7. Welfare and Comfort Dairy Cattle

Question 1

What are some general considerations for dairy cattle welfare?

Answer 1

-Increasing public awareness
-Consumer wanting ethical practices
-Farmer always wants healthy and well nourished animal
-Production system bias
-Potential disconnect between consumer and producers

Question 2

What are indicators of animal welfare?

Answer 2

-Good performance
-Genetic Overload
-Absence of illness and injury
-Pain or distress

Question 3

What are the five freedoms?

Answer 3

Freedom from
-Hunger and thirst
-Pain, Injury or Disease
-Natural Behavior
-Discomfort
-Fear and Distress

Question 4

What is the OIE definition of animal welfare?

Answer 4

State as regards its attempt to cope with its environment

Healthy, comfortable, well nourished, safe, innate behavior, pain, fear, distress

Question 5

What are the 3 major concerns of animal welfare?

Answer 5

Functioning Well (disease, injury, poor growth, repro)

Feeling Well (suffering, pain, hunger)

Live natural life

Question 6

T/F: Morbidity and mortality are crude indicators of welfare so we need more sensitive indicators before a disease becomes a problem.

Answer 6

True

Question 7

What contributes to animal productivity?

Answer 7

Poor welfare, immune activated, illness, stressful event, high production can lead to high disease

Question 8

What is an animals affective state?

Answer 8

How if feels, pain and suffering, mental state, fear, distress, poor handling and facilities

Question 9

What is natural living?

Answer 9

Unnaturalness of modern housing
Natural conditions may be harmful
genetic selection interfere
Cant have all so whats most important

Question 10

How should we assess animal welfare?

Answer 10

Using animal-based parameters