297 – Dairy Cows Welfare Assessment in a Farm from South-Eastern Romania (Research paper – Furnaris – 2016)

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297 Research paper – Furnaris – 2016 – Dairy Cows Welfare Assessment in a Farm from South-Eastern Romania

In Significant Impact Groups: Housing and welfare
Species targeted: Dairy;
Age: Adult;
Summary:

The welfare level of dairy cows in a farm from the South-Eastern Romania was studied in a mixed house with the Austrian Animal Needs Index 35L/2000 system. A total of 26 welfare indicators were assessed in 5 areas: locomotion, social interactions, flooring, light and air, stockmanship. Analyzing the results, it could be noticed that the highest scored indicators were those within the Locomotion and Social interactions areas (as expected, considering the loose-system applied in the studied farm). The lowest scored areas were Flooring and Light and air, the critical indicators being light (uneven lighting and some low intensity values: 28-30 Lx) and outdoor areas cleanliness, resulting in poor animal cleanliness. Addressing this issue along with the cleanliness of the outdoor areas may improve the welfare level and may also increase the milk production.

Where to find the original material: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210784316302741; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.09.081
Country: RO