Bobby calf welfare

Each state and territory government is responsible for its own animal production and welfare legislation. The Australian Government has no legislative responsibility for this issue but has played a leadership role by engaging the states and territories to develop model codes of practice for the welfare of animals. The model codes aim to ensure that farm animals are treated humanely and responsibly, but they are not mandatory.

The model codes are being progressively replaced by a series of nationally agreed standards and guidelines, which the states and territories will legislate and enforce. These laws will make it an offence not to comply with a nationally endorsed ‘standard’. 

Transport aspects from various model codes were converted recently into a national document, the Australian animal welfare standards and guidelines—land transport of livestock. It covers livestock species that are routinely transported in Australia and has a section that includes standards for bobby calves. The Primary Industries Ministerial Council (PIMC) endorsed the transport standards and guidelines, and all states and territories are implementing them.

While these standards reflect a high level of agreement, it was not possible to reach complete agreement on the requirements for the transport of calves to slaughter. PIMC has therefore asked for a science-based standard to be developed to minimise the risk to the welfare of calves during transport.

To guide the development of the science-based standard, Animal Health Australia set up a working group comprising stakeholders who have formal responsibility for transporting bobby calves or who would be most directly affected by the bobby calf standard (the dairy industry, livestock transporters, saleyards, abattoirs and government agencies) and animal welfare organisations (the RSPCA and Animals Australia).

Scientific research in New Zealand indicates that calves can cope well without food for up to 30 hours, based on changes in their metabolism, and with transport for up to 12 hours, if they are healthy and clinically normal. Research by the University of Melbourne with the Animal Welfare Science Centre, and under Australian conditions, concluded that a maximum time off feed of around 24 hours was best practice but that a maximum of 30 hours time off feed for calves travelling up to 12 hours was defensible as an outer legal limit. The RSPCA and Animals Australia do not support the research conclusions. In accord with the normal practices, the Australian research will be peer-reviewed before publication.

Separately, as part of developing the standard, a regulation impact statement (RIS) was completed that compared 18, 24 and 30 hours maximum time off feed. The RIS and the draft standard were then released for 30 days of public consultation, from 4 January to 3 February 2011.

In finalising a standard, governments will consider the available scientific evidence, the RIS and a summary of the submissions received through public consultations.

The agreed land transport standards and the proposed additional bobby calf time off feed standard are available on this website. 

Like the model codes, the new standards will be reviewed and updated from time to time to take account of technological and scientific developments.