On-farm welfare assessment in dairy...
Transcript of On-farm welfare assessment in dairy...
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On-farm welfare assessment in dairy cattle Improving animal welfare: a practical approach Budapest, September 26th-27th, 2011
Christoph Winckler [[email protected]]
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• Inform consumers about the welfare status of the
animals from which they buy products • Give advisory feedback to the farmers
Towards a European animal welfare assessment standard
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Action/implementation
Risk factors
Key issues
Welfare Assessment
Score Description 0
Not lame Timing of steps and weight-bearing equal on all four feet.
2
Lame Irregular foot fall – uneven temporal rhythm between hoof-beats, weight not borne for equal time on each of the four feet. This creates a definite limp and the affected limb is immediately obvious. A favoured limb will move more quickly than the lame limb.
3
Severely lame Strong reluctance to bear weight on one limb, or more than one limb affected.
Steps toward welfare improvement
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Outcome-based vs. resource-based
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Easy to assess But validity?
Validity high Time consuming Knowledge
Outcome-based vs. resource-based
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… could lead to a system based not on production method, but on animal-based outcomes to classify animal welfare which could be useful to provide consumers with transparent and reliable information.
REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Options for animal welfare labelling and the establishment of a European Network of Reference Centres for the protection and welfare of animals
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http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vetext/INF-DA_BCS.html
Output measures often widely accepted
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To develop on-farm welfare assessment systems that
• focus on animal-based measures (i.e. output measures),
• are scientifically sound,
• are feasible.
Objectives of Welfare Quality® regarding welfare assessment
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4 principles, 12 criteria
Expressing social behaviour
Good human-animal relationship
Expressing other behaviours
Absence of prolonged thirst
Thermal comfort
Comfort around resting
Ease of movement
Absence of disease
Positive emotional
state
Absence of prolonged hunger
Absence of injuries
Absence of pain induced by management
procedures
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6.1 ollec ion of data fo dairy cows on farm
Good f ding
Good hou ing 1m s ith housing eq ipment d ing
lying do , nimal5 lying partly or completely outside the lyi g e , cle nlin ss of udders cle nli 55 offl n
Good h I h
tegume t
7 A 5ence of ise se
12
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www.welfarequality.net
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1 Behaviour observations/behavioural tests
2 Health: clinical scoring, health records
3 Resources checklist
4 Management questionnaire
© March
4 steps during the farm visit
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4 principles, 12 criteria
Expressing social behaviour
Good human-animal relationship
Comfort around resting
Expressing other behaviours
Positive emotional
state
Behaviour observations/behavioural tests
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Dairy
Lying down movement
Duration of movement (in seconds)
Collision with housing equipment during the movement
Lying position Lying partly/completely outside lying area (cubicles)
Comfort around resting
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Comfort around resting Time needed to ly down
Time recording of a lying down sequence starts when one carpal joint of the animal is bent and lowered (before touching the ground). …
Definition
time recording start time recording
© Laister
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… The whole lying down movement ends when the hind quarter of the animal has fallen down and the animal has pulled the front leg out from underneath the body.
Definition
time recording stop time recording
Front leg pulled out
© Laister
Hind quarter fallen down Front leg under body
Comfort around resting Time needed to ly down
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During lying down the cow hits against housing equipment with any part of the body (usually hind quarter or side). The collision is obviously seen or heard.
Definition
Comfort around resting Collision with equipment
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Expression of social behaviours Agonistic behaviours
AGO = head butt + displacement + chasing + fighting + chasing-up
Dairy cattle in tie stalls: AGO = head butt + displacement + chasing-up Frequency recording of behaviours using continuous behaviour sampling in segments of the barn/pen § 2 h net observation time § up to 12 segments/pens
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Definition Head butt
Interaction involving physical contact where the actor is butting, hitting, thrusting, striking or pushing the receiver with forehead, horns or horn base with a forceful movement; The receiver does not give up its present position.
