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Behavioural observation is an essential part of routine welfare assessment protocols for captive wild animals and Qualitative Behavioural Assessment (QBA) can be included as measure of their emotional state. This study aims to develop a QBA Fixed List (FL) for brown bears (Ursus arctos), to test its reliability and to investigate the potential effect of the individual characteristics of the bears and season on the QBA outcomes. Observations and/or video-recordings were performed on 24 brown bears kept in three FOUR PAWS (FP) Sanctuaries. A list of 20 terms was created based on preliminary observations and assessments. Reliability between four observers was tested by calculating the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) of the four main Principal Components (PC) and each QBA term scored on 20 two-minute videos, after online training sessions. The correlation between direct versus video observations was investigated through Spearman rank correlations calculated on the first two PC of QBA performed by one observer on 32 twenty-minute observations. Finally, the effect of sex, age, time since rescue (Length of Stay -LoS-), and season was investigated using non-parametric analysis on QBA PC performed by the same observer on 41 twenty-minute videos. Results showed a good sampling adequacy. The agreement between observers was met in all four PC with ICC values from 0.63 to 0.95 and in most terms with ICC values from excellent (> 0.90) to moderate (0.50–0.75), except for Apathetic and Bored. Data from direct and video observations showed a significant correlation among each PC (Rs =0.69 for PC1, p 0.001; Rs =0.67 for PC2; p 0.001). The four main PC on QBA performed on the 41 twenty-minute videos, used to test the effects of sex, age, LoS, and season, explained 74.5% of variance. Positive and negative mood descriptors loaded on PC1, PC2 described activity levels, PC3 dealt with emotions of joy and suffering and PC4 with frustration. Sex affected PC2, females were more Positively occupied and Inquisitive. Older bears (>20 years) were more Bored and In pain than younger bears. Newly arrived bears ( 4 years. Bears showed more positive mood during spring and more negative during summer. Results of the study encourage the application of the developed FL in routine welfare assessments in FP Sanctuaries to monitor bear welfare throughout the seasons, their adaptation process from rescue onwards and to promptly identify changes due to the aging of the animals.

Simple Summary Automatic milking systems (AMS) are spreading rapidly among farms. The contribution of AMS to speeding up the milking process and increasing yield is unquestionable. Nonetheless, thanks to continuous research, AMS have shown the potential to improve animal welfare. In this review, we carried out a comprehensive systematic review of the scientific and industrial research on AMS over the last 20 years. The objectives of this study were to identify the tendencies and gaps of research on AMS and to help the scientists addressing future research. The results showed that, despite the interest in milk production, some gaps remain on the improvement of milk quality. Moreover, future research tendencies will likely be related to animal welfare, sensing technologies and the Internet of Things (IoT) systems. Abstract Over the last two decades, the dairy industry has adopted the use of Automatic Milking Systems (AMS). AMS have the potential to increase the effectiveness of the milking process and sustain animal welfare. This study assessed the state of the art of research activities on AMS through a systematic review of scientific and industrial research. The papers and patents of the last 20 years (2000–2019) were analysed to assess the research tendencies. The words appearing in title, abstract and keywords of a total of 802 documents were processed with the text mining tool. Four clusters were identified (Components, Technology, Process and Animal). For each cluster, the words frequency analysis enabled us to identify the research tendencies and gaps. The results showed that focuses of the scientific and industrial research areas complementary, with scientific papers mainly dealing with topics related to animal and process, and patents giving priority to technology and components. Both scientific and industrial research converged on some crucial objectives, such as animal welfare, process sustainability and technological development. Despite the increasing interest in animal welfare, this review highlighted that further progress is needed to meet the consumers’ demand. Moreover, milk yield is still regarded as more valuable compared to milk quality. Therefore, additional effort is necessary on the latter. At the process level, some gaps have been found related to cleaning operations, necessary to improve milk quality and animal health. The use of farm data and their incorporation on herd decision support systems (DSS) appeared optimal. The results presented in this review may be used as an overall assessment useful to address future research.

This Research Reflection raises awareness of the need to broaden perspectives and levels of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches when considering on-farm dairy cattle welfare. It starts with a brief overview of current animal welfare issues on dairy farms and how they are perceived by different stakeholders. Some divergences in points of view are discussed in more detail and the first steps in networking are mentioned. Particular emphasis is given to both milk and dairy product waste in industrialized countries and the potential effects of its reduction on changes in the production system. The needs for a quantification of such quota and retailer involvement are also analyzed from the perspective that on-farm animal welfare is directly linked to the amount of milk that might be removed from the food chain by adoption of welfare-friendly management, such as cow-calf systems.

Intensive fattening of late-maturing breeds on concrete or rubberized slatted floors is the prevalent beef production system in mainland Europe. The rationale behind this study is that specific beef breeds with different slaughter weights might have a diverse response to different flooring systems. The study aimed at assessing whether growth performance, health, behaviour and claw condition of two beef breeds, Charolais (CH) and Limousine (LIM), would be affected by their housing on concrete (CS) or rubber-covered (RCS) fully slatted floor. A total of 228 CH (116 on CS; 112 on RCS) and 115 LIM (57 on CS; 58 on RCS) were housed in four and two commercial farms, respectively, in groups of 9.0 ± 2.1 animals/pen with an average space allowance of 3.1 ± 0.2 m2. Draining gaps of CS and RCS pens were 16.9 ± 1.7% and 11.6 ± 1.2% of the total surface, respectively. Bulls of both breeds had similar initial body weight (429.4 ± 31.5 kg for CH; 369.6 ± 31.7 kg for LIM), and they were slaughtered when they reached suitable finishing. Charolais had a higher final body weight (BW) than LIM (750.8 ± 8.6 v. 613.7 ± 10.9 kg; P < 0.01), and bulls of both breeds on RCS had higher average daily gain than on CS (1.47 ± 0.02 v. 1.39 ± 0.02 kg/day; P < 0.05). The percentage of bulls early culled or treated for locomotor disorders were reduced by RCS only for LIM, while RCS tended to prevent the occurrence of bursitis for both breeds. During two 8-h behavioural observations, bulls on RCS performed more head butt/displacements and chases than on CS, and they reduced the frequency of abnormal lying down events. The use of RCS increased mounts’ frequency only in LIM, while its reduced drainage capacity impaired only the cleanliness of CH. Postmortem hoof inspection showed longer claw dorsal wall and diagonal lengths, and sharper toe angles for CH on RCS than LIM on both floors. Results of this study point out that fully slatted floors, regardless of being rubberized or not, are not suitable for bulls finished at a final BW above 700 kg due to their detrimental effects on health and welfare. The use of RCS could be recommended as an alternative to CS only if bulls are slaughtered at a lower final BW (around 600 kg), like in the case of LIM breed.

The research aimed at evaluating the effect of three versus two daily distributions of solid feed on veal calves’ health, behaviour, and rumen and abomasal mucosa alterations with the rationale that three distributions might improve calves’ health and welfare. The study was carried out in two veal calf farms that provided different amounts of solid feed (farm A 200 kg DM/calf; farm B 150 kg DM/calf) during the fattening in addition to liquid milk-replacer. It involved 342 calves in farm A and 108 calves in farm B. The change from two to three solid feed distributions/day started for half calves/farm after the third month of fattening when farm A was feeding 800 g and farm B 600 g DM/calf/day. Health status, blood haemoglobin, and behaviour were assessed on farm at different times. Calves’ carcass weight was recorded and rumens and abomasa were inspected post mortem. Increasing solid feed distributions did not improve calves’ health but it reduced non-nutritive oral behaviours (4.8 versus 3.2 ± 0.4% for two and three distributions/day, respectively) by prolonging the time spent eating solid feed. Carcass weight was similar between treatments. Three daily solid feed distributions did not reduce the prevalence of rumen mucosa hyperkeratinisation and abomasal alterations, worsening the frequency of rumen plaques. As the partition of daily dose of solid feed in three distributions is more time and labour consuming, its benefits addressing only the reduction of non-nutritive oral behaviours seem not sufficient to justify the routinely adoption of this practice by veal producers.

