Species : Cows

Measuring dairy cow welfare with real-time sensor-based data and farm records: a concept study

A.H. Stygar, L. Frondelius, G.V. Berteselli, Y. Gómez, E. Canali, J.K. Niemi, P. Llonch, M. Pastel

Published in 2023

Scientific article presenting an algorithm designed to assess the welfare of dairy cows based on sensor data (accelerometer and/or lactometer) and farm records. It concludes that the algorithm alone cannot not provide a sufficiently sensitive and specific assessment of cow welfare, but that there is merit in combining it with farm-based welfare measurement visits.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords: Animal-based measurements, Precision farming, Welfare indicators

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Improvement of the Welfare Quality scoring model for dairy cows to fit experts' opinion

R. Lardy, R. Botreau, A. de Boyer des Roches, F.J.C.M. van Eerdenburg, S. de Graaf, MJ Haskell, MK Kirchner, L. Mounier, M Kjosevski, F.A.M. Tuyttens, I. Veissier

Published in 2023

Scientific paper on improvements to the welfare quality calculations for the "Absence of prolonged thirst" and "Absence of disease" criteria in the Welfare Quality assessment protocol for dairy cows, bringing the  results are more into line with the input data and better reflecting expert opinion.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Human-animal relationships, Welfare indicators

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Dairy cattle welfare - the relative effect of legislation, industry standards, and labelled niche production in five European countries

P. Sandøe, H.O. Hansen, E.A.M. Bokkers, P.S. Enemark, B. Forkman, M.J. Haskell, F. Lundmark Hedman, H. Houe, R. Mandel, S.S. Nielsen, E.M. de Olde, C. Palmer, C.S. Vogeler, T. Christensen

Published in 2023

Scientific article comparing animal welfare provisions in dairy cattle production in five countries that have adopted different combinations of approaches (legislation, industry standards, quality label requirements), namely Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK. It reveals a broad diversity of standards implemented and in the levels of welfare achieved among the countries.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords: Societal issues, Human-animal relationships

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Exploring Consumer Preference towards the On-Farm Slaughtering of Beef in Germany: A Discrete Choice Experiment

Josephine Lauterbach, Antonia Johanna Brun, Anna Maria Häring

Published in 2023

Scientific article investigating whether on-farm slaughtering would be a selling point for minced beef in Germany. It shows that consumers attach the greatest importance to price, followed by information on on-farm slaughtering. Information on animal welfare is more important to German consumers than information on meat quality.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords: Carcass quality, Human-animal relationships,Societal issues

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Systematic review of the relationship between rumen acidosis and laminitis in cattle

Lorena Teixeira Passos, Arthur Fernandes Bettencourt, Luciano Antônio Ritt, Maria Eugênia Andrighetto Canozzi, Vivian Fischer

Published in 2023

Systematic literature review to clarify the relationship between the various clinical presentations of laminitis and diet-induced ruminal acidosis. The review failed to prove a link between diet (high levels of rapidly-digested carbohydrates), ruminal acidosis and acute laminitis.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Pain, Societal issues

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European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-002073/23: Promoting animal abuse to minors 

Question: Miguel Urbán Crespo (The Left). Answer: Vice-President Šuica on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2023

Answer to a question on the European Commission's intentions regarding the participation of children under the age of 18 in bullfights, either as bullfighters or as spectators.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the nimal  to the environment, Education, Societal issues, Human-animal relationships

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A review of thermal stress in cattle

R W Shephard, S K Maloney

Published in 2023

Scientific review summarizing the behavioral and physiological controls used by cattle to manage heat exchange by radiation, convection, conduction and evaporation between the body and the environment, and thus regulate their temperature in hot conditions.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal  to the environment, Living environment, Resilience, Robustness, Stress

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Impacts of heat stress on global cattle production during the 21st century: a modelling study

Philip Thornton, Gerald Nelson, Dianne Mayberry, Mario Herrero

Published in 2022

Scientific article using modelling to assess production losses due to heat stress in two different greenhouse gas emission scenarios. Depending on emission levels, economic losses vary between 9.8% and 3 to 7% of the value of beef and milk production worldwide in 2005. These results underline the importance of putting adaptation measures place in to combat heat stress if we are to ensure global food security.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to environment, Environment, Living environment, One Welfare, Robustness, Stress, Societal issues

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Deviation of behavioural and productive parameters in dairy cows due to a lameness event: a synthesis of reviews

Luisa Magrin, Barbara Contiero, Giulio Cozzi, Flaviana Gottardo, Severino Segato

Published in 2023

Systematic literature review identifying the behavioral and yield parameters of cows that are the best indicators of lameness and calculating the changes in them during lameness episodes. They include time taken to feed, number of lying periods, time taken to lie down, time spent lying down,  and milk production. The values of all these parameters are significantly altered in the event of lameness, and could be used to detect lameness automatically.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords: Animal-based measurements, Pain, Precision farming, Welfare indicators

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Individual drivers and barriers to adoption of disease control and welfare practices in dairy and beef cattle production: a scoping review

Marrissa S. Buchan, Guillaume Lhermie, Sanjaya Mijar, Ed Pajor, Karin Orsel

Published in 2023

Review intended to characterize dairy and beef farmers' perceptions on the implementation of cattle health and welfare monitoring practices. Most studies were on dairy farmers, for whom the cost of implementation was the main barrier to adopting animal health, welfare and safety practices.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords: One Welfare,Societal issues

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