Effect of training on the inter-observer reliability of lameness scoring in dairy cattle
In the present study, the effect of training on inter-observer reliability was studied for a 5-category lameness scoring system used for routine on-farm surveys of welfare in dairy cattle. The inter-observer agreement between an experienced and an initially inexperienced observer was determined during an initial training phase and at specific time points in the course […]
A continuous recording approach to qualitative behaviour assessment in dairy buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis)
In order to develop a method suitable for a continuous qualitative evaluation of animal behaviour while it changes during the observation period, two recently described techniques, the Qualitative Behaviour Assessment (QBA) and the Temporal Dominant Behavioural Expression (TDBE), derived by the Temporal Dominance of Sensations, were used in combination and applied to 8 Mediterranean buffalo […]