Hostname: page-component-669899f699-7xsfk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-04-26T21:31:05.274Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Attempts to Integrate Different Parameters Into an Overall Picture of Animal Welfare Using Investigations in Dairy Loose Houses as an Example

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

B Hörning
B Hörning*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Behaviour and Management, Faculty of Ecological Agriculture Sciences, Nordbahnhofstrasse 1a, D-37213 Witzenhausen, Germany
*
hoerning@wiz.uni-kassel.de
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The aim of this study was to illustrate the integration of different parameters into an overall assessment of animal welfare on the basis of studies with dairy cows. Behavioural observations were carried out on 36 farms with cubicle houses. Summed variables of resting behaviour were constructed by summing the results for three to nine behaviours. These summed variables showed higher correlations with cubicle features than did single behaviours. Individual animals may react differently to the same causes (cubicle features), and adding up may compensate for these different reactions of individuals to the same causes. Most recorded behaviours correlated with one another; this could be interpreted as evidence for identical causes. A cubicle sum variable was constructed, giving scores for cubicle features. The cubicle sum variable showed higher correlations with resting behaviours than did single cubicle features. This suggests that certain behaviours are affected by several cubicle features (additive effects). This hypothesis was confirmed by multivariate analysis.

Keywords

animal welfaredairy cowindex constructionloose housingparameter integration
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 12 , Issue 4: Proceedings of the 2nd International Workshop on the Assessment of Animal Welfare at Farm and Group Level , November 2003 , pp. 557 - 563
Copyright
© 2003 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Appleby M C and B O Hughes (eds) 1997 Animal Welfare. CAB International: Wallingford, UKGoogle Scholar
Bartussek, H, Leeb, C and Held, S 2000 Animal Needs Index for cattle — ANI 35 L/2000 cattle. Federal Research Institute for Agriculture in Alpine Regions (BAL), Gumpenstein, A-8952 Irdning, Austria (http://www.bal.bmlf.gv.at/publikationen/ignreport/ani35lc.pdf)Google Scholar
Bock, C 1990 Zur Beurteilung tiergerecher Laufställe für Milchvieh. PhD Thesis, University of Hohenheim. KTBL-Schrift No 339. KTBL: Darmstadt, Germany [Title translation: Assessing animal welfare in cubicle houses for dairy cows]Google Scholar
Capdeville, J and Veissier, I 2001 A method for assessing welfare in loose housed dairy cows at farm level, focusing on animal observations. In: Sørensen J T and Sandøe P (eds) Assessment of Animal Welfare at Farm or Group Level. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica (Section A — Animal Science) 30: 63–68 (Suppl)Google Scholar
Kohli, E 1987 Vergleich des Abliegeverhaltens von Milchkühen auf der Weide und im Anbindestall. KTBL-Schrift No 319, pp 18-38. KTBL: Darmstadt, Germany [Title translation: The lying down of dairy cows at pasture and in the tying stall]Google Scholar
Kohli, E and Kämmer, P 1985 Funktionelle Ethologie am Beispiel Rind — die Beurteilung zweier Anbindehaltungssysteme aufgrund einer Indikatorenliste. KTBL-Schrift No 307, pp 108-124. KTBL: Darmstadt, Germany [Title translation: Welfare assessment of two tying systems for dairy cows with a checklist]Google Scholar
Menke, C 1996 Laufstallhaltung mit behornten Milchkühen. PhD Thesis ETH No 11379, University of Zürich, Switzerland [Title translation: Loose housing of horned dairy cows]Google Scholar
Platz, S, Miller, F and Unshelm, J 1999 Auswirkung von Haltungsmängeln auf Tiergesundheit und Wirtschaftlichkeit am Beispiel der Anbinde- und Laufstallhaltung von Milchkühen. Berliner Münchner Tierärztliche Wochenschrift 112: 422–429 [Title translation: The impact of suboptimal husbandry practices on animal health and economic profitability: the example of tie-in versus loose housing system of dairy cattle]Google Scholar
Schnitzer, U 1971 Abliegen, Liegestellungen und Aufstehen beim Rind im Hinblick auf die Entwicklung von Stalleinrichtungen für Milchvieh. KTBL-Bauschrift No 10. KTBL: Frankfurt, Germany [Title translation: Lying down, lying postures and standing up in cattle with regard to the development of housing equipment for dairy cows]Google Scholar
Sørensen, J T and Sandøe, P (eds) 2001 Assessing animal welfare at farm or group level. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica (Section A — Animal Science) 30 (Suppl)Google Scholar
Wechsler, B, Schaub, J, Friedli, K and Hauser, R 2000 Behaviour and leg injuries in dairy cows kept in cubicle systems with straw bedding or soft lying mats. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 69: 189–197Google ScholarPubMed
Winckler, C and Willen, S 2001 Housing system effects on animal health and welfare — an approach to lameness in dairy cattle. In: Animal Welfare Considerations in Livestock Housing Systems. Proceedings of the International Symposium, 2nd Technical Section of the International Commission of Agricultural Engineering (CIGR) pp 239-244. Zielona Góra, Polen, 24-26 October 2001Google Scholar