2,778
Views
1
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Research Article

Animal welfare index: an animal welfare evaluation of beef production farms in Ireland

, &
Pages 643-655 | Received 31 Jan 2022, Accepted 14 Sep 2022, Published online: 10 Oct 2022

References

  • Andreasen SN, Sandøe P, Forkman B. 2014. Can animal-based welfare assessment be simplified? A comparison of the Welfare Quality® protocol protocol for dairy cattle and the simpler and less time consuming protocol developed by the Danish Cattle Federation. Anim Welf. 23(1):81–94.
  • Andreasen SN, Wemelsfelder F, Sandøe P, Forkman B. 2013. The correlation of qualitative behavior assessments with Welfare Quality® protocol outcomes in on-farm welfare assessment of dairy cattle. Appl Anim Beh Sci. 143(1):9–17. doi: 10.1016/j.applanim.2012.11.013
  • Ashfield A, Wallace M, McGee M, Crosson P. 2014. Bioeconomic modelling of compensatory growth for grass-based dairy calf-to-beef production systems. J Agric Sci. 152:805–816. doi: 10.1017/S0021859613000531
  • Bartussek H. 1985. Vorschlag fur eine Steiermarkische Intensivtierhaltungsverordnung. Der Osterr Freiberufstierartz. 97:4–15.
  • Bartussek H. 1999. A review of the animal need index ANI for the assessment of animals well-being in the housing systems for Austrian proprietary products and legislation. Livest Prod Sci. 61:179–192. doi: 10.1016/S0301-6226(99)00067-6
  • Bartussek H, Leeb CH, Held S. 2000. Animal Needs Index for Cattle. ANI 35 L/ 2000—Cattle. Federal Research Institute for Agriculture in Alpine Regions BAL Gumpenstein, A 8952 Irdning, Austria. www.bartussek.at/pdf/anicattle.pdf.
  • Blockhuis HJ. 2008. International cooperation in animal welfare: the Welfare Quality project. Acta Vet Scand. 50(suppl 1):S10. https://doi.org/10.1186/1751-0147-50-S1-S10.
  • Blokhuis HJ, Veissier I, Miele M, Jones B. 2010. The Welfare Quality® project and beyond: safeguarding farm animal well-being. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica: Section A. Anim Sci. 60(3):129–140. doi: 10.1080/09064702.2010.523480
  • Botreau R, Veissier I, Perny P. 2009. Overall assessment of animal welfare: strategy adopted in Welfare Quality. Anim Welfare. 18:363–370.
  • Browne N, Hudson CD, Crossley RE, Sugrue K, Kennedy E, Huxley JN, Conneely M. 2022. Lameness prevalence and management practices on Irish pasture-based dairy farms. Irish Vet J. 75:14. doi: 10.1186/s13620-022-00221-w
  • Brscic M, Contiero B, Magrin L, Riuzzi G, Gottardo F. 2021. The use of the general animal-based measures codified terms in the scientific literature on farm animal welfare. Front Vet Sci. 8:634498. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.634498
  • Capdeville J, Veissier I. 2010. A method of assessing welfare in loose housed dairy cows at farm level, focusing on animal observations. Acta Agric Scand Sect A: Anim. Sci. Suppl. 30:62–68.
  • Connolly L, Kinsella A, Quinlan G, Moran B. 2005. National Farm Survey. http://www.teagasc.ie/publications/2006/20060918.htm.
  • Cook NB. 2018. 2 - Assessment of cattle welfare: common animal-based measures. In: Cassandra B. Tucker, editor. Woodhead publishing series in food science, technology and nutrition, advances in cattle welfare. Woodhead Publishing, Duxford, UK; p. 27–53.
