In recent years a number of issues regarding the care and welfare of dairy cattle have been examined. The following document explores current issues regarding the social and physical environment of dairy cattle. Modern management practices such as the use of bovine somatotrophin (BST) to increase milk production, tail docking, and the use of new milking technologies are reviewed as well. An extensive bibliography covering the behavior, breeding, feeding, health, housing, and husbandry is included. This publication is intended for use by animal scientists, veterinarians, extension agents, and others with an interest in dairy cattle production.

One of the main animal welfare concerns in beef cattle production is that of pain and distress. Dehorning, castration, and branding are husbandry procedures which can cause pain and discomfort. Less acute but still distressful are those issues related to the animal environment. Extreme natural conditions can result in cattle that are heat and/or cold stressed. Drought and the resulting overstocking for available feed resources can also reduce body fatness. These are important welfare issues in modern beef production. The following bibliography explores these issues and more and should provide a useful resource for scientists, veterinarians, extension specialists, students, and others.

The aim of this manual is to improve the welfare of dairy cattle in tropical developing countries, and by doing so, optimise cow and herd performance. It gives the stockmen and farmers directly concerned with the cattle a better understanding of animal behaviour and the ways cattle communicate their comfort or distress. The book discusses normal cattle behaviour and shows how domestication and breeding can affect behaviour to achieve high levels of production of milk, live weight gain and fertility. Animal welfare is important for producers because it can affect the health, production and contentment of cows. Animal welfare practices which adversely affect cow and herd performance on tropical small holder dairy farms are identified. Advice is then given to change the animal's environment or modify a handler's technique to ensure cattle have the degree of comfort needed to achieve more profitable and sustainable systems of livestock farming. Cow Talk will be a beneficial resource for farmers who want to improve animal welfare, farm advisers who can assist farmers to improve their welfare practices, educators who develop training programs for farmers and dairy advisers, and other stakeholders in tropical dairy production such as local agribusiness, policy makers and research scientists.

One of the main animal welfare concerns in beef cattle production is that of pain and distress. Dehorning, castration, and branding are husbandry procedures which can cause pain and discomfort. Less acute but still distressful are those issues related to the animal environment. Extreme natural conditions can result in cattle that are heat and/or cold stressed. Drought and the resulting overstocking for available feed resources can also reduce body fatness. These are important welfare issues in modern beef production. The following bibliography explores these issues and more and should provide a useful resource for scientists, veterinarians, extension specialists, students, and others.