How dairy calves are fed profoundly affects their welfare. Understanding the welfare implications of different feeding systems helps producers and advocates drive improvement.
Restricted milk feeding causes chronic hunger in dairy calves during one of the most vulnerable periods of their lives. The behavioral evidence for hunger in calves fed conventional restricted rations is extensive - non-nutritive sucking, oral manipulation of pen mates, and excessive cross-sucking all indicate an unsatisfied feeding drive. Ad libitum feeding systems resolve this chronic hunger while simultaneously improving growth, immune function, and behavioral welfare. The welfare case for unrestricted milk access is clear and the economic barriers have been substantially reduced by automatic feeder systems. Chronic hunger in young calves represents an avoidable welfare failure.