This cross-sectional study aimed to assess in post-mortem the prevalence of specific claw disorders and their location on the sole in hind feet of finishing beef cattle reared indoors under intensive production systems. Evaluation was made on animals that were introduced in the ordinary slaughterhouse planning, presumably with no signs of impaired locomotion or severe lameness. A total of 4292 hind feet (right and left) belonging to 153 batches were collected (average feet/batch 28.1 ± 5.62 (SD)) in 3 abattoirs in Northern Italy at 3 time points (April-June and September-October 2016; February–March 2017). One veterinarian performed the claw trimming first and then scored the presence of specific claw disorders and their position on the sole considering 7 zones (in the digital and interdigital areas). All claw disorders in a specific zone were recorded as binary (presence/absence). Infectious (ILS), non-infectious (NILS), and global (GLS) scores were calculated considering both the type of claw disorder detected and the number of zones affected. Non-infectious disorders were the most common diagnoses among batches, mainly on the lateral claws and in the heel-sole junction area. In particular, white line abscesses and ulcers (sole and toe ulcers) were also found as two of the most debilitating and painful lesions with a non-negligible frequency. Infectious diseases, when occurring in a batch, spread to almost all feet. As expected, GLS distribution on the total feet inspected showed a non-harmful condition, given that the worst scores from 3 to 13 were assigned to a restricted sample of feet (15%) and were far from the maximum potential value of 50. However, the GLS of all batches monitored revealed 10 critical batches having no healthy feet or more than 50% of feet graded with the worst scores. Since right and left feet of the same animal showed similar clinical diagnoses, a more efficient claw health evaluation system should consider only one foot. Although all cattle inspected were supposed to have no evident locomotory problems before slaughter, the detection of several foot disorders and the considerable distribution in some batches might suggest poor conditions on farms affecting finishing beef cattle health, behaviour, and welfare. It is therefore advisable that possible predisposing factors of specific claw disorders on the farms of origin be investigated more deeply.

The aim of this study was to investigate management and feeding practices associated with on-farm loss rate (mortality) on 63 beef cattle farms in Austria, Germany and Italy with housing systems other than fully slatted pens. Information on mortality and 56 categorised factors relating to the cleanliness of animal facilities, health and feeding management, animal-human interaction, cattle transport and origin were gathered during on-farm visits. Samples of total mixed rations (TMRs) were collected and analysed for chemical composition and particle size distribution. Twenty-eight categorised factors were removed from the initial 56 due to exclusion criteria (missing data≥20% and/or monolevel factors with≥80% answers in one category). Mortality was the response variable in the risk factor analysis and the remaining 10 continuous covariates from TMR analyses and 28 categorised factors were independent predictors. Mean (±standard deviation) mortality, representing the proportion of dead, euthanased and early culled animals over the total number of animals bought in or reared in the previous year, was 2.8±3.5%. Fourteen factors were significantly associated with mortality in the bivariable analyses; seven factors were not considered further in the multivariable analysis due to collinearity. None of the factors related to TMR were associated with mortality. Four categorical factors, referring to biosecurity measures and management, were retained in the final multivariable model, with country effect. Buying cattle from only one farm, no mixing of animals during transport, presence of a dedicated sick pen and keeping production records were associated with lower percentage mortality.

Despite the well-known importance of an adequate colostral immunoglobulin (Ig) transfer to calf health and survival, failed transfer of passive immunity (FTPI) remains a widespread problem in dairy farming. The aim of this study was to investigate the management factors associated with FTPI in newborn calves, evaluating particularly the combined effect of delivery time, amount and quality of the first colostrum meal. The study was conducted from March to August 2014 on 21 Italian dairy farms. Farmers were asked as first to answer a farm-level questionnaire on calf management. Blood sampling was then performed on overall 244 calves (1 to 5 days of age) born from Holstein cows, and a sample of the first colostrum meal of each calf was collected. Individual information on calves and the respective colostrum management were recorded. Serum and colostrum Ig concentrations were assessed by electrophoresis. A mixed effects multivariable logistic regression model was used to investigate the association of the variables obtained from both the management questionnaire and the individual calf data with FTPI (calf serum Ig concentration 87.6 g/l) within 1.0 h from birth. Considerable improvements are still needed about colostrum management for newborn calves in dairy farms. The results of this study will help in developing farm-specific programs for reducing the occurrence of FTPI.

This study aimed at assessing whether a reduction in stocking density (SKD) would mitigate lameness and positively affect the performance and health of Charolais bulls in an Italian commercial farm. Bulls were distributed in groups of 10 or 8 animals/pen for high (HD) or low density (LD) corresponding to an individual space of 3.5 or 4.7 m2, respectively. Bulls were fitted with collars that measured rumination time and activity. Three 8-h observational sessions were conducted to record behaviors. Data about health conditions were collected daily. No differences were found in the animals&rsquo, performance. However, performance results might have been impaired by the culling rate experienced during the trial, which prevented from keeping a consistent SKD. Behaviors did not differ between groups, except for rumination time, which was higher for LD bulls during the third observation (p &lt, 0.05). However, rumination time, recorded by collars, did not vary among treatments. There were no differences in the percentage of sick or lame bulls, but the percentage of animals treated repeatedly due to relapse was higher for the HD group (p &lt, 0.05). It was concluded that a larger space allowance could improve the health of bulls kept on fully slatted floors.

Simple Summary The overuse and misuse of antimicrobials in dairy farming may lead to the development of antimicrobial resistance and thus to the reduction of the antimicrobial treatment efficacy against animal or human bacterial diseases. This study aims to investigate antimicrobial use differences in four farm groups: mountain farms with specialized high-yield dairy breeds or with dual-purpose breeds raised for milk production, and lowland farms with specialized high-yield dairy breeds or with dual-purpose breeds raised for milk production. From the results, we found a significant difference between mountain farms with dual-purpose breeds and lowland farms with specialized breeds for the overall antimicrobial use and for the use of those antimicrobial classes that are most important in human medicine. Mountain farms have a generally lower milk production and smaller herd size than lowland farms, provide cows with access to pasture, and limit concentrates in the diet. These management practices and the use of local/dual-purpose breeds could reduce the risk of production diseases and the consequent need for antimicrobial use. Abstract The quantitative assessment of antimicrobial use (AMU) in food-producing animals contributes to the provision of essential information for developing relevant and effective policies to reduce use and to control antimicrobial resistance. Information on AMU is available mainly for intensive dairy farming systems and specialized high-yielding breeds. The aim of this study is to investigate AMU in different dairy farming systems by comparing the treatment incidence in mountain farms with specialized high-yield dairy breeds or with dual-purpose breeds raised for milk production to the treatment incidence in lowland farms with specialized high-yield dairy breeds or with dual-purpose breeds raised for milk production. Significant differences were found only between the overall treatment incidence, as well as the treatment incidence of highest-priority critically important antimicrobials for human medicine, in lowland farms with high-yielding breeds and mountain farms with dual-purpose breeds. Mountain farms have a generally lower milk production and smaller herd size than lowland farms, provide cows with access to pasture, and limit concentrates in the diet. These management practices and the use of local/dual-purpose breeds could reduce the risk of production diseases and the consequent need for AMU.

