Proposed Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Cattle

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

It is usually dairy calves that are reared in group housing systems in Australia. Temporary single pen confinement does occur but the production of ‘white veal’ does not occur.

Under proposed Standard 8.4, a person in charge must not allow the faeces and urine of calves housed in an indoor system to accumulate to the stage that compromises the health and welfare of the calf. This would apply to dairy calves in every jurisdiction except for Victoria, which currently has this requirement under the base case. There are also no dairy calves in the Northern Territory or the ACT. The cost of cleaning pens is assumed to involve one hour of labour time per pen and once a week. For the purpose of estimation it is assumed that 0.1%²²⁷ of pens are affected and that there are 20 to 30 calves per pen.
Public consultation question 26: Do you know the number or percentage of cattle affected under proposed standard S8.4 to improve hygiene or any information to improve the estimation of costs?
As shown in Table 2.17, the 10-year incremental cost of cleaning pens would be approximately $0.62m or $0.41m in 2012-13 present value dollars.
Table A2.17 – 10-year incremental cost of cleaning pens by state and territory under Standard 8.4 –2012-13 dollars

Jurisdiction	Total dairy calves (j1)^228	No. of pens affected (m2) = (l1)/25*0.1%	Annual cost of cleaning pens (n2) = (m2)*1hr*52*(h)^229	10-year cost (n3) = (n2)*10
NSW	189,019	7.56	$19,936	$199,356
VIC	-	0.00	$0	$0
QLD	85,058	3.40	$8,752	$87,517
SA	85,058	3.40	$8,621	$86,213
WA	51,980	2.08	$5,946	$59,457
TAS	137,038	5.48	$18,548	$185,481
NT	-	0.00	$0	$0
ACT	-	0.00	$0	$0
Australia	548,154	22	$61,802	$618,024
Present value 7% discount rate				$405,677
3% discount rate				$511,832
10% discount rate				$345,226

A2.16 Standard 9.2 – Minimise heat stress of cattle

Heat stress management is an issue for intensively managed cattle but the beef feedlots industry is well advanced in risk management of heat stress. A standard to promote better heat stress management is in the dairy industry’s interest.

Under proposed Standard 9.2, a person in charge must implement appropriate actions to minimise heat stress of cattle. This would apply to every jurisdiction except for Tasmania, which currently has this requirement under the base case. According to Dairy Australia this would involve a one-off capital cost of $300 per dairy farm for a tarpaulin and 60% of farms would be affected.
As shown in Table 2.18, the one-off incremental cost of minimising heat stress of dairy cattle would be approximately $1.16m or $1.01m in 2012-13 present value dollars.
Public consultation question 27: Do you know the number or percentage of dairy cattle, on average, that are adversely affected by heat stress? Do you have any other information to improve the estimation of costs under the proposed standard S9.2?
Table A2.18 – One-off incremental cost of minimising the heat stress of dairy cattle by state and territory under Standard 9.2 –2012-13 dollars

Jurisdiction	No. of dairy farms (i)^230	No. of farms affected (o2) = (i)*60%	One-off cost (p2) = (o2)*$300
NSW	807	484	$145,260
VIC	4,588	2753	$825,840
QLD	595	357	$107,100
SA	286	172	$51,480
WA	170	102	$30,600
TAS	-	0	$0
NT	-	0	$0
ACT	-	0	$0
Australia	6,446	3868	$1,160,280
Present value 7% discount rate			$1,013,433
3% discount rate			$1,093,675
10% discount rate			$958,909