International Journal of Animal Science, Husbandry and Livestock Production ISSN: 2141-5191 Vol. 1 (1), pp. 009-019, September, 2014.© Advanced Scholars Journals 

Full Length Research Paper

The introduction of animal welfare procedures in intensive production systems using the assessment protocols of Welfare Quality®: Fattening pig cultivation in Northwest Germany

Heidi Schumacher

Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Science,Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.

Email:[email protected]

Accepted 14 August, 2014

Abstract 

The increased requirements for animal welfare have raised the need for a comprehensive on-farm assessment system. This paper is a first step to analysing the reliability and feasibility of the on-farm welfare assessment with regard to the animal-related measures of Welfare Quality© in intensive fattening pig husbandries. Based on the 2009 Welfare Quality® assessment protocols for pigs, six analyses were undertaken by one observer on three farms. It became apparent that the system in essence, fulfils the requirements of a sound assessment of animal welfare under intensive production with low on-farm variability. The behaviour-based measurements had a higher degree of within-farm variability than clinical- and resource-based measurements as the assessment involves a greater degree of subjectivity. Some measurements seemed to be of low sensitivities as there were no or very low variations in many of the indicators being assessed. Despite this, this preliminary study indicates that the assessment system is a reliable and feasible tool for the evaluation of animal welfare status in intensive pig production for fattening pig.

Key Words: Welfare Quality©, animal welfare, intensive livestock production.