Prof. Marcin Gołębiewski from SGGW in Warsaw is known for his practical approach to cow welfare. The expert often emphasizes that the assessment of conditions in a barn cannot be made from a human perspective, because the barn seen through the eyes of a breeder is very different from the one seen from the cows' perspective.
– Housing conditions that are inadequate to the needs of modern dairy cows result in an increase in health problems, increased culling and reduced life performance of cows, which ultimately leads to higher milk production costs. To a large extent, this applies to old or slightly modernized barns. Much more worrying, however, is the fact that many new livestock facilities also fail to meet cow welfare requirements. After launching many, very expensive, facilities, it turns out that the cow is the element that does not fit the entire system – said prof. during the XXVI International Scientific Conference in Polanica-Zdrój. Gołębiewski.
Well-being in the barn. The cow will tell you the truth
The expert noted that the best indicator of the conditions in the barn is the cow itself and its behavior, because cow behavior is the result of the animal's interaction with the surrounding environment, in which the main role is played by factors such as:
- dimensions of stations,
- type of surface for movement and rest,
- structure and access to the feed table i
- microclimate.
- Additionally, cows are influenced by the density and grouping of cows.
The speaker mentioned an interesting experience in which part of the route to the milking parlor was covered with a rubber mat – it was an 80 cm narrow strip of rubber, about 1 cm thick.
– The cows had the opportunity to move freely, without being pushed, and walked one after the other along this narrow strip, even though they had almost three meters of free space on the sides. An animal will always point out the truth, he said.
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Summary cow welfare indicators
As the speaker pointed out, aggregate cow welfare indicators are useful for assessing housing conditions, including:
- cow density,
- cow comfort index,
- percentage of cows standing and
- position utilization rate.
Cow density
The density of cows is calculated based on the number of stands in relation to the number of animals in a given livestock building. Density, expressed as a percentage, should not exceed 120%, with the caveat that in such a case the livestock building must be very well designed, especially in terms of access to the feed table and water.
Excessive crowding means difficult access for cows to the lairs, and therefore shortening the lying time and related consequences, including reduced milk production, increased risk of lameness and increased cortisol levels. The effects of excessive cow density also include: a higher risk of calving stress, decreased milk quality, limited access to feed and water (negatively affecting rumination and the balance of the digestive system), a higher incidence of metabolic diseases and a higher frequency of aggressive behavior in the herd.
Cow comfort index
Another key issue is the Cow Comfort Index (CCI), i.e. the percentage of cows in contact with the stall, but not lying on it (e.g. standing on it), in relation to the number of cows lying on the stall. In free-stall barns, the CCI index should be above 85%, calculated one hour after morning milking, as this is the time of maximum use of the stalls.
A lower result may suggest construction errors of the stations, e.g. inappropriate dimensions (length, width, headroom), incorrectly placed neck rail or sternal partition.
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Position utilization rate
Important information is also provided by the Stall Usage Index (SUI), calculated on the basis of the ratio of the number of cows lying in the stalls to the number of all cows not taking feed at a given moment. After multiplying by 100, it is expressed as a percentage. Its value should exceed 75%, measured as in the case of the cow comfort index, one hour after morning milking. This indicator, like CCI, may highlight problems with the site, but it may also indicate too high a density in the group.
Percentage of cows standing
Quite often, the percentage of standing cows (Standing Cow Index) is used to determine the correct behavior of cows in the barn, which determines the ratio of cows standing, both in and outside stalls, to all cows in the group. The advantage of this indicator is the ease of collecting the necessary observations.
Consequences of lack of rest
As the expert emphasized, errors in the construction of a livestock building often result in lack of rest, which in turn translates into the economics of production.
– The consequences of inadequate rest include: reduced by 20-30 percent blood flow through the udder, and therefore lower milk production and problems with mastitis. Secondly, it is associated with an increased number of lame cows, as well as an increased level of stress hormones – said Prof. Gołębiewski.
High welfare will not change the public perception of animal production
During the lecture, prof. Gołębiewski raised an interesting issue related to animal welfare. In the speaker's opinion, currently caring for animal welfare is no longer able to change the social perception of animal production.
– We are at such a level of abstraction and lack of understanding between us, specialists, and potential consumers that this dialogue will no longer be successful. Now we can only put hope in the education of young generations, he emphasized.
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