Abstract
Animal welfare is a hot topic among consumers, producers and researches nowadays. The major welfare problems of dairy cows are mastitis, lameness, and any conditions which lead to impaired reproduction, inability to express normal behaviour, emergency physiological responses or injury. This paper summarizes preliminary results of project taken in 27 Hungarian dairy farms evaluating general animal welfare. The most important areas for improving animals? wellbeing are related to facilities and comfort of resting. Findings include slippery floors, cows struggling laying and standing in cubicles. Other measures include hair loss, hocks, neck rail injuries and number of thin cows (Body Condition Score 1 and 2). Mouldy silage and low quality of other feedstuff was also found. In conclusion, preliminary results confirm strong demand for monitoring farms and discussions with managers and farmers about welfare measures needed to be taken on farms immediately.
Highlights
According to von Keyserlingk et al (2009), there are 3 major concerns related to animal welfare: if the animal is functioning well, feeling well, and if the animal is able to live according to its nature
Similar results were found by Potterton et al (2011), in that study moderate (25.6%) and severe (14.5%) hair loss was measured
There is an immediate need to point out farmers the most important welfare problems on the farms
Summary
According to von Keyserlingk et al (2009), there are 3 major concerns related to animal welfare: if the animal is functioning well, feeling well, and if the animal is able to live according to its nature. These arguments are not new, because producers have always been (at least they should be) concerned about the conditions of animals in their care. Over the last three decades the number of publications about animal welfare and animal wellbeing has increased significantly Such an output reflects the economic demand for that information globally
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