Tail docking of dairy cattle is currently practised by only a small minority of Australian dairy producers and the industry has voluntary phase out initiatives in place. The regulation of this standard will complete the abolition of this unnecessary practice.
Under proposed Standard 9.3, a person must only *tail dock* cattle on veterinary advice and only to treat injury or disease. This would mean that farmers would have to change to switch hair trimming where they would have otherwise tail docked a dairy cow. This means that the net cost of this standard would involve the time taken to switch trim less the time and cost involved in tail docking. It is assumed that switch trimming would take place during milking.
The average incremental time to switch trim a cow's tail is taken to be 32.5 seconds231. The time taken to tail dock is roughly 2.5 seconds232 plus 2 minutes (120 seconds) for yarding and preparing the cow (i.e. 122.5 seconds). Assuming an average age of 5 years for a typical milking cow – the cost of tail docking would be incurred twice over 10 years. Therefore, under proposed Standard 9.3 there would be an incremental time cost saving of 122.5 seconds per cow in years 1 and 6 and an incremental time cost of 32.5 seconds per cow per annum – for dairy cows affected. Furthermore, tail docking is performed in the wetter dairy areas and this standard would apply to dairy cattle in such areas only.
Public consultation question 28: Do you know the number or percentage of cattle affected under proposed standard S9.3 to limit tail docking to treat injury or disease, or any information to improve the estimation of costs?
As shown in Table 2.19, the 10-year incremental cost of moving to switch hair trimming under proposed Standard 9.3 would be approximately $14,629 or $5,495m in 2012-13 present value dollars.
Table A2.19 – 10-year net incremental cost of moving from tail docking to switch hair trimming under proposed Standard 9.3 –2012-13 dollars
Jurisdiction
Total dairy cows affected
(q2)233
Hrly rate (h)234
Annual cost savings of abandoning tail docking in years 1 and 6
