Welfare assessment for dairy cows in loose stalls

Abstract

In this paper, welfare assessment using the methodology of the Welfare quality ® assessment protocol for cattle (2009) was performed for dairy cows maintained in the loose system of rearing on three dairy farms. This methodology includes quantitative measurements and qualitative evaluation of certain welfare parameters, criteria and principles of welfare, as well as assessment of the overall welfare of dairy cows. The results showed that the overall level of dairy cow welfare was acceptable on two farms, and was good on one. On two farms, the state of the cows' social behavior expression was unacceptable. Furthermore, on all three farms, the expression of other types of cow behavior was not acceptable. At one farm, it was determined that the result for the absence of prolonged thirst was unacceptable. Based on these results, it can be concluded that it is necessary to improve the quality of cow welfare on these farms. The applied methodology provides a multidimensional insight into the quality of cow welfare in the loose system.

U ovom radu izvršena je procena dobrobiti krava u slobodnom sistemu držanja primenom metodologije iz Protokola za procenu kvaliteta dobrobiti goveda (2009). Ova metodologija obuhvata kvantitativna merenja i kvalitativnu procenu definisanih parametara u okviru kriterijuma i principa dobrobiti i na osnovu njih konačnu ocenu dobrobiti muznih krava. U istraživanjima je utvrđeno da je nivo dobrobiti krava u celini na dve farme prihvatljiv, a na jednoj dobar. Na dve farme socijalno ponašanje krava je bilo nezadovoljavajuće, dok su na sve tri farme bili nezadovoljavajući drugi oblici ponašanja krava. Na jednoj farmi je utvrđen nezadovoljavajući rezultat za kriterijum odsustvo dugotrajne žeđi. Na osnovu rezultata istraživanja može se zaključiti da je neophodno poboljšanje kvaliteta dobrobiti krava na svim ispitivanim farmama. Takođe je zaključeno da primenjena metodologija pruža multidimenzionalni uvid u stanje kvaliteta dobrobiti krava u slobodnom sistemu držanja.