Welfare Assessment: Correspondence Analysis of Welfare Score and Hematological and Biochemical Profiles of Dairy Cows in Sardinia, Italy

Abstract

The need for animal welfare definition and assessment is increasing worldwide, and several studies have been conducted to help fill the knowledge gaps regarding the welfare of cattle. However, further studies are needed to provide valid synthetized measures for welfare evaluation. The aim of this study was to assess the welfare status of 16 Sardinian dairy cattle farms, based on the developed Animal Welfare and Biosecurity Evaluation checklist (AWB-EF) and the corresponding hematological, biochemical, and electrophoretic profiles of these animals. Considering the AWB-EF as gold standard, blood samples were collected from 230 Holstein breed dairy cattle, aged between 3 and 8 years, out of the periparturient period, and with no clinical signs of specific pathologies. Principal Component (PC) and correlation analyses were performed to simplify phenomena interpretation and assess positive/negative associations. Four PCs were able to explain 76% of the total variability, and six laboratory parameters were strongly associated with the AWB-EF score (Spearman’s correlation coefficient ≥0.40, p-Value < 0.05), reflecting the real health status of the animals. Given the complexity of animal welfare as a multidimensional concept and the need to include both animal-based and non-based measures in welfare evaluation, the present work represents a sound basis for future evaluation and veterinary health planning.

The Relationship between Animal Welfare and Antimicrobial Use in Italian Dairy Farms

“…The AW scores of the 79 investigated farms are similar to those described in previous Italian studies conducted with the same protocol on a smaller sample of farms in Lombardy [ 32 ] and Sardinia [ 37 ]. The median overall AW score of the investigated farms was over 70%, which can be considered suitable for the evaluation protocol used in this study [ 31 ].…”

Prevalence of infectious diseases on dairy farms classified on the basis of their biosecurity score

“…Poor environmental conditions can affect several homeostatic functions and reduce the productive and reproductive performance of livestock. Stress factors and poor welfare can also compromise the animal's immune system and increase its susceptibility to diseases (16). Other relevant risk factors are those related to the calves' feeding management (20).…”

“…Such diseases are resisted, if resistance is possible in the physiological state, by fully immunocompetent animals which do not have to contend with significant challenges to the immune system. However, on a farm these challenges are manifold and may be from infectious and non-infectious stressors, the effects of which on immunity cannot easily be discriminated and can overlap ( 16 ). Stressors are the driving factors in farm animal welfare, and in light of the varied nature of potential stressors, welfare should be viewed as a global condition.…”

“…Health is the key component of welfare (e.g . the presence or absence of disease, organ function, metabolic processes, and internal body condition) and is primarily monitored using haematological and biochemical tests ( 16 ).…”

Seasonal effects on Growth, Physiology, Hematology and Biochemical Profiles of Naeemi Sheep Breed

“…These tests are commonly used to diagnose significant diseases in animals, which can result in financial losses due to diminished growth, productivity, immunity, fur, wool, and milk production (Neethirajan, 2020;Ibeagha-Awemu and Yu, 2021;Hu et al, 2020). Blood constituent analysis has also been frequently utilized to measure the efficacy of feed nutrient content and supplements and to investigate transportation stress (Liu et al, 2018;Swanson et al, 2020;Seifalinasab et al, 2022).The immune state of animals can be assessed using biochemical and hematological profiles (Loi et al, 2021). During their pregnancy, these profiles might be modified (Ardalić et al, 2019).…”