In this episode, guest host Dr. Julia Herman, an AABP member on staff at National Cattleman’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Check-Off, and the chair of the AABP Animal Welfare Committee, is joined by Dr. Lily Edwards-Callaway to discuss cattle well-being. Dr. Herman works with the Beef Quality Assurance program. Dr. Edwards-Callaway is an associate professor at Colorado State University and studies livestock behavior and welfare. She gives a broad definition of animal welfare as looking at both the physical and mental state of the animal. 

They discuss the five freedoms that are necessary for good welfare programs and the limitations of them. One such limitation is the fact that we need to evaluate the mental state of the animal and the addition of supporting positive experiences for the animal. Too often we evaluate welfare by counting negative experiences versus supporting and advancing positive experiences. Examples discussed include social opportunities such as socially housed dairy calves, measuring playing behavior, providing enrichment opportunities such as cow brushes or balls, and providing rewarding human-animal interaction such as low-stress cattle handling.  

Dr. Edwards-Callaway also discusses Fraser’s three circles of animal welfare and how they overlap. These circles are biological functioning, effective states, and natural living. This allows us to let the cow tell us what animal welfare means to them and what is important to them. Improving animal welfare is a team effort that requires the veterinarian, producer, employees, nutritionist, and others to work together and listen to what the cow is telling us. Veterinarians play a critical role in leading this discussion for on-farm implementation of good animal welfare practices. They advise veterinarians to be open to conversations from the public about animal welfare because when someone asks us a question it does not mean they are questioning what we do.  

Relevant links:

1.       AABP Animal Welfare Committee page

2.       Fraser, D. Understanding animal welfare. Acta Vet Scand 50, S1 (2008). 

3.       Stockmanship and Stewardship Virtual Event.

4.       Beef Quality Assurance Program

5.       World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) Terrestrial Animal Health Code

6.       AVMA Animal Health and Welfare 

7.       Kirkden, R. D., & Pajor, E. A. (2006). Using preference, motivation and aversion tests to ask scientific questions about animals’ feelings. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 100(1-2), 29-47.