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Daniela Baroli presents Poster 42 during the poster sessions in the Aula.
Session theme 5: Development and improvement of welfare assessment protocols
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Poster 42
VARIABILITY ON HANDLING PRACTICES IN ITALIAN DAIRY FARMS
D. Baroli 1 , M. Minero 1 , D. Zucca 1 , S. Waiblinger 2 , E. Canali 1
1 Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Milan, Italy
2 Institute of Animal Husbandry and Welfare, University of Veterinary Medicine Wien, Austria
In dairy cows production, farmers’ practices can show a great variability according to the rearing
systems (tied or loose housing), the management (small or large herd) which can imply the presence
of employees beside the farmer.
Objectives of Work Package 3.1 of the EU funded Welfare Quality® project were to determine the
variability of the farmers’ practices within the same type of production systems and their underlying
motivations and to determine the associated animal reactions to humans in two EU Countries:
Austria and Italy.
This is the first study in Italy where a systematic questionnaire survey investigated farmers’
attitudes, handling practices and the cow-human relationships in Italian dairy farms, the latter ones
are not discuss here. 155 dairy farms (loose housing) were randomly chosen in Northern Italy. A
questionnaire was handed over to the farmers by the technicians of the Breeders Association and the
main stockperson responsible for the cattle on the farm filled it.
The data of the 155 questionnaires were analysed to obtain descriptive analysis regarding the
variability of farm characteristics, housing, handling practices and specific attitudes of the farmers.
Many farmers have often contacts with their calves, besides feeding, during the first month of life,
while these contacts diminish when the calves grow. 66 % of the farmers never talked their heifers,
while many of the farmers are accustomed to use voice with their cows.
Farms with large herd size (120 lactating cows as average) are usually run by a farmer although
other employees do part of the job, however most of the farmers always did trimming (62%), heat
observations (69%) and inseminations (72%) on cows. Milking is done always by a milker in 44.5%
of these farms. Heifers are kept on deep litter (81% of the farms) and 64.5% of the farms have
paddocks.
Contact information: Daniela Baroli or email daniela.baroli@unimi.it or elisabetta.canali@unimi.it
Complete address: Dipartimento di Scienze Animali, Veterinary Medicine, Milan, Italy
Species: Dairy cattle