First evaluation of the practicability of the CLASSYFARM welfare assessment protocol in Italian small-scale mountain dairy farms - a case study

Figures & data

Figure 1. Distribution of husbandry system in the different groups of animals.

Figure 2. Distribution of husbandry system in Correlation with breeds.

Table 1. Descriptive statistics of herd size in investigated farms.

Cows	Mean Number of animals	Std Dev	Minimum	Maximum
Lactating	12.3	10.3	1	166
Dry	2.5	2.1	1	40
Young stock	6.1	5.2	1	66
Calves	3.5	3.0	1	30

Table 2. Descriptive statistics of herd size of lactating cows regarding main breed of the investigated farms..

Main breed adult cows (lactating and dry)	N farms (%)	Mean	Std Dev	Minimum	Maximum
Brown Swiss	851 (24.5%)	14.0	10.3	1	112
Fleckvieh	1,435 (41.4%%)	13.0	9.7	1	115
Alpine Grey	533 (15.4%%)	10.8	6.9	1	50
Holstein Friesian	531 (15.3%)	20.9	18.2	2	190
Cross breed	39 (1.1%)	19.2	17.6	1	82
Jersey	30 (0.9%)	9.7	5.6	3	30
Pinzgauer	44 (1.3%)	14.3	8.3	4	47
Pustertaler Sprinzen*	2 (0,1%)	20.0	21.2	5	35
Others	3 (0,1%)	10.8	8.8	3	23

* Pustertaler Sprinzen were reared only in 2 farms.

The main breed was considered as the breed that was represented the most within the herd.

Figure 3. Pasture access in the different groups of animals.

Table 3. Descriptive statistics of pasture days of lactating cows and young stock.

Pasture days	N farms (%)	Mean	Median 1/4	Median 1/2	Median 3/4	Minimum	Maximum
Lactating cows	2,187 (63.0%)	95.6	60	90	130	5	365
Young stock	3,003 (86.6%)	156.9	150	150	180	30	365

Table 4. Descriptive statistics between the ratio of pasture access and husbandry system.

Pasture	Tie stall (N farms)	Free stall (N farms)	Total (N farms)
Yes	1,722 (69.3%)	465 (47.3%)	2,187 (63.0%)
No	762 (30.7%)	520 (52.7%)	1,282 (37.0%)
Total	2,484 (100%)	985 (100%)	3469 (100%)

Table 5. Results of the questions regarding biosecurity.

Items	Mean	Std Dev	Minimum	Maximum
Pest control (1)	1.9	0.31	1 (10.6%)	3 (0.2%)
Animal contact (2)	1.69	0.54	1 (34.8%)	3 (3.8%)
Entrance of external persons (3)	1.31	0.53	1 (72.7%)	3 (3.3%)
Visitors (4)	1.26	0.50	1 (76.5%)	3 (2.7%)
Disinfection external vehicles (5)	1.01	0.10	1 (99.1%)	3 (0.02%)
Contact animals and vehicles (6)	1.48	0.50	1 (51.8%)	2 (48.2%)
Disposal of cadavers (7)	1.88	0.33	1 (12.2%)	2 (87.8%)
Loading/unloading of animals (8)	1.72	0.45	1 (27.9%)	2 (72.2%)
Purchase/Movement of animals (9)	1.43	0.67	1 (66.8%)	3 (10.2%)
Quarantine (10)	1.69	0.62	1 (39.6%)	3 (8.3%)
Control/Prevention of infectious diseases (11)	1.88	0.37	1 (13.2%)	3 (1.5%)
Submission of pathological material (12)	1.61	0.49	1 (39.3%)	2 (60.7%)
Udder health (13)	1.33	0.71	1 (81.3%)	3 (14.2%)
Control/Prevention of Parasites (14)	2.02	0.44	1 (8.7%)	3 (10.4%)
Controls/Analyses of supplied water (15)	1.85	0.35	1 (14.6%)	2 (85.4%)

The Minimum represents the worst possible answer and the maximum the best possible answer. The number behind the item refers to the number of the respective questionnaire (TS or FS) of the Classyfarm protocol.

Table 6. Results of the macro-area management.

