Dairy farmer attitudes and empathy toward animals are associated with animal welfare indicators

Attitudes and empathy of farmers influence human–animal interaction, thereby affecting their behavior toward animals. The goal was to investigate how measures of attitude and empathy toward animals were associated with animal welfare indicators such as milk yield, mastitis incidence, fertility index, and the prevalence of skin lesions on cows. To assess empathy toward animals, a photo-based pain assessment instrument was developed depicting various conditions that could be associated with some degree of pain in cattle and included questions aimed at assessing attitudes toward animals. Photos of painful conditions are useful in eliciting measurable empathic responses to pain in humans. A total of 221 farmers were sampled via e-mail and 154 responses were obtained. In the first analysis, farmers were categorized into 2 groups according to their agreement or disagreement with the attitude statement “animals experience physical pain as humans do.” In the second analysis, farmers were assigned a median pain assessment score obtained from their estimates on the visual analog scale of 21 conditions assumed painful for cattle. In the third analysis, farmers were clustered in 3 groups according to their visual analog scale responses. Three conditions were ranked as the most painful: fracture of tuber coxae, dystocia, and serious mastitis. Farmers with positive attitudes toward animals scored 2 points higher on their empathy score compared with farmers with negative attitudes. Personal experience with each additional condition resulted in a 0.09 higher score. Cluster analysis revealed 3 groups. Farmers in group 3 had the highest median pain assessment score (6.7 ± 0.2), indicating a high level of empathy and a positive attitude toward animals. They had the lowest prevalence of skin lesions over the carpus (24 ± 6%) and the lowest milk production (6,705 ± 202 kg). The complex associations between indicators of empathy and attitudes with relevant welfare outcomes suggest that competence building to safeguard animal welfare could benefit from including both attitudes and empathy in human–animal interactions studies

Organic Cow Comfort - an advisorytool to secure animal welfare on organic dairy farms in Norway

Organic Cow Comfort is an advisory tool in animal welfare, developed to secure animal welfare on organic dairy farms in Norway. The farm advisory tool consists of • A farm visit by a veterinarian and a production advisor both specialized in animal welfare and organic farming • An evaluation of herd health and welfare through welfare assessment • Advice on disease prevention and improve-ment of animal welfare • Follow up visit by an advisor looking at im-plementation of new initiatives • Counselling meetings with groups of farmer The evaluation of herd health and welfare is done with the help of checklists where animal based pa-rameters, farm management and operating systems, and human-animal relationship are recorded. A report is prepared after every farm visit with a health and welfare plan where specific measures for improve-ment of animal welfare are outlined

Obtaining an animal welfare status in Norwegian dairy herds—A mountain to climb

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Management routines influencing piglet survival in loose-housed sow herds

Author's accepted version (post-print).Piglet mortality is still a significant welfare and ethical matter in pig production, as well as an economical challenge for the farmer. Most of the mortality occurs early after farrowing, and previous studies have shown that the farm's management routines, especially around farrowing, are important factors to reduce it. When sows are loose-housed at farrowing and in the following lactation period, it puts higher demands on management input from the farmer to keep piglet mortality low. The objective of this study was to assess the importance of different management routines around the time of farrowing, and other farm qualities for piglet survival in loose-housed herds. To study risk factors for herd piglet mortality, a cross-sectional field survey was carried out in Norway in the year 2013, and included 52 commercial herds with hybrid LY sows (Norwegian Landrace x Swedish Yorkshire). The farms were visited once, and the farmers answered a questionnaire about their management practices. The outcome was the average herd pre-weaning mortality in the years of 2012–2013. To include as many management factors as possible into the multivariable linear regression model, we generated a new variable based on 4 management routines: 3 routines at farrowing (presence at 80–100% of the farrowings, drying newborn piglets, and practice split suckling), and one concerning farmer´s contact with the sows. This variable was called “Management type” (M), and were divided into 4 categories with increasing effort; M1 herds without any of the 4 mentioned routines, M2 had contact with sows >2 times per day, M3 performed the 3 routines at farrowing, and M4 combined the high sow contact and the 3 routines. The predicted values of mean herd piglet mortality for M1, M2, M3 and M4 were 20.1%, 17.0%, 16.2% and 13.3% respectively. The farmer's increased management effort was associated with lower piglet mortality (P<0.05). The farmer's effort at critical times together with systematic and important routines, and having frequent contact with the sows, makes a huge difference for piglet survival. The farmers are credited for this work by having lower piglet mortality as a result.acceptedVersio

Local perceptions of opportunities for engagement and procedural justice in electricity transmission grid projects in Norway and the UK

ArticleCopyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Transmission lines are critical infrastructures, but frequently contested especially at the local level, by local communities. The role of public engagement in processes pertaining to specific transmission line projects is an under-researched, yet important topic that this paper seeks to discuss by investigating how inhabitants perceive these processes and to what extent they find the processes just and fair. This paper addresses the participatory aspects of the planning process, as perceived by the local inhabitants in four Norway and UK cases, by using a qualitative comparative case study design. We further analyse this issue through frameworks of public engagement and procedural justice. In both countries public engagement is largely characterized by perceptions of insufficient information, and insufficient influence on the process. In sum, the findings indicate that the informants generally perceive the opportunities for involvement as insufficient and unjust. The findings are quite similar across all cases and both countries. Local inhabitants represent diverse groups who often have different levels of knowledge, time and engagement to bring to the planning process. Their requests for improved processes thus underline the serious public engagement challenges that applicants and decision-makers face.Research Council of Norwa

Housing system and herd size interactions in Norwegian dairy herds; associations with performance and disease incidence

