🏘️ Welfare Inputs/Outputs

Learning objectives

• Understand the core principles of animal-welfare assessment at the group level

• Identify and describe different methods used to assess welfare in groups of animals (including resource-based and animal-based measures)

• Recognize when and why group-level welfare assessment is applied in farming, wildlife, or monitoring programs
  Explain the purpose and structure of animal-welfare protocols, including how they combine different types of measures

• Use the Welfare Quality® protocol as an example to understand how systematic welfare assessment is carried out in practice

Animal Welfare – Key Concepts

Definition
 Animal welfare = internal state of the animal reflecting subjective experiences
 Depends on internal functional state and environmental inputs

Animal Welfare – Negative Experiences

Externally Focused (restrictions on behaviour)
 Fear
 Panic
 Frustration
 Loneliness / isolation
 Boredom / barren conditions

Internally Focused (physical disruptions / imbalances)
 Breathlessness
 Thirst
 Hunger
 Pain
 Sickness
 Weakness

Animal Welfare – Positive Experiences

Psychological Well-Being
 Includes comfort, pleasure, interest, and a sense of control
 Reflects good welfare and positive experiences

Animal Welfare – Examples of Good Experiences

Nutrition
 Drinking pleasures, pleasant smell, flavor, texture from a variety of foods, satiety

Environment
 Auditory, olfactory, visual, thermal, physical comfort

Health
 Comfort of good health, physical fitness

Behaviour
 Goal-directed exploration, foraging, maternally rewarded, excitedly playful, exercising choice

Five Domains Model – Behavioural Interactions

Renaming of Domain 4
 Previously called Behaviour, now Behavioural Interactions

Definition
 Highlights the ability of sentient animals to consciously self-select goal-directed behaviours

Interactions
 Occurs with key features of the environment, other non-human animals, and humans

Outcome
 Achieving these selected goals can produce a wide range of welfare-enhancing positive affects

Animal Welfare Assessment – In Practice

Core Concept
 Animal welfare is multidimensional and cannot be assessed with a single measure

Approach
 Requires a multidisciplinary approach to fully evaluate welfare

Assessment Basis
 Relies on a wide range of parameters
 Two main categories:

  Environment-based measures – based on the animal’s environment
  Animal-based measures – based on the animal itself

Welfare Measures – Inputs vs Outputs

Environment and Resource Measures
 Also called: welfare inputs, resource-based measures, environment-based measures

Animal Response Measures
 Also called: welfare outputs, outcome-based measures, animal-based measures

Welfare Inputs and Outputs – Overview

Inputs
 Management / animal caretaker
 Environment – housing, food, etc
 Animal factors – genetics, early life experience

Outputs
 Resulting animal responses

Environment-Based Measures – Inputs

Assessment Basis
 Welfare can be assessed using resource-based and management-based measures (inputs)

Types of Measures
 Resource-based – feeding area size, number of drinkers, resting area size and quality
 Management-based – calf feeding practices: milk type, amount, delivery method, number of meals

Key Characteristics
 Indirect indicators – based on how the environment is assumed to affect welfare
 Essential for preventing welfare problems and identifying risks

Welfare Outputs – Overview

Categories
 Behaviour – observable actions reflecting welfare
 Physiology – internal body responses (e.g., stress responses)
 Clinical health / production – disease status and production performance
 Post-mortem – findings after death indicating past welfare

Animal-Based Measures – Outputs

Assessment Basis
 Direct observation of animals – outcome measures

Key Characteristics
 Reflect effects of environment and management
 More valid than environment-based measures
 Include use of farm / lab records

Categories
 Health, physiology, behaviour, performance, post-mortem findings

Combining Welfare Measures

Core Idea
 Environment-based and animal-based measures each have advantages and limitations

Why Combine Them
 Using both gives a more complete and reliable welfare assessment

Outcome
 Allows assessment of current welfare state
 Helps identify potential risks to future welfare

Assessment of Individual vs Group Animals

Individual Assessment
 Example: clinical exam

Group Assessment
 Different methods needed for large numbers of animals

Welfare Assessment – Large Flocks

Growth Targets
 Female turkey – ~6–9 kg in 12–14 weeks
 Male turkey (tom) – ~15–19 kg in 16–19 weeks

Environmental Features
 Natural light, fresh air
 Straw bale enrichment – climbing, physical activity, deconstructing bales for mental stimulation
 Drinkers – access to water
 Clean birds – hygiene and health

Choosing Welfare Indicators

Practicability
 Consider time, cost, animal handling, and observation periods

Reliability
 Repeatability – agreement between observers or repeated observations by the same observer
 Validity – measures what it is intended to assess, including at the group level

Validity of Welfare Measures

Definition
 Validity – meaningfulness of the parameter

Ensuring Validity
 Test must be validated using another scientifically accepted measurement
 Example: lameness score correlated with claw lesions

Application
 Can be assessed at the group level

Lameness in Dairy Cows – Case Study

Assessment Practice
 Recognize lameness scores 0, 1, 2 using videos or real farm examples

Associated Signs
 Integument alterations – ulcers, sole lesions, hairless patches, swelling

Influencing Factors
 Environmental factors – flooring, housing quality
 Management factors – stockperson care, feeding practices, herd management

Lameness – Definition

 Reduced mobility or impaired gait in animals
 Often caused by pain, injury, or integument alterations

Lameness Assessment – Dairy Cow Example

Validation
 One test must be validated against another scientifically accepted measurement
 Example: lameness scores correlated with integument alterations

Lameness Scores
 Score 0 – 79%
 Score 1 – 12%
 Score 2 – 9%

Integument Alterations
 89% cows without skin alterations
 9% cows with hairless patches
 2% cows with severe alterations

Common Causes / Examples
 White-line disease, sole ulcers, swelling on lateral hock caused by skin abrasion
 Definition of alterations – hairless patches, lesions, swelling
 Influencing factor – flooring (soft / hard)

Welfare Inputs

Management / Animal Caretaker
 Training, time available, number of animals per caretaker

Environment / Housing / Food
 Housing type, quality and quantity of food, use of vaccines

Animal Factors
 Genetics and early life experience – affect disease resistance, fear thresholds, and overall welfare

Welfare Outputs

Observation Categories
 Behaviour – how the animal acts
 Physiology – internal responses (e.g., stress indicators)
 Clinical health / Production – disease, injuries, growth, or performance
 Post-mortem – findings after death

Scoring
 Examples: lameness / gait analysis scored 1–3

Relation to Inputs
 Outputs reflect the effects of management, environment, and animal factors

Issues in Assessing Welfare Parameters

Key Questions
 Can inputs and outputs be combined into a single overall score
 Are some parameters more important than others
 What is a normal level for specific parameters (e.g., behaviours)

Dairy Cattle Welfare Assessment – Animal-Based

Method
 Use direct observations of animals and investigation of farm records