Relationship between animal welfare score by the assessment system for dairy cattle and behaviour of dairy cattle

Abstract

The Japan Farm Animal Welfare Association (JFAWA), established in 2016, developed an animal welfare assessment system for dairy cattle. Based on it, the association initiated a certification system.This study assessed correlation between the JFAWA assessment system animal welfare score and dairy cattle behaviour to validate the assessment system. On 10 dairy farms, animal welfare assessments were performed using the JFAWA assessment system. Milking cattle behaviours, postures, and standing up and lying down movements were investigated. Milking cattle at these farms were kept in a free-stall barn (3 farms), tie-stall barn (3 farms), or grazing system (4 farms). The JFAWA assessment system includes 45 standards of three categories: animal, facility and management. The assessment produces a score for each category and a total score. Higher scores indicate better animal welfare. The mean time spent on self-grooming behaviour was significantly correlated negatively with the total score. The prevalence of bovine chorioptic mange, which increases self-grooming behaviour motivation, was found to have significant strong positive correlation with the mean time spent on self-grooming behaviour of rubbing against objects. A lying posture with the neck relaxed and the head against the flank in a lying position is meant to be a sleeping posture. The mean time spent in this posture was significantly correlated positively with the management score. The mean time spent lying flat on the side showed a positive trend with the animal, facility, and total scores. Significant strong negative correlation was found between the mean time spent in standing while ruminating and the management score and between the mean time used for standing up and the management score. The incidence of contact with the environment during standing up and lying down movements was significantly correlated negatively with the animal score and total score. This study revealed a clear relation between the JFAWA animal welfare score and the behaviour, posture, and standing up and lying down movements of dairy cattle, indicating good validity of the JFAWA animal welfare assessment system.

Is Chorioptes texanus to Displace Chorioptes bovis? Notes on the Mites Causing Bovine Chorioptic Mange in Central Europe

“…Diversity 2024, 16, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 9 opinions about the impact of chorioptic mange on cattle given the high variability in the clinical presentation and the difficulties to quantify negative effects on performance in adult animals. However, a generally higher level of restlessness, especially during the milking process, or an increase in activities to relieve pruritus associated with mange, constitute long-term stressors which reduce the well-being of the animals and can contribute to productivity losses [2][3][4][5][6][7]. The taxonomy of the genus Chorioptes has been repeatedly a matter of debate in the recent past [8][9][10].…”