With newly implemented requirements related to organic certification, the sustainability of organic dairy farms is tied more than ever to the health of their youngstock. Youngstock refers to a calf from the time she is born until the first time she gives birth, and farmers see a critical production bottleneck related to these calves. 

Under the updated rules, youngstock specifically born on organic farms are the only viable source of replacement cows for most organic dairy farmers. So although they’re not yet producing milk, the health of the youngest cows increasingly determines the health of the farm.

Organic farms sometimes require management practices that are distinct from traditional farms, and most of the research to date on organic dairy farming has been focused on lactating cows. But this creates a critical gap in knowledge around youngstock management. With a $3.5 million grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, researchers from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) are leading the charge to fill that gap.

From data to decisions

The team is led by the CVM Ruminant Group and includes collaborators at Washington State University, Colorado State University, University of Vermont, and Texas Tech University. Their first aim is to develop best practices for optimizing youngstock management, aimed at lowering mortality to stabilize herd size and improving health and welfare to improve future milk production.

They will conduct focus groups, interviews, and surveys with organic farmers to assess their current management strategies along with outcomes and risk factors related to youngstock health. Their analysis of this data will lead to evidence-based guidance that they will share with producers, veterinarians, and extension agents to enhance management for calf health and welfare.

One specific focus for the researchers will be on the sources and transmission of common bacterial infections—namely, Staphylococcus aureus intramammary infections—in organic youngstock. The team’s previous research suggests that mammary infections on organic dairies may be occurring during the youngstock phase, which has significant implications for the later health and productivity of the cow. The insights the researchers glean will allow them to offer evidence-based recommendations for infection prevention.

A lasting impact

The team will provide educational materials to U.S. veterinary schools and students, developing a curriculum focused on veterinary-relevant issues related to organic dairy farms. They will also train veterinary and animal science students to conduct on-farm youngstock health assessments.

The end-to-end scope of the project—from gathering and assessing comprehensive data, to developing and disseminating best practices, to educating the next generation of organic dairy farmers and industry practitioners—positions it to have a significant impact on the long-term sustainability and resilience of U.S. dairy farms. 

“I’m very excited about the national scope of this project and the opportunity it brings to establish a broad yet purposeful network of producers, researchers, and veterinarians, all focused on the topic of youngstock management,” says Noelle Noyes, associate professor at CVM and principal investigator on the study. “These types of ground-up networks are really important for knowledge sharing, and even more important for turning knowledge into practice. It is exciting to be a part of that and to have this opportunity to support dairy farmers across the United States. Being able to do this together with amazing dairy faculty across the U.S. is the icing on the cake!”