Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Victoria R. Merenda, Eduardo B. de Oliveira, Heather N. Fowler, Monique D. Pairis-Garcia
Summary: This study aimed to explore perspectives and attitudes about euthanasia in the Brazilian dairy cattle industry. The lack of nationally recognized euthanasia guidelines and effective euthanasia tools makes it challenging for veterinarians to carry out humane on-farm euthanasia. Additionally, logistical factors and the human-animal bond also contribute to the failure to perform euthanasia when necessary. Future research should focus on developing science-based standards and training programs to improve consistency in on-farm euthanasia in Brazilian dairy operations.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Ruijia Shi, Hang Shu, Ruyang Yu, Yajing Wang, Ziqi Zhang, Junjie Zhang, Xianhong Gu
Summary: This study examined the attitudes of Chinese dairy practitioners towards pain perception and management in intensively raised dairy cattle. The results showed a correlation between pain perception and pain management willingness, with emphasis on training to improve animal welfare and reduce production losses. Younger and more highly educated respondents tended to give lower pain scores, indicating a potential need for increased education and awareness in this area. Older respondents tended to choose non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for pain management, while larger farms were more likely to use analgesics.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Roi Mandel, Marc B. M. Bracke, Christine J. Nicol, John A. Webster, Lorenz Gygax
Summary: Consumers' concerns about animal welfare may impact their choice of primary protein source. A study revealed that dairy farms have higher welfare risks compared to beef farms, indicating that food products derived from dairy production systems may be more harmful to animal welfare.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Jessica E. Stokes, Elizabeth Rowe, Siobhan Mullan, Joy C. Pritchard, Rachel Horler, Marie J. Haskell, Cathy M. Dwyer, David C. J. Main
Summary: Farmers and scientists collaborated to develop a framework for evaluating positive welfare opportunities for dairy cattle. There is a basic consensus between farmers and scientists on what constitutes a good life for dairy cattle. Most farmers support positive welfare assessment and want to include it in existing farm assurance schemes or marketing claims.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Melissa N. Hempstead, Taylor M. Lindquist, Jan K. Shearer, Leslie C. Shearer, Vanessa M. Cave, Paul J. Plummer
Summary: This study conducted welfare assessment of lactating dairy goats on 30 farms in the Midwestern US and identified the most prevalent welfare issues, offering valuable information for improving commercial dairy goat welfare in the region.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Michela Pugliese, Vito Biondi, Annamaria Passantino, Francesca Licitra, Angela Alibrandi, Antonina Zanghi, Francesca Conte, Gabriele Marino
Summary: This study compared the welfare of dairy cows kept in two traditional husbandry systems in southeastern Sicily. It found that the semi-intensive farming system performed better in terms of housing ventilation system, resting areas, manger, and watering equipment compared to the intensive system. However, there were no significant differences observed in terms of health indicators between the two systems.
ANIMAL SCIENCE JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Frank A. M. Tuyttens, Sophie de Graaf, Sine Norlander Andreasen, Alice de Boyer des Roches, Frank J. C. M. van Eerdenburg, Marie J. Haskell, Marlene K. Kirchner, Luc. Mounier, Miroslav Kjosevski, Jo Bijttebier, Ludwig Lauwers, Wim Verbeke, Bart Ampe
Summary: The Welfare Quality (R) consortium has developed standard protocols for monitoring farm animal welfare, but the uptake for the dairy cattle protocol has been low. In order to achieve widespread adoption for monitoring dairy cattle welfare, they revised and simplified the protocol into a user-friendly tool that calculates a welfare index based on a minimal number of key animal-based measures.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Veterinary Sciences
Ellen Meijer, Vivian C. Goerlich, Rene van den Brom, Mona F. Giersberg, Saskia S. Arndt, T. Bas Rodenburg
Summary: Reducing surplus male offspring, promoting a market for buck kid meat, and implementing quality assurance schemes may help safeguard the welfare of buck kids.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Kathryn J. McLellan, Daniel M. Weary, Marina A. G. von Keyserlingk
Summary: Free-choice pasture access can aid in the recovery of lame dairy cows and affect their lying behavior.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Francesca Menegon, Katia Capello, Jacopo Tarakdjian, Dario Pasqualin, Giovanni Cunial, Sara Andreatta, Debora Dellamaria, Grazia Manca, Giovanni Farina, Guido Di Martino
Summary: The quantification of antimicrobial usage in food-producing animals can help identify risk factors and improve management policies. A study in the Province of Trento, Italy found a decrease in antimicrobial usage, particularly for critically important antimicrobials. Few farm management factors were significantly associated with usage.
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Clive J. C. Phillips
Summary: Cows are revered in Indian culture as divine beings, with a growing trend of cow vigilantism to enforce ethical standards in cattle keeping systems. The concept of cow care culture advocates for using only surplus cow milk for human consumption and allowing cows to live out their natural lives. This contrasts with Western attitudes towards cattle as commodities for resource extraction, highlighting a shift towards more ethical practices in cattle welfare and consumption.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Frank J. C. M. van Eerdenburg, Alice M. Di Giacinto, Jan Hulsen, Bert Snel, J. Arjan Stegeman
Summary: The study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of a new Welfare Monitor for farmers and found that after providing advice, farmers substantially improved the living conditions for their cows. Farms that increased their category score made more improvements on average than those that did not upgrade.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Chiara Spigarelli, Marco Berton, Mirco Corazzin, Luigi Gallo, Sabine Pinterits, Maurizio Ramanzin, Wolfgang Ressi, Enrico Sturaro, Anna Zuliani, Stefano Bovolenta
Summary: The multidimensional concept of animal welfare, inspired by the Welfare Quality project, encompasses physical health, emotional state, and behavior. Recent studies show that good animal welfare can be achieved in mountain farming systems, highlighting the interconnections between animal and human well-being.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Marijke Algra, Lara de Keijzer, Saskia S. Arndt, Frank J. C. M. van Eerdenburg, Vivian C. Goerlich
Summary: This study used infrared thermography to measure the superficial temperature of the horns, eyes, and ears of 18 dairy cows on three farms in the Netherlands. The temperature of the horns increased by 0.18 degrees Celsius per unit heat load index, indicating that horns serve heat dissipation. Dehorned cows had higher eye temperatures, but this result should be interpreted with caution due to the low sample size and experimental setup. No changes in horn temperature were found during rumination or any other behaviors. This study supports a role of horns in thermoregulation, but not related to rumination. These results should be considered when assessing the potential consequences of horn removal.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Caroline Ritter, Elizabeth R. Russell, Daniel M. Weary, Marina A. G. von Keyserlingk
Summary: This study aimed to understand student views on the future of the dairy industry and changes in animal care on farms. Students discussed improvements in future animal care, such as increased use of technology, group housing for calves, and facility enhancements. They also talked about meeting public expectations regarding animal care, but expressed uncertainty about aligning industry directions with public expectations.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2021)
