Assessment of bovine welfare: Evolution towards the approach from the 5 Domains

Abstract

Positive animal welfare (PAW) is a relatively recent idea that emphasizes the good experiences to improve the mental state. The objective of this review was, describe the indicators used in bovine welfare protocols, identify the domains considered, and establish a proposal focused on indicators to assess positive welfare. It was identified that the protocols require excessive evaluation times, qualify by granting a single score and do not allow regional adaptations according to the critical conditions that may exist in different countries. Furthermore, the main focus of the existing protocols is on the first 3 domains (nutrition, physical environment and health), leaving the recording of the behavior and the mental state of the animals to a lesser degree of importance. A series of indicators were specified, which would promote positive well-being, related to the domains of physical environment and behavioral interactions, emphasizing comfort, environmental, social, sensory, and nutritional enrichment. In conclusion including the diagnosis of the mental state of animals in a comprehensive way is necessary to identify shortcomings and propose improvements that contribute to improving the quality of life of animals.