DairyTalk 659: Later Separation, Different Management: Why Cow-Calf Contact Changes the Whole System - by Helmut Demmelhuber

DairyTalk by Helmut Demmelhuber · Sep 13, 2026 · 19m

This podcast episode is based on a scientific study exploring the experiences of dairy farmers in the United States and Canada who keep calves with their dams for extended periods. Their accounts reveal a fundamental trade-off: farmers report benefits such as improved calf growth and strong personal satisfaction with the system, while also facing reduced saleable milk and greater complexity around weaning and separation. Cow-calf contact therefore cannot simply be added to a conventional dairy system without changing management priorities and farm routines. Notably, the participating farmers…