Get Welfare Quality Assessment Protocol For Cattle - Wageningen Ur E Bb

We generally think of “spring” time (February through May) as the ideal calving season (about 70 to 75% of all calves are born in this period, although it is not exactly “spring”) because the forage is regrowing as sunlight and temperatures increase and can provide adequate nutrition to the cow and her calf (through ...

After calving, cows resume estrus cycles within 40 to 60 days postpartum. In order to maintain a yearly calving interval, we want cows to be bred within 80 days post calving. Therefore, during a 64-day breeding season, cattle have three opportunities to become bred (once every 21 days).

The cow pain scale consists of 7 behaviours, evaluated from 0-2 and combined into a total pain score. This pain score is guiding, but if the pain score is above 5, the cow could be in pain and should be observed and re-evaluated or examined by the veterinarian.

Estrus is expected to occur 1 to 5 days after injection if a corpus luteum was present. Cattle that do not become pregnant to breeding at estrus on days 1 to 5 after injection will be expected to return to estrus in about 18 to 24 days.

“Most cattle producers breed their cows in June so they will calve in March and April, but heifers should be bred 20 to 30 days before the rest of the herd,” he said.

On Day 5, cows are given a shot of prostaglandin (PGF2α) which synchronizes a majority of the cows to be in heat/estrus from Day 6 through Day 10. The injection of prostaglandin causes any cows with a corpus luteum present on one of their ovaries to regress, ceasing progesterone production.

Provide necessary food, water and care to protect the health and well-being of animals. Provide disease prevention practices to protect herd health, including access to veterinary medical care. Provide facilities that allow safe, humane, and efficient movement and/or restraint of cattle.

The Welfare Quality® protocols do not replace or supersede any existing farm assurance or legal standards. They provide an additional tool for the assessment of animal welfare using predominantly animal-based measures and as such can add valuable additional information to existing inspection programs.