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49. Nearly all who contributed to our study emphasised the importance of a high degree of stockmanship. A good stockman can anticipate and alleviate many potential welfare problems, will have a compassionate and humane attitude to the cattle in his or her care and an ability to recognise the needs of the animals and respond to them. There may be potential welfare problems which are specific to a particular unit and the stockman should be aware of these and the ways in which they may be overcome. The most welfare-friendly system may fail if not accompanied by good stockmanship and sound management practice. It follows that those who look after cattle must be aware of their responsibilities to the animals. Such knowledge can be acquired by experience gained on-farm and training to an appropriate standard provided by a recognised body. A combination of experience and training is the ideal recipe for success.
50. The development and implementation of a training plan will ensure that those working with cattle recognise not only normal behaviour and good health but also signs of illness or disease. If specific tasks are to be performed on-farm, for example foot trimming, then specific training should be given. Alternatively, the services of a competent, trained contractor should be obtained. Staff should also be able to operate the equipment likely to be used in the daily work routine around the farm, be able to recognise malfunctions and, where possible, be able to carry out routine maintenance. Equipment which is not properly maintained may cause injury, regardless of the care taken by the operator.
51. Staff inexperienced in dairying should receive appropriate training and consequent proficiency testing from a recognised agricultural training body before being placed in charge of cattle. It is very difficult to achieve the necessary level of knowledge about health and welfare simply through on-farm training from an experienced dairyman. Farmers and managers can help to ensure that all training is validated by encouraging trainees to enter schemes such as the National or Scottish Vocational Qualifications. Employers should do their best to motivate their staff by encouraging attendance at properly organised training courses. Ideally, training should continue throughout the duration of the employment, with reference to suitable refresher courses as necessary.
52. Concern has been expressed about the present difficulty of recruiting and retaining skilled and dedicated personnel. The unsocial working hours and limited opportunity for progression has reduced the number of new entrants. This problem is not unique to dairying but it further demonstrates the need to motivate staff and to offer opportunities to obtain formal, validated training. Training providers can help by ensuring that suitable courses are available at a reasonable cost.
53. It is essential that sufficient personnel are employed to carry out effectively all the necessary tasks throughout the year. Many dairy farms are staffed at a level appropriate only to the basic routine so there will be times when additional help and equipment will be required to cope adequately with seasonally increased workload. This may be achieved by transferring staff from other enterprises within the farm business or the use of casual labour or contractors. All staff should be fully conversant with the tasks they will be required to undertake, competent in the use of any equipment needed to carry out these tasks and under the overall control of the farm manager.
54. Daily inspection of dairy cattle must be undertaken; this is a requirement of the Welfare of Livestock Regulations 1994. Once-a-day inspection is not sufficient for lactating animals or those near to calving. Nearly all those farmers we consulted saw their animals more frequently. Twice daily inspection is not impracticable (e.g. when cows are milked) and this should be the minimum. During the inspection, the stockman should look for signs of injury or illness, ensure that feed and water are freely available and make necessary adjustments in the event of a problem.
55. There are legal requirements to keep records of cattle movements, births and deaths, antibiotic and other veterinary treatments. As an aid to management, it is also important to keep accurate records of all treatments, diseases (for example, mastitis, lameness and metabolic disorders), production records (including milk yields and bulling, service and calving dates) and feed inputs.
56. Those responsible for the management of the farm should ensure that the cattle are cared for by sufficient, well-motivated and competent stockmen. Any contract or casual labour used in periods of increased workload should be trained and competent in the relevant activity . All should handle cattle compassionately and in a humane manner.
57. The Welfare of Livestock Regulations 1994 require those attending livestock to have received instruction and guidance about the provisions of the relevant welfare code. We believe that newcomers to dairying should be given appropriate practical and theoretical training, not only on-farm from an experienced and competent dairyman, but also from a recognised agricultural trainer before they are given charge of the stock.
58. Training providers should take steps to ensure that standards of formal training programmes are reviewed, as necessary, and independently assessed.
59. Training providers should ensure that appropriate training is available at a reasonable cost.
60. The industry should take steps to ensure training is validated.
61. The provision of the Welfare of Livestock Regulations 1994 requiring stockmen to inspect dairy cattle thoroughly at least once a day to check their welfare is a helpful legal minimum. However, all lactating dairy cows and those near to calving should be inspected at least twice each day and the cattle welfare code should be amended accordingly.
62. Each herd should have a written health and welfare programme produced, where necessary, with expert advice. This should set out health and husbandry activities covering the whole of the yearly cycle of production. The programme should be reviewed and updated annually by the farmer and should be available for inspection by enforcement authorities.
63. As a minimum, dairy producers should keep records of all incidents of mastitis, lameness and metabolic disorders and the relevant treatments. Full production records, which include milk yields and dates of bulling, service and calving, should also be kept. These are in addition to statutory requirements.