Abstract
Between 2005 and 2009, a system for on-farm monitoring of veal calf welfare was developed
by a consortium of scientific and commercial partners from France, Italy and the Netherlands.
The system comprised of protocols for the recording of primarily animal-based measures of
behaviour, clinical health, and post-mortem pathology, and an assessment model based on
threshold values for individual welfare measures and the integration of these measures into
aggregate scores according to the Welfare Quality® approach. Currently, in the Netherlands, a
follow-up study is in progress aiming to support the implementation in the veal industry of a
welfare monitoring system. In this study we try to establish a so-called ‘quality cycle’ whereby
(1) the welfare status of a batch of veal calves is assessed by an external, trained assessor, (2)
the assessment information is reported and interpreted, and fed back to the farmer by one of
his own advisors, (3) remedial steps in terms of e.g. feeding, housing, and management are
taken by the farmer if needed and on a voluntary basis; these steps are also laid down in a
concise report, and (4) an assessment of the welfare of the next batch of calves takes place. In
our project welfare assessments are carried out by inspectors of the Foundation for Quality
Guarantee of the Veal Sector, which is an independent inspection body performing food safety
and legal compliance audits on Dutch veal farms. Depending on the type of farm and system
of veal production, either professional advisors of the veal or feed industry, who already attend
veal farms participating in the study, or regular veterinarians act as advisors with regard to
the interpretation and possible implications of welfare assessment outcomes. A total of 65 veal
farmers voluntarily enrolled in the study. On each farm four consecutive batches of calves
will be followed-up and systematically monitored. Wageningen University is responsible for
the training and instruction of assessors and advisors, and for data handling and reporting.
Throughout the study, we also interview farmers and their advisors, and have feedback meetings
with groups of assessors, advisors and farmers. We will address some limitations and advantages
of our approach. We suggest that the active involvement of stakeholders within the veal sector
in welfare assessment and in providing advice to farmers will facilitate the future adoption of
the welfare monitoring system in practice.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on the Assessment of Animal Welfare at Farm and Group Level |
Editors | L. Mounier, I. Veissier |
Place of Publication | Wageningen, The Netherlands |
Publisher | Wageningen Academic Publishers |
Pages | 202-202 |
ISBN (Print) | 9789086862474 |
Publication status | Published - 2014 |
Event | WAFL2014 6th International Conference on the Assessment of Animal Welfare - Clermont Ferrand, France Duration: 3 Sept 2014 → 5 Sept 2014 |
Conference/symposium
Conference/symposium | WAFL2014 6th International Conference on the Assessment of Animal Welfare |
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Country/Territory | France |
City | Clermont Ferrand |
Period | 3/09/14 → 5/09/14 |