Acknowledgements Book of abstracts - Publicaties - Vlaanderen.be
Acknowledgements Book of abstracts - Publicaties - Vlaanderen.be
Acknowledgements Book of abstracts - Publicaties - Vlaanderen.be
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Michaela Minero presents Poster 41 during the poster sessions in the Aula.<br />
Session theme 5: Development and improvement <strong>of</strong> welfare assessment protocols<br />
113<br />
Poster 41<br />
ITALIAN DAIRY FARMERS’ ATTITUDES AND HANDLING PRACTICES<br />
AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES ON HUMAN-ANIMAL RELATIONSHIP<br />
M. Minero 1 , R. Pagliari 1 , D. Baroli 1 , S. Waiblinger 2 , E. Canali 1<br />
1 Department <strong>of</strong> Animal Science, Faculty <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine, University <strong>of</strong> Milan, Italy<br />
2 Institute <strong>of</strong> Animal Husbandry and Welfare, University <strong>of</strong> Veterinary Medicine Wien, Austria<br />
Herd size can affect the human-animal relationship by decreasing the interactions <strong>be</strong>tween<br />
stockpersons and animals, however few studies have investigated this assumption, moreover human<br />
animal-relationship are also affected by motivation and attitudes <strong>of</strong> the stockman.<br />
Aim <strong>of</strong> this study, part <strong>of</strong> work package 3.1 <strong>of</strong> the EU funded project Welfare Quality®, was to<br />
relate the practices and the farmers’ attitudes to animal <strong>be</strong>haviour towards humans in dairy farms<br />
rappresentative <strong>of</strong> the Italian avarage situation..<br />
Based on the results <strong>of</strong> a questionnaire regarding handling practices during potentially sensible<br />
periods (first month <strong>of</strong> life, heifers) 20 farms (10 farms with high positive human contact= (HP) and<br />
10 farms with low positive human contact =LP) were selected for the on farm study. The <strong>be</strong>haviour<br />
<strong>of</strong> the milkers towards the animals was observed. The cows’ relationship towards humans was<br />
assessed by measuring their reactions to humans in standardized tests: forced approach (FAT) to<br />
known and unknown person.<br />
Behaviour <strong>of</strong> animals <strong>of</strong> the two groups <strong>of</strong> farms (HP or LP) was analysed with univariated<br />
Analysis <strong>of</strong> Variance or Mann-Whitney test according to the distribution <strong>of</strong> data. The same analysis<br />
were used to compare milkers’ <strong>be</strong>haviour. Spearman’s correlations <strong>be</strong>tween the results <strong>of</strong> tests and<br />
farmers’ attitude and milkers’ <strong>be</strong>haviour were calculated.<br />
In HP farms cows showed a significant lower avoidance distance when tested in the herd (F=5.77<br />
p
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