Evaluation of candidate data-based welfare indicators for veal calves in Switzerland

TL;DR

This paper reviews the feasibility of using digital data to assess veal calf welfare in Switzerland and finds that current data sources are insufficient for a comprehensive welfare evaluation.

Contribution

The study identifies gaps in routine data for veal calf welfare assessment and proposes necessary adaptations for data collection strategies.

Findings

Routinely collected data in Switzerland lacks indicators for feeding, housing, and behavior in veal calves.

Animal health can be partially assessed using mortality, treatments, and carcass traits data.

Differentiating veal calves from other youngstock in databases is a major challenge for welfare assessment.

Abstract

Welfare assessment protocols have been developed for dairy cows and veal calves during the past decades. One practical use of such protocols may be conducting welfare assessments by using routinely collected digital data (i.e., data-based assessment). This approach can allow for continuous monitoring of animal welfare in a large number of farms. It recognises changes in the animal welfare status over time and enables comparison between farms. Since no comprehensive data-based assessment for veal calves is currently available, the purposes of this review are (i) to provide an overview of single existing data-based indicators for veal calves and (ii) to work out the necessary requirements for data-based indicators to be used in a comprehensive welfare assessment for veal calves in Switzerland. We used the Welfare Quality Protocol® (WQ) for veal calves and the Terrestrial Animal Health Code from the World Organisation of Animal Health for guidance throughout this process. Subsequently, routinely collected data were evaluated as data sources for welfare assessment in Swiss veal operations. The four WQ principles reflecting animal welfare, i.e., ‘good feeding’, ‘good housing’, ‘good health’ and ‘appropriate behaviour’ were scarcely reflected in routinely available data. Animal health, as one element of animal welfare, could be partially assessed using data-based indicators through evaluation of mortality, treatments, and carcass traits. No data-based indicators reflecting feeding, housing and animal behaviour were available. Thus, it is not possible to assess welfare in its multidimensionality using routinely collected digital data in Swiss veal calves to date. A major underlying difficulty is to differentiate between veal calves and other youngstock using routine data, since an identifying category for veal calves is missing in official Swiss databases. In order to infer animal welfare from routine data, adaptations of data collection strategies and animal identification are required. Data-based welfare assessment could then be used to complement on-farm assessments efficiently and, e.g., to attribute financial incentives for specifically high welfare standards accordingly.