Assessing emotional states of dairy calves is an essential part of welfare assessment, but standardized protocols are absent. The present study aims at assessing the emotional states of dairy calves and establishing a reliable standard procedure with Qualitative Behavioral Assessment (QBA) and 20 defined terms. Video material was used to compare multiple observer results. Further, live observations were performed on 49 dairy herds in Denmark and Italy. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) identified observer agreement and QBA dimensions (PC). For achieving overall welfare judgment, PC1-scores were turned into the Welfare Quality (WQ) criterion &lsquo, Positive Emotional State&rsquo, Finally, farm factors&rsquo, influence on the WQ criterion was evaluated by mixed linear models. PCA summarized QBA descriptors as PC1 &lsquo, Valence&rsquo, and PC2 &lsquo, Arousal&rsquo, (explained variation 40.3% and 13.3%). The highest positive descriptor loadings on PC1 was Happy (0.92) and Nervous (0.72) on PC2. The WQ-criterion score (WQ-C12) was on average 51.1 &plusmn, 9.0 points (0: worst to 100: excellent state) and &lsquo, Number of calves&rsquo, &lsquo, Farming style&rsquo, and &lsquo, Breed&rsquo, explained 18% of the variability of it. We conclude that the 20 terms achieved a high portion of explained variation providing a differentiated view on the emotional state of calves. The defined term list proved to need good training for observer agreement.

This research aimed at assessing the effects of a ceiling fan ventilation system on health, feeding, social behaviour and growth response of finishing young bulls fattened indoors during a mild summer season. A total of 69 Charolais young bulls were housed in six pens without any mechanical ventilation system (Control) and in six pens equipped with ceiling fans. The experimental period lasted 98 days from June until mid-September 2014. Four experimental days were considered in order to assess the effect of the ventilation system under two different microclimatic conditions: 2 alert days at monthly interval with temperature humidity index (THI) between 75 and 78, and 2 normal days with THI⩽74. Health and behaviour of the bulls were evaluated through 8-h observation sessions starting after morning feed delivery. The study was carried out during a rather cool summer with a climate average THI of 68.9 and 4 days with average THI>75. Despite these mild climate conditions, ceiling fans lowered litter moisture and acted as a preventive measure for bulls’ dirtiness (odd ratio=47.9; 95% CI 19.6 to 117.4). The risk of abnormal breathing was increased for Control bulls (odd ratio=40.7; 95% CI 5.4 to 304.2). When exposed to alert THI conditions, respiration rate and panting scores increased and rumination duration dropped in Control bulls compared with bulls provided with a ceiling fan. During observations under alert THI, bulls spent less time eating, more time being inactive and consumed more water compared with normal THI conditions. Bulls’ daily dry matter intake measured during the observation sessions decreased on alert compared with normal THI days (P

This study aimed at calculating reference intervals for specific claws dimensions of healthy feet originating from intensively finished Charolais (CH) and Limousin (LIM) young bulls and heifers. Moreover, within a given breed × gender combination, measurements of healthy and affected claws were compared to investigate how claw conformation might change in relation to the housing on different types of floor. A total of 2237 CH feet (1324 bulls; 913 heifers) and 595 LIM feet (459 bulls; 136 heifers) were analyzed post-mortem during 20 sessions in three slaughterhouses in Northern Italy. Four measurements were performed on lateral claws of each hind foot: dorsal wall (DW) and total hoof (TH) lengths, heel height (HH) and toe angle (TA). Afterwards, a veterinarian trimmed the sole horn and assessed claw health condition by looking for specific disorders. A foot with no claw disorder was classified as -“healthy”, whereas when at least one claw disorder of different etiology was observed, the foot was classified as “affected”. A reduced dataset considering only healthy feet was used to calculate 95% reference intervals (RI) for each claw dimension according to breed (CH/LIM) × gender (bulls/heifers) combination. Relevant batch variance was detected for DW, TH and HH of CH heifers and for DW and TH of LIM heifers. These calculated RI might be used to assess claw condition and its predisposition to diseases in finishing beef cattle belonging to the tested beef categories. Affected claws belonging to both CH young bulls and heifers showed greater HH than healthy claws. In presence of claw disorders, CH young bulls and heifers housed on deep litter had longer DW and TH lengths, but only heifers showed shorter TA compared to healthy ones. Longer claws and higher heels of CH should be carefully monitored as indirect indicators of the presence of some disorders, particularly when housed on less-wearing surfaces. Claw health condition had no effect on conformation in LIM young bulls or heifers housed on different types of floor. The housing of young bulls, regardless of breed, on concrete slatted floor showed the highest occurrence of feet affected by any claw disorders, confirming the harmfulness of this type of floor for finishing beef cattle.

This study aimed at assessing the prevalence of lameness in a large number of batches of Charolais bulls housed in deep litter (DL) or fully slatted concrete (FSC) pens with different space allowance. Data from eight intensive beef farms located in Italy were recorded during 18 months. Five farms housed bulls in DL pens, with space allowance of 5.0 m2/head (two farms) and of 5.5 m2/head (three farms) respectively. Three farms housed bulls in FSC pens, with space allowance of 3.5 m2/head (two farms) and of 4.0 m2/head (one farm) respectively. Lameness events were categorized as: mild, when they did not impair the regular conclusion of the fattening cycle of the affected bull, or severe, when they imposed the early culling of the animal. Date and average body weight of each batch of bulls at arrival to farm and at slaughter were collected as well as those of severely lame bulls at the time of culling. The study analysed data of 314 batches for a total of 7201 bulls. Prevalence of bulls showing mild lameness was 1.23% and was similar between floor types. Severe lameness had a higher prevalence in bulls housed on FSC than on DL (1.86 vs. 0.56%; P

Cattle mortality has a relevant economic and environmental impact but it has been scarcely investigated in finishing beef cattle farms. Aim of this study was to investigate mortality rate in 45 intensive beef cattle farms located in North-Eastern Italy from 2010 to 2013 and to evaluate potential risk factors affecting it. Information from the Italian National Cattle Movement database, as source of mortality data, were crossed with descriptors of barn features and farm management gathered by an on-farm survey to identify factors influencing mortality at farm level, which could be of direct utility for the farmers to reduce cattle losses. Results showed an overall average mortality rate in the 4-year period of 1.4% ranging from 0% to 5.3%. Mortality occurred within the first half of the finishing period, on average 3.4 months after the arrival at the fattening unit. A multivariate regression model showed that mortality was affected by breed (P=0.020) and by floor type as trend (P=0.083). Pure Charolaise (Odds ratio=1.70, 95% Confidence interval=1.11-2.59; P

In the Alps, traditional dairy farms are small-scale operations where vertical transhumance from valley indoor housing systems to highland pasture-based systems is still practiced in summer. Vertical transhumance implies a substantial change of environment, available resources, and management practices from one season to another. In such systems, animal-based welfare measures need to be monitored throughout the year to capture the variation of welfare outcomes, based on which targeted welfare management plans can be implemented. Because the Welfare Quality assessment approach has been tailored to indoor housing and intensive farming systems, the European Food Safety Authority recently developed a welfare assessment protocol for small-scale dairy cattle farms adapted after the Welfare Quality framework. The aim of this study was to assess nonbehavioral animal-based measures as defined by this protocol at different time points for transhumant systems in the Alps. In total, 18 animal-based measures were assessed before, during, and after the mountain pasture period in a sample of 67 small-scale dairy cattle farms practicing vertical transhumance in neighboring provinces of Austria, Italy, and Slovenia. Significant differences between assessments were identified for dirtiness of legs and teats, hairless patches, lesions and swellings, claw condition, ocular discharge, and diarrhea whereas BCS, lameness/severe lameness, vulvar discharge, nasal discharge, and hampered respiration were unchanged between seasons. In addition, a benchmarking exercise was carried out to identify relative boundaries (worst quartile thresholds) for each animal-based measure and to contribute to the discussion about achievable welfare outcomes for the 2 husbandry conditions that characterize a transhumant system. Worst quartile thresholds indicated a high prevalence of dirtiness (>80%) when cows were kept indoors, high prevalence of hairless patches (65%) before pasture turnout, and high prevalence of very lean cows (>13%) throughout the assessments. On the other hand, the best quartile thresholds for most clinical conditions suggested that high welfare standards (zero prevalence) are widely achievable in mountain farms practicing vertical transhumance during all assessments. The thresholds identified through benchmarking should serve as the basis for an effective context-based welfare management strategy promoting continuous welfare improvement on-farm.

