scholarly journals The Use of Qualitative Behaviour Assessment for the On-Farm Welfare Assessment of Dairy Goats

Animals ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Battini ◽  
Sara Barbieri ◽  
Ana Vieira ◽  
Edna Can ◽  
George Stilwell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Principal Component Analysis ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Dairy Goats ◽  
Qualitative Behaviour ◽  
Hair Coat ◽  
Welfare Assessment ◽  
Welfare Indicators ◽  
Normal Hair ◽  
On Farm

This research investigated whether using qualitative behaviour assessment (QBA) with a fixed list of descriptors may be related to quantitative animal- (ABM) and resource-based (RBM) measures included in the AWIN (Animal Welfare Indicators) welfare assessment prototype protocol for goats, tested in 60 farms. A principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted on QBA descriptors; then PCs were correlated to some ABMs and RBMs. Subsequently, a combined PCA merged QBA scores, ABMs and RBMs. The study confirms that QBA can identify the differences in goats’ emotions, but only few significant correlations were found with ABMs and RBMs. In addition, the combined PCA revealed that goats with a normal hair coat were scored as more relaxed and sociable. A high farm workload was related to bored and suffering goats, probably because farmers that can devote less time to animals may fail to recognise important signals from them. Goats were scored as sociable, but also alert, in response to the presence of an outdoor run, probably because when outdoors they received more stimuli than indoors and were more attentive to the surroundings. Notwithstanding these results, the holistic approach of QBA may allow to register animals’ welfare from a different perspective and be complementary to other measures.

Hair coat condition: A valid and reliable indicator for on-farm welfare assessment in adult dairy goats

2015 ◽  
Vol 123 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 197-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Battini ◽  
Tanja Peric ◽  
Inês Ajuda ◽  
Ana Vieira ◽  
Lilia Grosso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reliable Indicator ◽  
Dairy Goats ◽  
Hair Coat ◽  
Welfare Assessment ◽  
On Farm

scholarly journals Animal-Based Indicators for On-Farm Welfare Assessment in Goats

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 3138
Author(s):  
Adrian Minnig ◽  
Romane Zufferey ◽  
Beat Thomann ◽  
Sibylle Zwygart ◽  
Nina Keil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Dairy Goats ◽  
Hair Coat ◽  
Welfare Indicators ◽  
Current State ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Full Text Screening

This review describes the current state of knowledge relating to scientific literature on welfare indicators for goats. Our aim was to provide an overview of animal-based indicators for on-farm welfare assessments. We performed a literature search and extracted 96 relevant articles by title, abstract, and full-text screening. Out of these articles, similar indicators were aggregated to result in a total of 32 welfare indicators, some of which were covered in multiple articles, others in only a single one. We discuss a set of three established assessment protocols containing these indicators, as well as all individual indicators which were covered in more than one article. As single indicators, we identified lameness, body condition score (BCS), qualitative behaviour assessment (QBA), and human–animal relationship (HAR) tests with substantial evidence for sufficient validity to assess welfare in goats. A multitude of indicators (e.g., hair coat condition) was studied less intensively but was successfully used for welfare assessments. For some indicators (e.g., oblivion, lying behaviour), we highlight the need for future research to further validate them or to optimise their use in on-farm welfare assessments. Moreover, further investigations need to include kids, bucks, and meat and fibre goats, as well as extensively kept goats as the literature predominantly focuses on dairy goats in intensive production systems.

scholarly journals The Use of Qualitative Behaviour Assessment for the On-Farm Welfare Assessment of Dairy Goats

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Battini ◽  
Sara Barbieri ◽  
Ana Vieira ◽  
Edna Can ◽  
George Stilwell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Goats ◽  
Qualitative Behaviour ◽  
Welfare Assessment ◽  
On Farm

scholarly journals How Can We Assess Positive Welfare in Ruminants?

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 758 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mattiello ◽  
Battini ◽  
De Rosa ◽  
Napolitano ◽  
Dwyer
Keyword(s):  
Welfare State ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Present Review ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Validity Evidence ◽  
Sampling Strategies ◽  
Qualitative Behaviour ◽  
Nutrition And Health ◽  
Welfare Assessment ◽  
On Farm

Until now, most research has focused on the development of indicators of negative welfare, and relatively few studies provide information on valid, reliable, and feasible indicators addressing positive aspects of animal welfare. However, a lack of suffering does not guarantee that animals are experiencing a positive welfare state. The aim of the present review is to identify promising valid and reliable animal-based indicators for the assessment of positive welfare that might be included in welfare assessment protocols for ruminants, and to discuss them in the light of the five domains model, highlighting possible gaps to be filled by future research. Based on the existing literature in the main databases, each indicator was evaluated in terms of its validity, reliability, and on-farm feasibility. Some valid indicators were identified, but a lot of the validity evidence is based on their absence when a negative situation is present; furthermore, only a few indicators are available in the domains of Nutrition and Health. Reliability has been seldom addressed. On-farm feasibility could be increased by developing specific sampling strategies and/or relying on the use of video- or automatic-recording devices. In conclusion, several indicators are potentially available (e.g., synchronisation of lying and feeding, coat or fleece condition, qualitative behaviour assessment), but further research is required.

Feasibility and validity of animal-based indicators for on-farm welfare assessment of thermal stress in dairy goats

2015 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Battini ◽  
Sara Barbieri ◽  
Luna Fioni ◽  
Silvana Mattiello
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Stress ◽  
Dairy Goats ◽  
Welfare Assessment ◽  
On Farm

scholarly journals Feasibility and Reliability of the AWIN Welfare Assessment Protocol for Dairy Goats in Semi-extensive Farming Conditions

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Battini ◽  
Manuela Renna ◽  
Mauro Giammarino ◽  
Luca Battaglini ◽  
Silvana Mattiello
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Stress ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Qualitative Behavior ◽  
Dairy Goats ◽  
Hair Coat ◽  
Welfare Assessment ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Assessment Protocol ◽  
Fecal Soiling ◽  
Extensive Farming

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.

scholarly journals On-farm Qualitative Behaviour Assessment of dairy goats in different housing conditions

2016 ◽  
Vol 180 ◽  
pp. 51-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lilia Grosso ◽  
Monica Battini ◽  
Françoise Wemelsfelder ◽  
Sara Barbieri ◽  
Michela Minero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Dairy Goats ◽  
Qualitative Behaviour ◽  
On Farm

scholarly journals Invited review: Animal-based indicators for on-farm welfare assessment for dairy goats

2014 ◽  
Vol 97 (11) ◽  
pp. 6625-6648 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Battini ◽  
A. Vieira ◽  
S. Barbieri ◽  
I. Ajuda ◽  
G. Stilwell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Goats ◽  
Welfare Assessment ◽  
On Farm
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