The latest version of the animal care segment of the Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program was recently launched.
The new version is the latest installment of program guidelines, which are intended to be updated on a regular basis every three years. The most recent version was delayed slightly by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Each review and update of the standards is intended to ensure relevancy, practicality, and incorporation of the latest research into the FARM Program standards. Formal input is gathered from dairy farmers, animal scientists, veterinarians, and milk cooperatives and processors. Last fall, more than 300 comments were also gathered from dairy farmers and industry representatives during a six-week public comment period.
“”We got feedback from everyone involved in the supply chain, and farmers especially,” said Beverly Hampton-Phifer, Senior Director of FARM Animal Care for the National Milk Producers Federation. “In this version, we were really looking for refinement.”
FARM Animal Care Version 5 went into effect July 1, 2024, and will remain in effect until June 30, 2027. Among the updates between Animal Care Version 4 and Version 5 are:
- The addition of a goal of 15% or less of the lactating herd with a locomotion score of 2 (“moderately lame”) on the FARM Locomotion Scorecard.
- Shortening the goal window of adding pain mitigation to calf disbudding to the next 9 months or sooner.
- Performing disbudding with caustic paste or cautery within 9 months or sooner.
- Implementing pre-weaned calf protocols and practices that demonstrate that preweaned calves are provided quality (visual, colostrometer, etc.), and quantity of colostrum/replacer (10% birth weight) OR evidence of successful transfer of passive immunity within 6 hours after birth, even if newborn calves are transferred immediately off of the farm.
- Conducting job-specific continuing education for family employees within 9 months or sooner.
- Adding two standards regarding on-farm euthanasia. The new standards specify (1) identifying a primary and secondary individual for animal euthanasia implementation; and (2) euthanasia protocols and practices demonstrate method of confirmation of death.
Updates to the FARM Program’s Workforce Development and Environmental Stewardship segments are currently underway, with a launch of updated standards in those two areas expected by the end of 2024.
The National Dairy FARM Program is funded by Dairy Management, Inc. and managed by the National Milk Producers Federation. Dairy producers can access an Animal Care Evaluation and Preparation Guide for their FARM Second- and Third-Party audits here.
