Critical control points (CCP) for the outdoor housing of calves

The paper summarises basic and applied research on the outdoor housing of calves based on physiological requirements during outdoor climate conditions and its consequences for housing construction details and animal health. Individual and group housing systems are compared in this regard. The year around outdoor housing offers a variety of environmental stimuli for the calves which do not negatively impact their adaptive abilities, even at very low ambient temperatures. These conditions have an overall positive influence on animal health. Nevertheless, separate extra stalls for sick calves should always be available. Shaded areas should be provided for the summer time if hutches (igloos) are used. Social contacts among conspecifics are only warranted if calves are kept in groups at an early age. The caretaker has to be very skilled and engaged for this type of management system. The following critical control points (CCP) for the on-farm assessment of outdoor housing of calves are based on the current best knowledge relative to these aspects. As a next step this concept has to be validated for practicability in dairy farms with comparable animal numbers and management. The support of administrative bodies, breeding associations, farmers and veterinarians is needed as a basic requirement for the implementation of this concept as an external assessment (e.g. Cross Compliance, official veterinary surveillance) or for the on-farm self-assessment by the farmer.

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