Animal Welfare in Dairy

ProductionDr. Victor Yamo,HSA Campaigns Manager,

1. Introduction

Animal Welfare is gaining recognition as an important element of commercial livestock operations worldwide. This has wide-ranging implications for an industry with complex historical and cultural roots.It is being addressed not only by governmental agencies and academic institutions, but by a growing number of professionals at different locations in the agricultural supply chain. A number of regional and global initiatives have emerged to provide guidance on acceptable practices to actors ranging from individuals caring for animals on farms to large scale commercial enterprises providing animal-based products from different livestock systems.

1. Introduction

Animal welfare is first and foremost important for the animal. Farm animals can feel, experience and suffer.Farm animals are Sentient beings.Animal welfare is just as important to humans for reasons of food security and nutrition. Better management of and care for livestock can improve

productivity and food quality, thereby helping to address nutritional deficiencies and food shortages as well as ensuring food safety.

Animal welfare standards are increasingly becoming a prerequisite to enhancing business efficiency and profitability, satisfying international markets and meeting consumer expectations.

2. Definition

Welfare concerns the quality of an animal’s life, not how long the life lasts (quantity). It is a broad term which includes the many elements that contribute to an animal’s quality of life, including those referred to in the ‘five freedoms’

OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code 2011 Article 7.1.1 Animal welfare means how an animal is coping with the conditions in which it lives.

2. Definition

An animal is in a good state of welfare (as indicated by scientific evidence) if it is healthy, comfortable, well nourished, safe, able to express innate behaviour and if it is not suffering from unpleasant states such as pain, fear, and distress. Good animal welfare requires disease prevention and veterinary treatment, appropriate shelter, management, nutrition, humane handling and humane slaughter/killing. Animal welfare refers to the state of the animal while the treatment that an animal receives is covered by other terms such as animal care, animal husbandry and humane treatment.

3. Assessing Animal WelfareThe Five Animal Freedoms (Farm Animal Welfare Council, UK 1992) are

often used as a framework to assess animal welfareFreedom from hunger and thirst (malnutrition).• By ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigor.

Freedom from (physical & thermal) discomfort.• by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting

areas.

Freedom from pain, injury and disease.• By prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment

Freedom to express normal behaviour.• By providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animals kind.

Freedom from fear and distress.• by ensuring conditions and treatment that avoid mental suffering

4.1 Freedom from Hunger & Thirst

Good nutrition ensures that calves are fit and strong• Ensure calves receive colostrum milk to provide early immunity• Regular review of body condition, weight gain and adjusting feeding• Health calves grow to optimum body weight and produce more milk

Routine dairy husbandry associated with feeding include• Providing fresh pasture daily• Reviewing cow’s body condition and adjusting diet accordingly• Adjusting diets during lactation to meet changes in nutritional needs• Providing extra feed (hay, silage) when pasture availability is low or

quality poor and unable to meet nutritional needs.• Ensuring that feedstuffs are suitable and safe• Providing access to suitable and sufficient drinking water.

4.2 Free from physical & thermal discomfort

Provide calves with good housing that protects them from elements of the weather.In extreme weather conditions like rains provide comfortable shelter and dry beddings for cows.Milking and handling cows in a calm, stress free environment is good for cows, people and milk production.Prevent injury to animals by maintaining farm facilities (fences, troughs, milking sheds) in safe working order.

4.3 Freedom from pain, injury & disease

When making breeding decisions farmers should consider traits such as ease of calving, conformation and temperament.Dairy cows should receive regular health care checks and preventive treatments such as• Daily observation prior to and during milking and any change in health is

handled immediately.• Post calving inspections to ensure complete recovery from birth.• Comprehensive disease prevention treatments.• Drenching to prevent worms• Vaccinating against diseasesRoutine dairy husbandry associated with milking include• Inspecting udder for signs of infection & teat treatments at the end of milking• Inspecting hoofs to identify cows with lameness and treating them

4.4 Freedom to express normal behaviour

Provide an environment that allows cows to remain in their natural social order when coming into the dairy.Recognize that each animal in the herd is an important asset and should be care for, protected and valued.Record individual animal’s performance to determine the norm. Records to keep include• Breeding details• Milk production records• Body weight and feeding level• Vaccinations, illness and treatments

4.5 Freedom from fear and distress

Animals in intensive farming systems are reliant on humans for most of their needs, requiring people with knowledge and experience and the observance of high standards.There should be a sufficient number of trained and well-motivated personnel with practical ability, knowledge and professional competence to maintain animal health and welfare and ensure that the physical, health, and behavioral needs of animals are met.Good stockmanship is crucial and requires people who are competent and well-trained, patient, careful, and caring, and who display empathy with animals and handle them quietly and firmly.

5. ConclusionSound dairy husbandry delivers good animal welfare.Good stockmanship and welfare go hand in hand.Cow welfare and milk production benefit from handling practices that create a calm, low stress environment.Ensuring cows are healthy is an essential element of good welfare.The milking routine enables cows to be inspected regularly and if ill, treated early before their welfare is compromised.Daily monitoring of milk production provides instant feedback on cow health, nutrition and welfare.

5. ConclusionAnimal welfare can be assured or enhanced by following good management practices. The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) guidelines on animal welfare have become • the international reference for animal welfare in the trade of

animals and products and the control of eradication of animal diseases.

• a guide for the development of national and regional assurance programs

• a basis for bilateral agreements between OIE member countries.Animal welfare standards should ensure that the needs of animals are met by setting minimum requirements for treatment of animals throughout the production process.

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