A survey of management practices that influence production and welfare of dairy cattle on family farms in southern Brazil

Abstract

A survey on dairy production in family dairy farms in the northwest of Santa Catarina, Brazil, was carried out to assess husbandry practices and elements of the living environment that may influence animal welfare and productivity. Three farm systems common in the region were compared: extensive, pasture-based, and semi-intensive. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with farmers, followed by an inspection of the production environment and of dairy cows on 124 dairy farms. Some welfare and production problems were common to the 3 systems, mainly subclinical mastitis and tick infestations, which affected one-third of cows, deficiencies in the provision of drinking water and shade, and poor hygiene practices during milking. Some problems were specific to farming systems, such as lameness and hock injuries on the semi-intensive farms, and inadequate milking infrastructure and greater frequencies of cows with low body condition scores on extensive and pasture-based farms. A greater proportion of farms in the semi-intensive group had modern, herringbone-type milking parlors, applied the California Mastitis Test, and followed teat disinfection practices, and more pasture-based farms provided shade in the paddocks. The widespread use of pasture and adapted genotypes and individual identification of animals were positive aspects present in all systems. The absence of health and production records in more than half of the farms may prevent farmers from recognizing certain problems. Results of this survey may guide public policies aiming to improve milk productivity and quality with sustainable and low-cost production practices.

Intensification of cattle ranching production systems: socioeconomic and environmental synergies and risks in Brazil

“…It is therefore important to monitor intensive systems, so that animal welfare is not compromised. Appropriately stocked and managed grassland-ruminant systems that employ a wider ethical framework can be a sustainable way for producing high-quality products, while providing improved standards of animal welfare (Costa et al, 2013) and minimizing environmental impacts.…”

Вплив Різного Виду Підстилки Та Конструкційних Характеристик Приміщень На Комфорт І Поведінку Корів

“…Комфорт та добробут корів являє собою складову системи менеджменту, завданням якої є збереження здоровʼя, збільшення тривалості життя і продуктивного використання тварин на фермі (Collier et al, 2006;Jacobs and Siegfort, 2012;Costa et al, 2013;Pilatti and Frederico Vieira, 2017). Достатня кількість корму та води і вільний до них доступ тварин, свіже повітря, мʼяка і чиста підстилка в зоні відпочинку, зручне стійлове обладнання, якісна підлога, достатнє освітлення -це основні складові комфорту корів (Damasceno, 2012;Kara et аl., 2015;Ofner-Schröck et аl., 2015).…”

Construção e uso de indicadores para avaliação do manejo da ordenha: uma proposta metodológica participativa

“…Nesta, foi feito o diagnóstico de mastite, através do California Mastitis Test (CMT), para registro da porcentagem de vacas afetadas, e avaliado o escore de condição corporal (ECC), conforme descrito por COSTA et al (2013). A presença de ectoparasitas foi avaliada de forma visual, considerando-se a ausência ou presença, expressa em percentual do rebanho afetado.…”

“…Tais metodologias envolvem, geralmente, capacitações e treinamentos para difundir melhores práticas de manejo dos animais e do ambiente de criação. No entanto, percebe-se uma difi culdade de aceitação e de aplicação prática das orientações por parte dos agricultores, exemplo evidenciado no baixo uso de várias práticas preventivas no manejo da ordenha entre 120 agricultores familiares de Santa Catarina (COSTA et al, 2013). TAVOLARO et al (2006) investigaram o conhecimento de ordenhadores de cabras sobre a higiene nas operações de ordenha, antes e após uma capacitação, e não identifi caram diferenças entre esses dois momentos, o que indica uma clara defi ciência no processo de apropriação do conteúdo.…”