This cross-sectional study aimed at performing a risk factor analysis of on-farm housing and management factors associated with infectious and non-infectious claw disorders of intensively finished Charolais young bulls and heifers. Claws’ health condition of a total of 1305 animals belonging to 88 batches finished in farms located in the Eastern Po Valley (Italy) was assessed at slaughterhouse. Batch prevalence of feet affected by sole hemorrhage (SH) and white line abscess (WLA) was calculated and foot condition was summarized by infectious lesion (ILS) and non-infectious lesion (NILS) scores according to diseases’ etiology. Batch prevalence of feet with SH, WLA, and assigned to the worst score classes were the outcomes in the risk factor analysis. Information about rearing facilities and health management of the tested batches were gathered in each origin farm along with a dietary sample used for chemical and physical analyses. Five categorized factors and 30 continuous covariates were considered as independent predictors and a cluster analysis of the continuous covariates was performed to select the most representative ones. Percentage of feet/batch affected by SH was on average 57.0 ± 32.5 % (SD) and by WLA was 9.94 ± 12.7 %. Percentage of feet/batch with the worst ILS and NILS was 29.6 ± 32.8 % and 12.5 ± 14.1 %, respectively. Charolais bulls showed a higher risk of SH and WLA than heifers and an increasing dietary NDF content acted as preventive factor. Concrete slats increased the risk of SH. Animals slaughtered in winter had the highest risk of WLA and the increasing level of dietary water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) was a further risk factor. The risk for the worst NILS was lowest in spring and in presence of ventilation systems. It increased for bulls and in those batches fed diets with higher WSC content. Batches for which the farmer reported a higher prevalence of urgently slaughtered animals during finishing showed a higher risk of WLA and infectious claw diseases. The risk for infectious claw diseases was reduced in animals slaughtered in summer, housed on deep litter and fed diet with increased NDF content. It increased in farms where diet formulation was not under the nutritionist control. As general outcomes of the study, benefits for the claw health of finishing Charolaise may come from the use of the deep litter and ventilation systems, the involvement of a nutritionist in diet formulation, and the provision of diets with reduced WSC and increased NDF contents.

This Research Paper aimed to investigate donkey welfare in dairy husbandry systems and to identify the potential factors affecting it at animal level. In 2015, twelve dairy donkey farms (19–170 donkeys per farm, mean = 55 ± 48), distributed throughout Italy, were visited. On each farm, the Animal Welfare Indicators (AWIN) welfare assessment protocol for donkeys was used by two trained assessors to evaluate the welfare of animals for a total of 257 donkeys assessed. The protocol includes animal-based indicators that were entered in a digitalised system. Prevalence of different scores at individual, farm and category level were calculated. Farmers were asked to fill out a questionnaire including information regarding the management of donkeys and their final destination. Answers to the questionnaire were then considered as effects in the risk factor analysis whereas the scores of the animal-based indicators were considered as response variables. Most of the donkeys (80·2%) enjoyed a good nutritional status (BCS = 3). 18·7% of donkeys showed signs of hoof neglect such as overgrowth and/or incorrect trimming (Min = 0% Max = 54·5%). Belonging to a given farm or production group influenced many of the welfare indicators. The absence of pasture affected the likelihood of having skin lesions, alopecia, low BCS scores and a less positive emotional state. Lack of routine veterinary visits (P< 0·001) and having neglected hooves (P< 0·001) affected the likelihood of being thin (BCS < 3). Belonging to specific production groups, lack of access to pasture and showing an avoidance reaction to an approaching human (AD) resulted in risk factors associated with a higher prevalence of signs of hoof neglect. Our results support the idea that lack of knowledge of proper donkey care among owners was behind many welfare issues found.

Polish Friesian male calves (n = 78) were used to investigate the effects of innovative feeding plans based on the provision of large amounts of solid feeds on growth performance, welfare, and carcass characteristics of veal calves. Groups of calves (initial BW 71.5 ± 3.7 kg) were fed 1 of 3 treatments (26 calves/treatment): 1) milk replacer plus corn grain (CG), 2) milk replacer plus an 80:20 mixture (as-fed basis) of corn grain and wheat straw (CGS), or 3) milk replacer plus a 72:20:8 mixture (as-fed basis) of corn grain, wheat straw, and extruded soybean, respectively (CGSES). All the treatments provided at least 170 kg DM/calf from solid feed throughout the 206 d of fattening. Type and concentration of milk replacer were the same for all calves throughout fattening. Calves fed CGSES received 96% of the daily amount of milk replacer delivered to CG and CGS to balance the dietary CP content. No differences (P ≥ 0.063) among treatments were observed for growth performance and DMI. Health status of CG calves was less than CGSES calves, as indicated by the greatest (P < 0.001) proportion of milk replacer refusal events and the greatest (P < 0.001) incidence of treatments for respiratory disorders. Inclusion of straw and soybean in the solid feeds increased (P < 0.001) the daily intake of iron in CGS and CGSES as compared with CG; however, blood hemoglobin concentrations measured at d 5 and 31 were greater (P < 0.05) than when measured on d 80, 122, and 206 of fattening. Feeding treatment did not (P ≥ 0.107) affect HCW, dressing percentage, or carcass color. Calves fed CG had heavier (P < 0.001) reticulorumens and more (P < 0.001) developed rumens than CGS and CGSES calves, but 84% and 68% of CG rumens (P < 0.001) showed overt signs of hyperkeratinization and plaques, respectively. These alterations of rumen mucosa were not detected in CGSES calves, and only 8% of CGS calves had rumen plaques. Regardless of feeding treatment, postmortem inspection recorded a prevalence of more than 84% abomasal lesions. When feeding veal calves with large amounts of solids, it is advisable to avoid the provision of corn grain alone and replace part of the cereal with a roughage source to improve calf health and prevent rumen mucosa alterations.

