Welfare and biosecurity indicators evaluation in dairy production.

Evaluation of welfare and biosecurity indicators: (1) management, planning and organization of welfare protection and biosecurity, (2) personnel capacities in providing welfare and biosecurity, (3) breeders attitude towards animals needs, (4) welfare and biosecurity plans, (5) animals surveillance and inspection, (6) animal treatment, (7) spacing and housing, (8) microclimate and (9) hygienic conditions, (10) feeding and watering, (11) behaviour, (12) health status, (13) productivity, (14) distress indicators and (15) biosecurity results on two dairy farms are given in this paper. Methods developed by Sandrum et al. (1994), Bartussek (2000), Keeling and Veisseir (2005) and Blokhuis (2008), modified for domestic growing conditions, were used to create parameters and indicators of welfare and biosecurity. Therefore, grade scale was defined: (5) - excellent, (4) - very good, (3) - good, (2) - sufficient, (1) - insufficient, but there are resources for improvement, (0) insufficient, with no resources for improvement. Final rank was formed as average indicators grade, according scale: 0-1,99 insufficient, 2,00-2,49 sufficient, 2,5-3,49 good, 3,5 - 4,49 very good, 4,5 - 5,00 excellent. SWOT analysis was also used to establish advantages, limitations and possibilities for animal welfare and biosecurity of production improvement. The most important limitations are considering lack of training of personnel to fulfill standards and lack of welfare and biosecurity plans and all technology procedures descriptions, failures to fulfil spacing, microclimate and hygienic conditions, which had deleterious reflection on health status and production. Full circle indicators list with a numerous parameters could be useful for systematic evaluation of welfare and biosecurity quality.