Dairy farmers' expectations and receptivity regarding animal welfare advice: A focus group study

Abstract

Discussion and incorporation of best practices for animal welfare have been increasing in research, and in commercial operations, including through welfare assessment initiatives. The aim of this study was to explore dairy farmers' perceptions about being approached and receiving advice about animal welfare (i.e., lameness, hock injuries, and disbudding practices). It is useful for dairy consultants, researchers, or animal welfare assessment programs to gain an in-depth understanding of farmers' expectations when broaching the subject of animal welfare issues to facilitate communication about what can be perceived as a sensitive topic. We collected qualitative data using a focus group methodology. Five focus groups of farmers (n = 36 in total), took place in Ontario, Canada. Discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Participant age ranged from 21 to 80 yr (median = 47). Represented herd size ranged from 25 to 550 milking cows (median = 75). Farm type included free stall (n = 14) and tie stall (n = 22). Rigor was incorporated by using systematic thematic analysis: transcripts were coded line by line, and codes were categorized and then expanded and collapsed into themes, which were further refined to reflect farmer perceptions in a thematic map. Thematic analysis of the focus group discussions suggested 6 major themes related to farmers' receptivity to and expectations of animal welfare advice. Themes 1 to 4 provided insights into what farmers expected from those who were broaching topics: (1) an established relationship with the farmer;(2) expertise in dairy care/welfare; (3) prevention of "barn blindness"; and (4) provision of animal care services before and after welfare issues are broached. Theme 5 helped determine how welfare topics should be broached: the communication approach. Theme 6 identified who farmers feel should broach animal welfare topics on farm. Focus group discussions also provided insights into potential disconnects between farmer and veterinary expectations about animal welfare issues during herd health visits. Those who have established relationships with farmers are better received and are expected to broach welfare issues, especially if they are perceived to be an expert in animal care and welfare, and if they communicate the issue tactfully and work with the farmer to establish a plan of action.

Appropriate Dairy Calf Feeding from Birth to Weaning: “It’s an Investment for the Future”

“…The current study also raises concerns about the clarity of the instructions provided on CMR product packaging, as written instructions for mixing CMR with water to obtain the correct concentration for calf feeding were misunderstood by at least one farmer in the present study. Farmers respect the advice given by trusted feed company representatives who are familiar with their farm and the farms of others [52] so in-person advice which can account for farm-specific rearing targets may be the best way to facilitate optimal feeding protocols on farms. Regardless, written instructions for preparing liquid feeds to pre-weaned calves should be easy to follow in order to support farmers who do not accept in-person advice, and to act as a reference or reminder when mixing CMR at calf feeding.…”

Factors that Influence Farmers’ Views on Farm Animal Welfare: A Semi-Systematic Review and Thematic Analysis

“…Research has demonstrated the influence of farmer knowledge and awareness on FAW improvement for decades e.g., [63]. The ability of farm advisors in delivering FAW knowledge contributes to the willingness of farmers to acquire such information [64]. Bassi et al [36] conducted in-depth interviews to understand the factors that influenced routine practice in cattle farms ('social practice') and reported that farmers referred to the importance of family tradition, community, veterinarians, and industry experts in establishing the knowledge needed to carry out painful procedures.…”

“…The concept of trust in implementing FAW practice has been reported by several authors. Trusted advisors were very important to farmers' receptivity to FAW advice [64]. For example, farmers perceived a trust-based dialog with their veterinarian, in particular when the latter trusted their farming competence [81,86].…”

“…Farmers' views on FAW were influenced by the mandatory inspections for compliance with FAW national and quality assurance scheme regulations and the associated administrative workload. For example, focus groups showed that dairy farmers were stressed by paperwork, such as standard operating procedures required by the quality assurance scheme [48,64,82]. Furthermore, the growing numbers of regulations made Danish farmers feel insecure [91].…”

Invited review: Cattle lameness detection with accelerometers

“…The time delay between lameness detection and treatment can be up to several weeks (Alawneh et al, 2012;Horseman et al, 2014). Farmer beliefs such as "moderate lameness treatment is nonurgent" (Horseman et al, 2014;Croyle et al, 2019;Sadiq et al, 2019) and regarding lameness treatment efficacy (Potterton et al, 2012) will likely remain an issue. Changing farmer beliefs and attitudes is thus also important in effecting improved lameness management (Dutton- Regester et al, 2019).…”