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Table 5 Indicators in the AWI of the "Stockpersonship" category, the definitions used for rating and their maximum individual score.

From: An on-farm investigation of beef suckler herds using an animal welfare index (AWI)

Score

a). Trough cleanliness

b). Outdoor water trough cleanliness

c). Feed cleanliness

d). Equipment

e). Cleanliness of animals

f). Lameness

g). Diseases

h). Background

I). Interest of the farmer

1

Clean

Clean

Clean

Good

  

None

Family

High interest

0.5

Medium

Medium

Medium

Medium

Clean

< 5%

Few mild

 

Average interest

0

Insufficient

Insufficient

Insufficient

Defects

Medium

5 to 10%

Few severe

Other

Low interest

-0.5

Soiled

Soiled

Soiled

Bad

Soiled

> 10%

Many severe

 

Not interested

  1. a). b). and c). The troughs were considered clean when the water was clear, no algae could be seen in the water and no mud/slurry was present on them. Troughs were considered medium when the water was clear but small amount of algae could be found and/or few spots of mud/slurry of less than 2 cm of diameters were present on them. They were considered insufficient if the water started to be blurred but it was still possible to see through it, if the amount of algae was preponderant and if many spots of less than 2 cm in diameter of mud/slurry were present on them. They were considered soiled if the water was blurred and it was not possible to see through it, if algae colonized the troughs and if mud/slurry covered the troughs or many spots of more than 2 cm of diameter were found. e) Clean animals were covered with less than 10% of slurry/mud, medium between 11 and 20% and soiled over 20%. g) The list of diseases and symptoms consisted of: mild diseases (scours, worms, parasites) and severe diseases (bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD), bovine respiratory disease (BRD), Johne's disease, tuberculosis, leptospirosis and black leg). A maximum score of 1 was assigned if no disease was reported. A score of 0.5 was assigned if up to 2 mild diseases or symptoms were reported. A score of 0 was assigned if the presence of one or two severe diseases or more than two mild diseases were reported. A negative score of -0.5 was assigned if the presence of more than 2 severe diseases was reported or 4 mild diseases were reported. i) This indicator is subjective and the interest of the farmer was assessed using a questionnaire and face-to-face interview. The total Stockpersonship score (column 1) equals to the sum of columns; a). b). c). d). e). f). g). h). and i).
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BMC Veterinary Research

ISSN: 1746-6148

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