Dairy producers have always been committed to providing the utmost care for their animals. Producers understand the importance of providing proper care and nutrition to their animals and their number one priority is to provide exceptional care for their animals as healthy, well-cared for animals results in a more profitable operation.

Caring for Dairy Animals Technical Reference Guide

In the spring of 2002, NMPF collaborated with the Milk and Beef Dairy Quality Assurance Center to develop animal care guidelines to serve as a resource to producers. The manual, titled Caring for Dairy Animals Technical Reference Guide and On-The-Dairy Self-Evaluation Guide, is a comprehensive resource of the best management practices with referenced material on animal care and welfare. The manual covers all aspects of animal care and is sectioned by quality control points.

The first step in utilizing the guidelines is to familiarize yourself with their content. After reading through the guidelines, you can determine if any changes to your operation should be made. The next step is to verify that you follow the guidelines through a self-audit. A checklist is included at the beginning of the Caring for Dairy Animals Technical Reference Guide that serves as a self-audit form. These lists of BMPs are not required, but they are listed to initiate dialogue and consultation with your management team.

After completing the self-audit, the final step is to have your practices verified by a third-party auditing group. The DQA Center has a Five-Star Dairy Quality Assurance Program that is an audit, which encompasses not only animal welfare, but milk quality and safety, environmental stewardship, and pathogen management. The Food Marketing Institute and the National Council of Chain Restaurants have also commissioned a company called SES, Inc. to develop audits for the various livestock species. Their program is called the Animal Welfare Audit Program and there is a specific dairy audit form developed. Both programs are voluntary programs.

To order a copy of the Caring for Dairy Animals Technical Reference Guide, utilize the Dairy Quality Assurance Center website [1]. You may also order by phone by calling 1-800-55-DAIRY. The cost for this manual is $15.00 for NMPF members and $25.00 for non-members.