scholarly journals Feasibility and Reliability of the AWIN Welfare Assessment Protocol for Dairy Goats in Semi-extensive Farming Conditions

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Battini ◽  
Manuela Renna ◽  
Mauro Giammarino ◽  
Luca Battaglini ◽  
Silvana Mattiello
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Stress ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Qualitative Behavior ◽  
Dairy Goats ◽  
Hair Coat ◽  
Welfare Assessment ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Assessment Protocol ◽  
Fecal Soiling ◽  
Extensive Farming

The aim of this study was to test the feasibility and reliability of the Animal Welfare Indicators (AWIN) protocol for welfare assessment of dairy goats when applied to semi-extensive farming conditions. We recruited 13 farms located in the NW Italian Alps where three assessors individually and independently applied a modified version of the AWIN welfare assessment protocol for goats integrated with some indicators derived from the AWIN welfare assessment protocol for sheep. The applied protocol consisted of nine individual-level (body condition score, hair coat condition, abscesses, overgrown claws, udder asymmetry, fecal soiling, nasal discharge, ocular discharge, and improper disbudding) and seven group-level (severe lameness, Qualitative Behavior Assessment-QBA, thermal stress, oblivion, Familiar Human Approach Test-FHAT, synchrony at grazing, synchrony at resting) animal-based indicators. On most farms, the level of welfare was good. Many of the considered welfare problems (overgrown claws, fecal soiling, discharges, and thermal stress) were never recorded. However, oblivion, severe lameness, hair coat condition and abscesses were detected on some farms, with percentages ranging from 5 to 35%. The mean percentage of animals with normal body condition was 67.9 ± 5.7. The level of synchronization during resting was on average low (14.3 ± 7.2%). The application of the whole protocol required more than 4 h/farm and 3 min/goat. The inter-observer reliability varied from excellent (udder asymmetry, overgrown claws, discharges, synchrony at resting, use of shelter) to acceptable (abscesses, fecal soiling, and oblivion), but insufficient for hair coat condition, improper disbudding, synchrony at grazing, QBA. Differences in background of the assessors and feasibility constraints (i.e., use of binoculars in unfenced pastures, individual-level assessment conducted during the morning milking in narrow and dark pens, difficulties when using the scan and instantaneous sampling method due to the high number of animals that moved at the same time) can affect the reliability of data collection. Extensive training seems necessary for properly scoring animals when applying the QBA, whereas the FHAT to evaluate the Human-Animal Relationship of goats at pasture seems promising but needs to be validated. Indicators that evaluate the synchrony of activities require to be validated to identify the best moment to perform the observations during the day.

scholarly journals Results of testing the prototype of the AWIN welfare assessment protocol for dairy goats in 30 intensive farms in Northern Italy

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 283-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Battini ◽  
Sara Barbieri ◽  
Ana Vieira ◽  
George Stilwell ◽  
Silvana Mattiello
Keyword(s):  
Northern Italy ◽  
Dairy Goats ◽  
Welfare Assessment ◽  
Assessment Protocol

Hair coat condition: A valid and reliable indicator for on-farm welfare assessment in adult dairy goats

2015 ◽  
Vol 123 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 197-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Battini ◽  
Tanja Peric ◽  
Inês Ajuda ◽  
Ana Vieira ◽  
Lilia Grosso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reliable Indicator ◽  
Dairy Goats ◽  
Hair Coat ◽  
Welfare Assessment ◽  
On Farm

Feasibility and validity of animal-based indicators for on-farm welfare assessment of thermal stress in dairy goats

2015 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Battini ◽  
Sara Barbieri ◽  
Luna Fioni ◽  
Silvana Mattiello
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Stress ◽  
Dairy Goats ◽  
Welfare Assessment ◽  
On Farm

scholarly journals The Use of Qualitative Behaviour Assessment for the On-Farm Welfare Assessment of Dairy Goats

Animals ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Battini ◽  
Sara Barbieri ◽  
Ana Vieira ◽  
Edna Can ◽  
George Stilwell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Principal Component Analysis ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Dairy Goats ◽  
Qualitative Behaviour ◽  
Hair Coat ◽  
Welfare Assessment ◽  
Welfare Indicators ◽  
Normal Hair ◽  
On Farm

This research investigated whether using qualitative behaviour assessment (QBA) with a fixed list of descriptors may be related to quantitative animal- (ABM) and resource-based (RBM) measures included in the AWIN (Animal Welfare Indicators) welfare assessment prototype protocol for goats, tested in 60 farms. A principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted on QBA descriptors; then PCs were correlated to some ABMs and RBMs. Subsequently, a combined PCA merged QBA scores, ABMs and RBMs. The study confirms that QBA can identify the differences in goats’ emotions, but only few significant correlations were found with ABMs and RBMs. In addition, the combined PCA revealed that goats with a normal hair coat were scored as more relaxed and sociable. A high farm workload was related to bored and suffering goats, probably because farmers that can devote less time to animals may fail to recognise important signals from them. Goats were scored as sociable, but also alert, in response to the presence of an outdoor run, probably because when outdoors they received more stimuli than indoors and were more attentive to the surroundings. Notwithstanding these results, the holistic approach of QBA may allow to register animals’ welfare from a different perspective and be complementary to other measures.

