“If you were a cow, what would you want?” Findings from participatory workshops with dairy farmers

Study of the Feasibility of Proposed Measures to Assess Animal Welfare for Zebu Beef Farms within Pasture-Based Systems under Tropical Conditions

“…However, these measurements do not appear appropriate for beef cattle systems where animal restraint possibilities are few compared to dairy systems [48]. In this study, thermal comfort was assessed by direct observation of the resources available to help cattle cope with heat or cold stress (e.g., the presence of trees in the pasture, and silvopasture systems), which is considered valid in pasture-based systems [44] and is valuable to producers as it provides protection against extreme climates and contributes to wildlife conservation [49]. Other indicators have been suggested such as (a) the evaluation of the cleanliness of the animals' hind quarters and the percentage of dirty animals [50], but these indicators are not very applicable when the animals are free in the pastures, due to the difficulty of observation; however, it is considered valuable because the presence of mud or manure, are risk factors for the presentation of lameness [11,51]; (b) the use of sensors to evaluate animal behavior during long-term grazing (an option that would be valid, if the evaluation were performed for research purposes); (c) evaluation of resting behavior (animals lying outside or inside the resting or shaded area [45]; and (d) measurement of clinical signs of heat stress (such as panting) [7].…”

“…This evaluation is very important, because excessive mud is a problem that generates chronic stress and affects health, feed conversion and weight gain [56]. On the other hand, it has been suggested to use, as a measure of thermal comfort, adaptations made by the owners to provide greater comfort to the animals (environmental enrichment), but we considered that the environmental enrichment strategies are naturally included in the pasture environment [49].…”