Mobile apps based on AWIN protocols to assess animal welfare on farm

摘要

Summary Based on the welfare assessment protocols developed during the Animal Welfare Indicators (AWIN) project, four application programs (apps) were made freely available on Google Play Store to allow the collection of data on animal-based welfare indicators. I-WatchTurkey, AWINHorse, AWINGoat, and AWINSheep were speci?cally designed to guide the user step-by-step during the farm visit and to provide an immediate visual output with the results of the assessment. The AWIN apps can be used by veterinarians and technicians in their everyday practice. The real-time output can facilitate dialogue with farmers, suggesting actions to improve the welfare of animals. Farmers can use the apps to compare the welfare status of their animals to that of those on farms with similar husbandry or management systems, and furthermore can easily identify causes for sub-performance. Although the AWIN apps are user-friendly, speci?c training on how to assess and score the welfare indicators is needed in order to harmonise the assessment and obtain reliable data. Teaching platforms based on mobile devices may offer a practical solution to combine e-learning and face-to-face training. The AWIN apps were developed to be affordable and to work of?ine; these features should contribute to an extensive use of welfare assessment protocols, with no geographical limits. These apps increase the ef?ciency and standardisation of on-farm welfare data collection, paving the way for the development of a globally accessible data repository on animal welfare.