beef production, environmental conditions, farmers, health parameters, milk production
Abstract
The objective of the study was to determine parameters related to cattle’s health and the environment in which they live in cowsheds oriented at beef and milk production. The study included 70 cattle breeders from the pilskie county, Wielkopolskie province. Twenty of the surveyed farmers produced milk, 31 beef, and 19 produced both. The majority of the surveyed farmers worked on family run farms: taking up the area of up to 50 ha and the with up to 50 animals. Approximately 70% of the surveyed farmers kept their animals tethered. Only more or less 40% declared they owned a designated isolation area. Automatic drinkers were, unsurprisingly, present mostly at farms where either milk or both milk and beef were produced (over 60%). Deworming was significantly more frequent on farms producing only beef (68.97%). Measurements of the intensity of harmful gases, airflow speed, humidity, and lighting intensity were conducted in only few cowsheds (up to 9% of the analysed). The results of our study point to greater need of education among farmers, and improving environmental conditions in which cattle are maintained.
