Assessment of dairy cows comfort in Algerian farms by the Welfare Quality^® Protocol

ABSTRACT.

The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and degree of discomfort in dairy cows and the risk factors associated by taking into account six animal welfare indicators included in the Welfare Quality® Protocol (WQ^®): lying time, lying outside lying area, collision and cleanliness assessed on three body areas: udder, hindquarters and hind limbs. These indicators were carried out on 1,200 dairy cows belonging to 100 dairy farms in the province of Algiers, which 53% were kept in permanent tie stalls and 47% in partial tie stalls. Observation results showed a low average overall score of comfort (40.8 ± 10.62). This was mainly related to a long lying time (5.9s ± 0.89) of which 41.0% of the farms surveyed exceeded the alert threshold (>6.3s) and 39.0% the alarm threshold (>5.2s), a very high degree of dirtiness in udder (62.6%±21.9), hind quarters (60.6%±21.5) and hind limbs (60.6±21.4). As a result, the majority of farms exceeded the alert thresholds: 100.0% (udder), 86.0% (hindquarters) and 63.0% (hind limbs). Highly significant correlations were observed between the different aspects of comfort assessed (p < 0.0001). To reconcile dairy cows’ welfare and productivity, it is essential to improve their comfort.

Keywords:
Lying time; lying outside lying area; collision; cleanliness; score; correlation