The human–animal relationship is an important component of the welfare of farm animals and for this reason animal responsiveness tests to humans are included in on-farm welfare assessment schemes that provide indicators for this. However, apart from the behaviour of stockpersons towards their animals, other factors may also influence animals’ reactivity to humans as observed through behavioural tests, which can add a further layer of complexity to the interpretation of test results. Knowledge of these factors may help a better interpretation of differences from one farm to another in the outcome of human–animal relationship tests, and may provide clues for improving the relationship between animals and humans. The main objective of this study was to identify whether management or environmental factors could influence the outcome of human–animal relationship tests in veal calves. Two tests were performed when calves were aged 14.9 ± 1.6 (SD) weeks in 148 veal farms: the voluntary approach of an unfamiliar human standing at the feeding fence and the reaction towards an unfamiliar human who entered the home pen and tried to touch each calf in a standardised way (Calf Escape Test (CET) – score 0 to 4). Questionnaires were filled in and interviews with the stockpersons were performed in order to obtain information on stockpersons, management, animal and building characteristics. The latency to touch an unfamiliar human at the feeding fence was significantly correlated with the CET scores. Total number of calves on the farm, space allowance, breed, environmental enrichment, stockperson's experience and season of observation influenced the percentage of calves that scored 0 in CET (i.e. calves that could not be approached). Type of milk distribution, type of breed and number of calves per stockperson influenced the percentage of calves that scored 4 in CET (i.e. calves could be touched). For both CET0 and CET4, the level of self-reported contacts by the stockperson (analysed only on the French subset of 36 farms) did not influence the results. This paper concludes that according to the tests conducted on veal calves on commercial farms, factors such as milk distribution method, breed of the calves or the level of experience of stockpersons with veal farming can have an impact on the results of tests focusing on human–animal relationships.

Confidence intervals for blood parameters used for nutritional and metabolic profile testing in cattle were calculated for clinically normal lactating Holstein cows, taking into account the effects of parity, stage of lactation, and season. Blood samples were collected from 740 cows in 33 Italian dairy herds according to a predefined protocol. Herds were visited during summer and the following winter, sampling 12 lactating cows at each visit (4 primiparous and 8 multiparous). Six cows were selected from the early-lactation group (days in milk: 10 to 89) and the other 6 were selected from the mid-lactation group (days in milk: 90 to 215). Cow selection criteria excluded animals clinically exposed to periparturient diseases as well as animals not considered in good health by a veterinary clinical examination. For each blood variable, outliers were identified and discarded. Data were then analyzed for their Gaussian distribution and variables with not normal distribution were log-transformed to adjust for lack of normality. Herd mean values were calculated for each blood parameter according to 3 main classification factors: parity (primiparous vs. multiparous), stage of lactation (early vs. mid) and season of production (summer vs. winter). The resulting data set was statistically analyzed using a mixed model with the fixed effects of these factors, their interactions, and the random effect of herd. General 95% confidence intervals were calculated for blood variables that showed a relevant herd variance component such as albumin, triglycerides, aspartate, urea, glucose, alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, direct and total bilirubin, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. For the remaining parameters, specific confidence intervals were calculated for each level of the significant main factors. Parity affected blood concentration of total protein, globulin, creatinine, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyl transferase, creatinine kinase, and phosphorus. Blood nonesterified fatty acids, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma glutamyl transferase, creatinine kinase and cholesterol were influenced by stage of lactation. The season of production had a significant effect on total protein, globulin, creatinine, alkaline phosphatase, phosphorus, sodium, and chlorine. The outcomes of this work will improve the accuracy of the biochemical profile as a tool for dairy practitioners to assess the metabolic status of lactating Holstein cows.

This review describes the principal causes of poor welfare in beef cattle and veal calves raised in intensive husbandry systems in Italy. Nowadays there are no specific regulations in force for beef cattle welfare. However, a document produced in 2001 by the Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare of the European Commission on Health and Consumer Protection identified the main causes of inadequate welfare levels in the different cattle rearing systems in Europe. In Italy and in the Po Valley in particular, the beef cattle farms are mainly finishing units characterised by animals kept at high density in multiple pens and fed high starch diets. Under these rearing conditions the limited space allowance is one of the most important issues impairing animal welfare. Other risk factors for poor welfare related to the housing structures are type of floor, space at the manger, number of water dispensers and lack of specific moving and handling facilities. Microclimatic conditions can be critical especially during the summer season when cattle can experience heat stress. The feeding plan adopted in the Italian beef farms may be another factor negatively affecting the welfare of these animals due to the low content of long fibre roughage which increases the risk of metabolic acidosis. In the veal calf rearing systems there has been a mandatory introduction of the new system of production according to the European Council Directives 91/629/EEC and 97/2/EC. Farms had to adopt group housing and to provide calves with an increasing amount of fibrous feed in addition to the all-liquid diet. Despite this specific legislation, several risk factors for calves’ welfare can still be identified. Some of them are related to the housing system (type of floor, air quality, feed and water supply equipment and lack of loading facilities) and some others to the feeding plan (type and amount of roughage, quality of milk replacers). Recent studies have shown that the welfare of veal calves and beef cattle can be severely affected by the quality of the stockmanship and particularly by negative human-animal interaction.

The study aimed at assessing growth and slaughter performance, feeding and social behaviour of young male stocks belonging to three native cattle breeds raised in the Central-Eastern Italian Alps: Alpine Grey (AG), Burlina (BU), and Rendena (RE) comparing them to the ones of Italian Simmental (IS), a cosmopolite dual purpose breed. Twelve male calves/breed were selected by experts of their breeders association and transferred to the experimental fattening unit at an average age of 113.9 ± 12.4 days. After a 70-day adaptation period, calves of each breed were assigned to 3 multiple pens of 4 animals each balanced according to their body weight. The experimental fattening period started when the animals had an average live weight of 204 ± 6 kg and it lasted when all young bulls reached the optimal finishing. The animals were fed ad libitum the same fattening diet distributed as total mixed ration once a day in the morning. The average daily gain of IS was 1.40 kg/day and it resulted significantly higher than AG and BU (1.16 and 1.20 kg/day respectively), while RE were intermediate (1.24 kg/day). Dry matter intake (DMI) of AG (6.34 kg/day) was lower than IS (7.45 kg/day), while the other two native alpine breeds showed intermediate values (BU = 7.12; RE = 6.99 kg/day). However no breed effect was observed for feed conversion ratio as well as for the number of medical treatment days. On average, the young bulls spent 215 min/day eating and 405 min/day ruminating and there was no breed effect on these activities neither when they were expressed per hour nor per unit of DMI. Regardless of the breed, more than 70% of DMI was ingested during the first 8 h after diet delivery. Rumination was instead prolonged during the evening hours and overnight. Feed selection indexes did not show any significant difference among breeds. Bulls of AG and RE reached the optimal finishing status at a younger age than BU and IS. Carcass weight of IS was the highest (336.2 kg) while the three native alpine dual purpose breeds had similar values (AG = 284.3; BU = 290.9 and RE = 300.9 kg). No breed effect was recorded for carcass dressing percentage, SEUROP and fatness scores. Based on these findings, the use of these native cattle breeds in the Alpine area should be encouraged not only for cattle biodiversity issue but also for the interesting opportunity given by their dairy and beef production.

