BELOW IS THE TESTIMONY OF A DAIRY VETERINARIAN SUPPORTING LEGISLATION TO BAN THE SALE OF DOWNED ANIMALS AT ALL FACILITIES IN CALIFORNIA
(CALIFORNIA SENATE - 1993)

THE FEDERAL DOWNED ANIMAL PROTECTION ACT IS SIMILAR TO THE CALIFORNIA MEASURE ALTHOUGH MORE LIMITED IN SCOPE.

My name is Jim Reynolds. I graduated from Veterinary School at UC Davis in 1982 and I also have a Masters degree in Preventative Veterinary Medicine from UC Davis. I have been a dairy cow veterinarian in California for 10 years, starting in Chino Valley in Southern California, then in Ferndale in Humboldt county and for the last 7 years in the Sacramento Valley area. The herds in my practice range in size from 150 cows to 1300 cows and encompass many management styles.

When I provide health services and recommendations to my clients, I have three broad responsibilities: the health and welfare of the animals; the economics for my clients; and the safety of the food for the consumers.

I will briefly address two issues relating to SB692 [the California Downed Animal Protection Act]: the economics and the prevention of down cows.

I surveyed my clients to find out how many down cows were being sold per year. Eight of my clients responded, representing over five thousand cows. Three owners sold no down cows -- one hasn't sold a down cow in ten years -- because they did not want their cattle treated the way down cows have been handled. The remaining clients reported culling from one to twenty-four down cows in the past year.

Most clients reported that half of the down cows were condemned at slaughter -- that is, not fit for human consumption and therefore of zero dollar value.

The value of the cows passed at slaughter was reported to vary from $200 to $700 dollars. The cost of hauling a down cows to slaughter in this area was reported to be $100 per cow.

The net value of down cows to clients in my practice then ranged from $0 to $4800 for my largest client. These dairies grossed from $250,000 to $2.5 million on milk and cattle sales.

A milking cow is worth about $1,500. It is important to keep in mind that any money received for a culled down cow represents a loss of money to the producer -- not a gain in income.

Good animal husbandry is good business in the dairy industry. Preventing down cows and keeping them milking is clearly better from both humane and economic standpoints. Most, seventy-five percent or more, of the down cows on dairies can be prevented through simple management and veterinary practices.

This winter, the slaughter houses in this area stopped accepting down cows. This has had the same effect that SB692 will have -- that is, the cattle owner and the veterinarians have to accept responsibility for the welfare and treatment of these animals. I have been very impressed with the response my clients have shown since they have not been able to sell down cows.

I have been called to attend more of the down cows to provide veterinary assistance and to humanely euthanize the hopeless cases. One client has build a special pen with milking facilities to treat young cows injured at calving and has recovered three of the last four that would have been sold as downers. The owners and I have become more involved with strategies to prevent down cows. Reducing overcrowding, sanitation of the corrals and loafing areas, improving nutrition and assistance at calving are some of the things my clients and I have began addressing because now we have to.

In short, not selling cows as downers has not hurt my clients but has re-focused attention in the right direction -- prevention and rehabilitation.

The dairy industry and the veterinary profession share a common goal -- to provide safe, wholesome milk and meat to the people of California and to treat the animals humanely in the process. I believe SB692 helps to safeguard the animals and our food supply.

Thank you. This concludes my comments. I will be happy to answer any questions at this time.