dairy cow welfare are beneficial or constitute a potential hazard or risk. hazard that has a serious effect on just a few animals is not a major welfare problem for those individuals i) metabolic and reproductive disorders, ii) udder disorders, iii) leg and locomotion problems iv) behaviour, fear and pain. Welfare concepts and assessment on dairy cow When choosing methods for keeping and managing animals in order to protect these animals against mistreatment and poor welfare, it is necessary to know how their welfare is affected by the various methodologies Animal‘s health and biological functioning. Animal‘s ability to live a natural life. Degree to which the animal experiences aversive or positive feelings, such as pain, fear or pleasure. all animals have needs that drive their activity programs with the function of maintaining internal homeostasis and regulating interaction with the environment. • To breathe air of sufficient quality – sufficient oxygen and a low level of noxious gases (breakdown of animal faeces or dust). • To have appropriate sensory input – Very bright lights, very loud noises and certain other stimuli, including fear pheromones, can also cause poor welfare. Cows also need to avoid too much sensory input and too little sensory input. To rest and sleep - Adult cattle usually sleep for about 4 hours a day and usually while lying down - Cattle rest for about 12 hours a day and adequate rest is important to prevent fatigue and to maintain normal physiological functioning (e.g. normal secretion of growth hormone) To exercise Exercise is needed for normal bone and muscle development and to keep the cattle in good condition exercise helps animals respond to stress Exercise can be difficult with some types of floors (e.g. floors that are too slippery or too hard) or if there is too small a space allowance. • Drinking – Lactating cows, the temperature is high, Sick cows have a very high demand for water. – If water is not available, lactating, over-heated and sick cows will become dehydrated earlier than other cows. – free access to water is of importance for cows fed diets containing excess of potentially toxic substances that need to be excreted by the kidneys or when diets are fed to manipulate cation-anion balance. – drink water without toxins or pathogens • Nutrients – Food provides for the needs of nutrient intake, oral satisfaction, normal digestive function and carrying out foraging behaviour. – A variety of macro- and micro-nutrients are needed by cows for maintenance and growth. – Some diets are adequate in nutrient content but lead to digestion anomalies and pain or other poor welfare, whilst other diets have such effects because they have the wrong balance. – In ruminants, such as cows, a diet composition leading to normal rumination is needed. Foraging behaviour
Foraging behaviour accounts for a large
proportion (up to 80%) of the daily activity of cows kept in a semi-natural situation Cows are highly motivated to work for access to foraging material like straw. In the absence of an appropriate foraging environment, welfare can be poor. To explore • Cows have a natural tendency to explore their environment and they show a fair amount of curiosity. • Exploration to be prepared for effective food acquisition, response to danger from predators, attack by conspecifics and response to other adverse conditions or needs. • Exploration will be difficult if there is insufficient space available. To have appropriate social interactions Cows separated from the herd, apart from when calving, show strong negative reactions. a restriction in access to important resources, such as the number of feeding places, results in increased levels of aggression. Cows recognise other individuals but there are limitations to the number that can be recognised. To avoid fear and other negative experiences
- As a prey species, cattle have evolved a
number of mechanisms associated with predator detection and avoidance. The biological functioning of cows is strongly adapted to promote security and to maximise the chance of recognition of danger and escape from it. - Cows respond to sudden events and approaches by humans or other animals perceived to be potentially dangerous with substantial sympathetic nervous system and hypothalamic- pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) changes. - Fear is a major factor in the life of cows and has a great effect on their welfare. To perform maintenance and eliminatory behaviour Cows need to groom in that they have to keep the body surface free of harmful substances or organisms. They select lying places that are dry and comfortable when possible and this behaviour tends to keep the body clean. To have an appropriate thermal environment • Cows need to maintain their body temperature within a tolerable range • If the ambient temperature is too high or too low, or the humidity is too high, welfare can be poor • cows adopt positions that maximise the surface area from which heat can be lost and will attempt to drink. Reproduction and maternal functions Cows which are sexually mature are motivated to show sexual behaviours which in dairy herds is often addressed to other cows. Females in a late stage of pregnancy also show clear signs of having specific needs at this time. If the calf has been allowed to stay with the cow for some days after calving, the cow shows a strong negative reaction to the separation. all cows need to minimise contact with pathogens that might cause disease with anatomical adaptations and physiological responses. Cows which are sick need an environment that may be different as regards temperature, food, good lying surfaces and possibilities for rest and avoidance of disturbance from that needed by healthy cows. Cows need to avoid ingesting toxic substances, even if they cannot recognise them all, and to react appropriately if harmful chemical agents are detected within their bodies or their environment. These substances can be in food, water, air, bedding, etc. Cows need to avoid any environmental impact or pathological conditions that cause pain and injury. In cattle husbandry, dehorning, tail-docking, excessive aggression, udder disorders, leg and foot disorders are some examples of sources of pain. Mastitis as defined by the International Dairy Federation (IDF) is an inflammation of the mammary gland, with an infectious or noninfectious aetiology. the incidence of clinical mastitis in England was 47- 65 cases per 100 cows per year the majority of mastitis is of bacterial origin, characterised by physical and chemical changes of the milk and pathophysiological changes of the mammary tissue with possible systemic symptoms. Clasify as Clinical and subclinical Mastitis is a multifactorial disease in which the environment, the pathogen and the host (cow) play a crucial role. Optimisation of the hygienic procedures in the
barn and in the milking parlour combined with
the optimal immune status of the cow will make it difficult for the pathogens to cause an intramammary infection. Overall management of dry cows includes factors
such as controlled and nutritionally balanced
feed intake, hygienic housing, minimised stress and proper calving assistance when needed. Herd management factors associated with an increased rate of clinical mastitis were related to hygiene of the environment, hygiene measures associated with treatments and hygiene of the calving areas. Cleaning of milking equipment should be
performed adequately by chemical, thermal and
physical processes and is essential to reduce the infection pressure of the udder. The environment of the cow should be clean, dry
and well ventilated. In general, management of
housing facilities and feeding practices is of importance for a good udder health status. Management such as clipping of hair from tail and mammary gland, following milking procedures, keeping of milking system, milking healthy cows first and infected cows later, clean laying beds etc. Functioning of the milking machine is also of great importance. Teat end condition, measured in terms of teat end callosity (TEC) is an indication for increased incidence of mastitis and can be used as a monitoring tool for assessing the quality of milk management and machine handling. Control of the milking machine should take place once a year and teat liners should be renewed after approximately 2000 – 2500 milkings. TERIMA KASIH