Pasture Access Effects on the Welfare of Dairy Cows Housed in Free-Stall Barns
Despite considerable research regarding the benefits of natural living conditions on several aspects of the health and well-being of dairy cows, the effects of pasture access on their overall welfare are less studied. In this comparative study, the Welfare Quality<sup>®</sup> protocol wa...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Agriculture |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/2/179 |
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| author | Anamaria Blaga Petrean Sorana Daina Mihai Borzan Adrian M. Macri Liviu Bogdan Eva A. Lazar Silvana Popescu |
| author_facet | Anamaria Blaga Petrean Sorana Daina Mihai Borzan Adrian M. Macri Liviu Bogdan Eva A. Lazar Silvana Popescu |
| author_sort | Anamaria Blaga Petrean |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Despite considerable research regarding the benefits of natural living conditions on several aspects of the health and well-being of dairy cows, the effects of pasture access on their overall welfare are less studied. In this comparative study, the Welfare Quality<sup>®</sup> protocol was applied in 22 zero-grazing and 17 grazing access farms with an ulterior statistical exploration of the differences found. Moreover, correlations were calculated between pasture access and animal-based welfare measures. Aside from the multiple benefits of pasturing identified within the welfare measures, criteria, and principles, in the overall classification, the farms with permanent confinement ranked lower than the grazing farms. Although both systems used free-stall barns, allowing the cows’ movement, the grazing animals showed improved overall welfare. Yet, the origin-related adaptation of the animals could play a role. The authors recommend research-based tailoring whenever these conditions are intended to be transposed in technology, especially in intensive systems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:46:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4d1ef1fc42444695855c492a4c10f96b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0472 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:46:30Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agriculture |
| spelling | doaj.art-4d1ef1fc42444695855c492a4c10f96b2024-02-23T15:03:30ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722024-01-0114217910.3390/agriculture14020179Pasture Access Effects on the Welfare of Dairy Cows Housed in Free-Stall BarnsAnamaria Blaga Petrean0Sorana Daina1Mihai Borzan2Adrian M. Macri3Liviu Bogdan4Eva A. Lazar5Silvana Popescu6Department of Animal Hygiene and Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Animal Productions, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Animal Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaHorse Welfare Association, 725700 Vatra Dornei, RomaniaDepartment of Animal Hygiene and Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDespite considerable research regarding the benefits of natural living conditions on several aspects of the health and well-being of dairy cows, the effects of pasture access on their overall welfare are less studied. In this comparative study, the Welfare Quality<sup>®</sup> protocol was applied in 22 zero-grazing and 17 grazing access farms with an ulterior statistical exploration of the differences found. Moreover, correlations were calculated between pasture access and animal-based welfare measures. Aside from the multiple benefits of pasturing identified within the welfare measures, criteria, and principles, in the overall classification, the farms with permanent confinement ranked lower than the grazing farms. Although both systems used free-stall barns, allowing the cows’ movement, the grazing animals showed improved overall welfare. Yet, the origin-related adaptation of the animals could play a role. The authors recommend research-based tailoring whenever these conditions are intended to be transposed in technology, especially in intensive systems.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/2/179grazinganimal welfarezero-grazingwelfare quality protocol |
| spellingShingle | Anamaria Blaga Petrean Sorana Daina Mihai Borzan Adrian M. Macri Liviu Bogdan Eva A. Lazar Silvana Popescu Pasture Access Effects on the Welfare of Dairy Cows Housed in Free-Stall Barns Agriculture grazing animal welfare zero-grazing welfare quality protocol |
| title | Pasture Access Effects on the Welfare of Dairy Cows Housed in Free-Stall Barns |
| title_full | Pasture Access Effects on the Welfare of Dairy Cows Housed in Free-Stall Barns |
| title_fullStr | Pasture Access Effects on the Welfare of Dairy Cows Housed in Free-Stall Barns |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pasture Access Effects on the Welfare of Dairy Cows Housed in Free-Stall Barns |
| title_short | Pasture Access Effects on the Welfare of Dairy Cows Housed in Free-Stall Barns |
| title_sort | pasture access effects on the welfare of dairy cows housed in free stall barns |
| topic | grazing animal welfare zero-grazing welfare quality protocol |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/2/179 |
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