2023-09-26 12:07:03
The small dimensions of the cabins and corridors and the uncomfortable or slippery surfaces in the waiting rooms, corridors and side corridors are two of the main negative indicators of animal welfare observed in dairy cattle farms in the province of Lugo, according to the conclusions of the doctoral thesis “Animal welfare in dairy cattle farms in the province of Lugo and its implications in production”, presented by Sonia Verdes Gil at the Veterinary Faculty of the Terra Campus of the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC).
The doctoral research carried out by this professor of veterinary medicine, under the direction of USC professors Pedro García Herradón y Luis Quintelapoints out that these deficiencies negatively affect animals, since they can cause hygiene and health problemswhile causing a negative impact on productivity and in the reproductive cycles of cows and, consequently, in the profitability of dairy farms.
The thesis developed by Verdes Gil evaluates the weaknesses and strengths of dairy livestock farms in the province of Lugo in terms of animal welfare, while attempting to define the effects of less comfortable facilities and incorrect livestock management on the animals. For this study, Chairega’s veterinarian collected a multitude of data related to facilities, management, animal health and reproductive and productive capacity in almost 200 farms.
Most of the farms evaluated show adequate conditions both in the management of the animals and in the maintenance of the facilities, says Verdes, who also points out aspects that might be improved in terms of the design and materials used in its construction. The results achieved in this research work also highlight the need to establish a biosafety plan that takes into account all possible risks and defines strategies to prevent diseases. Among the main aspects to consider, explains the researcher, is the introduction of new animals, since they can carry diseases acquired on the farm of origin, in the markets or during transportation. To mitigate this risk, it is recommended to have a quarantine pen to prevent the spread of possible pathogens.
In the quantitative evaluation of the level of comfort derived from the facilities and management, the research finds a difference of 33 points between the properties with the best characteristics and the worst. The farms with the best scores stand out for the quality of the bedding material and its optimal maintenance and cleaning, which translates into cleaner animals and better production and reproduction rates. On the contrary, poorer quality farms show cattle with poor hoof and udder hygiene, a lower heat detection rate and lower milk production. Besides, Research associates cleaning of rest areas and corridors with a lower incidence of hoof diseases and mastitis in cowswhile attributing to the small dimensions of cubicles and corridors and the high population density a high incidence of lameness, a type of injury presented by 19.3% of the cows on the farms investigated.
THESIS AND QUALIFICATION COURT
Mª Lidia Gil Huerta, professor of the Department of Animal Pathology of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Zaragoza, chaired the panel in charge of evaluating the doctoral thesis presented by Sonia Verdes Gil. The commercial director of ABS Spain – Genus PLC, Juan Manuel Caínzos Cagiaoand the professor at the USC Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Rodrigo Muiño Oterocompleted a committee that awarded the doctoral research the highest grade of outstanding cum laude
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