Optimization of purebred and crossbred dairy calf performance, health, and welfare

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Every year a portion of calves born on dairy farms are either unsuitable or not required to replace the dairy herd. These calves are commonly referred to as "surplus dairy calves" and are most commonly male calves. Surplus calves were traditionally purebred Holstein calves marketed as veal or "dairy beef". Recently, there has been a global increase in the use of beef semen in the dairy herd to improve carcass characteristics and the value of surplus male calves. This has resulted in more than 40% of the calves entering the Canadian veal and beef industries being crossbred; yet, there are large knowledge gaps regarding how to manage crossbred calves to maximize their productive potential, product quality, and resiliency in the system which they are raised in. The goal of this research proposal is to determine strategies to optimize the management of purebred and crossbred dairy calves by focusing on the influence of genetics, nutrition, and mitigation of stress and disease, in order to improve productivity, health, welfare, and the sustainability of the Canadian dairy, veal, and beef industries. This project will focus on multiple objectives with tangible and practical outcomes. Firstly, this project will identify genetic attributes in beef sires that produce economically efficient crossbred calves. This project will also create effective and actionable guidelines on early life management - including colostrum and milk nutrition, transport, mitigation of stress and disease - and post-weaning nutrition of crossbred and purebred surplus calves to maximize their success as veal and beef animals. Lastly, a life cycle analysis will be performed to identify the economic value of implementing specific management and feeding practices and determine the major economic inputs that impact the value of purebred and crossbred surplus calves. Thus, this project will maximize the production value of surplus calves, and will deliver knowledge to industry stakeholders that will improve economic efficiency, health, and welfare through implementation of new technologies and protocols. As such, this NSERC Alliance will increase not only consumer trust, but also, the profitability and sustainability of the Canadian dairy, beef and veal industries.