Christopher A. Wolf

Consumer Preferences for Animal Welfare Attributes: The Case of Gestation Crates

Animal welfare concerns are having dramatic impacts on food and livestock markets. Here we examine consumer preferences for pork products with a focus on use of gestation crates. We examine underlying consumer valuations of pork attributes while considering preference heterogeneity as well as voluntary and legislative alternatives in producing gestation crate-free pork. Our results suggest that prohibiting swine producers from using gestation crates fails to improve consumer welfare in the presence of a labeling scheme documenting voluntary disadoption of gestation crates. Consumers are found to implicitly associate animal welfare attributes with smaller farms. Preference heterogeneity drives notably diverse consumer welfare impacts when pork produced with use of gestation crates is no longer available for consumption.

Effect of intensified feeding of heifer calves on growth, pubertal age, calving age, milk yield, and economics

The objective of this study was to determine if increasing the energy and protein intake of heifer calves would affect growth rates, age at puberty, age at calving, and first lactation milk yield. A second objective was to perform an economic analysis of this feeding program using feed costs, number of nonproductive days, and milk yield data. Holstein heifer calves born at the Michigan State Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 dietary treatments (n=40/treatment) that continued from 2 d of age until weaning at 42 d of age. The conventional diet consisted of a standard milk replacer [21.5% crude protein (CP), 21.5% fat] fed at 1.2% of body weight (BW) on a dry matter basis and starter grain (19.9% CP) to attain 0.45 kg of daily gain. The intensive diet consisted of a high-protein milk replacer (30.6% CP, 16.1% fat) fed at 2.1% of BW on a dry matter basis and starter grain (24.3% CP) to achieve 0.68 kg of daily gain. Calves were gradually weaned from milk replacer by decreasing the amount offered for 5 and 12 d before weaning for the conventional and intensive diets, respectively. All calves were completely weaned at 42 d of age and kept in hutches to monitor individual starter consumption in the early postweaning period. Starting from 8 wk of age, heifers on both treatments were fed and managed similarly for the duration of the study. Body weight and skeletal measurements were taken weekly until 8 wk of age, and once every 4 wk thereafter until calving. Calves consuming the intensive diet were heavier, taller, and wider at weaning. The difference in withers height and hip width was carried over into the early post-weaning period, but a BW difference was no longer evident by 12 wk of age. Calves fed the intensive diet were younger and lighter at the onset of puberty. Heifers fed the high-energy and protein diet were 15 d younger at conception and 14 d younger at calving than heifers fed the conventional diet. Body weight after calving, daily gain during gestation, withers height at calving, body condition score at calving, calving difficulty score, and calf BW were not different. Energy-corrected, age-uncorrected 305-d milk yield was not different, averaging 9,778 kg and 10,069 kg for heifers fed the conventional and intensive diets, respectively. However, removing genetic variation in milk using parent average values as a covariate resulted in a tendency for greater milk from heifers fed the intensive diet. Preweaning costs were higher for heifers fed the intensive diet. However, total costs measured through first lactation were not different. Intensified feeding of calves can be used to decrease age at first calving without negatively affecting milk yield or economics.

The economics of managing infectious wildlife disease

We use a two-state linear control model to examine the socially optimal management of disease in a valuable wildlife population when diseased animals cannot be harvested selectively. The two control variables are nonselective harvests and supplemental feeding of wildlife, where feeding increases both in situ productivity and disease prevalence. We derive a double singular solution which depends on the initial state and does not require bang-bang controls. The case of bovine tuberculosis among Michigan white-tailed deer is analyzed. In the base model, the disease is optimally maintained at low levels, with intermittent investments (via feeding) in deer productivity. Copyright 2005, Oxford University Press.

Livestock Disease Indemnity Design When Moral Hazard Is Followed by Adverse Selection

Averting or limiting the outbreak of infectious disease in domestic livestock herds is an economic and potential human health issue that involves the government and individual livestock producers. Producers have private information about preventive biosecurity measures they adopt on their farms prior to outbreak (ex ante moral hazard), and following outbreak they possess private information about whether or not their herd is infected (ex post adverse selection). We investigate how indemnity payments can be designed to provide incentives to producers to invest in biosecurity and report infection to the government in the presence of asymmetric information. We compare the relative magnitude of the first- and second-best levels of biosecurity investment and indemnity payments to demonstrate the tradeoff between risk sharing and efficiency, and we discuss the implications for status quo U.S. policy. Copyright 2008, Oxford University Press.

Diversification, Vertical Integration, and the Regional Pattern of Dairy Farm Size

Dairy farm size differs considerably across the United States. We analyze patterns of dairy farm size to determine how differences in vertical integration and diversification relate to farm size. We find that diversification accounts for little size variation. For vertical integration, the partial correlation with dairy herd size is strongly negative. Dairy value-added size measures vary less across regions than herd size, indicating that an important part of herd size variation relates to vertical integration. Nonetheless, dairy farms in the Pacific and South regions remain much larger than farms in the traditional dairy regions, even when accounting for vertical integration.

Economic Analysis of Reproductive Management Strategies on US Commercial Dairy Farms

Reproductive management has received increased attention in recent years as new technologies and programs have been developed to aid dairy managers in efficiently breeding cows and heifers. Efficient breeding of cows and heifers has become increasingly difficult as fertility has decreased because of a correlated negative response with milk yield. Dairy farm survey results were used to parameterize the economic analyses of reproductive management programs. Reproductive management program costs and the levels of reproductive performance achieved with such programs varied significantly among farms and were especially sensitive to on-farm labor costs. For example, visual heat detection requires more hours of labor per cow than use of an estrus synchronization program. Therefore, visual heat detection programs were relatively more sensitive to labor costs than synchronization programs. In addition, past reproductive performance was found to affect the determination of which reproductive program was optimal. Farms that had attained high levels of labor efficiency for visual heat detection in the past had less incentive to adopt a synchronization program than farms with less efficient visual heat detection.

Drivers of Resident Support for Animal Care Oriented Ballot Initiatives

Recent high profile incidents and public debates in the United States have highlighted the increasing interest residents have regarding animal rearing and handling practices. This paper examines resident support for national legislation that mirrors Proposition 2, which in November 2008 passed in California. Results suggest perceptions regarding animal welfare information accuracy of livestock industry and consumer groups are particularly influential determinants of voting behavior and demand. The analysis also suggests residents may not fully appreciate price or tax implications when supporting additional animal welfare legislation. Implications for livestock industry and policy makers are provided along with suggestions for additional research.

Understanding the milk-to-feed price ratio as a proxy for dairy farm profitability

This research examines the definition, historical pattern, and utility of the milk-to-feed price ratio (MF) as a measure of dairy farm profitability. The MF was generally an acceptable proxy of profitability in an annual sense from 1985 to 2006. The MF was steady at an average of 2.8 from 1985 to 2006 even as average annual milk price in nominal terms increased from

Economic evaluation of Johne's disease control programs implemented on six Michigan dairy farms.

12 to

Incorporating Environmentally Compliant Manure Nutrient Disposal Costs into Least-Cost Livestock Ration Formulation

14/hundredweight. An alternative proxy for profitability is income over feed costs, which is measured in dollars per hundredweight. Comparison with an actual profit measure, rate of return on assets, is used to examine the appropriateness of the proxies. The volatility from 2007 to 2009 resulted in MF being a poor measure of profitability over that period. The implication is that MF is not the preferred measure of profitability when a significant change in the pattern of one or both price series occurs. Income over feed cost is a better measure of profitability in periods of volatility.