintaining sustainable farm systems. Held on 14 July (9.00 am CET), this webinar, organised by Transform Dairy Net will examine CCC in pasture-based dairy farming, combining the latest scientific evidence with practical experiences from farmers who use the approach on their own farms.
Science and farmer experience
Stacey Hendriks (DairyNZ) will present key findings from her recent Journal of Dairy Science review, highlighting what is currently known about CCC, how pasture-based systems differ from housed systems, and where important knowledge gaps remain. Her research focuses on dairy cattle health, behaviour and welfare in grazing systems, with a particular interest in practical solutions that can be implemented on farm.
Glen Herud, founder of New Zealand’s Happy Cow Milk Company and a third-generation dairy farmer, adopted a dedicated cow-calf contact system to allow calves to remain with their mothers and nurse naturally. He will share the practical realities, challenges and opportunities of managing CCC in a commercial pasture-based dairy operation.
Providing a European perspective, Karianne Telneset, an organic dairy farmer from Tynset, Norway, will discuss her experience of keeping cows and calves together for longer after calving. Together with her husband, she runs a mixed dairy, beef and forestry enterprise and has become a well-known advocate for cow-calf contact and animal welfare in Norway.
Join the discussion
The webinar will be moderated by Associate Professor Racheal Bryant (Lincoln University, New Zealand), whose research focuses on pasture-based dairy systems, calf rearing, grazing management and practical innovations that support both productivity and animal welfare.
The FVE is a partner of Transform Dairy Net.