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Stef Aerts presents Poster 38 during the poster sessions in the Aula.
Session theme 5: Development and improvement of welfare assessment protocols
110
Poster 38
STOCKMANSHIP AS A HIGH-IMPACT FACTOR INFLUENCING ANIMAL
WELFARE: DEVELOPMENT OF A STOCKMANSHIP ASSESSMENT
FRAMEWORK
S. Aerts 1 , D. Lips 1,2
1
Boerenbond Chair Agriculture & Society, Centre for Science, Technology & Ethics, Katholieke Universiteit
Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
2
Ethology & Animal Welfare group, Department of Agro- and Biotechnology, KaHo Sint-Lieven/Association
K.U.Leuven, Sint-Niklaas, Belgium
Most welfare assessment schemes (for labelling, control or other purposes) have been developed, or
are being developed, based on environment- or animal-based parameters. While animal-based
parameters have the advantage of focussing on the endpoint of the welfare process, the animal
itself, environment-based parameters offer information about causes and possible remediation of
problematic situations.
The stockholder is another important factor when making a complete on-farm animal welfare
assessment. A stockholder’s attitude is critical as "good stockmanship can often compensate for
deficiencies in a livestock production system, but the converse is never true" (FAWC). Contrary to
this pivotal role, little research has focused explicitly on the stockholder and therefore, few systems
focus on stockholder assessment.
The influence of stockholder behaviour has been confirmed both for functional and feelings-based
interpretations of animal welfare. Positive treatment typically induces production increases (sow
reproduction, milk yield, veal calf growth, feather pecking, egg production, pig growth rate) of 4-
13%; in one experiment gilt pregnancy rate improved to 266%. The percentage of negative stimuli
(tactile, visual, auditory) relates to fearfulness (flight distance, avoidance behaviour) and even very
short (