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© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Simple Summary

Defining animal welfare definition is still controversial, and a definition is difficult to establish. Furthermore, welfare detection is often complicated and subject to different interpretations. This work aimed to provide valid indicators to evaluate the welfare of dairy cows. The Animal Welfare and Biosecurity Evaluation form (AWB-EF) checklist developed and validated by the Italian National Centre of Reference for Animal Welfare (CReNBA) was submitted to 16 Sardinian dairy cattle farms. Blood samples from the 230 Holstein breed dairy cattle housed in these farms were analyzed for hematological parameters. Correlation analysis revealed a strong association between AWB-EF (considered as gold standard) and laboratory parameters, indicating correspondence between the health and welfare status of the animals. Our study clearly indicates that the use of a validated checklist in combination with the identification of well-known laboratory parameters can be a fundamental tool for veterinarians to detect stress conditions early.

Abstract

The need for animal welfare definition and assessment is increasing worldwide, and several studies have been conducted to help fill the knowledge gaps regarding the welfare of cattle. However, further studies are needed to provide valid synthetized measures for welfare evaluation. The aim of this study was to assess the welfare status of 16 Sardinian dairy cattle farms, based on the developed Animal Welfare and Biosecurity Evaluation checklist (AWB-EF) and the corresponding hematological, biochemical, and electrophoretic profiles of these animals. Considering the AWB-EF as gold standard, blood samples were collected from 230 Holstein breed dairy cattle, aged between 3 and 8 years, out of the periparturient period, and with no clinical signs of specific pathologies. Principal Component (PC) and correlation analyses were performed to simplify phenomena interpretation and assess positive/negative associations. Four PCs were able to explain 76% of the total variability, and six laboratory parameters were strongly associated with the AWB-EF score (Spearman’s correlation coefficient ≥ 0.40, p-Value < 0.05), reflecting the real health status of the animals. Given the complexity of animal welfare as a multidimensional concept and the need to include both animal-based and non-based measures in welfare evaluation, the present work represents a sound basis for future evaluation and veterinary health planning.

Details

Title
Welfare Assessment: Correspondence Analysis of Welfare Score and Hematological and Biochemical Profiles of Dairy Cows in Sardinia, Italy
Author
Loi, Federica 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Pilo, Giovannantonio 2 ; Franzoni, Giulia 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Re, Rossana 2 ; Fusi, Francesca 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Bertocchi, Luigi 3 ; Santucci, Ugo 4 ; Lorenzi, Valentina 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Rolesu, Sandro 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Nicolussi, Paola 2 

 Osservatorio Epidemiologico Veterinario Regionale della Sardegna, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna “G. Pegreffi”, Via XX Settembre 9, 09125 Cagliari, Italy; [email protected] (F.L.); [email protected] (S.R.) 
 Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna “G. Pegreffi”, Via Duca degli Abruzzi 8, 07100 Sassari, Italy; [email protected] (G.P.); [email protected] (R.R.); [email protected] (P.N.) 
 Italian National Reference Centre for Animal Welfare, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini”, Via A. Bianchi 9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; [email protected] (F.F.); [email protected] (L.B.); [email protected] (V.L.) 
 Italian Ministry of Health, Directorate-General for Animal Health and Veterinary Medicines, Viale Giorgio Ribotta 5, 00144 Roma, Italy; [email protected] 
First page
854
Publication year
2021
Publication date
2021
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
20762615
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2522844143
Copyright
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.