Development, integration and dissemination of animal-based welfare indicators, including pain, in commercially important husbandry species, with special emphasis on small ruminants, equidae & turkeys

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Development and integration of animal-based welfare indicators, including pain, in goat farms in Portugal

Publication . Matos, Ana Catarina Lopes Vieira Godinho de; Stilwell, George Thomas; Oliveira, Mónica Duarte Correia de

The development of species-specific protocols for on-farm welfare assessment represents a major concern for the European Union agricultural policy. Proper welfare assessment demands for the use of valid, reliable and feasible animal-based welfare indicators. The literature and policy-makers recognise the need for advancing knowledge in this area. This thesis aims at developing and integrating animal-based indicators in on-farm welfare assessment protocols, focusing on dairy goat farms. Specifically, this thesis contributes to literature in three areas. First, it contributes to the identification of animal-based welfare indicators that should be included in welfare assessment protocols. We conducted a literature review that allowed for the recognition of the need for future research in the indicators’ psychometric properties, such as reliability and feasibility. Secondly, this thesis develops tools to assist the measurement of body condition and lameness. For body condition, we developed a visual body condition scoring system (BSC). Our approach requires minimum animal handling without compromising a valid and reliable individual assessment of the goats. With respect to lameness we developed a websurvey that allowed us to collect observer’s ratings of goats lameness condition. Our survey showed that observers were only able to consistently assess severely lame goats, a finding which is important towards the integration of the indicator in assessment protocols. The observers’ ratings also showed that the numerical rating scales should only be used considering their ordinal level of measurement. This directs research towards the development of scoring systems with higher levels of measurement, like the modified visual analogue scales. Third, this thesis contributed to the development of a welfare assessment protocol that integrated and tested the two studied indicators (BCS and lameness). Such protocol was implemented in 30 Portuguese farms and provided insights into the main welfare problems affecting intensively kept dairy goats in our country (claw overgrowth, queuing at feeding, very fat animals), which is paramount to improve dairy goats’ welfare. Research conducted for this thesis has practical implications for both welfare assessment research and to the goat industry in general. Ultimately, through the development of adequate assessment tools, it integrates the welfare issue into the food chain, meeting the consumers’ expectations in the development of a sustainable food production system.

2015-10-27Tese de doutoramento

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Entidade financiadora

European Commission

Programa de financiamento

FP7

Número da atribuição

266213