In order to verify the possibility of using maize silage (MS) as sole forage in beef cattle diets, four isofibrous diets were formulated with stepped substitution of wheat straw (WS) with MS. The four diets, MS0 (20WS:0MS as percentage of dry matter (DM) of the total diet), MS20 (10WS:20MS), MS35 (5WS:35MS) and MS50 (0WS:50MS) were fed as total mixed rations (TMR) to 4 Simmental bulls (384 ± 45 kg initial live weight) according to a latin square design with periods of 28 days. Diets were isocaloric and isonitrogenous and at the time of their formulation the stepped substitution of WS with MS allowed to progressively reduce the need for energy concentrates increasing the forage:concentrate ratio. The increasing inclusion of MS to replace WS affected also the particle size distribution of the diets with a significant increase of the percentage of particles retained by a 8 mm sieve ( P 19 mm). Total tract apparent digestibility was influenced by diet type: lower values were recorded for the diets with a higher content of WS (MS0 and MS20) for DM, organic matter, crude protein, NDF, ADF (all P P

A set of hormonal, haematological and biochemical parameters was used to evaluate the physiological response and welfare status of 14 finishing Marchigiana bulls treated for 49 days with a low daily dosage (0.75 mg/head per day) of dexamethasone per os. Compared to the Control group, dexamethasone decreased cortisol concentrations (42.3 v. 5.7 nmol/l; s.e.d. = 4.17; P < 0.001), and led to the reversal of the leukocyte formula in the animals treated (P < 0.05). Total serum proteins (70.2 v. 73.9 g/l; s.e.d. = 1.55; P < 0.05), in particular β1 globulins (7.5 v. 9.1 g/l; s.e.d. = 0.24; P < 0.01) and fibrinogen (199 v. 258 mg/dl; s.e.d. = 32.70; P < 0.05), increased as a consequence of treatment. Prolonged dexamethasone administration led the bulls to an apparently chronic stress condition. Moreover, the study indicated various blood parameters that might be used by health officials as effective tools in identifying beef cattle suspected of being illegally treated with dexamethasone.

The study investigated the effects of prolonged oral administration of dexamethasone at a low daily dosage of 0.75 mg/head per day (Dexa) on beef cattle productive traits, behaviour and meat quality. In all, 14 finishing Marchigiana bulls were used in a trial that begun 56 days prior to slaughter, of which six bulls received treatment from day 5 to day 53, whereas the remaining animals were used for Control. The animals treated showed an increased average daily gain (1515 v. 1177 g/head per day; P < 0.05; s.e.d. = 48.54) and improved warm carcass dressing percentage (60.8% v. 59.7%; P < 0.05; s.e.d. = 0.32). Behavioural observation did not permit a clear distinction between treated and Control animals since feeding and social behaviour were similar in both groups. The bulls treated spent less time lying (16.5% v. 34.6%; P < 0.05; s.e.d. = 4.38) and grooming (6.7% v. 11.9%; P < 0.05; s.e.d. = 1.23), and this may indicate poorer welfare. No evidence of treatment was observed in other carcass traits, and redness was the only meat quality parameter slightly affected by corticosteroid administration.

The study aimed at verifying if the prolonged walking and fasting of the driving down transhumance from an alpine pasture to the farm of origin at the end of the summer grazing may impair health and productive response of lactating cows belonging to two specialised dairy breeds. The study considered a herd of 380 dairy cows and heifers of Italian Holstein and Italian Brown breeds that faced a driving down transhumance with a vertical drop of about 1050 m. The animals walked for about 40 km completing the journey in 23 h, including three resting periods. Ten Holstein and nine Brown lactating cows were selected and monitored before and after the driving down transhumance taking individual blood samples and recording milk yield. The prolonged physical exercise and the limited water and energy intake during the driving down transhumance impaired cows’ metabolic profile resembling a status of ketosis. A significant drop in milk yield was observed in all the monitored animals regardless of the breed. The production loss was more severe (49.4%) in cows with high milk yield and less days in milk. These animals required also a prolonged time to recover from the milk drop due to the driving down transhumance and, based on these findings, they should be excluded from this practise.

Reference limits for metabolic profiles in Holstein late-pregnant heifers and dry cows were determined considering the effects of parity, days relative to calving, and season. Blood samples were collected from 104 pregnant heifers and 186 dry cows (68 primiparous and 118 pluriparous) from 60 to 10 d before the expected calving date in 31 dairy farms in northeastern Italy. Sampling was performed during summer (182 samples) and the following winter (108 samples). All the animals were judged as clinically healthy at a veterinary visit before sampling. Outliers were removed from data of each blood analyte, and variables that were not normally distributed were log transformed. A mixed model was used to test the fixed effects of parity (late-pregnant heifers, primiparous or pluriparous dry cows), class of days relative to calving (60–41 d, 40–21 d, 20–10 d), season (summer or winter), and the interactions between parity and class of days relative to calving and between parity and season, with farm as random effect. Single general reference limits and 95% confidence intervals were generated for analytes that did not vary according to fixed effects. Whenever a fixed effect included in the model significantly affected a given analyte, specific reference limits and 95% confidence intervals were generated for each of its levels. Albumin, urea, triglycerides, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatinine kinase, conjugated bilirubin, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, chloride, zinc, copper, and iron concentrations were not influenced by any of the fixed effects. Total protein, globulins, creatinine, glucose, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyltransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and sodium plasma concentrations were affected by parity. The class of days relative to calving had a significant effect on the concentrations of total protein, globulins, fatty acids, cholesterol, total bilirubin, and sodium. Season affected plasma concentrations of creatinine, glucose, fatty acids, lactate dehydrogenase, and sodium. Interactions between parity and class of days relative to calving and between parity and season did not significantly affect any of the blood analytes tested. The reference limits and the 95% confidence intervals for blood analytes determined in the study could help dairy practitioners to improve the accuracy of metabolic profile interpretation in Holstein late-pregnant cattle.

This study aimed at evaluating short- and long-term effects of housing beef cattle on deep litter (DL) or concrete fully slatted floor (FS) on their welfare. Animal-based measures of the Welfare Quality® assessment protocol for cattle were used to assess health status and behaviour of bulls. The assessment was carried out in a large commercial farm on 15 batches of bulls (4 DL and 11 FS) 1 month after their receiving day (short-term) and on 12 batches (three DL and nine FS) the week before slaughter (long-term). Signs of better comfort on deep litter in terms of shorter lying down durations (5.1±0.5 v. 6.5±0.4 s; P

International audience; A survey was carried out to describe the extent and current practice of cattle disbudding/dehorning in the EU Member States. Disbudding was defined as removal of horns in calves of up to 2 months of age, whereas dehorning was defined as removal of horns in older animals. Specific questionnaires were created regarding dairy, beef, and suckler production systems and they were submitted to local experts of each country belonging to relevant institutions like universities, national farmers' associations, cattle breeders associations, farm veterinarians and practitioners. Figures on disbudding/dehorning practices were produced for each production system for both the whole European Union and the North, Centre, East and South EU macro-regions. A total of 652 questionnaires were collected and 64%, 24% and 12% of them related to dairy cattle, beef cattle and suckler cows, respectively. Data from the survey showed that in Europe, 81% of the dairy, 47% of the beef and 68% of the suckler currently keep disbudded/dehorned animals, while the prevalence of polled cattle is rather low, especially in the dairy cattle sector (5% of all cattle farms

Given that surgical castration is a painful practice performed on millions of pigs every year, a need to identify novel reliable pain assessment tools exists in order to test anaesthetic and analgesic protocols that may reduce related pain. Two treatments were considered: handling (H) and surgical castration (C). Physiological (cortisol, lactate, glycaemia, rectal and eye temperature) and behavioural variables (latency to move after treatment and alterations in posture and walking) were analysed. Cortisol showed the greatest level in C piglets within 20 min after the surgical procedure and a positive correlation with glucose concentration. Eye temperature was higher in C piglets, and the same difference was detected for rectal temperature 3 h after castration. Behavioural parameters revealed that C piglets had longer latency to move and a higher percentage of them showed alterations in posture and walking. Results of this study showed that, in castrated piglets behavioural and physiological alterations occur mainly in the first 3 h from treatment. Latency to move, alterations in posture and walking, and eye temperature appear to give additional and useful information in piglet pain assessment. However, differently from the behavioural parameters considered, eye temperature involves several manipulations of the animals and a long process to acquire the data.

