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Welcome to the ACER Newsletter!
Welcome to the ACER Newsletter!
Visit us at acerconsult.ca!
June 2023
Welcome to the ACER newsletter! We're excited to bring you the latest insights, research, and news in the field of agriculture, agri-food science, and One Health. This issue at a glance:
The updated code of practice for dairy cattle and other insights
Bringing udder health & milk quality to life
Mini-poll: What topics are you most interested in?
ACER’s new website!
So, why are we starting a regular newsletter?
As research and science communication experts, we understand the importance of staying informed about the latest advancements and news in agriculture, agri-food, and One Health. As our business and team continues to grow, we are also committed to enhancing the ways in which we engage with our clients and others who are as passionate about this field as we are! The goal of our newsletter is to keep you up-to-date on some of the latest industry news, share educational resources, and highlight how ACER is supporting advancements in the sector.
Each month, we'll be featuring updates on a wide range of topics, from food animal science and welfare to research communication and sustainability. We'll also share informative resources from our portfolio, case studies, excerpts from leading experts, and other helpful tools along the way.
We hope you’ll find this content informative and engaging, and we look forward to sharing new insights with you in the coming months!
Highlights & Industry Insights
Here we aim to bring you a selection of current events and notable updates related to industry and agri-food research. Each month we will aim to feature insights from across different sectors and spanning a wide range of topics and issues. Read on!
Highlights from the Updated Code of Practice for Dairy Cattle
In March of this year, the National Farm Animal Care Council released the updated Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle, which outlines a set of requirements and recommended practices for dairy cattle management in Canada. Codes of Practice have been developed for most major farmed animal species in Canada, with the last version of the Dairy Code being released in 2009.
As a member of the Dairy Cattle Code of Practice Scientific Committee, ACER played an integral role in the development of the report used by the Code Development Committee to create the new version of the code. You can access the full scientific report on the NFACC website here.
The updated version of the Code of Practice for Dairy Cattle will come into effect as of April 1st, 2024. Here are just a few of the notable updates and key changes in the new Code:
Pre-weaned calf requirements
Newborn calves must be offered a minimum total daily intake of 15% birth weight in milk/milk replacer (6 L for Holsteins) and from 7–28 days of age must be offered a minimum total daily intake of 20% birth weight (8 L for Holsteins)
Calves must be gradually weaned over a period of at least 5 days, and must be at least 8 weeks old before weaning is completed
Calves must not be tethered as part of normal indoor housing
Effective April 1, 2031: Calves that are healthy, thriving, and compatible must be housed in pairs or groups by 4 weeks of age
Lactating & dry cow requirements
Effective April 1, 2027: Cows must not be tethered continuously throughout their entire production cycle (calving to calving) - they must be provided sufficient regular opportunity for freedom of movement to promote good welfare
Do you have questions about the new version of the code or want to know more about the development process? Access the full code of practice by clicking below or feel free to contact the National Farm Animal Care Council at [email protected].
New Publication! Comparing Dairy Calf Management and Welfare in Canada and the USA
The ACER Consulting Team is pleased to share that we recently published a paper in the Journal of Dairy Science, titled Calf management and welfare in the Canadian and US dairy industries: Where do we go from here?
The objective of this work was to compare the results of the 2015 Canadian National Dairy Study and the 2014 US National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) Dairy Studies, with a specific focus on calf management and welfare, and to interpret these findings within more recent calf health research to describe where we need to go next in the North American dairy industry.
Through review of the 2 national studies, we identified several strengths of the Canadian and US dairy industries. In each area of calf health management, improvements relative to previous national studies and the published literature have been found in the level of mortality, amount of colostrum fed, housing, and the number of producers using pain control for disbudding and dehorning.
There were, however, some areas that present clear opportunities for improvement. Specifically, although mortality levels have improved, a large number of calves die at birth, within the first 48 h of life, and during the preweaning period. To improve the health of calves in early life, producers could look at feeding high-quality colostrum at 10% of body weight in the first feeding, as well as feeding a larger amount of milk during the preweaning period. The barriers to making these management changes and improving overall calf health need to be identified in future studies.
The majority of preweaning calves in Canada and the United States are housed in individual housing. This represents a clear opportunity for improvement because recent research has identified the positive aspects of group housing.
Finally, with respect to pain control, improvements are needed (particularly in the United States) to ensure that pain management is provided when disbudding and dehorning calves. Although the science is clear on pain management, discussions with producers are needed to identify reasons for the lack of uptake.
The ADSA Annual Meeting is Taking Place June 25-28: Hope to See You There!
The American Dairy Science Association annual meeting is fast approaching! The meeting will be hosted at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. Every year this conference brings together dairy scientists from around the world for a series of presentations, workshops, posters, exhibits, and more. Of note, this year there will be an opening session on the Sunday evening (June 25), providing insights on priority research and advocacy areas for the dairy industry.
ACER’s Julia Saraceni and Erin Wynands will be attending the ADSA this year, so make sure to check out their presentations (details below!). We hope to see you there!
From farmer to farmer: Case-based learning as an evidence-based approach to improving dairy cattle welfare (presentation)
Session: Extension EducationDate/Time: 6/28/23 10:30 AM
A global review of dairy quality assurance: What do we know and where are we headed? (poster)
Session: Animal Behavior and Well-BeingDate/Time: 6/26/23 7:30-9:30 AM
Resource Round-Up
We have a large and ever-growing portfolio of educational materials, and we want to give them the spotlight in this section! For instance, did you know that we regularly develop infographics, animated videos, webinars, and podcasts with our clients? Each month we will feature a past work here - we hope you find them engaging and we’re always happy to chat more about them with you if you have questions!
Bringing Udder Health & Milk Quality to Life
Ever wonder how milk quality is evaluated? By measuring the number of cells in just 1 millilitre of milk, we can tell how healthy a cow is and the overall quality of the milk.
In this 8 minute video, watch as Dr. Steven Roche of ACER Consulting walks you through the history and science behind measuring milk quality and udder health.
We Have a Fresh New Website - Check it Out!
We are thrilled about the recent launch of our re-designed website as part of a broader creative strategy representing the next phase of ACER’s growth.
With a fresh and refined look, we feel the new site does an even better job of showcasing our work, capabilities, and team. It is just one example of our dedication to continual progress and providing exceptional value for our clients.
Explore our updated portfolio, discover our service offerings, and read through some of our case studies and success stories – you might find that ACER offers a lot more than you thought! We are also adding new stories to the website regularly, so check back often for new content and updates!
We Want to Hear From You
It’s no surprise that we love talking about agricultural science, epidemiology, and research communication, but we would love to know what topics and issues you are most interested in! Take a moment here and inform some of our future newsletter content!
What commodity group/species are you most interested in? Select 1 answer below:
What is one topic are you most interested in learning more about? Select 1 answer below:
Are there other topics or questions you are interested in? Email us at [email protected]. We always welcome your questions and feedback!
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