Abstract
The present paper focuses on evaluating the interobserver reliability of the ‘Welfare Quality® Animal Welfare Assessment Protocol for Growing Pigs’. The protocol for growing pigs mainly consists of a Qualitative Behaviour Assessment (QBA), direct behaviour observations (BO) carried out by instantaneous scan sampling and checks for different individual parameters (IP), e.g. presence of tail biting, wounds and bursitis. Three trained observers collected the data by performing 29 combined assessments, which were done at the same time and on the same animals; but they were carried out completely independent of each other. The findings were compared by the calculation of Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficients (RS), Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC), Smallest Detectable Changes (SDC) and Limits of Agreements (LoA). There was no agreement found concerning the adjectives belonging to the QBA (e.g. active: RS: 0.50, ICC: 0.30, SDC: 0.38, LoA: −0.05 to 0.45; fearful: RS: 0.06, ICC: 0.0, SDC: 0.26, LoA: −0.20 to 0.30). In contrast, the BO showed good agreement (e.g. social behaviour: RS: 0.45, ICC: 0.50, SDC: 0.09, LoA: −0.09 to 0.03 use of enrichment material: RS: 0.75, ICC: 0.68, SDC: 0.06, LoA: −0.03 to 0.03). Overall, observers agreed well in the IP, e.g. tail biting (RS: 0.52, ICC: 0.88; SDC: 0.05, LoA: −0.01 to 0.02) and wounds (RS: 0.43, ICC: 0.59, SDC: 0.10, LoA: −0.09 to 0.10). The parameter bursitis showed great differences (RS: 0.10, ICC: 0.0, SDC: 0.35, LoA: −0.37 to 0.40), which can be explained by difficulties in the assessment when the animals moved around quickly or their legs were soiled. In conclusion, the interobserver reliability was good in the BO and most IP, but not for the parameter bursitis and the QBA.
Highlights
Animal welfare has become an important subject of political and public discussion (Hobbs et al 2002)
The present paper focuses on evaluating the interobserver reliability of the ‘Welfare Quality® Animal Welfare Assessment Protocol for Growing Pigs’
Even if good agreement was achieved for the Rank Correlation Coefficients (RS) and the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC), concerning for instance the term ‘relaxed’, the values of the Smallest Detectable Change (SDC) and Limits of Agreement (LoA) indicated low agreement
Summary
Animal welfare has become an important subject of political and public discussion (Hobbs et al 2002). Animal welfare was defined as a multidimensional concept consisting of the absence of Czycholl et al SpringerPlus (2016) 5:1114 thirst, hunger, discomfort, disease, pain and injuries, stress and the expression of normal behaviour (Temple et al 2011a). This definition was based on the five freedoms of the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC 1993). After assessment of the parameters in the stable, the measures are usually expressed as percentages of affected animals From these percentages a dimensionless number between 0 and 100 can be calculated by different mathematical methods, e.g. decision trees as well as I-Spline functions and Choquet Integrals (Welfare Quality® 2009), first at the criteria and afterwards at principle level. Depending on the numbers reached (the closer to 100 the better) the farms are scored and labelled as excellent, enhanced, acceptable or not classified (Welfare Quality® 2009)
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