The study aimed at evaluating nutrients apparent digestibility in veal calves fed 3 feeding plans based on milk-replacer plus large amounts of solid feeds differing in their composition during the first 80 days of fattening. Twelve Polish Friesian male calves (70.6±1.9 kg) were randomly assigned to one of the following feeding treatments: i) milk-replacer plus corn grain (CG); ii) milk-replacer plus 80:20 mixture (as fed basis) of corn grain and wheat straw (CGS); and iii) milk-replacer plus 72:20:8 mixture of corn grain, wheat straw and extruded soybean (CGSES). Calves received the same milk-replacer but the daily amount was restricted (96%) for CGSES calves to balance dietary protein. Total dry matter intake from milk-replacer and solid feeds was similar among treatments, but CGSES calves showed better growth performance than CG ones. Calves were introduced into a metabolism stall (1/pen) during week 9 of fattening for a 3- day adaptation period and a 4-day digestibility trial. Calves fed CG showed the greatest DM, NFC, and ash digestibility while CGSES calves showed the lowest CP digestibility. Haemoglobin concentrations measured at day 5, 31 and 80 were similar among feeding treatments and significantly decreased over time. In CGSES treatment, the combination of milkreplacer with solid feed closer to a complete diet for ruminants led to better calves’ growth performance. However, the reduced protein digestibility with CGSES indicates that protein quality becomes a key factor when formulating diets for veal calves using alternatives to dairy sources.

The study aimed at evaluating growth performance, feeding and social behaviour of finishing beef cattle treated with Dexamethasone per os alone or in association with Estradiol. Twenty-four French cross-bred beef bulls were allotted to 3 balanced treatment groups: Control (C); Dexamethasone (D) and Dexamethasone + Estradiol (D+E). All the bulls received the same diet and the experimental period lasted 43 days. All the productive traits and eating behaviour were similar among treatments. Bulls provided with D+E showed a prolonged rumination during the 8 h following diet distribution but this behaviour was partially performed in standing position, since lying was significantly reduced in both treated groups as compared to Control. However, difference in behaviour were too limited to be considered a reliable indicator of these illegal treatments.

The study compared behaviour and clinical parameters of beef cattle housed on two different types of floor (fully slatted vs. deep litter) considering animals belonging to 2 live weight classes (less vs. more than 350 kg). The assessment of behavioural and clinical parameters was carried out in 20 intensive farms, all rearing imported bulls. Floor type had no effect on cattle behaviour except for the duration of the lying down sequence, which lasted more for bulls kept on slats. Slatted floor increased also the likelihood of occurrence of hair and skin lesions and lameness. On the other hand, bulls cleanliness was more likely to be impaired on bedded floor. Regarding the class of live weight, behavioural observation showed lighter animals performing more antagonistic interactions, while horning resulted more frequent in heavier bulls. Avoidance distance test indicated that bulls >350 kg were more fearful of humans. About health status, light animals were more affected by respiratory disease and hairless patches, likely because they are more sensitive to the stressful situations imposed by their transfer and adaptation to the new housing environment of the fattening unit. The risk of skin lesions and dirtiness increased instead in heavier bulls.

Fifty Polish Friesian veal calves were administrated high amounts of two different solid feeds (maize grain and a mix diet containing 10% of straw and 8% of soy) in addition to the traditional milk replacer diet. Compared to the mix diet, maize grain had a lower content of iron, copper and zinc and a minor fibre level. Effects of the two diets on calves’ blood haemoglobin, iron, iron metabolism parameters, copper and zinc concentrations were studied. Haemoglobin concentration resulted higher at the end of the fattening for calves fed the mix diet, as expected. Values remained, however, within ranges that allowed acceptable carcass paleness. Haematic iron, unsaturated iron binding capacity (UIBC) and total iron binding capacity (TIBC) levels were not significantly different between the two solid feeds. Lower copper and zinc blood concentrations resulted for calves fed the mix diet were likely due to the feed fibre interfering with the bioavailability of the two minerals, according to what happens for iron.

This study is aimed at finding correlations and possible integration among Qualitative Behavioural Assessment (QBA) and a specific protocol of clinical/health evaluation. Both welfare assessment methods were based on direct animal observation and were applied in 24 Italian veal calves farms at 3 weeks (wks) of rearing. Principal component analysis (PCA) summarized 20 QBA descriptors on two main components (PC1 and PC2) with eigenvalues above 4 and explaining 29.6 and 20.3% of the variation respectively. PCA on residuals obtained after correcting for housing condition yielded highly similar results, indicating that the rearing environment of the calves was not an important determinant of the observer reliability of QBA. A relationship was found between QBA PC2 and the presence of signs of cross-sucking recorded during the clinical visit (presence PC2=1.11 vs. absence PC2=-1.55, P

Veal calves raised under intensive conditions may express non-nutritive oral behaviors. When expressed in an abnormal way, these behaviors can be a sign of mental suffering and reduced welfare due to a mismatch between environmental or management features and the animal's needs. The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of non-nutritive oral behaviors in a large sample of veal farms in Europe and to determine the potential influencing factors present at farm level. Data were collected on 157 commercial veal farms in the 3 main veal-producing countries in Europe (the Netherlands, France, and Italy). Observations of 3 non-nutritive oral behaviors (manipulating substrates, tongue rolling, and manipulating a penmate) were performed when calves were aged 14wk, and the prevalence of these behaviors was calculated. Information on management practices and characteristics of the building and equipment were collected on all farms to assess potential influencing factors for each of the 3 behaviors. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to evaluate the effect of each individual factor within a generalized linear model. The mean percentage of calves per farm performing manipulating substrates was 11.0±0.46%, performing tongue rolling 2.8±0.18%, and manipulating a penmate 2.7±0.09%, with a high range between farms. Allowing more space for calves than the legal minimum requirement of 1.8 m 2 / calf and housing them in groups of >10 calves/pen reduced the incidences of manipulating substrates and tongue rolling. Incidence of manipulating substrates was lower for calves fed maize silage compared with calves fed cereal grain, pellets, or muesli. A higher risk of tongue rolling was found when baby-boxes (i.e., single housing during the first 5 to 8wk) were not used. Risk of calves manipulating a penmate was higher for calves of milk- or meat-type breeds compared with dual-purpose breeds and for calves fed with 280 to 380kg compared with those fed >380kg of milk powder in total for the fattening period. The study allowed assessment of multiple factors across farms that showed variety in terms of conditions and level of non-nutritive oral behaviors. Identification of the factors influencing non-nutritive oral behavior is helpful to define potential actions that could be taken on farms to improve the welfare of calves and reduce the prevalence of these behaviors.

