Find in Library
Search millions of books, articles, and more
Indexed Open Access Databases
Data on Gastrointestinal and Claw Disorders as Possible Predictive Factors in Beef Cattle and Veal Calves’ Health and Welfare
oleh: Luisa Magrin, Barbara Contiero, Giulio Cozzi, Flaviana Gottardo
| Format: | Article |
|---|---|
| Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2022-04-01 |
Deskripsi
Today, consumers have a growing concern about the welfare of beef cattle, and specific schemes have been proposed to assess their wellbeing during the fattening. On-farm assessments can be integrated and partially replaced by animal-based measures recorded <i>postmortem</i> at the abattoir. <i>Postmortem</i> organ inspection data are of value, as several lesions can be reflective of subclinical diseases not easily detected in the live animal. The present data collection aimed to evaluate the slaughterhouse prevalence and location of hoof, gastric, hepatic, and liver lesions in beef cattle and veal calves and retrospectively associated this information with the animals’ housing and feeding management systems. Individual data on gastrointestinal and claw disorders of beef cattle (bulls and heifers) and veal calves were collected through a <i>postmortem</i> inspection by trained veterinarians directly at the slaughter line. Around 15 animals/batch, belonging to 97 batches of young bulls, 56 batches of beef heifers, and 41 batches of veal calves were inspected in three slaughterhouses located in Northern Italy during 30 sampling days, and information on the animals’ rearing systems were gathered <i>a posteriori</i> from farmer interviews. The implementation of this recording system should promote a continuous improvement of beef cattle management from a health and welfare perspective.