Beef cattle welfare assessment: use of resource and animal-based indicators, blood parameters and hair 20β-dihydrocortisol

Abstract

The present study aims to evaluate beef cattle welfare with an integrated approach as housing conditions and management practices change and to investigate the relationship between the adopted parameters and their applicability. A total of 15 Piemontese breed bulls reared in a tied stall housing system and 15 Piemontese, 15 Blonde d'Aquitaine and 15 crossbreed from Ireland reared in group-pen were considered. A welfare protocol including a checklist and the 'RIBECA' scoring system was prepared for the assessment of animal-based measures and resource-based measures. Blood parameters and hair 20b-dihydrocortisol were also analysed. The animal-based score was not significantly different among the farms, while the total welfare score was 'poor' for the animals in the tied stall system, 'fair' for Piemontese cattle in the in pen and Irish crossbreed , and 'very good' for the Blonde d'Aquitaine cattle. Irish crossbreed were the most fearful, with the blood findings also suggesting that these animals showed the worst adaptation, whereas Blonde d'Aquitaine cattle were well adapted. Furthermore, 20b-dihydrocortisol was lower (p < .01) in Blonde d'Aquitaine cattle when compared to Piemontese cattle tied and Irish crossbreed. The concordance between haematochemical and hair 20b-dihydrocortisol findings observed in the present study suggests that Blonde d'Aquitaine and Piemontese cattle reared in pens were less stressed during their livestock life. Measurements of cortisol metabolites in the hair matrix seem to be a valid diagnostic tool for monitoring animal exposure to situations capable of increasing cortisol levels over time. HIGHLIGHTS Husbandry and management conditions could negatively affect animal welfare. The RIBECA protocol adopted identified some beef cattle welfare critical points. Checking of different blood parameters and hair cortisol metabolites may integrate welfare assessment.

Mensuração da sustentabilidade na bovinocultura de corte: desafios para o consumo e produção responsáveis da Agenda 2030

“…Foi encontrada uma vertente que buscou avaliar o bem-estar de bovinos, tratando de uma análise de forma integrada e a medida que as condições de alojamento dos animais e as práticas de manejo mudam (Tarantola et al, 2020). Além disso, é possível analisar a relação entre os parâmetros adotados e as suas aplicabilidades.…”

“…Além disso, é possível analisar a relação entre os parâmetros adotados e as suas aplicabilidades. A sugestão dos autores pelo uso paralelo de medidas baseadas em animais -integrado com as análises de sangue -e baseadas em recursos parece ser preferível para avaliação do bem-estar de bovinos de corte (Tarantola et al, 2020).…”

“…Foi possível identificar uma busca teórica pela correlação entre os indicadores internos aos animais, ou seja, biológicos e de engorda de três grupos experimentais de novilhos (Tarantola et al, 2020). Os resultados deste estudo mostraram que a correlação obtida, entre algumas características de interior e indicadores de engorda permitem utilizar a estreita correlação identificada como marcadores na seleção de bovinos, para aumentar o nível de sua produtividade de carne (Tarantola et al, 2020).…”

Measuring Farm Animal Emotions—Sensor-Based Approaches

“…Blood lactate concentrations in livestock indicate the severity of stressors and underlying disease conditions such as respiratory diseases or neonatal diarrhea, or displacement of abomasum [ 49 ]. In beef cattle, such states have been studied using cortisol measurements in the hair matrix [ 50 , 51 ]. Cortisol concentration in saliva has been used as a biomarker for changing stress levels in pigs [ 52 ].…”

Investigating the impact of pre-slaughter management factors on indicators of fed beef cattle welfare – a scoping review

“…Specific hematological parameters such as neutrophil/lymphocyte ratios, cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline are commonly used to measure the stress response to pre-slaughter management in cattle (Warriss, Cucuzza et al, 2014;Mirzad et al, 2018). Adrenal hormones in particular, such as cortisol, represent one of the most important physiological parameters to measure the stress response as various stressors can result in its release, and is used in several studies assessing the impact of pre-slaughter management on cattle welfare (Mitchell et al, 1988;Ndlovu et al, 2008;Burdick et al, 2010;Tarantola et al, 2020). Common blood parameters measured in studies included in this review included cortisol, creatine kinase (CK) and catecholamines such as epinephrine and norepinephrine but the selection of physiological parameters measured varies substantially between studies.…”