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Feasibility and reliability of the AWIN welfare assessment protocol for dairy goats in semi-extensive farming conditions

By M. Battini, M. Renna, M. Giammarino, L. Battaglini, S. Mattiello

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Abstract

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.

Publication Title Frontiers in Veterinary Science
Volume 7
Issue October
DOI 10.3389/fvets.2021.731927
Author Address Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences-Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.monica.battini@unimi.it
Additional Language English
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Tags
  1. Agriculture
  2. Animal behavior
  3. Animals
  4. Animal welfare
  5. Biodiversity
  6. Body condition
  7. Bovidae
  8. Breeding
  9. Capra
  10. Cattle
  11. Claw
  12. Dairy animals
  13. Dehorning
  14. Diseases and injuries of animals
  15. Ecology
  16. Environmental research
  17. Extension
  18. Feasibility
  19. Goats
  20. Grasslands and rangelands
  21. Hair
  22. Heat stress
  23. Lameness
  24. Mammals
  25. Milk and dairy products
  26. milking
  27. open access
  28. pens
  29. Ruminants
  30. udders
  31. ungulates
  32. vertebrates
  33. Veterinary sciences
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  1. open access