The National Farm Animal Care Council has released its revised Code of Practice for the Care and Handling on Dairy Cattle.

It takes effect on April 1st of next year.

The code includes a timeline to eliminate tie stalls for cows.

Effective April of 2027, cows cannot be tethered continuously.

New barns will be required to allow “daily, untethered freedom of movement and social interactions year-round”.

By 2031, calves will be required to be housed in groups or pairs by four weeks of age.

If they’re housed outdoors or in hutches, they may only be tethered if they can move in and out of the hutch.

They must also be able to have physical contact with another calf, unless they need to be separated for health and safety reasons.