Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada; Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Elora, ON, N0B 150, Canada.
J Dairy Sci. 2018 Nov;101(11):10580-10588. doi: 10.3168/jds.2018-14519. Epub 2018 Sep 7.
Dairy cows are culled from the herd for a variety of reasons, the most common being fertility problems, low milk production, or udder problems. Disease and injury can contribute to the decision to cull either directly, or indirectly, by causing fertility or production problems, leading to culling. Disease or injury may also affect the cow's ability to handle the stress of transportation and may increase the risk for reduced welfare. The purpose of this study was to determine the general condition of culled dairy cows sold at Ontario auction markets, to quantify the frequency of culled cows in poor condition sold at these auctions, and to determine how this relates to the sale price of the cow. Data were collected on 4,460 culled dairy cows, sold at 3 Ontario auction markets, over a continuous 16-wk study period. Observers assessed the general condition of dairy cows entering the sales ring by recording each individual cow's hock injury score, body condition score (BCS), gait score, and tail score, in accordance with 2017 Canadian proAction Animal Care guidelines. Each cow's body weight, breed, and sale price were also recorded. Results showed that 27.2% of culled cows scored had unacceptable hock injuries, 40.5% had a BCS ≤2, 72.7% had an abnormal gait, and 12.5% had docked tails. Culled cows with a BCS ≤2 sold for $0.20 less/kg compared with those with a BCS >2, which equated to an overall average loss of $117 per cow. Cows with an abnormal gait sold for $0.05 less/kg compared with culled cows with a normal gait, which equated to an overall average loss of $32.45 per cow. There was no difference in the sale price depending on hock injury score or the presence or absence of a full tail. The main issues identified in this study were the high prevalence of low body condition and abnormal gait, indicating that the welfare of these cows may be at risk. Additionally, cows with low BCS or abnormal gait sold for a lower price compared with cows that were in good condition, leading to reduced potential profit for the producer.
奶牛因各种原因被从畜群中淘汰，最常见的原因是生育问题、产奶量低或乳房问题。疾病和伤害会直接或间接导致淘汰，因为它们会导致生育或生产问题。疾病或伤害也可能影响奶牛应对运输压力的能力，并可能增加福利降低的风险。本研究的目的是确定在安大略省拍卖市场上出售的淘汰奶牛的一般状况，量化这些拍卖会上出售的状况不佳的淘汰奶牛的频率，并确定这与奶牛的销售价格有何关系。在连续 16 周的研究期间，在安大略省的 3 个拍卖市场上，对 4460 头淘汰奶牛的数据进行了收集。观察者按照 2017 年加拿大 proAction 动物护理指南，记录每头奶牛的跗关节损伤评分、身体状况评分（BCS）、步态评分和尾巴评分，评估进入销售环的奶牛的一般状况。还记录了每头奶牛的体重、品种和销售价格。结果表明，27.2%的淘汰奶牛跗关节损伤评分不可接受，40.5%的 BCS≤2，72.7%的步态异常，12.5%的尾巴被截短。BCS≤2 的淘汰奶牛每公斤销售价格比 BCS>2 的淘汰奶牛低 0.20 加元，这相当于每头奶牛的平均损失为 117 加元。步态异常的淘汰奶牛每公斤销售价格比步态正常的淘汰奶牛低 0.05 加元，这相当于每头奶牛的平均损失为 32.45 加元。跗关节损伤评分或尾巴是否完整与销售价格无关。本研究中主要发现的问题是低身体状况和异常步态的高患病率，这表明这些奶牛的福利可能面临风险。此外，与身体状况良好的奶牛相比，BCS 较低或步态异常的奶牛的销售价格较低，这导致生产者的潜在利润减少。