  • De Graaf S, Ampe B, Buijs S, Andreasen SN, De boyer Des Roches A, van Eerdenburg FJCM, Haskell MJ, Kirchner MK, Mounier L, Radeski M, et al.. 2016. Sensitivity of the integrated Welfare Quality® scores to changing values of individual dairy cattle welfare measures. Anim Welf. 27(2):157–166. doi: 10.7120/09627286.27.2.157
  • de Graaf S, Ampe B, Buijs S, Andreasen SN, Des Roches AdB, van Eerdenburg FJCM, Haskell MJ, Kirchner MK, Mounier L, Radeski M, et al. 2018. Sensitivity of the integrated welfare quality® scores to changing values of individual dairy cattle welfare measures. Anim Welf J. UFAW. 27:157–166. doi: 10.7120/09627286.27.2.157
  • de Vries M, Bokkers EAM, van Schaik G, Botreau R, Engel B, Dijkstra T, de Boer IJM. 2013. Evaluating results of the Welfare Quality multi-criteria evaluation model for classification of dairy cattle welfare at the herd level. J Dairy Sci. 96:6264–6273. doi: 10.3168/jds.2012-6129
  • Drennan MJ, McGee M. 2008. Performance of spring-calving beef suckler cows and their progeny on four contrasting grassland management systems. Livest Sci. 117:238–248. doi: 10.1016/j.livsci.2007.12.018
  • Drennan MJ, McGee M. 2009. Performance of spring-calving beef suckler cows and their progeny to slaughter on intensive and extensive grassland management systems. Livest Sci. 120:1–12. doi: 10.1016/j.livsci.2008.04.013
  • European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). 2009. Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Animal Health and Welfare on a request from the Commission on the risk assessment of the impact of housing, nutrition and feeding, management and genetic selection on behavior, fear and pain problems in dairy cows. EFSA J. 1139:1–66.
  • Grandin T. 2014. Animal welfare and society concerns finding the missing link. Meat Sci. 98(3):461–469. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2014.05.011
  • Grandin T, Manteca X. 2020. Animal welfare in extensive production systems is still an area of concern. Front Sustain Food Syst. 4: doi:10.3389/fsufs.2020.545902
  • Heath CAE, Browne WJ, Mullan S, Main DCJ. 2014. Navigating the iceberg: reducing the number of parameters within the Welfare Quality® assessment protocol for dairy cows. Animal. 8:1978–1986. doi: 10.1017/S1751731114002018
  • Hemsworth PH. 2003. Human-animal interactions in livestock production. Appl Anim Behav Sci. 81:185–198. doi: 10.1016/S0168-1591(02)00280-0
  • Hickey MC, Earley B, Fisher AD. 2003. The effect of floor type and space allowance on welfare indicators of finishing steers. Irish J Agric Food Res. 2003(42):89–100.
  • Johnsen PF, Johannesson T, Sandøe P. 2001. Assessment of farm animal welfare at herd level: many goals, many methods. Acta Agric Scand Sect A Anim Sci Suppl. 30:26–33.
  • Kaurivi YB, Laven R, Hickson R, Parkinson T, Stafford K. 2020. Developing an animal welfare assessment protocol for cows in extensive beef cow-calf systems in New Zealand. part 1: assessing the feasibility of identified animal welfare assessment measures. Animals (Basel). 8;10(9):1597. doi: 10.3390/ani10091597
  • Keane M G, Drennan M J. 2009. Effects of supplementary concentrate level in winter, and subsequent finishing on pasture or indoors, on performance and carcass traits of HolsteinFriesian, Aberdeen Angus × Holstein-Friesian and Belgian Blue × Holstein-Friesian steers. Livestock Science. 121:250–258. doi: 10.1016/j.livsci.2008.06.017
  • Keane MP, McGee M, O’Riordan EG, Kelly AP, Earley B. 2018. Effect of floor type and space allowance on performance and welfare of finishing beef cattle: a meta-analysis. Livest Sci. 212:57–60. doi: 10.1016/j.livsci.2018.03.012
  • Keeling L, Bock B. 2007. Turning welfare principles into practice: approach followed in Welfare Quality®. In; Veissier, I., Forkman, B., and B. Jones, editors. Assuring animal welfare: from societal concerns to implementation. Procedings of the second Welfare Quality® stakeholder conference. Berlin, Germany. p 25–28.
