The integration of human-animal relations into animal welfare monitoring schemes
There are increasing local and international pressures for farm animal welfare monitoring schemes. Housing of farm animals is a contentious issue for many, although the impact of the housing system may be overestimated by some. In contrast, the topic of stockmanship has received relatively little attention, even though research has shown that animal carers or […]
A study of three methods used to assess stockmanship on commercial dairy farms: can these become effective welfare assessment techniques?
The modern dairy industry involves close contact between the stockperson and their animals and thus complex relationships develop between stockperson and cow. This study examines the assessment of stockmanship quality on commercial dairy farms and aims to develop useable protocols for on-farm assessment of stockmanship for inclusion in a quality-assurance scheme. In this study the […]
Development and testing of an on-farm welfare assessment protocol for dairy goats
To ensure that farm animal welfare issues are identified and addressed appropriately, there is a need for robust on-farm welfare assessment protocols. This paper describes the development of a comprehensive welfare assessment protocol for dairy goats (Capra hircus) and its testing on 30 commercial dairy goat farms in Norway. The protocol combines animal-based welfare indicators […]
The implications of husbandry training on zoo animal response rates
Positive reinforcement training (hereafter known as training) has increasingly been adopted in zoos, to facilitate complex veterinary procedures without sedation or restraint and support husbandry requirements. However, empirical studies to establish the efficacy of training or investigate its impact on keeper–animal relationships are scarce; this was the topic of the current investigation. Study animals were […]