Proposed Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Cattle

Table of Contents

Summary iv

Table of Contents xii

1.0Background 1

1.1. Introduction 1

1.2. Setting the scene 2

1.2.1 Overview of the Australian cattle industries 2

1.2.2 Animal welfare issues 4

1.2.3 Relevant legislation, standards and guidelines 5

1.3 Consultation processes 13

2.0 The problems and policy objective 18

2.1 Identifying the problems 18

2.1.1 Introduction 18

2.1.2 Risks to the welfare of cattle 20

2.1.3 Excess regulatory burden 37

2.2 Policy objective 39

3.0 Alternatives to proposed standards 41

4.0 Evaluation of Costs and Benefits 43

4.1 Introduction 43

4.2 The base case 43

4.3 Evaluation of options relative to the base case 44

4.3.1 Benefit drivers of the proposed national standards 45

4.3.2 Cost drivers of the proposed national standards 51

4.3.3 Option A: (non-regulatory option – voluntary national guidelines) 52

4.3.4 Option B: (the proposed national standards) 54

4.3.5 Variation C1: (variation of proposed national standard S6.8) 57

4.3.6 Variation C2: (variation of proposed national standard S6.8) 59

4.3.7 Variation C3: (variation of proposed national standard S5.6) 61

4.3.8 Variation C4: (variation of proposed national standard S5.5) 63

4.3.9 Variation C5: (variation of proposed national standard S6.5 banning caustic dehorning) 65

4.3.10 Variation C6: (variation of proposed national standard with an additional standard banning induction of early calving except for veterinary requirements) 67

4.3.11 Variation C7: (variation of proposed national standards S5.7 and S5.8) 69

4.4 Selection of preferred Option 72

5.0 Implementation Issues 77

6.0 Evaluation and review strategy 78

7.0 Conclusions and findings 79

Appendices 89

Appendix 1: Hourly time costs for farm workers 90

A1.1 – Estimation of hourly time cost for farm workers 90

Appendix 2 – Estimates of Quantifiable costs of the proposed standards – Option B 92

A2.1 Standard 3.2 – Unquantifiable incremental cost of inspecting cattle 92

A2.2 Standard 5.4 – Effective control of dogs 92

A2.3 Standard 5.5 – Muzzling of dogs used to move calves under 30 days old 94

A2.4 Standard 5.6 – Exercise of tethered cattle 95

A2.5 Standard 5.7 – Electro-immobilisation requirements 96

A2.6 Standard 5.8 – Ban of electro-immobilisation as form of pain relief 99

A2.7 Standard 5.10 – Ban of permanent brand on head of cattle 99

A2.8 Standard 6.2 – Requirement for pain relief when castrating cattle under certain circumstances 99

A2.9 Standard 6.4 – Requirement for pain relief when dehorning cattle under certain circumstances 102

A2.10 Standard 6.5 – Unquantifiable cost savings of permitting caustic chemicals for disbudding calves less than 14 days old. 103

A2.11 Standard 6.7 –Training or direct supervision requirement for spaying 104

A2.12 Standard 6.8 – Pain relief with flank spaying or webbing of cattle 107

A2.13 Standard 6.9 – Banning of vaginal spreaders for small or immature cattle 108

A2.14 Standard 7.2 – Inspection of calving cow at intervals 109

A2.15 Standard 8.4 – Preventing faeces and urine from compromising health of calf in indoor system 110

A2.16 Standard 9.2 – Minimise heat stress of cattle 111

A2.17 Standard 9.3 – Tail docking only on veterinary advice to treat injury or disease 112

A2.18 Standard 10.2 – Keeping records of feed quantity 113

A2.19 Standard 10.3 – Unquantifiable cost savings of ensuring feed is available daily to beef cattle 115

A2.20 Standard 10.4 – Risk assessment for heat load risk at feedlots 116

A2.21 Standard 11.5 – Age constraint for killing calves by blow to forehead 116

A2.21 Summary of 10-year quantifiable costs of the proposed Standards – Option B 118

Appendix 3 – Estimates of Quantifiable costs – Variations C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 and C7 121

A3.1 Incremental cost of pain relief for all spaying – Variation C1 121

A3.1.1 Incremental cost of Variation C1 from the base case 122

A3.1.2 Incremental cost of Variation C1 from Option B 123

A3.2 Incremental cost of banning flank spaying/flank webbing – Variation C2 124

A3.2.1 Incremental cost of Variation C2 from the base case 125

A3.2.2 Incremental cost of Variation C2 from Option B 126

A3.3 Incremental cost of banning permanent tethering – Variation C3 127

A3.3.1 Incremental cost of Variation C3 from the base case 128

A3.3.2 Incremental cost of Variation C3 from Option B 129

A3.4 Incremental cost of banning the use of dogs on calves less than 30 days old without their mothers – Variation C4 130

A3.4.1 Incremental cost of Variation C4 from the base case 131

A3.4.2 Incremental cost of Variation C4 from Option B 132

A3.5 Incremental cost of banning caustic dehorning – Variation C5 132

A3.5.1 Incremental cost of Variation C5 from the base case 134

A3.5.2 Incremental cost of Variation C5 from Option B 135

A3.6 Quantifiable incremental cost of banning induction of early calving except for veterinary requirements – Variation C6 135

A3.6.1 Incremental cost of Variation C6 from the base case 140

A3.6.2 Incremental cost of Variation C6 from Option B 141

A3.7 Incremental cost of banning electro-immobilisation – Variation C7 142

A3.7.1 Incremental cost of Variation C7 from the base case 144

A3.7.2 Incremental cost of Variation C7 from Option B 145

A3.8 Summary and comparison of quantifiable costs of Options A, B and variations C1 to C7 146

Appendix 4 - List of relevant federal, state and territory legislation 147

Appendix 5 - List of proposed standards with negligible costs incremental to the base case 148

Appendix 6 - Number of cattle annually affected by welfare standards under Option B by State and territory 152

Appendix 7 – Full list of public consultation questions 158

1.