Expression of social behaviours Agonistic behaviours
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Definition displacement (DP) Loose housed dairy cattle
Interaction involving physical contact where the actor is butting, hitting, thrusting, striking, pushing or “penetrating” (see next slide) the receiver with forehead, horns, horn base or any other part of the body with a forceful movement and as a result the receiver does give up its present position (walks away for at least half an animal-length or stepping aside for at least one animal-width). Special case: “chain reaction” or “domino effect” at feeding rack: If after a displacement neighbouring animals also leave their feeding places but physical contact as described above is not involved, this reaction is not recorded as displacement.
Expression of social behaviours Agonistic behaviours
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Definition Fighting
Two contestants vigorously pushing their heads (foreheads, horn bases and/or horns) against each other while stemming their feet into the ground in sawbuck position and both exerting force against each other.
Other agonistic interactions (head butt, displacement, chasing) are not recorded additionally as long as they are part of the fighting sequence.
A new bout is recorded if the same animals start fighting after 10 seconds or more or if the fighting partner changes.
Only recorded in loose housed dairy cattle
Expression of social behaviours Agonistic behaviours
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Definition Chasing-up
The actor uses forceful physical contact (e.g. butting, pushing, shoving) against a lying animal which makes the receiver rise.
It is not relevant where the receiver has been lying (whether in defined resting area, cubicle or in walking/feeding alley or other activity areas).
Expression of social behaviours Agonistic behaviours
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?
© Brinkmann
Expression of social behaviours Agonistic behaviours
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§ Avoidance distance at the feed gate § At individual level § Sample of cows/pens (~50% of the animals)
© Waiblinger © Waiblinger
Good human-animal relationship Avoidance distance
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Good human-animal relationship Avoidance distance
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§ Are animals content, relaxed, at ease, or in pain, distressed, bored ...
§ Can we perceive this ? § Yes … through animal’s ‘body language’
§ Requires a holistic perspective:
- integrative: whole animal - dynamic: how animal behaves - expressive: style of behaving
§ Requires knowing cattle well: - correct interpretation - avoiding anthropomorphism (pig-morphism, poultry-m.)
Positive emotional state Qualitative behaviour assessment
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To observe animal as
whole being =
to see more than just ‘behaviour’
Not just ‘sitting’ … But an animal who sits in a certain way, with a certain expression …
Positive emotional state Qualitative behaviour assessment
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Positive emotional state Qualitative behaviour assessment
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Clinical scoring
Absence of disease
Absence of prolonged hunger
Absence of injuries
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§ View the animal from behind and from the side
§ Although the assessment will be carried out visually, it is helpful to feel palpate the animal during training
§ Four areas under consideration
Absence of prolonged hunger Body Condition Score
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Body Region Too thin Too fat Tailhead Cavity around
tailhead Tailhead cavity full and folds of fatty tissue present
Loin Deep depression between backbone and hip bones (tuber coxae)
No depression between backbone and hip bones (tuber coxae)
Vertebrae Ends of transverse processes sharp
Transverse processes not discernible
General Tailhead, hip bones (tuber coxae), spine and ribs prominent
Outlines of fat patches visible under skin
Classification of dairy cows as too thin or too fat
If 3 or more criteria are present the animal is classified as “too thin” or “too fat”
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Classification of beef and dual purpose cows as too thin or too fat
Body Region Too thin Too fat Tailhead Cavity around
tailhead Tailhead cavity full and folds of fatty tissue present
Loin Visible depression between backbone and hip bones (tuber coxae)
Convex between backbone and hip bones (tuber coxae)
Vertebrae Ends of transverse processes distinguishable
Transverse processes not discernible
General Tailhead, hip bones (tuber coxae), spine and ribs visible
Outlines of fat patches visible under skin
If 3 or more criteria are present the animal is classified as “too thin” or “too fat”
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Very lean -
Deep tailhead cavity
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Very lean -
Deep depression (concave shape) between backbone and hipbone (tuber coxae)
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Very lean -
Ends of transverse processes of vertebrae sharp
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Very lean -
Prominent bones Ribs
Spine Tailhead
Hip bone
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The dividing line!
Acceptable Very lean!
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40
Normal body condition. Slight tailhead cavity. Slight depression between spine and hipbones. Transverse processes visible, but not sharp. Bone structure outline rounded.
