EVALUATION THE DAIRY COWS’ WELFARE IN NORTHERN KAZAKHSTAN FARMS

Abstract

In modern society animal welfare is an important attribute of the food quality general concept. Research purpose was to identify the dairy cows’ welfare problems in Kazakhstan. In 2022 and 2023, studies were organized at two industrial dairy farms in the central (Kamyshenka LLP) and northern (Ayna Dairy Farm LLP) zones of the Akmola region. Here, the welfare of 110 cows was measured in accordance with 33 parameters, 12 criteria and 4 principles (according to the Welfare Quality® protocol). On both farms, the main animal welfare indicators were approximately within the same limits. The criterion "Absence of prolonged thirst" was 60.0 scores. In both farms, such criteria indicators as “Absence of prolonged hunger", “Absence of diseases" had relatively low values in the range of 3.5-19.98 points. The criteria “Absence of injuries”, “Lameness”, "Integument alterations", "Positive emotional state" were also below 53.9 points. Scores of criteria “Comfort during rest”, “Absence of pain caused by management procedures”, “Manifestation of other forms of behavior”, “Good relations between man and animal” exceeded 55 points and reached a maximum value of 80.01 points at the Ayna Farm. Overall, farms scored from 20.1 to 50.4 points on the basic principles of welfare, with the exception of the principle of "Good Health", according to which Ayna Dairy Farm scored 64.4 points, but Kamyshenka Farm had a lower level – 38.2. Thus, both farms were classified by the Welfare Protocol as "Acceptable". The study has been shown that the housing of dairy cows needs to be improved for increasing the comfort of rest and reduce cow injuries.