Comparison Between Plasma Substance P and Cortisol Concentrations Following Castration in Beef Calves
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Eye white may indicate emotional state on a frustration-contentedness axis in dairy cows
Research on welfare indicators has focused primarily on indicators of poor welfare, but there is also a need for indicators that can cover the range from good to poor welfare. The aim of this experiment was to compare behaviour elements in dairy cows shown in response to a frustrating situation as well as elements shown […]
The assessment and implementation of animal welfare: theory into practice.
This paper reviews the procedures and protocols necessary for the development of a practical programme for the assessment and implementation of animal welfare on farms and in other commercial situations. An effective programme must incorporate measures of both husbandry and welfare. Most current systems are based almost entirely on measures of husbandry provision, e.g. resources […]
Heart rate variability: A noninvasive approach to measure stress in calves and cows
The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of heart rate variability (HRV) and its specific parameters as a new approach to assess stress load in cattle. We recorded HRV in 52 calves in three groups and in 31 cows in two groups. In calves we divided Group 1 with no obvious stress […]
Acoustic analysis of cattle (Bos taurus) mother–offspring contact calls from a source–filter theory perspective
Cattle vocalisations have been proposed as potential indicators of animal welfare. However, very few studies have investigated the acoustic structure and information encoded in these vocalisations using advanced analysis techniques. Vocalisations play key roles in a wide range of communication contexts; e.g. for individual recognition and to help coordinate social behaviours. Two factors have greatly […]
Designing Better Water Troughs: Does Trough Color Influence Dairy Cows’ Preference?
Eighteen lactating dairy cows were used to elucidate their preference for green, grey, or red troughs. The herd was managed under a rotational grazing system with ad-libitum access to water until 11:30 h. For 9 days, all cows were tested individually following the afternoon milking. Cows drank similar quantities, spent a similar amount of time […]
Assessing cow-calf welfare. Part 1: Benchmarking beef cow health and behavior, handling; and management, facilities, and producer perspectives
Assessment programs are one way beef producers communicate information about animal welfare to retailers and the public. Programs that monitor cattle through the production cycle (e.g., the Global Animal Partnership) or at individual stages (e.g., slaughter; the North American Meat Institute) exist, but to date, there is no assessment program addressing welfare specifically in the […]
Assessing cow-calf welfare. Part 2: Risk factors for beef cow health and behavior and stockperson handling
Epidemiological studies can be used to identify risk factors for livestock welfare concerns but have not been conducted in the cow-calf sector for this purpose. The objectives of this study were to investigate the relationships of 1) herd-level management, facilities, and producer perspectives with cattle health and behavior and stockperson handling and 2) stockperson handling […]