Item Management	Mean	Std Dev	Minimum	Maximum
Persons TS (16)	2,97	0,2	1 (0.2%)	3 (97.5%)
Persons FS (16)	2,96	0,21	1 (0.1%)	3 (95.8%)
Knowledge in Handling (17)	2.54	0.51	1 (0.4%)	3 (54.5%)
Division of animal groups TS (18)	2.57	0.54	1 (2.6%)	3 (59.7%)
Division of animal groups FS (18)	2.42	0.71	1 (13.3%)	3 (55.2%)
Number of inspections animals >6 months (19)	2.93	0.26	1 (0%)	3 (92.6%)
Number of inspections calves <6 months (20)	2.27	0.44	1 (0.03%)	3 (27.0%)
Treatment of sick/injured animals (21)	2.01	0.08	1 (0%)	3 (0.9%)
Culling of animals (22)	1.93	0.29	1 (7.9%)	3 (0.9%)
Type of movement (23)	2.00	0.05	1 (0.3%)	2 (99.7%)
Feeding of animals >6 months (24)	2.22	0.42	1 (0.3)	3 (22.3%)
Feeding times and interval animals >6 months (25)	2.29	0.46	1 (0.4%)	3 (29.3%)
Amount of concentrate (26)	2.00	0.06	1 (0%)	2 (100%)
Colostrum (27)	2.64	0.50	1 (1.2%)	3 (65.3%)
Feeding of calves <6 months (28)	2.05	0.22	1 (0.03%)	3 (4.9%)
Water and number of drinkers (29)	2.26	0.59	1 (7.9%)	3 (33.6%)
Cleanliness of the drinkers – all groups (30–32)	2.23	0.45	1 (1.3%)	3 (24.2%)
Cleanliness of the floors/walkways >6 months (FS 33–35)	2.27	0.49	1 (2.4%)	3 (29.1%)
Cleanliness of laying area of lactating + dry cows (FS: 36 + 37; TS: 33 + 34)	2.15	0.63	1 (13.4%)	3 (28.5%)

The number behind the item refers to the number of the respective questionnaire (TS or FS) of the Classyfarm protocol. Minimum is the worst and Maximum the best score.

TS: tie stall; FS: free stall.

Table 7. Results of the macro-area structures.

Item	Mean	Std Dev	Minimum	Maximum
Detrimental Facilities (FS: 46; TS: 41)	1.81	0.40	1 (19.4%)	2 (80.6%)
Shelter for animals outside (FS: 47; TS:42)	2.44	0.76	1 (0)	3 (10.35%)
Type of husbandry TS (43)	2.58	0.57	1 (4.1%)	3 (61.7%)
Type of husbandry FS (48)	2.49	0.55	1 (2.3%)	3 (50.9%)
Laying boxes lactating cows TS (44)	2.52	0.55	1 (2.5%)	3 (54.7%)
Laying boxes lactating cows FS (49)	2.56	0.57	1 (4.2%)	3 (60.3%)
Laying boxes dry cows, pre partum/partum TS (45)	2.52	0.55	1 (2.5%)	3 (54.1%)
Laying boxes dry cows FS (50)	2.65	0.49	1 (0.5%)	3 (64.3%)
Laying area pre partum/partum FS (51)	2.43	0.53	1 (1.7%)	3 (44.8%)
Laying boxes heifers TS (46)	2.76	0.48	1 (2.2%)	3 (77,8%)
Laying boxes heifers FS (52)	2.75	0.49	1 (2.8%)	3 (77.9%)
Use of the laying boxes in FS (53)	2.59	0.56	1 (3.8%)	3 (63.1%)
Characteristics of laying material – all groups (FS: 54–56; TS: 47–49)	2.00	0.69	1 (24.0%)	3 (24.1%)
Surface of the walking area – all groups (FS: 57–59: TS: 50–52)	2.11	0.39	1 (2.7%)	3 (13.6%)
Cowtrainer TS (53)	1.49	0.50	1 (51,4%)	2 (48.6%)
Access and number of feeding spots – all groups (FS: 60–62; TS: 54–56)	2.47	0.51	1 (0.3%)	3 (47.2%)
Dimension of the feeding spots FS (63)	2.63	0.58	1 (5.2%)	3 (69.0%)
Size and function of the drinkers – all groups TS (57–59)	1.77	0.82	1 (47.9%)	3 (24.8%)
Size and function of the drinkers – all groups FS (64–66)	2.51	0.69	1 (11.4%)	3 (62.6%)
Laying area for calves <2 weeks (FS: 67; TS: 60)	1.95	0.22	1 (5.0%)	3 (95.0%)
Calves 8 weeks (FS: 68; TS: 61)	2.51	0.71	1 (12.5%)	3 (63.3%)
Visible and tactile contact between calves (FS: 69; TS: 62)	1.68	0.47	1 (32,2%)	2 (67,8%)
Group box calves <6 months (FS: 70; TS: 63)	2.39	0.75	1 (16.2%)	3 (55.6%)
Infirmary box (FS: 71; TS: 64)	1.26	0.48	1 (75.9%)	3 (2.00%)
Movement to the milking parlour FS (72)	1.98	0.15	1 (2.4%)	2 (97,6%)
Waiting room and times milking process FS (73)	2.85	0.37	1 (0.7%)	3 (85.9%)
Maintenance milking system (FS: 74; TS: 65)	2.4	0.62	1 (7.5%)	3 (47.5%)
Temperature and Humidity (FS: 75; TS: 66)	2.06	0.37	1 (3.9%)	3 (10.1%)
Noxious gases (FS: 76; TS: 67)	2.03	0.21	1 (0.6%)	3 (3.7%)
Lighting (FS: 77; TS: 68)	1.87	0.33	1 (12.8%)	2 (87.2%)

The number behind the item refers to the number of the respective questionnaire (TS or FS) of the Classyfarm protocol. Minimum is the worst and Maximum the best score.

