Graat Evelien A M, Vanden Hole Charlotte, Rodenburg T Bas, Giersberg Mona F, Tuyttens Frank A M
Animal Sciences Unit, ILVO, 9090 Melle, Belgium.
Department of Veterinary and Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
Animals (Basel). 2024 Nov 23;14(23):3374. doi: 10.3390/ani14233374.
As part of the European Green Deal, the EU has recognised that there is a need to increase organic farming as well as improve animal welfare standards. The PIGLOW app was developed with these goals in mind and allows free-range and organic pig farmers to perform welfare assessments (WAs) of their pigs. The results of each WA contain automated feedback and benchmarking information. The objective of this two-year longitudinal study was to determine whether regular use of the app helps farmers improve pig welfare. Farmers ( = 12) were asked to perform 6 WAs for finisher pigs with the app. At the beginning and end of the study, a researcher visited each farm and performed a detailed WA to determine the welfare status of the pigs at both moments. Farmers ( = 11) also filled out surveys about their opinions on pig welfare and the PIGLOW app. The welfare results did not support that the use of the PIGLOW app had an overall effect on pig welfare, but suggested a positive effect on some specific welfare aspects. Farmers indicated that they found the app easy to use and found most of its elements very useful. However, when asked about the specific influence of the app on their opinions on pig welfare and the welfare of their pigs, they indicated that the app only had small effects. Responses suggested that the app could likely be more useful to new farmers who still have more to learn about animal welfare.
作为欧洲绿色协议的一部分，欧盟已认识到有必要增加有机农业并提高动物福利标准。PIGLOW应用程序就是基于这些目标开发的，它允许自由放养和有机养猪农民对其猪进行福利评估（WA）。每次福利评估的结果都包含自动反馈和基准信息。这项为期两年的纵向研究的目的是确定定期使用该应用程序是否有助于农民改善猪的福利。农民（n = 12）被要求使用该应用程序对育肥猪进行6次福利评估。在研究开始和结束时，一名研究人员走访了每个农场，并进行了详细的福利评估，以确定两个时间点猪的福利状况。农民（n = 11）还填写了关于他们对猪福利和PIGLOW应用程序看法的调查问卷。福利评估结果并不支持使用PIGLOW应用程序对猪福利有总体影响，但表明对某些特定福利方面有积极影响。农民表示他们发现该应用程序易于使用，并且发现其大部分元素非常有用。然而，当被问及该应用程序对他们对猪福利的看法和猪的福利的具体影响时，他们表示该应用程序的影响很小。调查结果表明，该应用程序可能对仍有更多动物福利知识需要学习的新农民更有用。
