Welfare of dairy cattle in the smallholder (zero-grazing) production systems in Nairobi and its environs

摘要

Animalwelfareisdefinedastheabilityofananimaltointeractcomfortablywithitsenvironmentthroughitsphysiological,psychologicalandbehaviouralsystems.About70%ofdairyproductioninKenyaisfromthesmallholderproductionsystems.Theseproductionsystemsarenegativelyimpactedbyanumberoffactorsincludingpoornutrition,substandardhusbandryandmanagementpractices,lackofappropriatefarminputs,diseasesandlowincomes.Thesefactorsinfluencethewelfareofdairycattle,hencetheirimportanceforitsevaluation.Thisstudywasthereforedesignedwiththefollowingobjectives:1.todeterminethewelfareofdairycattleinthesmallholderproductionunitsinNairobianditsenvirons,2.todeterminetheriskfactorscontributingtopoorwelfareofdairycattleinthesmallholderproductionunits,3.todeterminetheindicatorsofpoorwelfareofdairycattleinthesmallholderproductionunits,4.todeterminethefarmers#8217;andstockmen#8217;sperspectivesofanimalwelfare.Theseobjectiveswereachievedthroughacross-sectionalstudycarriedoutin80smallholderdairyunitspurposivelyselectedinNairobianditsenvirons,inwhich306dairycowswereexamined.Thewelfareofcattleinthesedairyunitswasevaluatedthroughseveralmethodswhichincluded:visualobservationsforanimal-andfarm-levelfactorsthatindicatepoorwelfareofcattle;takingmeasurementsofdairyhousingunitdimensionssuchascubicle,walk-alley,kerbandfeedingbunk;andusingastructuredquestionnairetointerviewfarmersandstockmenonnutritionalregimesandothermanagementpracticessuchasremovalofslurry,milkingtechniques,recordkeepinganddiseasecontrol.Thesefactorswererecordedandlateranalyzed.Analysesincludeddescriptivestatistics,andsimpleassociationsusingchi-squareatp0.05significancelevel.Over80%ofthesesmallholderunitshadfactorsthatcontributedtopoorwelfareofdairycattle.Thesefactorsincludedunder-sizecubicles,smallwalk-alleys,toohighfeedingbunkswithtraumaticedges,toolowpositioningofneckrailsatthefeedbunks,sharpobjectsandedgeswithinthehousingunitsanddilapidatedhousingstructures.Themainevidenceofpoorwelfarewasinjuriesontheanimals.Thebodyconditionscore(BCS)ofthecowswasthemainindicatorofwelfarerelatingtofeeding.Presenceofinjuriesorscarsontheskinatvariouspartsofthebodywasconsideredapositiveindicatorofpoorwelfareeitherassociatedwithhousingstructures,managementpracticesoranimalinteractions.Othercausesofpoorwelfareofthecowswerehind-limbtyingduringmilking,teatpullingduringhand-milking,morethan24-hourdelaybeforesickcowsweretreated,andmixingofcattleofdifferentage-groupsinthesamecompartment.Cow-humaninteractionwaspoorasevidencedbyfearfulresponseandlongavoidancedistance.Thisstudyconcludesthatpoorwelfareofdairycattleexistsinallthesmallholderunitsevaluated,whichismainlycausedbyimproperhousingandmanagement.Trainingoffarmersandstockmenonanimalwelfareissueswouldthereforebeaprerequisitetotheimprovementofdairycattlewelfare.Researchonthephysiologicalresponsetopoorwelfareofdairycowsinthesmallholderunitsneedstobecarriedouttoenhancetheunderstandingoftheimpactoftheseriskfactorsonsmallholderdairyanimals.