Attitudes and professional values of veterinarians and veterinary students toward positive welfare states for dairy cattle

Brunt, M.W.; Haley, D.B.; LeBlanc, S.J.; Kelton, D.F.

doi:10.3168/jds.2023-24394

Journal of Dairy Science

2024

DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-24394

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Attitudes and professional values of veterinarians and veterinary students toward positive welfare states for dairy cattle

M.W. Brunt,

D.B. Haley,

S.J. LeBlanc

et al.

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2024

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Cited by 2 publications

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Perspectives of dairy farmers on positive welfare opportunities for dairy cows in Ontario, Canada

Brunt,

Ritter,

LeBlanc

et al. 2024

Front. Anim. Sci.

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Positive experiences offer opportunities to improve the experiences of animals through positive affect, beyond the absence of negative experiences such as illness or pain. The objective of this study was to describe the perspectives of dairy farmers regarding positive welfare opportunities for dairy cows and calves. Five focus groups were held with dairy farmers (n = 27) in Ontario, Canada. Audio recordings of the discussions were transcribed verbatim, and applied thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Participants initially focused discussion on pasture access, cow-calf contact, and group housing of calves. Two themes were identified from the data: 1) tacit expertise of farmers and 2) influences on farmer choice. Participants invoked their expertise and had conflicting opinions on how various positive opportunities could affect cattle health and welfare. There were divergent views when discussing dairy farming in general. However, when speaking specifically about their own farm, participants were reluctant to implement positive opportunities, citing risks of decreased milk production and avoidable health problems. Autonomy to choose which positive opportunities best suited farm-specific management and financial situations was preferred to regulation. Finally, participants prioritized minimizing negative experiences for cows and calves but maintained aspects of positive welfare (e.g., described as happy, content, or autonomy) as important characteristics of a cow’s life.

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Perspectives of dairy farmers on positive welfare opportunities for dairy cows in Ontario, Canada

Brunt,

Ritter,

LeBlanc

et al. 2024

Front. Anim. Sci.

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Discourses on Positive Animal Welfare by Sheep Farmers and Industry Actors: Implications for Science and Communication

Muhammad,

Stokes,

Manning

et al. 2024

Veterinary Sciences

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This research examines how sheep farmers and industry actors in the United Kingdom (UK) understand and conceptualize what animal welfare scientists term ‘positive animal welfare’. It explores their awareness of the concept, and how they interpret it using a qualitative approach. Participants were recruited using a snowballing, purposive sample approach, resulting in 25 sheep farmers and 11 industry actors (veterinarians, farming organizations, advisors, and supply chain) being interviewed. To collect data, a combined approach involving semi-structured interviews and a facilitated workshop were used between April 2021 and March 2022. Data were then thematically analyzed using a hybrid of inductive and deductive coding process. The findings suggested that the perceptions of farmers and industry actors in the study regarding positive welfare differ from contemporary academic discourses. Overall, around 7 of the farmers equated positive welfare with “positive stockmanship”, while six of them expressed “good animal welfare” definitions associated with the Five Freedoms. In contrast, most industry actors (6) expressed interpretations associated with high welfare standards (going above minimum recommended practices) and positive mental experiences (3). Emerging discourses revealed the link between self-identity, social identity and what positive welfare is, the importance of knowledge exchange, and the need for practical indicators through language rephrasing. There is a clear need to enhance and improve knowledge dissemination strategies, particularly in the UK, where much research is being conducted on positive animal welfare.

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Attitudes and professional values of veterinarians and veterinary students toward positive welfare states for dairy cattle

Cited by 2 publications

References 49 publications

Perspectives of dairy farmers on positive welfare opportunities for dairy cows in Ontario, Canada

Perspectives of dairy farmers on positive welfare opportunities for dairy cows in Ontario, Canada

Discourses on Positive Animal Welfare by Sheep Farmers and Industry Actors: Implications for Science and Communication

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