DEVELOP SOME INTEGRATED PARAMETERS TO ASSESS ANIMAL ON FARMS WELFARE USING MULTIPLE BEHAVIORAL CRITERIA.

Abstract

The present study included tow experiments. The first One was at the animal behaviour research unit, faculty of agriculture, Minufiya University, to develop some integrated parameters to assess animal’s on-farm welfare using multiple criteria. The Second one was performed to evaluate the current level of welfare of Egyptian buffaloes under different production systems, using the specific method described in the Welfare Quality ® Assessment Protocol for Cattle. Assessment was performed on 163 animals in 15 Egyptian dairy buffalo farms which represent 3 production systems (Traditional farms (I), Faculty farm (II) and Commercial farm (III)). Results of the present study revealed that The suggested behaviour models for Egyptian Buffaloes for lying, eating and ruminating were 75.34, 30.90 and 27.04 min./time, Representing 47.04, 28.31 and % of the day and frequent 8.99, 13.19 and 16.48 times per day. Kicking, Stepping and Tail movement behaviour, during milking, model should be (0.14-0.09 kick/min., 0.68-1.35Step/min. and 4.35 -5.35 time / min. resp. at total milking period. Milk production was (3.09±0.13 kg) per milking with an average of 0.43±0.02 kg/min milk flow rate. Bacterial count in raw milk was 6.0 × 105 cfu/ml. Egyptian buffaloes have 4.45 ±0.65 [ng/ml] Serum cortisol. Very lean buffaloes represent 65 % and 47 % of animals in Farm I and farm II respectively. However there is no any very lean animal in farm III. Studied animals in farm 1 lied down within 11 sec. on the other hand time needed to lie down were 9 and 6 sec. in farm 2 and 3 respectively. All investigated disease had had lower values. This may be due to high immunity level of Egyptian buffaloes against cows.