Comparison of Average Linkage and K-Means Methods in Clustering Indonesia’s Provinces Based on Welfare Indicators

AbstractAfter President Trump’s departure, many expected that the transatlantic partnership would return to its previous state with the US playing a leading role. This article challenges that view. Instead, a new world order is foreseen, with different partnerships and spheres of influence. Europe can decide whether it wants to remain small and homogeneous or a larger but also more heterogenous Union that leads in welfare indicators such as life expectancy, fighting poverty and limiting climate change. Expanding this lead and communicating its uniqueness can empower Europe to combine enlargement and deepening, which appears unlikely without changes in governance and self-confidence.

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Assessing dairy cow welfare during the grazing and housing periods on spring-calving, pasture-based dairy farms

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skab093 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Robin E Crossley ◽

Eddie A M Bokkers ◽

Natasha Browne ◽

Katie Sugrue ◽

Emer Kennedy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cow ◽

Large Scale ◽

Dairy Farms ◽

Nasal Discharge ◽

Welfare Assessment ◽

Welfare Indicators ◽

Signed Rank ◽

Cow Welfare ◽

Head Neck ◽

Ocular Discharge

Abstract The different periods characterizing spring-calving, pasture-based dairy systems common in Ireland have seldom been the focus of large-scale dairy cow welfare research. Thus, the aim of this study was to devise and conduct an animal-based welfare assessment during both the grazing and housing periods on spring-calving, pasture-based dairy farms, to identify areas for improvement and establish benchmarks for indicators of good welfare. Assessment of seven animal-based welfare indicators was conducted during two visits (one each at grazing and housing) to 82 commercial dairy farms in southern Ireland. Herd-level descriptive statistics were performed for all welfare indicators at each visit, and differences between visits were analyzed using paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed rank tests. A mean of 9% and 10% clinically lame cows (mobility score 2 and 3) were observed at housing and grazing respectively. Recommended body condition scores (BCS) were not met for a mean of 13% of cows at grazing and 23% at housing, with more over-conditioned cows present at housing than grazing (P < 0.001). Ocular discharge was uncommon in both periods. Prevalence of moderate and severe nasal discharge combined were lower during housing (5%) than grazing (7%). In both periods, similar mean levels of tail injury were observed; 2 to 3% of cows with tail lacerations, 9% with broken tails, and 8% (measured at housing only) with docked tails. Integument alterations involved primarily hair-loss and were most prevalent on the hindquarters (26%) during grazing, and on the head-neck-back region (66%), and the hindquarters (32%) during housing. Cows displayed an avoidance distance of > 1 m (indicative of a fearful response) from an approaching human in an average of 82% of grazing cows and 42% to 75% of housed cows, dependent on test location. Opportunities to improve welfare in this system were identified in the areas of tail injury prevention, nasal health and the management of indoor housing and feeding. The performance of the top 20% of farms for each welfare indicator was used to establish benchmarks of: 0 to 5% clinical lameness; 0 to 12% of cows outside recommended BCS; 0 to 27% ocular discharge; 2 to 16% nasal discharge; 0% tail lacerations and docked tails, and 0 to 3% tail breaks; 0 to 14% IA; and 4 to 74% for avoidance distance of > 1 m. These represent attainable targets for spring-calving pasture-based farms to promote good dairy cow welfare.

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Evaluation of Inter-Observer Reliability of Animal Welfare Indicators: Which Is the Best Index to Use?

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11051445 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 1445

Author(s):

Mauro Giammarino ◽

Silvana Mattiello ◽

Monica Battini ◽

Piero Quatto ◽

Luca Maria Battaglini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Animal Welfare ◽

Confidence Intervals ◽

Bootstrap Method ◽

Dairy Goat ◽

Microsoft Excel ◽

Bootstrap Methods ◽

Welfare Indicators ◽

Observer Reliability ◽

High Concordance ◽

Variance Estimates

This study focuses on the problem of assessing inter-observer reliability (IOR) in the case of dichotomous categorical animal-based welfare indicators and the presence of two observers. Based on observations obtained from Animal Welfare Indicators (AWIN) project surveys conducted on nine dairy goat farms, and using udder asymmetry as an indicator, we compared the performance of the most popular agreement indexes available in the literature: Scott’s π, Cohen’s k, kPABAK, Holsti’s H, Krippendorff’s α, Hubert’s Γ, Janson and Vegelius’ J, Bangdiwala’s B, Andrés and Marzo’s ∆, and Gwet’s γ(AC1). Confidence intervals were calculated using closed formulas of variance estimates for π, k, kPABAK, H, α, Γ, J, ∆, and γ(AC1), while the bootstrap and exact bootstrap methods were used for all the indexes. All the indexes and closed formulas of variance estimates were calculated using Microsoft Excel. The bootstrap method was performed with R software, while the exact bootstrap method was performed with SAS software. k, π, and α exhibited a paradoxical behavior, showing unacceptably low values even in the presence of very high concordance rates. B and γ(AC1) showed values very close to the concordance rate, independently of its value. Both bootstrap and exact bootstrap methods turned out to be simpler compared to the implementation of closed variance formulas and provided effective confidence intervals for all the considered indexes. The best approach for measuring IOR in these cases is the use of B or γ(AC1), with bootstrap or exact bootstrap methods for confidence interval calculation.

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Twenty Years of Research in Seabass and Seabream Welfare during Slaughter

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11082164 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 2164

Author(s):

Ignacio de la Rosa ◽

Pedro L. Castro ◽

Rafael Ginés

Keyword(s):

Carbon Dioxide ◽

Adverse Reaction ◽

Loss Of Consciousness ◽

Stressful Situation ◽

Clove Oil ◽

Fish Welfare ◽

Behavioural Responses ◽

Welfare Indicators ◽

New Methods ◽

The Impact

The behavioural responses of fish to a stressful situation must be considered an adverse reaction caused by the perception of pain. Consequently, the handling prior to stunning and the immediacy of loss consciousness following stunning are the aspects to take into account during the slaughtering process. The most common commercial stunning method in seabream and seabass is based on hypothermia, but other methods such as electrical stunning, carbon dioxide narcosis or anaesthetic with clove oil, are discussed in relation to the time to reach the unconsciousness stage and some welfare indicators. Although seawater plus ice slurry is currently accepted in some guidelines of fish welfare well practices at slaughter, it cannot be considered completely adequate due to the deferred speed at which cause loss of consciousness. New methods of incorporating some kind of anaesthetic in the stunning tank could be a solution to minimize the impact on the welfare of seabass and seabream at slaughtering.

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