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>According to the Norwegian animal welfare regulations, it has been forbidden to build new tie-stall barns since the end of 2004. Previous studies have shown that cow performance and health differ between housing systems. The interaction between housing system and herd size with respect to performance and disease incidence has not been evaluated.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Cow performance and health in 620 herds housed in free-stall barns were compared with in 192 herds housed in tie-stall barns based on a mail survey and data from the Norwegian Dairy Herd Recording and Cattle Health Systems. The housing systems herds were comparable with respect to herd size (15-55 cows). Associations between performance/disease incidence and housing system, herd size and year of building the cow barn were tested in general linear models, and values for fixed herd size of 20 and 50 cows were calculated. On the individual cow level mixed models were run to test the effect of among others housing system and herd size on test-day milk yield, and to evaluate lactation curves in different parities. All cows were of the Norwegian Red Breed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Average milk production per cow-year was 134 kg lower in free-stall herd than in tie-stall herds, but in the range 27-45 cows there was no significant difference in yields between the herd categories. In herds with less than 27 cows there were increasingly lower yields in free-stalls, particularly in first parity, whereas the yields were increasingly higher in free-stalls with more than 45 cows.</p> <p>In free-stalls fertility was better, calving interval shorter, and the incidence rate of teat injuries, ketosis, indigestions, anoestrus and cystic ovaries was lower than in tie-stalls. All of these factors were more favourable in estimated 50-cow herds as compared to 20-cow herds. In the larger herd category, bulk milk somatic cell counts were higher, and the incidence rate of mastitis (all cases) and all diseases was lower.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study has shown that there is an interaction between housing system and herd size, and that performance and health is not universally better in small free-stalls than in tie-stalls.</p

Long-term follow-up of Norwegian horses affected with acquired equine polyneuropathy

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Blood-glucose levels in newborn piglets and the associations between blood-glucose levels, intrauterine growth restriction and pre-weaning mortality

The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between blood-glucose levels in one-day-old-piglets (ODOP), intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and pre-weaning mortality in a commercial piglet-producing herd in Norway. The study was carried out in a non-crate commercial piglet-producing herd in Norway and 426 live born piglets from 31 litters were included. Piglets were blood-sampled, ear tagged, weighed and measured within 24 h after birth. Litter size, cross fostering and deaths until weaning were recorded. Blood was collected by vein puncture of Vena subcutanea abdominis and blood-glucose levels were measured using a handheld glucometer. Piglets were given an IUGR-score (1–3) based on head-morphology where a score of 3 is defined as an intrauterine growth restricted piglet. Of the 426 live born piglets, 391 piglets survived until weaning, resulting in 8.22% pre-weaning mortality. Mean piglet weight in ODOP was 1.59 kg (SD = 0.36), and mean blood-glucose level was 5.48 mmol/l (SD = 1.44). IUGR score 3 piglets had lower blood-glucose levels (Coef. = − 1.7 mmol/l, P < .001) than normal piglets (IUGR score 1). Males had significantly higher blood glucose levels (Coef. = 0.23 mmol/l, P = .044) compared to females. There was a trend that blood-glucose levels in individual piglets were lower in large litters with − 0.07 mmol/l per extra piglet born (P = .054). Piglets with blood-glucose levels in the second quartile had reduced risk of pre-weaning mortality (OR = 0.32, P = .046) compared to piglets with blood-glucose levels in the lower quartile. This is also true for piglets in the third and fourth quartile (OR = 0.13, P = 0.004). This study identified IUGR to be associated with low blood-glucose levels in ODOP. It also found increased pre-weaning mortality in ODOP with low blood-glucose. By identifying IUGR piglets by the shape of their head, piglet producers may reduce pre-weaning mortality by making sure these piglets get enough colostrum, milk or supplement feeding (i.e. energy).publishedVersio

Blood-glucose levels in newborn piglets and the associations between blood-glucose levels, intrauterine growth restriction and pre-weaning mortality

The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between blood-glucose levels in one-day-old-piglets (ODOP), intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and pre-weaning mortality in a commercial piglet-producing herd in Norway. The study was carried out in a non-crate commercial piglet-producing herd in Norway and 426 live born piglets from 31 litters were included. Piglets were blood-sampled, ear tagged, weighed and measured within 24 h after birth. Litter size, cross fostering and deaths until weaning were recorded. Blood was collected by vein puncture of Vena subcutanea abdominis and blood-glucose levels were measured using a handheld glucometer. Piglets were given an IUGR-score (1–3) based on head-morphology where a score of 3 is defined as an intrauterine growth restricted piglet. Of the 426 live born piglets, 391 piglets survived until weaning, resulting in 8.22% pre-weaning mortality. Mean piglet weight in ODOP was 1.59 kg (SD = 0.36), and mean blood-glucose level was 5.48 mmol/l (SD = 1.44). IUGR score 3 piglets had lower blood-glucose levels (Coef. = − 1.7 mmol/l, P < .001) than normal piglets (IUGR score 1). Males had significantly higher blood glucose levels (Coef. = 0.23 mmol/l, P = .044) compared to females. There was a trend that blood-glucose levels in individual piglets were lower in large litters with − 0.07 mmol/l per extra piglet born (P = .054). Piglets with blood-glucose levels in the second quartile had reduced risk of pre-weaning mortality (OR = 0.32, P = .046) compared to piglets with blood-glucose levels in the lower quartile. This is also true for piglets in the third and fourth quartile (OR = 0.13, P = 0.004). This study identified IUGR to be associated with low blood-glucose levels in ODOP. It also found increased pre-weaning mortality in ODOP with low blood-glucose. By identifying IUGR piglets by the shape of their head, piglet producers may reduce pre-weaning mortality by making sure these piglets get enough colostrum, milk or supplement feeding (i.e. energy).publishedVersio