Animal welfare assessment based on Welfare Quality® criteria in a dairy farm in Turkey

Abstract

This study served as a pilot to examine the practical implementation of the Welfare Quality® assessment protocol for cattle in dairy farms in Turkey. The study was carried out in the large-scale dairy farm of Ataturk University, in a free-stall-housed herd composed of Holstein, Brown Swiss and Simmental cattle. Whether the standards of the farm management programme and some of the welfare criteria chosen from the protocol were met was determined with the scoring method described in the Welfare Quality® publications. The somatic cell count (SCC) of the milk samples, and the avoidance distance and body condition score (BCS) of the animals were also determined and recorded. The body condition scores (BCS) of the Holstein, Simmental and Brown Swiss cattle were determined as 2.56, 3.16 and 3.88, respectively. Only 7% of the 53 cows had lameness, and none of the animals were evaluated as ‘resting a foot, standing on the edge of a step, displaying stepping (weight shifting) or showing reluctance to bear weight’. The animals were also evaluated based on some health indicators. The percentages of animals displaying nasal and ocular discharge were 16% and 9%, respectively. No clinical signs were recorded for hampered respiration, diarrhea or vulvar discharge. The mean SCC of the milk samples was (log 10) 4.43 cells/ml and below the European Union’s raw milk SCC threshold. In conclusion, according to the assessment based on Welfare Quality® criteria, the animal welfare level at the dairy farm of Ataturk University was scored as %70.92 and was considered to meet the relevant EU standards.

Keywords

• Dairy cattle,welfare assessment,welfare level,welfare quality

Türkiye'deki bir süt çiftliğinde Welfare Quality® kriterlerine göre hayvan refahının değerlendirmesi

Öz

Bu çalışma, Türkiye'de yetiştirilen süt sığırları için Welfare Quality® değerlendirme protokolünün pratik uygulamasını incelemek amacıyla yürütülmüş olup pilot bir görev üstlenmiştir. Çalışma, XXXXX Üniversitesi'nde bulunan serbest dolaşımlı, bağsız ve duraklı büyük bir süt çiftliğinde, Holstein, Esmer ve Simental sığırlardan oluşan sürüde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çiftlik yönetim programının standartlarının ve protokolden seçilen bazı refah kriterlerinin karşılanıp karşılanmadığı, Welfare Quality® yayınlarında tanımlanan puanlama yöntemleri ile belirlenmiştir. Süt örneklerinin Somatik Hücre Sayısı (SCC), hayvanların kaçınma mesafeleri ve vücut kondisyon skorları (BCS) da belirlenmiş ve kaydedilmiştir. Holstein, Esmer ve Simental sığırlarının vücut kondisyon skorları (BCS) sırasıyla 2.56, 3.16 ve 3.88 olarak belirlendi. Denemede kullanılan 53 baş ineğin sadece % 7'sinde topallık tespit edilmiş ve yere basamayan, adım atmada zorlanan, bir yere yaslanmadan duramayan hiçbir hayvanın varlığına rastlanılmamıştır. Ayrıca hayvanlar bazı sağlık göstergelerine göre de değerlendirmeye tabi tutulmuştur. Burun ve göz akıntısı olduğu tespit edilen hayvanların oranı sırasıyla % 16 ve % 9 olarak belirlenmiştir. Solunum güçlüğü çeken, ishal veya vulva akıntısı olan herhangi bir hayvana rastlanılmamıştır. Alınan süt örneklerinin ortalama Somatik Hücre Sayısı (log 10) Avrupa Birliği'nin çiğ süt Somatik Hücre Sayısının eşiğinin altında ve 4.43 hücre/ml olarak tespit edilmiştir. Sonuç olarak, Welfare Quality® kriterlerine göre yapılan değerlendirmeye göre, XXXXXX Üniversitesi süt çiftliğindeki hayvan refahı düzeyi % 70.92 olarak belirlenmiş ve bu oranın AB standartlarını karşıladığı kabul edilmiştir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Sütçü sığır,refah değerlendirmesi,refah düzeyi,refah kalitesi

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