Behavioral and physiological measures in dairy goats with and without small ruminant lentivirus infection
Although goats exhibit no visible symptoms of discomfort in the subclinical stage of small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV) infection, we examined their welfare at the behavioral and physiological level. Twelve SRLV-seropositive (SRLV) and eight SRLV-seronegative (control) goats in their first, second, and more than second lactation were observed for pain behaviors, locomotor activity, standing, lying, eating, […]
Effect of the percentage of concentrate on intake pattern in mid-lactation goats
The aims of this work were to study the between-individual and between-week variations of intake patterns, to examine the relationship between intake pattern, rumen pH and milk production, to study the effects of the percentage of concentrate on intake patterns and to compare methods describing intake patterns. Thirteen goats (95 ± 4 days in milk) […]
Invited review: Cessation of lactation: Effects on animal welfare
The forced cessation of milk production, or dry-off, is a routine management practice in dairy cattle, sheep, and goats. This practice initiates a dry period, during which the animal is not milked. Milking begins again after parturition. Most of the literature on the dry period has focused on how various drying-off strategies affect milk production […]
On-farm Qualitative Behaviour Assessment of dairy goats in different housing conditions
This study reports the results of the first investigation on the use of Qualitative Behaviour Assessment (QBA) in dairy goats, using a fixed-list of descriptors specifically developed for this species. It aimed to verify whether QBA can be reliably used by observers with different backgrounds to differentiate between the emotional states of goats kept under […]
Feasibility and validity of animal-based indicators for on-farm welfare assessment of thermal stress in dairy goats
This investigation tested the feasibility and validity of indicators of cold and heat stress in dairy goats for on-farm welfare assessment protocols. The study was performed on two intensive dairy farms in Italy. Two different 3-point scale (0-2) scoring systems were applied to assess cold and heat stress. Cold and heat stress scores were visually […]