Animal Welfare Assessment: Can We Develop a Practical, Time-Limited Assessment Protocol for Pasture-Based Dairy Cows in New Zealand?

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dc.citation.issue10
dc.citation.volume10
dc.contributor.authorSapkota S
dc.contributor.authorLaven R
dc.contributor.authorMüller K
dc.contributor.authorKells N
dc.date.available2020-10
dc.date.available2020-10-16
dc.date.issued19/10/2020
dc.descriptionPublished source must be acknowledged with citation
dc.description.abstractDespite being a leading producer and exporter of dairy products, New Zealand has no industry-recognised welfare assessment protocol. A New Zealand-specific protocol is essential, as almost all dairy farms in New Zealand are pasture-based and housing is rarely used. Therefore, protocols developed for intensive cows are not suitable. The aim of this study was to develop a simple yet practical welfare assessment protocol that could be used to assess the welfare of a dairy herd during one visit timed to occur around milking. Six welfare assessment protocols and four studies of dairy cattle welfare assessments that had some focus on dairy cattle welfare at pasture were used, along with the New Zealand Dairy Cattle Code of Welfare, to identify potential assessments for inclusion in the protocol. Eighty-four potential assessments (20 record-based and 64 that needed assessing on-farm) were identified by this process of welfare assessments. After screening to exclude on-farm assessments that were not relevant, that had only limited practical application in pasture-based dairy cows or that required more time than available, 28 on-farm assessments remained, which were put together with the 20 record-based assessments and were tested for feasibility, practicality and time on two pasture-based dairy farms. Assessments were then identified as suitable, suitable after modification or not feasible. Suitable and modified assessments were then included in the final protocol alongside additional measures specific to New Zealand dairy farms. The final protocol included 24 on-farm assessments and eight record-based assessments. Further testing of these 32 assessments is needed on more dairy farms across New Zealand before the protocol can be used to routinely assess the welfare of dairy cows in New Zealand.
dc.description.publication-statusPublished
dc.identifierhttp://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000585353400001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=c5bb3b2499afac691c2e3c1a83ef6fef
dc.identifierARTN 1918
dc.identifier.citationANIMALS, 2020, 10 (10)
dc.identifier.doi10.3390/ani10101918
dc.identifier.elements-id435457
dc.identifier.harvestedMassey_Dark
dc.identifier.issn2076-2615
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10179/16501
dc.publisherMDPI (Basel, Switzerland)
dc.relation.isPartOfANIMALS
dc.subjectwelfare assessment
dc.subjectpasture-based dairy cows
dc.subjectNew Zealand
dc.subject.anzsrc0502 Environmental Science and Management
dc.subject.anzsrc0608 Zoology
dc.subject.anzsrc0702 Animal Production
dc.titleAnimal Welfare Assessment: Can We Develop a Practical, Time-Limited Assessment Protocol for Pasture-Based Dairy Cows in New Zealand?
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.notesNot known
pubs.organisational-group/Massey University
pubs.organisational-group/Massey University/College of Sciences
pubs.organisational-group/Massey University/College of Sciences/School of Veterinary Science
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