Structure of the Welfare Assessment Report for Communication with Farmers

Abstract

Assessments of farm animal welfare can be presented to the livestock farmer using a welfare assessment report. The structure of the report depends on the objective of the welfare assessment. Further, the report is an integral part of the welfare assessment process, and it should be able to function as a decision support tool introducing animal welfare considerations on the farm. The report may aim to provide an overview, or an evaluation of present welfare levels in the herd, or detailed data which document the welfare situation. The overview allows priorities to be set among welfare-motivated interventions on the farm. Documentation serves to link conclusions on animal welfare to exact observations on the farm regarding the chosen welfare indicators. It thereby enables the farmer to relate to the welfare assessment. The evaluation provides a frame of reference and a conclusion as to whether the level of animal welfare on the farm is satisfactory. All three elements are important to the farmer. A prototype of the welfare assessment report has therefore been developed presenting overview, evaluation and documentation in a hierarchical structure. This ensures that the report is readable and problem-oriented.