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Perceived welfare issues in dairy cattle, with special emphasis on metabolic stress

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2018

B. L. Nielsen
B. L. Nielsen*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Health and Welfare, Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Research Centre Foulum, PO Box 50, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark
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Abstract

There appears to be little consensus on the extent and the exact nature of the dairy cow welfare problem. In the present paper the welfare of cows is described in the light of metabolic stress. The duration of lactation relative to level of production is highlighted as the main factor which sets the dairy cow apart from other lactating mammals. A conceptual diagram of the components and effects of metabolic load is given, a number of questions are raised and two aspects of dairy production are highlighted which relate to the welfare of modern dairy cows. These relate to decreased fertility in high yielding cows and the cumulative effects of successive lactations. Finally, the need for the dairy industry to participate actively and openly in the welfare debate is emphasized.

Type
Research Article
Information
BSAP Occasional Publication , Volume 24: Metabolic stress in dairy cows , 1999 , pp. 1 - 7
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1999

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