 TS: tie stall; FS: free stall.

Table 8. Results of the animal-based measures of the single cows assessment.

Variable	Mean	Std Dev	Minimum	Maximum
Human-Animal relationship	2.86	0.38	1 (1.3%)	3 (87.8%)
BCS	1.97	0.17	1 (3.1%)	2 (96.9%)
Cleanliness	1.80	0.40	1 (19.9%)	2 (80.1%)
Lesions	2.87	0.38	1 (1.4%)	3 (87.8%)
Lameness	1.98	0.16	1 (2.5%)	2 (97.5%)
Claws	1.94	0.24	1 (6.4%)	2 (93.6%)

Minimum is the worst and Maximum the best score.

 BCS: body condition score.

Table 9. Results of the macro-area ABMs.

Item	Mean	Std Dev	Minimum	Maximum
Avoiding distance all groups (FS: 78–80; TS: 69–71)	2.89	0.32	1 (0.3%)	3 (89.1)
BCS all groups (FS: 81–83; TS: 72–74)	2.84	0.45	1 (3.5%)	3 (87.5%)
Cleanliness all groups (FS: 84–86; TS: 75–77)	2.30	0.84	1 (25.0%)	3 (55.0%)
Skin lesions all groups (FS: 87–89: 78–80)	2.75	0.53	1 (4.6%)	79.5%)
Lameness adult cows TS(81)	2.83	0.46	1 (3.3%)	3 (86.5%)
Lameness adult cows FS(90)	2.73	0.58	1 (6.9%)	3 (80.2%)
Claw conformation FS (82) + TS	2.79	0.50	1 (4.3%)	3 (83.7%)
Udder health (FS:91; TS:83)	2.98	0.18	1 (0.4%)	3 (97.9%)
Mastitis (FS: 92; TS 84)	2.97	0.18	1 (0.3%)	3 (97.5%)
Getting up behaviour + grooming TS – lactating + dry cows (85)	2.10	0.42	1 (3.%)	(10.3%)
Mortality lactating and dry cows (FS: 93; TS: 87)	2.51	0.79	1 (19%)	3 (70.1%)
Mortality heifers (FS: 94; TS: 88)	2.88	0.45	1 (4.8%)	3 (92.6%)
Mortality calves (FS: 95; TS: 89)	2.81	0.48	1 (3.9%)	3 (85.0%)
Mutilations/Castrations (FS: 96; TS: 90)	2.27	0.47	1 (1.3%)	3 (27.8%)

The number behind the item refers to the number of the respective questionnaire (TS or FS) of the Classyfarm protocol. Minimum is the worst and Maximum the best score.

 TS: tie stall; FS: free stall.

Table 10. Results of the macro-area Hazards and Risks.

Item	Mean	Std Dev	Minimum	Maximum
Origin of water (FS: 97; TS: 91)	2.62	0.58	1 (4.9%)	3 (66.5%)
Noise pollution (FS: 98; TS:92)	1.99	0.07	1 (0.5%)	2 (99.5%)
Lighting for Inspection (FS: 99; TS: 93)	1.99	0.10	1 (1.1%)	2 (98.9%)
Alarm system ventilation (FS: 100; TS:94)	1.32	0.47	1 (68.1%)	2 (31.9%)
Fire alarm system (FS: 101; TS:95)	1.02	0.14	1 (97.9%	2 (2.2%)
Inspections of automatical + mechanical devices (FS: 102; TS:96)	2.01	0.20	1 (1.3%)	3 (2.7%)
Treatment register (FS: 103; TS: 97)	1.99	0.05	1 (0.2%)	2 (99.8%)
Stock register (FS:104, TS:98)	1.99	0.06	1 (0.3%)	2 (99.6%)
Illegal substances (FS: 105; TS: 99)	1.99	0.05	1 (0.3%)	2 (99.7%)

The number behind the item refers to the number of the respective questionnaire (TS or FS) of the Classyfarm protocol. Minimum is the worst and Maximum the best score.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author, [TZ]. The data are not publicly available due to restrictions.