Table 1.
Prevalence of cattle farms not complying with the main welfare categories or the checklist requirements concerning adult cattle.
| Required Compliance | Non-Compliant Farms n a, % b (95% CI) |
|---|---|
| General requirements for premises | 103, 6.9 (5.7–8.2) |
| Facilities and equipment are | |
| safe for animals | 46, 3.1 (2.3–4.0) |
| easily cleanable | 16, 1.1 (0.6–1.7) |
| suitable for disinfection | 15, 1.0 (0.6–1.6) |
| Cleanliness of facilities and equipment are adequately taken care of | 73, 4.9 (3.9–6.1) |
| Floors do not cause damage to animals | 26, 1.8 (1.2–2.5) |
| Liquid secretions are properly removed or absorbed into bedding | 52, 3.4 (2.2–4.8) |
| Pest control is taken care of | 9, 0.6 (0.3–1.1) |
| Animals are easily removed from shelter | 5, 0.3 (0.1-0.7) |
| Space requirements | 144, 9.7 (8.3–11.3) |
| Each animal has a clean and adequate lying area | 128, 8.5 (7.2–10.0) |
| Stalls are appropriate (1065) | 22, 2.1 (1.3–3.3) |
| Equipment for stalls is appropriate | 6, 0.6 (0.3–1.2) |
| Environment | 34, 2.3 (1.7–3.2) |
| Temperature is good for animals | 3, 0.2 (0.1–0.5) |
| Lighting is suitable for animals and adequate for proper inspection and care of animals | 22, 1.5 (1.0–2.2) |
| Air quality and moisture are good for animals | 12, 0.9 (0.4–1.4) |
| In case of mechanical ventilation, the system is checked daily and there is an alarm system which is also tested regularly | 4, 1.4 (0.5–3.3) |
| The noise is quiet enough | 2, 0.1 (0.0–0.4) |
| Management | 108, 7.1 (5.9–8.5) |
| There are enough staff to take care of the animals | 1, 0.1 (0.0–0.3) |
| Hooves are checked often enough and treated when necessary | 66, 4.5 (3.5–5.6) |
| Social hierarchy is considered | 6, 0.4 (0.2–0.8) |
| There are no electronic stalls and tails are not kept tied all the time | 2, 0.2 (0.0–0.5) |
| There is proper care for diseased and injured animals | 18, 1.4 (0.8–2.1) |
| Sick and injured animals are placed, where appropriate, in separate compartments | 12, 0.9 (0.5–1.6) |
| Record of medical treatment is kept | 24, 1.7 (0.8–2.1) |
| Record of dead animals is kept | 8, 0.5 (0.3–1.0) |
| Killing animals is done appropriately | 6, 0.4 (0.2–0.8) |
| Feeding and watering | 67, 4.4 (3.4–5.5) |
| Animals have enough adequate feed | 17, 1.1 (0.6–1.7) |
| Feeding systems are available for all animals | 4, 0.6 (0.2–1.5) |
| In case of a mechanical feeding system, the system is checked daily and there is a back-up system | 2, 0.5 (0.1–1.7) |
| Feed and drinking water remain clean | 26, 1.7 (1.2–2.5) |
| There is enough clean water available for animals | 39, 2.6 (1.9–3.5) |
| In case of a mechanical drinking system, the system is checked daily and there is a back-up system | 5, 0.4 (0.1–0.8) |
| In case of an automatic drinking or feeding system, animals have become accustomed to it | 0, 0.0 |
| Outdoor rearing and pasture | 96, 8.5 (7.0–10.2) |
| Tie-stalled dairy cows and heifers have access to pasture or exercise area outdoors | 34, 4.2 (3.0–5.7) |
| Ground of outdoor area remains properly dry | 35, 4.1 (2.9–5.5) |
| Animals (excluding animals reared outside year-round) have adequate weather protection | 24, 2.4 (1.6–3.5) |
| Fences are suitable, safe and in good condition | 11, 1.2 (0.7–2.1) |
| There are appropriate facilities for isolating and treating animals | 7, 1.0 (0.4–1.9) |
| Animals outside year-round have adequate weather protection | 24, 8.1 (5.4–11.7) |
a The number of farms which did not comply with the requirement; b The prevalence of farms which did not comply with the requirement; it was counted from farms in which the requirement was relevant. The bold is to emphasize the mean percentages.