D. Ostojić-Andrić, S. Hristov, M.M. Petrović,

V. Pantelić, S. Aleksić, D. Nikšić, M. Dokmanović

injuriesinjuries ?

reproductireproductive diseaseve disease

lamenesslameness

mastitismastitis

comfortcomfort

metabolimetabolic diseasec disease

life spanlife span

state of an animal as a response to its attempts to cope with its

environment

to cope = to struggle to gain control of mental and

physical stability

or

measurable character welfare indicators

Animal response Animal response to farming conditionsCoping resulting in certain physical, and mental changes physical, and mental changes that are measurableDeterming the current state of animalcurrent state of animal, including the impact of management and enviroment

Intended for: Intended for:

- assessing the level of disruption level of disruption caused by injury, disease and malnutrition.

- providing information about the needs of animals needs of animals and affective affective statesstates such as hunger, pain and fear

- assessment of the degree of physiological, behavioural, immunological and other changes that animals exhibit in

response

● body condition ● time needed to lie down time needed to lie down ●

collision with housing equipment ● lying

outside the lying area ● cleanliness● lameness ● integument alterations ● coughing ● nasal

discharge ● ocular discharge ● hampered hampered respirationrespiration ● diarrhea ● vulvar discharge ● milk somatic

cell count ● dystocia ● downer cows ● mortality ● agonistic behaviour ● avoidance distance ●

emotional stateemotional state ●Welfare QualityWelfare Quality®® Assessment Protocol for Cattle, 2009 Assessment Protocol for Cattle, 2009

include all indicators relatinclude all indicators relateded to farm to farm conditions conditions

Intended Intended forfor::

better understanding better understanding of the importance of of animal - based animal - based indicators to assess the welfare;

replacementreplacement for one animal - based indicators animal - based indicators that are not reliable or suitable for the assessment on the farms;

risk factors risk factors to animal welfare.

● water provision water provision ● cleanliness of water

points ● water flow ● functioning of water

points ● thermal comfort thermal comfort ● presence of

tethering

● access to outdoor loafing area or

pasture ●Welfare QualityWelfare Quality®® Assessment Protocol for Cattle, 2009 Assessment Protocol for Cattle, 2009

include indicators that reflect farm managament include indicators that reflect farm managament practicepractice

Intended Intended forfor::

supplementationsupplementation of data provided by the animal - based indicators

to provide feedback provide feedback on risk of applied management to the welfare of cows with the ability to apply

appropriate corrections

● housing system ● hoof hoof treatment treatment

procedure procedure ●

● presence of equipment-brushes for hygiene presence of equipment-brushes for hygiene ●

mastitis control mastitis control ● farm data recording

method ● tail shortening ●

● dehorning ● use of anaesthesia and analgesia ●Welfare QualityWelfare Quality®® Assessment Protocol for Cattle, 2009 Assessment Protocol for Cattle, 2009

ease and convenience implementationto not be expensive, to not take long, to not disturb the normal technology process on the farmto allow an objective, valid and repeatable resultsinput and output methods

numerious methods have been developednumerious methods have been developedsome are included in the legislationssome are included in the legislationsstill actively questioned and supplementedstill actively questioned and supplemented

Animal Needs Index – ANIEFSA risk assessment method for dairy cows

Welfare Quality Assessment Protocol for Cattle

assessment of risk to animal welfareassessment of risk to animal welfaretake into account:take into account:

- animal category, systems of breeding and - animal category, systems of breeding and managementmanagement

- various aspects of a welfare- various aspects of a welfare- specific scenario of exposure to a hazard for welfare - specific scenario of exposure to a hazard for welfare

statestate

105 recommendations for the improvement 105 recommendations for the improvement of welfare enables faster action.of welfare enables faster action.

Welfare Quality project (FP6)Welfare Quality project (FP6)standardized methodology standardized methodology for for assessmentassessmentpractical strategies for practical strategies for improvementimprovementinformation for farmers, information for farmers, consumers and scientistconsumers and scientist

Indicators Software analysis Farm categorization

selection of indicators in assessment methodsselection of indicators in assessment methods

wide range of indicatorswide range of indicatorsto include only most important and to include only most important and most reliable indicatorsmost reliable indicatorsto consider relevance, feasibility and to consider relevance, feasibility and reproducibilityreproducibilitythe significance of indicators is the significance of indicators is usually defined on the basis of their usually defined on the basis of their impact on various welfare problems.impact on various welfare problems.

rank list of welfare indicatorsrank list of welfare indicatorsRank I n d i c a t o r sSource Webster (2005) EFSA (2012)

11 Observing lamenessObserving lameness Observing lamenessObserving lameness2 Examining health records Observing hock, knee skin

lesions and swelling3 Observing disease Colliding with equipment4 Observing mastitis Teat injuries5 Observing general demeanour Observing mastitis6 Scoring body condition77 Observing stockmanshipObserving stockmanship8 Observing lying behaviour99 Examining production recordsExamining production records

10 Observing skin lesions

conclusionconclusionprecise identification of welfare risk factors and recommendations for their elimination or at least reduction.

still, no ideal methodology for evaluation of welfare

welfare quality protocol and efsa risk assessment made great progress

conclusionconclusionassessment emphasis is placed on the animal - based indicatorsanimal - based indicators

problem of overall welfare assessment overall welfare assessment complexity and duration on the farm:

partialpartial welfare assessment based on the purpose of assessment

ability to assess overall welfare on the basis of just one or few reliable indicatorsjust one or few reliable indicators

conclusionconclusion

Broad practical implementation of current assessment methodologies over time should enable better perception, analysis and even the synthesis of the most relevant indicators and assessment targets from different methods…