Owl Farm case study - Tail audit

This page sets out how Owl Farm tracks tail damage in its herd through an annual tail audit carried out with Cambridge Vets alongside body condition scoring. Tails matter for cow signalling and fly control, and damage is treated as a welfare issue to avoid.

The first audit in July 2020 found abnormalities in 7 of 407 cows (1.7%), and the second in July 2021 found 5 of 410 (1.2%), with the farm aiming to keep any change in status under 2% a year. Staff also trim tails after calving, mid-season and before winter, and walk heifers through the shed ahead of calving so they settle to handling.

^{Photo: “Cattle in yards at Tillyfour, mid Canterbury, New Zealand” by MaryvanRossen, licensed for reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0}