  • Kirchner MK, Schulze Westerath H, Knierim U, Tessitore E, Cozzi G, Pfeiffer C, Winckler C. 2014. Application of the Welfare Quality® assessment system on European beef bull farms. Animal. 8(5):827–835. doi: 10.1017/S1751731114000366
  • Lensink BJ, Raussi S, Boivin X, Pyykkönen M, Veissier I. 2001. Reactions of calves to handling depend on housing condition and previous experience with humans. Appl Anim Behav Sci. 70:187–199. doi: 10.1016/S0168-1591(00)00152-0
  • Lensink BJ, van Reenen CG, Engel B, Rodenburg TB, Veissier I. 2003. Repeatability and reliability of an approach test to determine calves’ responsiveness to humans: a brief report. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 83:325–330. doi: 10.1016/S0168-1591(03)00138-2
  • Lensink BJ, Veissier I, Florand L. 2001. The farmer’s influence on calve’s behaviour, health and production of a veal unit. Anim Sci. 72:105–116. doi: 10.1017/S1357729800055600
  • Lundmark F, Berg C, Rocklinsberg H. 2018. Private animal welfare standards—opportunities and risks. Animals. 8:4; 1-16. doi: 10.3390/ani8010004
  • Main DCJ, Mullan S, Atkinson C, Cooper M, Wrathall JHM, Blokhuis HJ. 2014. Best practice framework for animal welfare certification schemes. Trends Food Sci Tech. 37(2):127–136. doi: 10.1016/j.tifs.2014.03.009
  • Main DCJ, Webster F, Green LE. 2001. Animal welfare assessment in farm assurance schemes. Acta Agric. Scand Sect A: Anim Sci Suppl. 30:108–113.
  • Mason G, Mendl M. 1993. Why is there no simple way of measuring animal welfare? Anim Welf. 2:301–319.
  • Mazurek M, Prendiville D, Crowe MA, Veissier I, Earley B. 2010. An on-farm investigation of beef suckler herds using an animal welfare index (AWI). BMC Vet Res. 6:55. https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-6148-6-55.
  • McGee M, Drennan MJ, Crosson P. 2014. Effect of concentrate feeding level in winter and turnout date to pasture in spring on biological and economical performance of weanling cattle in suckler beef production systems. Irish J Agric Food Res. 53:1–19.
  • McGee M, Keane MG, Neilan R, Moloney AP, Caffrey PJ. 2005. Production and carcass traits of high dairy genetic merit Holstein, standard dairy genetic merit Friesian and charolais × Holstein-Friesian male cattle. Irish J Agric Food Res. 44:215–231.
  • Metz JHM, Dijkstra T, Franken P, Frankena K. 2015. Development and application of a protocol to evaluate herd welfare in Dutch dairy farms. Livest Sci. 180:183–193. doi: 10.1016/j.livsci.2015.07.002
  • More SJ, Marchewka J, Hanlon A, Balzani A, Boyle L. 2021. An evaluation of four private animal health and welfare standards and associated quality assurance programmes for dairy cow production. Food Policy. 105(2021):102169. ISSN 0306-9192. doi: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2021.102169
  • Murphy B, Crosson P, Kelly AK, Prendiville R. 2007. An economic and greenhouse gas emissions evaluation of pasture-based dairy calf-to-beef production systems. Agric Systems. 154:124–132. doi: 10.1016/j.agsy.2017.03.007
  • Murphy B, Crosson P, Kelly AK, Prendiville R. 2018. Performance, profitability and greenhouse gas emissions of alternative finishing strategies for Holstein-Friesian bulls and steers. Animal. 12:2391–2400. doi: 10.1017/S1751731118000034
  • Rowe E, Mullan S. 2022. Advancing a “Good Life” for farm animals: development of resource tier frameworks for on-farm assessment of positive welfare for beef cattle, broiler chicken and pigs. Animals. 12(5):565. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12050565.
  • Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare (SCAHAW). The welfare of cattle kept for beef production. In Report No. SANCO.C.2/AH/R22/2000. European Commission, Brussels, Belgium. Retrieved January 20, 2014, from http://ec.europa.eu/food/fs/sc/scah/out54_en.pdf.
  • Sundrum A. 1997. Assessing livestock housing conditions in terms of animal welfare - possibilities and limitations. In: Sørensen J. T., editor. Livestock farming systems - more than food production. EAAP Publication. 89: 238–241.
  • Sundrum A, Anderson R, Postler G. 1994. Tiergerechtheitindex-200- Ein Leitfaden zur Beurteilung von Haltungsystemen fur Rinder, Kalber, Legenhenen une Schweine.p 211 Verlag Kollen, Bohn.
  • Tarantola M, Biasato I, Biasibetti E, Biagini D, Capra P, Guarda F, Leporati M, Malfatto V, Cavallarin L, Miniscalco B, et al. 2020. Beef cattle welfare assessment: use of resource and animal-based indicators, blood parameters and hair 20β-dihydrocortisol. Italian J Anim Sci. 19(1):341–350. doi: 10.1080/1828051X.2020.1743783
  • von Borrell E, van den Weghe H. 1998. Criteria for the assessment of pig housing. Pig News Inf. 19:93N–96N. Review article.
  • Wagner K, Brinkmann J, Bergschmidt A, Renziehausen C, March S. 2021. The effects of farming systems (organic vs. conventional) on dairy cow welfare, based on the Welfare Quality® protocol. Animal. 15:100301. doi: 10.1016/j.animal.2021.100301
  • Welfare Quality® (WQ). 2009. Welfare Quality® assessment protocol for cattle. Welfare Quality® Consortium Lelystad, The Netherlands. www.welfarequality.net. http://www.welfarequality.net/publicfiles/36059_25646376170_200705090907523_2244_Proceedings_2nd_WQ_Stakeholder_conference_3_4_May_2007.pdf. [Google Scholar].
  • Welfare Quality® (WQ). 2012. Welfare Quality® assessment protocol for cattle without veal calves. Welfare Quality® Consortium, Lelystad, The Netherlands. Retrieved February 5, 2014, from http://www.welfarequalitynetwork.net.
  • Wells SJ, Trent AM, Marsh WE, Robinson RA. 1993. Prevalence and severity of lameness in lactating dairy cows in a sample of Minnesota and Wisconsin herds. JAVMA. 202:78–82.
  • Wharton CH. 1957. An Ecological Study of the Kouprey Novibos sauveli. Monographs of the Institute of Science and Technology. Monograph 5, Manila, Philippines.
  • Whay HR. 2019. What is new in lameness prevalence reduction: identifying and understanding the problem. Proceedings of 24th ANEMBE; Sevilla, Spain; pp. 270–271.
  • Whay HR, Main DCJ, Green LE, Webster AJF. 2002. Farmer perception of lameness prevalence. In J. K. Shearer, editor. Proceedings 12th international symposium on lameness in ruminants. Orlando, FL. p. 355–358.
  • Windschnurer I, Boivin X, Waiblinger S. 2009. Reliability of an avoidance distance test for the assessment of animals’ responsiveness to humans and a preliminary investigation of its association with farmers’ attitudes on bull fattening farms. Appl Anim Behav Sci. 117:117–127. doi: 10.1016/j.applanim.2008.12.013
  • World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). 2019. Introduction to the recommendations for animal welfare [terrestrial animal health code article 7.1.1., 235–236]. Paris: OIE.