@conference {41552,
	title = {The cost of alleviating the pain caused by the castration of beef calves},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {65},
	year = {2005},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {123-126},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Christchurch},
	abstract = {  The pain caused by husbandry procedures such as dehorning or castration is of concern to those with an interest  in animal welfare. In the future farmers will be encouraged and perhaps obliged to provide analgesia for animals  subjected to these procedures. In New Zealand in the last decade veterinarians have developed a service for disbudding  dairy calves using the sedative xylazine and local anaesthesia and this has become popular with some dairy farmers.  This paper reports a financial analysis of the impact to the individual farmer and nationally of using different forms of  analgesia when castrating calves. Four scenarios and their costs were analysed: (1) the status quo ($0.28/calf); (2) the  use of local anaesthesia with increased labour costs ($1.56/calf); (3) the use of local anaesthesia plus systemic analgesia  with increased labour costs ($5.45/calf); and (4) the employment of a veterinarian to do the castration ($9.39/calf).  National costs ranged from $160,000 to $5,368,700 ($10 to $351 per farm) for the four scenarios. The proposed  scenarios were more expensive than the status quo but were still small relative to average total farm costs, i.e. $170,974  on New Zealand sheep and beef farms in 2001-02. These figures do not include any allowance for the cost of the  inconvenience of having to organise husbandry activities around veterinary visits. Farmers may resist the imposition any  of these 3 scenarios. In future the use of analgesics may become standard farm practice.   

},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Stafford KJ and Mellor DJ and Dooley AE and Smeaton D and McDermott A}
}
@conference {41120,
	title = {The Relevance of Applied Bio-Physical Research: A Case Study into Beef Breeding Cow Twinning Technology},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {59},
	year = {1999},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {201-204},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	abstract = {Science funders need to know that their investment in technology will be relevant and useful.  Pre-trial social research and the involvement of potential users in project management, enables scientists to ensure that these conditions are addressed.  This paper examines the development of twinning technology for beef breeding cows as an example.  Preliminary social research in 1995 showed that users wanted information about the technology and its interactions with sheep production and lamb finishing.  They also wanted to know the labour requirements, and new skills needed for producing successful results.  A systems trial examining these issues commenced at Whatawhata Research Centre later that year. A mentor group was initiated at the start of the trial with farmers, scientists, funders, and a vet included.  This group was involved in trial management over the three-year period of the trial.  The trial has shown that it may be profitable for farmers to produce
twin calves and grow them out to 18 months of age or older, providing that they can manage calving.  Twinning cows were shown to be complimentary to sheep breeding and lamb finishing. The role of the mentor group was evaluated in a survey of group members in 1997.  The group was shown to be of high value to the individuals involved, and to the livestock industry, through providing greater opportunities for farmers and scientists to learn from each other.  However, there was some concern that the mentor group process could increase the costs of carrying out research.},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Parminter T and Smeaton D}
}
