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Masebo NT, Marliani G, Cavallini D, Accorsi PA, Di Pietro M, Beltrame A, Gentile A, Jacinto JGP. Health and welfare assessment of beef cattle during the adaptation period in a specialized commercial fattening unit. Res Vet Sci 2023; 158:50-55. [PMID: 36924635 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2023.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Beef cattle welfare and health status are influenced by housing and management systems. The present study aimed to assess the welfare and health status in the first 15 days after arrival of Limousine bulls imported from France and fattened in a commercial fattening unit in Italy. A total of 264 bulls were included in the study. Welfare, biosecurity, and major hazard and warning system were assessed on days 2 (T1) and 15 (T2) after arrival to the unit. At T1 and T2 an inspective clinical examination was performed on all bulls. At T1 and T2 blood samples were collected from 88 bulls for haematological analysis. Both at T1 and T2, the welfare, biosecurity, and major hazards and warning systems were classified with a general score of medium but with a decrease on animal-based measurements in T2. At T1 and T2 the clinical examination revealed a significant increase (p-value≤0.05) of skin lesions and lameness in T2. A high incidence of respiratory disease was noticed in both assessed times. Leucocytes and all differentials count, and platelets were significantly increased (p-value≤0.05) at T2, while the fibrinogen was significantly decreased. The haematological changes suggest that the bulls were under higher stress in T2 when compared with T1 linked with a difficult adaptation response to the fattening unit. A multi-factorial approach that integrates the indicators of the checklist and the clinical and haematological findings of animals can be a useful method to deepen the assessment of welfare in beef cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- N T Masebo
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, BO, Italy
| | - G Marliani
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, BO, Italy
| | - D Cavallini
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, BO, Italy
| | - P A Accorsi
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, BO, Italy
| | - M Di Pietro
- Virbac, Via Ettore Bugatti, 15, 20142 Milano, Italy
| | | | - A Gentile
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, BO, Italy
| | - J G P Jacinto
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, BO, Italy.
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Racciatti DS, Bottegal DN, Aguilar NM, Menichelli ML, Soteras T, Zimerman M, Cancino AK, Marcoppido GA, Blanco-Penedo I, Lloveras JP, Langman LE. Development of a welfare assessment protocol for practical application in Argentine feedlots. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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Brščić M, Kirchner MK, Knierim U, Contiero B, Gottardo F, Winckler C, Cozzi G. Risk factors associated with beef cattle losses on intensive fattening farms in Austria, Germany and Italy. Vet J 2018; 239:48-53. [PMID: 30197109 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2018.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate management and feeding practices associated with on-farm loss rate (mortality) on 63 beef cattle farms in Austria, Germany and Italy with housing systems other than fully slatted pens. Information on mortality and 56 categorised factors relating to the cleanliness of animal facilities, health and feeding management, animal-human interaction, cattle transport and origin were gathered during on-farm visits. Samples of total mixed rations (TMRs) were collected and analysed for chemical composition and particle size distribution. Twenty-eight categorised factors were removed from the initial 56 due to exclusion criteria (missing data≥20% and/or monolevel factors with≥80% answers in one category). Mortality was the response variable in the risk factor analysis and the remaining 10 continuous covariates from TMR analyses and 28 categorised factors were independent predictors. Mean (±standard deviation) mortality, representing the proportion of dead, euthanased and early culled animals over the total number of animals bought in or reared in the previous year, was 2.8±3.5%. Fourteen factors were significantly associated with mortality in the bivariable analyses; seven factors were not considered further in the multivariable analysis due to collinearity. None of the factors related to TMR were associated with mortality. Four categorical factors, referring to biosecurity measures and management, were retained in the final multivariable model, with country effect. Buying cattle from only one farm, no mixing of animals during transport, presence of a dedicated sick pen and keeping production records were associated with lower percentage mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Brščić
- Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy.
| | - M K Kirchner
- Division of Livestock Sciences, Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Gregor Mendel Strasse 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - U Knierim
- Farm Animal Behaviour and Husbandry Section, University of Kassel, Nordbahnhofstraße 1a, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany
| | - B Contiero
- Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - F Gottardo
- Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - C Winckler
- Division of Livestock Sciences, Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Gregor Mendel Strasse 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - G Cozzi
- Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy
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Rumor C, Brscic M, Contiero B, Cozzi G, Gottardo F. Assessment of finishing beef cattle mortality in a sustainable farming perspective. Livest Sci 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2015.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Abstract
Welfare concerns for intensive beef production have often been raised, but on-farm welfare assessment studies are rare. The aim of this study was to apply the Welfare Quality® (WQ) welfare assessment system for fattening cattle on beef bull farms to evaluate the state of welfare at the level of WQ measures and of aggregated scores, as well as overall classification. In addition, the purpose was to evaluate two ways of providing feedback information to the farmers with regard to possible welfare improvements on the farms. The study was conducted in Austria, Germany and Italy on a total of 63 beef bull farms with deep litter or cubicle-housing systems. Assessments were carried out 3 times (1 month and 7 months apart from the initial visit). In every country, farmers were assigned to two treatment groups (feedback from initial visit as written report, F, written feedback plus oral advice, FA) and a control group (C), which did not receive any feedback. At the criterion level, the highest average welfare scores were obtained from 'Absence of prolonged hunger' (94/100 points) followed by 'Absence of pain induced by management procedures' (88/100) and 'Comfort around resting' (77/100). Most welfare concerns related to the criteria 'Absence of disease' (40/100), 'Expression of social behaviour' (44/100) and 'Positive emotional state' (48/100), thus indicating room for improvements. Two-thirds of the farms achieved the 'Enhanced' level, about one-third was judged 'Acceptable' and only one farm 'Excellent'. After 6 months of monitoring period, there was no significant welfare improvement in both the treatment groups as compared with the control group. Reasons for the lack of effect may mainly be seen in the short monitoring period and a lack of external incentives. In conclusion, the WQ assessment system revealed areas for improvement, but longer term studies and investigations on alternative ways of transferring outcomes from on-farm welfare assessments to farmers should be carried out in future.
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Floor quality and space allowance in intensive beef production: a review. Anim Welf 2011. [DOI: 10.1017/s0962728600003134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
AbstractIn intensive beef production in Europe, finishing beef cattle are typically reared in pens with fully slatted floors and low space allowances. These housing conditions were questioned in a report published by the Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare in 2001. The report concluded that the welfare of finishing bulls and steers is at risk if they are housed on fully slatted concrete or wooden floors or not provided with adequate floor space. The aim of the present paper is to review and update scientific evidence on the effects of floor quality and space allowance on the welfare of finishing beef cattle. It is shown that the recommendations made by the Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare are still valid, and are well supported by studies published over the last 10 years. Furthermore, results of several recent studies testing fully slatted floors with rubber covering indicate that this type of flooring is an acceptable alternative to concrete slats, with positive effects on animal behaviour and leg lesions. Consequently, a phasing-out of housing systems with fully slatted concrete floors is suggested. With respect to floor space, the studies reviewed here support the notion that it is essential to enforce minimum standards resulting in increased space allowances for intensive beef production systems.
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