The study compared the effects of enriching a basic solid feed mixture made of corn grain and straw with a protein source (extruded pea) or with urea on growth, health, behavior, and carcass quality of veal calves. Seventy-nine calves, divided according to their initial body weight (59.8 ± 6.9 kg) into 3 groups (5 pens of 5 or 6 animals per group), were allotted to 1 of 3 experimental feeding treatments: milk replacer plus an 85:15 (as-fed basis) mixture of corn grain and wheat straw (CGS); milk replacer plus a 72:15:13 mixture of corn grain, wheat straw, and extruded pea (CGS-EP); or milk replacer plus an 83.3:16:0.7 mixture of corn grain, wheat straw, and urea (CGS-U). All feeding treatments were targeted to provide 140 kg of dry matter (DM)/calf of solid feed during the 201-d fattening cycle, and the greater crude protein content of the mixtures supplemented with protein or urea was balanced by restricting to 96% the daily amount of milk replacer delivered to CGS. Results did not differ among feeding treatments for average daily gain or solid feed intake but, net of meal refusal events, the average daily intake of milk replacer was 1.73, 1.66, and 1.60 kg of DM/calf for CGS, CGS-EP, and CGS-U, respectively. The overall mean hemoglobin values from samples taken at d 11, 40, 83, 126, and 196 were lower for CGS-U calves (9.1 ± 0.2 g/dL) compared with CGS (9.8 ± 0.2 g/dL), whereas those of CGS-EP were intermediate (9.4 ± 0.2 g/dL). Behavioral observations showed a frequency of oral stereotypes

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of two potential alternative solutions to the concrete fully-slatted floor (FS), namely, a perforated floor (PF) and a perforated floor coated with a rubber mattress (RM), on growth, locomotor system health, and behaviour of intensively finished young bulls. Forty-eight male beef-crosses (Charolais × Aubrac) were allotted to six pens of eight animals (two pens/floor type) for a finishing period of 175 ± 7 days. Growth was recorded and two health checks and two 8-h behavioural observations were carried out by trained assessors 1 month after the beginning of the trial (Initial) and 2 weeks before slaughter (Final). Feed intake was not affected by floor type, but average daily gain of RM bulls was higher than that of FS (1.37 vs. 1.19 kg, P=0.01), with PF being intermediate (1.27 kg). Behavioural observations showed that FS bulls had a higher number of slipping events (6.5) than PF (2.1; P=0.01) and RM bulls (0.9; P

The presence and severity of lung lesions recorded post-mortem is commonly used as an indicator to assess the prevalence of respiratory problems in batches of bovines. In the context of a welfare monitoring based on on-farm measures, the recording of clinical signs on calves at the farm would be more convenient than the recording of lung lesions at slaughter. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between clinical respiratory signs at farm and post-mortem analyses of lung lesions observed at slaughter in veal calves. If clinical signs were a good predictor of lung lesions it could be possible to integrate only those measures in a welfare monitoring system. One-hundred-and-seventy-four batches of calves were observed 3 times: at 3 and 13 weeks after arrival of the calves at the unit and at 2 weeks before slaughter. For each batch a maximum of 300 calves was observed and the proportions of calves showing abnormal breathing, nasal discharge and coughing were recorded. Post-mortem inspection was carried out on a sample of lungs belonging to calves from the observed batches. Each examined lung was classified according to a 4-point scale for pneumonia from healthy lung (score 0) to severe lesions (score 3). The clinical signs recorded infra vitam were significantly correlated with moderate and severe lung lesions for observations at 13 weeks and 2 weeks before slaughter and the level of the correlation was highly variable (r(sp) from 0.16 to 0.40). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were created and the area under the curves showed that batches with a high proportion of lungs with moderate or severe lesions could not be accurately detected by the three clinical signs of respiratory disorders. These results suggest that both clinical signs and post-mortem inspection of lung lesions must be included in a welfare monitoring schemes for veal calves.

The study aimed at assessing the prevalence of poor rumen development, presence of rumen plaques, rumen papillae hyperkeratinization, and abomasal lesions in veal calves and to investigate risk factors for their occurrence at the farm level. Within a wide cross-sectional study, a sample of 170 veal farms representative of the European veal meat production systems was considered in the 3 major producing countries (99 in the Netherlands, 47 in France, and 24 in Italy). An average of 59±10 (SD) rumens and abomasa belonging to calves from a single batch per farm were inspected at the abattoir by trained observers to assess the incidence of these gastrointestinal disorders. Potential risk factors for their occurrence related to farm management, housing, and to the feeding plan were obtained by a questionnaire submitted to the stockperson. Prevalence of poor rumen development (almost no papillae present), rumen plaques, and hyperkeratinization were 60.4, 31.4, and 6.1% of rumens, respectively, whereas abomasal lesions in the pyloric area were recorded in 74.1% of abomasa. Independent variables related to the feeding system confirmed to be the main risk factors for the occurrence of gastrointestinal disorders in veal calves. However, additional risk sources for each given problem were identified among housing and management variables. The provision of a low amount of solid feed (≤50kg of dry matter/head per cycle) was a relevant risk for rumen underdevelopment. Rumen wall alterations (plaques and hyperkeratinization) and abomasal lesions were instead associated with the administration of large quantities of solids (151–300kg of dry matter/head per cycle) in calves receiving milk replacer during the entire fattening cycle. Among the types of solid feed, cereal grain acted as a preventive measure for low rumen development, whereas it was a risk factor for the occurrence of rumen plaques, papillae hyperkeratinization, and abomasal lesions. Some housing and management options adopted to improve veal calf welfare (i.e., higher space allowance and use of heating) were associated with lower risk for gastrointestinal disorders.

This study aimed to develop an assessment scheme for the evaluation at farm level of beef cattle welfare in the intensive rearing system that is capable of both identifying weak points in animal welfare and grading farms to such extent. The basic principle of the method was the avoidance of animal handling and the prolonged observation of cattle using animal-based and resource provision measures grouped in four classes of parameters: 1) Housing systems and facilities; 2) Health and cleanliness; 3) Animal behaviour and reactivity; 4) Quality of management and stockmanship. Each parameter was graded giving the highest scores to the best option for animal welfare, and the threshold value for distinguishing good from poor welfare conditions was set primarily on the results of scientific reports and investigations. An overall Welfare Index was calculated summing the scores of the 4 classes of parameters to formulate a general judgement of the farm and to allow comparison among them. The protocol was applied to 102 Italian intensive beef cattle farms rearing more than 300 young bulls/year. Regarding housing and facilities, the study showed that space allowance and space at the manger were the most frequent critical points. Within the “poor welfare” farms, more than 80% provided less than 3.5 m2/head to bulls weighing more than 500 kg, and none adopted a feeding frontage of at least 60 cm/head. Negatively judged farms compared to those ranked in the good welfare area for health and cleanliness showed a higher incidence of emergency slaughter (score 1.7: >1% vs score 3: 0.5-1%, P

Aim of the current study was to evaluate the clinical/health status of veal calves in 3 farms that adopt large group housing and automatic feeding stations in Italy. Visits were scheduled in three phases of the rearing cycle (early, middle, and end). Results showed a high incidence of coughing, skin infection and bloated rumen particularly in the middle phase while cross-sucking signs were present at the early stage when calves’ nibbling proclivity is still high. Throughout the rearing cycle, the frequency of bursitis increased reaching 53% of calves at the end. The percentage of calves with a poorer body condition than the mid-range of the batch raised gradually as well, likely due to the non-proportioned teat/calves ratio that increases competition for feed and reduces milk intake of the low ranking animals. The remarked growth differences among pen-mates and the mortality rate close to 7% showed by the use of automatic feeding devices for milk delivery seem not compensating the lower labour demand, therefore its sustainability at the present status is doubtful both for the veal calves’ welfare and the farm incomes.

The study was carried out in a sample of 406 commercial beef farms located in the Po Valley in which corn silage (CS) was included in the diet fed during the finishing period. Each farm was assigned to one class based on the cattle genotype and the results of this partition were the following: Charolaise (35%), Limousine (16%), French Crossbreds (35%) and Dual Purpose breeds (14%). Corn silage represented more than 33% of total dry matter of the diets of Charolaise, French Crossbreds and Dual Purpose cattle while its inclusion was significantly lower in the Limousine class (29.0% of total dietary dry matter). The decision about the amount of CS to be included in the diet has shown to be independent from the silage quality which, however, resulted satisfactory for all classes of cattle genotypes. The analysis of the chemical composition of the diets showed similar results for the four classes and therefore diet formulation seemed not to aim at the fulfilment of the real nutritive requirements of all the animals and of the Dual Purpose class ones in particular.