In-depth assessment of cattle welfare in INRAE experimental units: the Welfare Quality® protocol

Abstract

In order to assess and improve the level of welfare of the cattle in the INRAE experimental facilities (EFs), it was decided to carry out a one-off in-depth assessment in addition to the regular use of monitoring grids. Thus, the SBEA Bovine working group therefore proposes that each EU should host staff from another EF with the aim of assessing and establishing a diagnosis of the welfare status of the animals at the time of this in-depth assessment. To improve animal welfare, this assessment will be followed by an advice phase to identify the measures to be implemented to overcome the weak points while maintaining the positive points. Instead of creating a new cattle assessment tool, it is proposed to use the Welfare Quality® protocols. This assessment tool was developed as part of a European research project and has become a reference tool. Adaptations will nevertheless be necessary to cover all the types of cattle present in the INRAE facilities (the Welfare Quality® protocols having been designed only for lactating dairy cows, fattening young cattle and veal calves) and the various contexts (e.g. assessment of animals on pasture) encountered in the EFs.