Veterinary Archives, Vol. 90 No. 6, 2020.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.24099/vet.arhiv.1170
The effects of environmental enrichment on some welfare indicators in fattening cattle, housed at different stocking densities
Kristina Matković
; Department of Animal Hygiene, Behaviour and Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Ranka Šimić
; Veterinary and Food Safety Directorate, Ministry of Agriculture, Zagreb, Croatia
Marica Lolić
; Croatian Veterinary Institute, Veterinary Department Vinkovci, Vinkovci, Croatia
Mario Ostović
; Department of Animal Hygiene, Behaviour and Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The effects of environmental enrichment were assessed at different stocking densities on fattening cattle welfare. The study included four groups of heifers observed during four-month final commercial fattening. The heifers were housed in non-enriched and enriched environments at low (n = 14; 4.5 m2/animal) and high (n = 19; 3.3 m2/animal) stocking density. Environmental enrichment consisted of a grooming brush and salt blocks. Heifer welfare was assessed using selected indicators from the Welfare Quality® assessment protocol for cattle. The study results showed that the heifers housed at high stocking density used environmental enrichment materials significantly more frequently as compared with heifers housed at low stocking density (P<0.05), whereas there was no difference in their use of particular enrichment materials. The effect of environmental enrichment on heifer welfare was mainly manifested in a reduction in the expression of some forms of aggressive behaviour; therefore, this finding should encourage the use of enrichment materials such as those presented in this study which are commercially available, relatively inexpensive and simple to use.
Keywords
fattening cattle; environmental enrichment; grooming brush; salt block; stocking density; animal welfare
Hrčak ID:
250272
URI
Publication date:
22.12.2020.
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