Gessenhardt C, Steiner A, Rufener C
Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO), Centre for Proper Housing of Ruminants and Pigs, Agroscope, Switzerland.
University of Bern, Vetsuisse Faculty, Clinic for Ruminants, Bern.
Schweiz Arch Tierheilkd. 2025 Jan;167(1):53-64. doi: 10.17236/sat00443.
The number of farms in Switzerland with suckler cow and dairy dam-calf contact housing systems is increasing, but basic knowledge on the needs and behaviours of cattle under these systems is lacking. This study offers an overview of cow-calf housing and management systems in Switzerland to provide insight into cows and calves' behaviour and use of barns' functional areas and to identify potentially problematic aspects of animal welfare within these systems. A total of 39 suckler cow farms and six farms with dairy dam-calf contact in Switzerland were each visited once. Welfare-relevant aspects of barn construction were measured, and the farmers on each farm were surveyed regarding their management and experiences. Animal behavioural observations were made using scan sampling (18 times every 10 minutes over a 3-hour time span) to analyse the animals' distribution and use of a barn's functional areas. Considerable farm-specific variance was found in how the farms managed and housed their livestock. About half the farms had drinking troughs over 60 cm in height, wich raised questions about the ability of these farms' young calves to access water. All farms had installed lying areas for calves, which varied in size, number and location. In the systems with a calf creep area separated from the lying area, the number of cows lying during observation was 10 % less (n = 11; 34,5 %) than the number of cows lying in the systems with a calf creep area in front of the cubicles (n = 13; 44,6 %; p = .063). The calves used the separate calf creep areas for lying (30,0 %) less than they used the calf creep areas in front of the cubicles (41,4 %; p = .001). This study does not provide a complete picture of cow-calf housing in Switzerland but contributes to the generation of new research questions.
瑞士采用奶牛与犊牛接触式饲养系统的农场数量正在增加，但对于这些系统下牛的需求和行为的基本知识却很缺乏。本研究概述了瑞士的奶牛-犊牛饲养和管理系统，以深入了解奶牛和犊牛的行为、畜舍功能区域的使用情况，并确定这些系统中动物福利方面可能存在问题的方面。瑞士共有39个奶牛场和6个采用奶牛与犊牛接触式饲养的农场，每个农场都被访问了一次。对畜舍建设中与福利相关的方面进行了测量，并就每个农场的管理和经验对农民进行了调查。采用扫描取样法（在3小时内每10分钟进行18次）进行动物行为观察，以分析动物在畜舍功能区域的分布和使用情况。发现各农场在牲畜饲养管理方式上存在很大的农场特异性差异。约一半的农场饮水槽高度超过60厘米，这引发了对这些农场幼犊取水能力的质疑。所有农场都安装了犊牛躺卧区，其大小、数量和位置各不相同。在犊牛活动区与躺卧区分开的系统中，观察期间躺卧的奶牛数量比犊牛活动区在牛栏前的系统中少10%（n = 11；34.5%）（n = 13；44.6%；p = 0.063）。犊牛在单独的犊牛活动区躺卧的比例（30.0%）低于在牛栏前犊牛活动区躺卧的比例（41.4%；p = 0.00）。本研究并未全面呈现瑞士奶牛-犊牛的饲养情况，但有助于提出新的研究问题。