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Very fat
Tailhead cavity filled with fat
Convex shape between spine and tuber coxae
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Areas to assess:
1. lower hind leg including the hock 2. hind quarter – upper hind leg, hind quarter and rear
view excluding udder 3. udder including teats
Comfort around resting Cleanliness scoring of dairy cows
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“Plaques” are three-dimensional layers of dirt amounting to the size of the palm of a hand or if more than half of the area under consideration is covered with dirt
Comfort around resting Cleanliness scoring of dairy cows
Acceptable Dirty
Region WQ Score 0 WQ Score 2 lower hind legs (coronary band to hock)
little or no dirt minor splashing separate or continuous plaques of dirt above the coronary band (a)
hind quarter (upper leg above the hock and rear view, excluding udder)
no dirt present minor splashing separate or continuous plaques of dirt (a)
udder no dirt present minor splashing, other than on teat
distinct plaques of dirt on udder (a) or any dirt on and around the teats
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hind quarter – tail also included; hair tuft excluded
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udder - including side view and teats
lower legs
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minor splashes
of dirt
plaques of dirt – are
three-dimensional
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udder dirty – plaques of dirt
hind quarter acceptable - only small splashes of dirt
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hind quarter dirty – plaques of dirt
udder dirty – plaques of dirt
lower legs dirty – plaques of dirt
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Absence of injuries Lameness
Locomotion scoring § Observe cows walking in single file on a level, smooth,
hard surface, on which they would normally walk § View cows walking voluntarily from behind and/or from
an angle/the side § Driving (e.g. by an assistant) may influence results
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Locomotion scoring
Score Description
0 – Not lame Timing of steps and weight bearing are equal on all four feet (this includes tender footing and reduced joint flexion)
1 - Lame Imperfect temporal rhythm creating a limp – irregular timing of steps (favoured limb will move more quickly than the lame limb)
2 – Severely lame More than one limb affected, or strong reluctance to bear weight on one or more limbs or does not bear weight on one limb
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§ 2 categories of integument alterations:
1. hairless patches
2a. lesions
2b. swellings
integument alterations
Absence of injuries Integument alterations
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1. Hairless patches
§ area with hair loss § skin not damaged § extensive thinning of the coat
due to parasites § hyperkeratosis (callosity)
possible
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2. Lesions
§ damaged skin either in form of a scab or a wound
§ dermatitis due to ectoparasites § completely or partly missing
teats § ear lesions due to torn off ear
tags
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3. Overt swellings
§ obvious increase in circumference compared to sound state
no swelling
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Criteria - skin alterations
§ the maximum (“21”) is also noted, if the total area affected is equal to the area covered by a hand
§ count all skin alterations >2cm § if more than 20 alterations “21” is noted
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Taking the measurement
§ maximum distance to focal animal: 2 meters § examination of only one side
(skin + claw condition; random side selection!) § view from behind, side and front
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tarsus (incl. hock)
hindquarter neck/ shoulder/ back
carpus flank/ side /udder
Body areas
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Signs of clinical disease in individual animals:
1. Nasal discharge
2. Ocular discharge
3. Hampered respiration
4. Diarrhoea
5. Vulvar discharge
Absence of disease
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Information from records Milk somatic cell count
Absence of disease
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Information from records Mortality Incidence of dystocia Incidence of downer cows
Absence of disease
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Sample size for measures in individual animals
Applies to: § Body condition score § Cleanliness § Lameness scoring § Integument alterations § Clinical signs
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Dairy cows Herd size
60 100 200 Sample size 37 49 65
Avoidance distance (min) 37 49 65
QBA (min) 25 25 25
Behaviour (min) 150 150 150
Clinical scoring (min) 111 147 195
Resources (min) 10 10 10
Total duration (h) 5:30 6:40 7:40
How long does it take?
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Duration depends on:
§ Farm/herd size
§ Facilities (i.e. number of pens, accessability…)
§ Skills and experience of observer
§ [Farmer]
How long does it take?
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Protocols work(ed) well
Schedule depends on farm routines, but some flexibility (e.g. interview)
Positive response by vast majority of farmers (both dairy and beef)
High level of interest in animal-based parameters!
©
Brin
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n
Feasibility
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→ Palm, tablet PC
Quick and easy data entry
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Thank you for your attention