Development and testing of an on-farm welfare assessment protocol for dairy goats

2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 385-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Muri ◽  
SM Stubsjøen ◽  
PS Valle
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Goats ◽  
Welfare Assessment ◽  
Assessment Protocol ◽  
On Farm

scholarly journals Welfare Assessment of Dairy Cows in Small Farms in Bangladesh

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 394
Author(s):  
M. Ariful Islam ◽  
Arvind Sharma ◽  
S. Ahsan ◽  
S. Mazumdar ◽  
K.C Rudra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
The Body ◽  
Small Farms ◽  
Welfare Assessment ◽  
Assessment Protocol

Protocols for assessing the welfare of dairy cows in large scale intensive dairy systems in the developed world have been used extensively. Little attention has been paid to the use of similar welfare assessment protocols for small dairy enterprises in developing countries. We modified part of the standard assessment protocol and used it to assess aspects of the welfare of dairy cows in a field survey of 70 small farms in the Sirajgonj district of Bangladesh. Welfare indicators selected were mainly those of health and economic importance, such as lameness, lesions on the body and limbs, cleanliness levels, milk yield, and body condition. The study included physical examination of 700 cows and use of a structured questionnaire to collect data on health and management practices and farmers’ perspectives about animal welfare. Mean milk yield, averaged across farms, was 10.3 L/d (range 6.3–14.2) and body condition assessment indicated that cows were, on average, thin. Hygiene management was often poor, with soiling of body parts with faeces. The prevalence of lameness, at 4.3%, was less than has commonly been observed in larger, more intensive dairy farms, but body injuries were commonly detected at the carpal and hock joints (56 and 51% of cows, respectively). This suggests that floors and/or bedding to lie on were inadequate. Many farmers did not follow routine vaccination and deworming schedules (63% and 31%, respectively) and farmers were not generally aware of the concept of animal welfare. The study demonstrates some similar welfare issues to those that have been commonly identified in large, intensive units, but also some differences, in particular a failure to provide good floors, bedding, and basic health care.

scholarly journals On-farm welfare assessment in dairy goats in the Brazilian Northeast

2020 ◽  
Vol 72 (6) ◽  
pp. 2308-2320
Author(s):  
L.O. Leite ◽  
F.O. Stamm ◽  
R.A. Souza ◽  
J.A. Camarinha Filho ◽  
R.C.M. Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Northeast Brazil ◽  
Dairy Goats ◽  
Welfare Assessment ◽  
Lactating Goats ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Brazilian Northeast ◽  
On Farm

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to apply a modified AWIN Goat protocol to evaluate and compare the welfare of adult lactating and non-lactating dairy goats at pen and individual levels on small farms located in Ceará, Northeast, Brazil, and to take into consideration the application of this protocol on Brazilian Northeast goat farms. Five farms with Lactating goats (L) and five farms with non-lactating goats (NL) were evaluated. At the first level of welfare assessment, animals were evaluated in the pen and during the second level of welfare assessment, animals were evaluated in the pen and individually. Indicators assessed were animal and resource-based indicators. Significant difference between L and NL on farms was set at P<0.05. Only queuing at feeding indicator showed significant difference (P=0.027) between groups in pens at the first level welfare assessment. On individual assessments, there was significant difference between L and NL regarding body condition score (P=0.003), overgrown claws (P=0.001) and udder asymmetry (P=0.001). The application of a modified AWIN Goat protocol on farms in Ceará was considered positive. In general, these results demonstrated that both groups are submitted to welfare problems in Ceará, although lactating goats present more challenges to cope.

105 Effect of a Hydrolyzed Yeast Product on Body Weight, Body Condition Score, and Hair Coat Score in Cows Grazing Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue.

2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. 52-53
Author(s):  
P L Harrelson ◽  
C B Rogers ◽  
R A Martin ◽  
B N Bosley ◽  
F M Kilgallin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Tall Fescue ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Hair Coat ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Yeast Product
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