Proposed Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Cattle

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

The performance of the per-vaginal ‘passage’ spaying method is a minority method. The use of vaginal spreaders is unwarranted in the context of alternative methods of spaying as described below.

Under proposed Standard 6.9, a person must not use vaginal spreaders to *spay* small or immature female cattle.
According to the MLA cattle husbandry survey²²¹, 4% of businesses are involved in spaying cows with an average of 195 cows and with 20% using the passage spaying technique. Of these 30% would have mechanical spreaders used. This proposed standard would mean the move away from passage to flank spaying or flank webbing, which would imply the need for pain relief. Deferral has not been costed as it is likely to be a higher cost than alternatives. (Cost estimates are based on minimum costs).
The dose for pain relief with a non-steroidal analgesic is 3ml for 100kg @ $1 per ml delivered including a 100% markup. Such cattle are assumed to be around 250kg on average in northern Australia and the cost of pain relief would $8.44 per immature cow (including $0.44 time cost per cow and $0.50 disposables).
Public consultation question 24: Do you know the number or percentage of cattle affected under proposed standard S6.9 to ban vaginal spreaders for small or immature cattle; or any information to improve the estimation of costs?
The incremental 10-year cost of pain relief using a non-steroidal analgesic for flank and flank/webbing spaying (due to passage spaying no longer be allowable) is estimated to be $0.86m or $0.56m in 2012-13 present value dollars, as shown in Table A2.15.
Table A2.15 – 10-year incremental cost of non-steroidal analgesic as pain relief for flank spaying and flank/webbing of small or immature cattle by state and territory under Standard 6.9 –2012-13 dollars

Jurisdiction	Business affected (w1)^222	No. cows (h2) = (w1)*4%/7%*195*20%*30%			Annual cost (i2)=(h2)*$8.44	10-year cost (j2) = (i2)*10
NSW	-	0			$0	$0
VIC	-	0			$0	$0
QLD	1,346	8998			$75,981	$759,812
SA	-	0			$0	$0
WA	158	388			$3,275	$32,745
TAS	-	0			$0	$0
NT	18	789			$6,662	$66,619
ACT	-	0			$0	$0
Australia	1,522	10,174			$85,918	$859,176
Present value 7% discount rate							$563,971
3% discount rate							$711,548
10% discount rate							$479,933

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

Under proposed Standard 7.2, a person in charge must ensure the *inspection* of calving cow at intervals appropriate to the production system and the level of risk to the welfare of cattle. As calving dairy cattle get inspected twice per day this proposed standard would apply to farmhands for beef cattle. It is assumed that this is not a major issue for beef farming and only 2%²²³ of farmhands would be affected. It is also assumed that these affected farmhands would have to undertake two inspections per day in Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania²²⁴ over 60 days a year during calving periods with an average of 10 minutes per mob inspection. Therefore, the incremental average daily time cost of this proposed standard would be 60 minutes per day for these jurisdictions.

It is also assumed that affected farmhands in New South Wales and the ACT would have to undertake one inspection per day over 60 days a year with an average of 10 minutes per inspection. Therefore, the daily time cost of this proposed standard would be 10 minutes per day for these jurisdictions.
Affected farmhands in Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia would have to undertake one inspection every 2 days over 60 days a year with 10 minutes per inspection. Therefore, the incremental average daily time cost of this proposed standard would be 5 minutes per day for these jurisdictions.
Public consultation question 25: Do you know the number or percentage of cattle inspections required under proposed standard S7.2 for the inspection of calving cows, or any information to improve the estimation of costs?
As shown in Table 2.16, the 10-year incremental cost of inspecting calving cows would be approximately $3.91m or $2.56m in 2012-13 present value dollars.
Table A2.16 – 10-year incremental cost inspecting calving cows by state and territory under Standard 7.2 –2012-13 dollars

Jurisdiction	Beef farmhands (z)^225	Hourly charge out rates (h)^226	Annual cost of inspecting calving cows (h2)=(z)*(h)*2% *20/60*60 days/year (VIC, SA and TAS) or (z)*(h)*2%*10/60*60 days/year (NSW and ACT) or (z)*(h)*2%*5/60*60 days/year (QLD, NT and WA)	10-year cost (i2) = (h2)*10
NSW	9,452	$51	$95,856	$958,564
VIC	4,154	$57	$95,405	$954,046
QLD	21,857	$49	$108,119	$1,081,187
SA	1,948	$49	$37,972	$379,720
WA	3,431	$55	$18,869	$188,686
TAS	819	$65	$21,321	$213,213
NT	3,858	$33	$12,835	$128,352
ACT	15	$46	$143	$1,433
Australia	45,534		$390,520	$3,905,200
Present value 7% discount rate				$2,563,410
3% discount rate				$3,234,189
10% discount rate				$2,181,433

This of course does not take into account the unquantifiable financial benefit of calves and cows saved due to more inspections, nor the welfare benefits of such inspections which have the capacity to prevent animals from unnecessarily suffering.