Animal welfare assessment benchmarking as a tool for health and welfare planning in organic dairy herds

Huxley,-J-N; Burke,-J; Roderick,-S; Main,-D-C-J; Whay,-H-R
Division of Food Animal Science, Department of Clinical Veterinary Science,
University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK.

Abstract
A sample of organic dairy farms was recruited as part of a study investigating the potential benefits of animal welfare assessment benchmarking as a tool for the development of animal health and welfare plans.

The study tested the hypothesis that benchmarking, particularly the establishment of levels of specified conditions for the purpose of comparison among farms, through the identification of areas of weakness in a farm, will allow forward planning for welfare improvement. A total of 15 fully converted organic dairy farms in southwest England were visited during the winter housing period of 2002-03.

The present study was completed with the main aim of evaluating health and welfare benchmarking as a tool for farmers; however, the technique may also be adopted as a means of adding uniformity of method to certification processes and farm assurance schemes.

Source
Veterinary-Record. 2004; 155(8): 237-239

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Posted July 2007