Data-Based Variables Used as Indicators of Dairy Cow Welfare at Farm Level: A Review
During the last years, the interest in data-based variables (DBVs) as easy-to-obtain, cost-effective animal welfare indicators has continued to grow. This interest has led to publications focusing on the relationship between DBVs and animal welfare. This review compiles 13 papers identified through...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/12/3458 |
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| author | Barbara Lutz Sibylle Zwygart Christina Rufener Joan-Bryce Burla Beat Thomann Dimitri Stucki |
| author_facet | Barbara Lutz Sibylle Zwygart Christina Rufener Joan-Bryce Burla Beat Thomann Dimitri Stucki |
| author_sort | Barbara Lutz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | During the last years, the interest in data-based variables (DBVs) as easy-to-obtain, cost-effective animal welfare indicators has continued to grow. This interest has led to publications focusing on the relationship between DBVs and animal welfare. This review compiles 13 papers identified through a systematic literature search to provide an overview of the current state of research on the relationship between DBVs and dairy cow welfare at farm level. The selected papers were examined regarding their definition of animal welfare and classified according to this definition into three categories: (a) papers evaluating DBVs as predictors of animal welfare violations, (b) papers investigating the relationship between DBVs and animal-based measurements, and (c) papers investigating the relationship of DBVs to scores of welfare assessments like the Welfare Quality protocol or to overall welfare scores at farm level. In addition, associations between DBVs and indicators of animal welfare were extracted, grouped by the type of DBV, and examined for replications that may confirm the associations. All the identified studies demonstrated associations between DBVs and animal welfare. Overall, the first indications of a possible suitability of DBVs for predicting herds with animal welfare violations as well as good or poor animal welfare status were given. The evaluation of relationships between DBVs and animal-based measurements (ABMs) found mortality-based DBVs to be frequently associated with ABMs. However, owing to varying definitions of animal welfare, the use of different variants of DBVs, and different methods used to assess DBVs, the studies could only be compared to a limited extent. Future research would benefit from a harmonisation of DBVs and the use of valid measurements that reflect the multidimensionality of welfare. Data sources rarely investigated so far may have the potential to provide additional DBVs that can contribute to the monitoring of cow welfare at farm level. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:39:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3bf3992651634866a995292506ce2812 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:39:22Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-3bf3992651634866a995292506ce28122023-11-23T03:27:17ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152021-12-011112345810.3390/ani11123458Data-Based Variables Used as Indicators of Dairy Cow Welfare at Farm Level: A ReviewBarbara Lutz0Sibylle Zwygart1Christina Rufener2Joan-Bryce Burla3Beat Thomann4Dimitri Stucki5Centre for Proper Housing of Ruminants and Pigs, Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office FSVO, Agroscope Tänikon, 8356 Ettenhausen, SwitzerlandClinic for Ruminants, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bremgartenstrasse 109a, 3012 Bern, SwitzerlandCentre for Proper Housing of Ruminants and Pigs, Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office FSVO, Agroscope Tänikon, 8356 Ettenhausen, SwitzerlandFarm-Animal Welfare Division, Agroscope Tänikon, 8356 Ettenhausen, SwitzerlandVeterinary Public Health Institute, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, SwitzerlandClinic for Ruminants, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bremgartenstrasse 109a, 3012 Bern, SwitzerlandDuring the last years, the interest in data-based variables (DBVs) as easy-to-obtain, cost-effective animal welfare indicators has continued to grow. This interest has led to publications focusing on the relationship between DBVs and animal welfare. This review compiles 13 papers identified through a systematic literature search to provide an overview of the current state of research on the relationship between DBVs and dairy cow welfare at farm level. The selected papers were examined regarding their definition of animal welfare and classified according to this definition into three categories: (a) papers evaluating DBVs as predictors of animal welfare violations, (b) papers investigating the relationship between DBVs and animal-based measurements, and (c) papers investigating the relationship of DBVs to scores of welfare assessments like the Welfare Quality protocol or to overall welfare scores at farm level. In addition, associations between DBVs and indicators of animal welfare were extracted, grouped by the type of DBV, and examined for replications that may confirm the associations. All the identified studies demonstrated associations between DBVs and animal welfare. Overall, the first indications of a possible suitability of DBVs for predicting herds with animal welfare violations as well as good or poor animal welfare status were given. The evaluation of relationships between DBVs and animal-based measurements (ABMs) found mortality-based DBVs to be frequently associated with ABMs. However, owing to varying definitions of animal welfare, the use of different variants of DBVs, and different methods used to assess DBVs, the studies could only be compared to a limited extent. Future research would benefit from a harmonisation of DBVs and the use of valid measurements that reflect the multidimensionality of welfare. Data sources rarely investigated so far may have the potential to provide additional DBVs that can contribute to the monitoring of cow welfare at farm level.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/12/3458cattleherdwellbeingwelfarehealthindicator |
| spellingShingle | Barbara Lutz Sibylle Zwygart Christina Rufener Joan-Bryce Burla Beat Thomann Dimitri Stucki Data-Based Variables Used as Indicators of Dairy Cow Welfare at Farm Level: A Review Animals cattle herd wellbeing welfare health indicator |
| title | Data-Based Variables Used as Indicators of Dairy Cow Welfare at Farm Level: A Review |
| title_full | Data-Based Variables Used as Indicators of Dairy Cow Welfare at Farm Level: A Review |
| title_fullStr | Data-Based Variables Used as Indicators of Dairy Cow Welfare at Farm Level: A Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Data-Based Variables Used as Indicators of Dairy Cow Welfare at Farm Level: A Review |
| title_short | Data-Based Variables Used as Indicators of Dairy Cow Welfare at Farm Level: A Review |
| title_sort | data based variables used as indicators of dairy cow welfare at farm level a review |
| topic | cattle herd wellbeing welfare health indicator |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/12/3458 |
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