Welfare assessment of cattle on the farms

This thesis is focused on evaluation of welfare quality in dairy cows at 10 farms (factory farming) in the Czech Republic. Studies concerned with this topic are showing that the quality of welfare and the farm environment has a significant influence on their efficiency. Welfare evaluation in this thesis was done in accordance to European project Welfare Quality. In processing of this thesis was evaluated ten of totally twelve criterions; absence of prolonged hunger and thirst, comfort around resting, ease of movement, absence of injuries, diseases and painful procedures, expression social and other behaviours, and good human animal relationship. From four principles based on criterions above, i.e. good feeding, good housing, good health and appropriate behaviour, were only three evaluated. Most of the farms had a low scoring of good feeding including part of very lean cows and bad access to the water. Favourable was evaluation of good housing, because 60% of farms had above-standard results. Lower evaluation was in the principle of good health due to dehorning on all monitored farms. Czech farms had significantly higher percent of very lean cows comparing to foreign breeds. Lameness in the Czech Republic was different in comparison with foreign studies. Small part of cows suffering of discharge, cough, or hampered respiration was detected. Number of animals suffering from diarrhoea is comparable to foreign studies. Expression of agonistic behaviour was minimal in monitored farms. That is displayed in excellent evaluation of criteria expression of social behaviour. Almost all farms had acceptable evaluation of good human animal relationship. Hypothesis, that in farms with lower quality of environment is higher percentage of cows that hobble, than in farms with better quality of environment, was not confirmed. Another hypothesis was partly confirmed. The farms with higher percentage of cows with health issues struggle with problems during the rest time, than the farm with lower percentage of cows with health issues. Part of cows that lameness correlate with part of cows with patches and part of very lean cows is affiliated to part of cows with diarrhoea. Welfare quality in monitored herds, were at an acceptable level. Most need to improve the area of good feeding, but for accurate results it would be appropriate to evaluate a greater number of farms