Impact on the planet

Animal welfare and animal health

Supporting animal health and animal welfare in dairy farming

We are a dairy company and part of a dairy cooperative of around 15,000 member dairy farmers. Our member dairy farmers supply the milk usen in many of the products we make. Healthy cows are important for dairy farming and for producing dairy products that provide nutrition to millions of people. Our member dairy farmers care for their cows every day and work to provide appropriate housing, feed, water and health care. Technology supports dairy farmers to take good care. Curious?

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Animal welfare worldwide

Healthy and well-cared-for cows can live longer and may require less medical treatment. Supporting animal health and welfare is also important for efficient dairy farming. Our member dairy farmers work every day to care for their cows and support their health and welfare.

We have 150 years of experience in the world of dairy farming. We have used this experience to develop programmes and approaches that support animal health and welfare in our dairy supply chain. This means we do not only apply this in the countries where our member farmers operate. Through our Dairy Development Activities we share knowledge and practical experience related to animal health and welfare with dairy farmers in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe.

We only use animal products other than milk for a few products within our complete portfolio, for which we also have animal welfare requirements. Read more on this page.

Improving animal welfare

KoeMonitor: safeguarding animal health

We continuously invest, share experiences and learn to improve animal welfare across the dairy sector. KoeMonitor helps with that. This includes various components, such as KoeKompas and KoeData, which give our member dairy farmers and certified veterinarians even more insight into the welfare of the cows. Many indicators are used for this. This leads to quarterly reports for each individual dairy farm. Our animal welfare policy ensures that certified veterinarians visit all our member dairy farmers at least once a year to promote animal welfare and health from a preventative perspective. The veterinarian identifies the potential risks for the health and welfare of the cows. The KoeKompas shows what is going well and what could be improved in terms of milking, feed and water, housing, animal welfare, work routines, animal diseases and young stock rearing. The veterinarian advises dairy farmers on how to further improve the health and welfare of their cows.

Foqus planet: our own requirements for animal welfare

Foqus planet is FrieslandCampina’s quality and sustainability programme for member dairy farmers. The programme includes baseline requirements for milk quality, food safety, animal health and animal welfare that all member dairy farmers must meet. These requirements go beyond legal standards and include measures such as mandatory animal health checks and Animal Health Plans.

In addition, Foqus planet encourages continuous improvement through its Sustainable Development component. Dairy farmers are rewarded for their performance on selected sustainability indicators, including animal health and welfare. The programme includes indicators related to areas such as longevity, calf rearing and living conditions. By combining baseline requirements with performance-based incentives, Foqus planet encourages continuous improvement in animal health and welfare on member dairy farms.

Dairy development: knowledge about animal welfare in other countries

Through Dairy Development, we offer training courses to dairy farms in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe. For example, experts selected by us provide a CowSignals training course in which farmers learn about animal health & animal welfare, housing, feed and water management and business economics. The training courses help participating farmers strengthen their knowledge of animal health, animal welfare and farm management practices.

Covenant to increase animal welfare in livestock farming

Through ZuivelNL and the Dutch Dairy Association (NZO) we signed a covenant on dignified livestock farming. In this covenant, livestock sectors, the government, market and chain parties, and animal welfare organisations join forces to work towards increased animal welfare in livestock farming by 2040. For the dairy sector, the central action plan is the roadmap by ZuivelNL and the Dutch Association for Animal Protection (Dierenbescherming). This roadmap outlines ambitions such as promoting meadow grazing and further developing barn housing systems. In this way, we contribute to ongoing efforts to further strengthen animal welfare within the dairy sector.

Animal health and animal welfare on the farm

Our farmer Niek Heijink about animal welfare on his farm

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Supporting the welfare of cows

In addition to programmes, rules and agreements, our member dairy farmers do very specific things every day to take good care of their cows. For example, they provide a comfortable environment, pleasant temperature and the right feed.

  • Always keeping watch

    Our member dairy farmers monitor their cows every day and recognise signs related to animal health and welfare. They can tell how a cow is doing just by looking at how the animal moves and acts. Technical gadgets help to determine when milk production is different from normal, for example. More than anything, however, member dairy farmers use their practical knowledge. If a cow shows signs of illness or discomfort, the dairy farmer intervenes and provides the appropriate treatment so that the animal can get better. Where veterinary care is needed, member dairy farmers work with certified veterinarians.

  • No unnecessary medicine use

    Antibiotics are used only when needed, under veterinary guidance and in accordance with applicable requirements. Preventative use of antibiotics is prohibited. The use of antibiotics has fallen sharply in recent years – by nearly 50% since 2009. The use of antibiotics in dairy farming is now at such a low level that the Netherlands Veterinary Medicines Institute (SDa) considers it acceptable.

    Dairy farmers are only allowed to supply milk from healthy cows. The dairy farmer is obliged to monitor the health and welfare of his dairy cows. Three monitoring systems have been developed in the Netherlands, based on European legislation and requirements from the dairy sector. These systems are approved by the government, which also oversees these systems. If the score is unsatisfactory, animal health is checked more often by the vet.

  • Comfortable environment for cows

    To keep their cows healthy, our member dairy farmers work to provide appropriate living conditions in the barn and in the meadow. In the barn, cows have soft beds, sufficient room to move and walk around, constant access to clean drinking water and plenty of feed. Many of our farmers also have solutions such as a milking robot, waterbeds and massage brushes. For example, cows can walk freely from the meadow into the barn when they want to be milked or stand against the huge brushes that then start to rotate. These solutions can support cow comfort and help farmers manage the barn environment and monitor their animals.

  • Appropriate temperature conditions

    A proper temperature in the barn is important for cows. Cows generally feel comfortable within a temperature range of approximately -5˚C to 18˚C. If the temperature rises above 21˚C, then it is too hot. In those conditions, a cow must work hard to keep its body cool, which may cause stress for the animal. In hot weather, the cows are kept as comfortable as possible by using fans or a mist shower or by cooling the roof. During a heat wave, barns are often more comfortable for cows than being outside in the meadow. That is why, during warm spells, they usually only go outside in the morning and in the evening.

  • Care for calves

    Just like cows, calves receive dedicated care and attention. Newborn calves have very low natural resistance, so they require a lot of attention. Hygiene, good nutrition and the prevention of animal diseases are the main focus. All calves are given colostrum, which is the milk first produced by cows after calving. It is rich in important nutrients and helps the calf quickly build up its natural resistance. In addition, our farmers constantly monitor how much the calves are drinking and whether they are growing properly. Our calf-rearing programme enables our member dairy farmers to further optimise the care for their calves.

Checklist for healthy calves

Supporting animal health and welfare is important for dairy farmers and their livestock. Despite all the care and attention, some calves may still die if they are not strong enough. All of our member dairy farmers keep track of the number of calf mortalities on their farm. If this number is too high, the dairy farmer is required to sit down with the vet and draw up a plan of action to reduce it. A checklist for healthy calves is also available. This checklist and the plan of action were created in cooperation with the Royal Dutch Society for Veterinary Medicine (KNMvD) to ensure that farmers take the appropriate measures.

Frequently asked questions about animal welfare

About the welfare of our cows

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