Welfare assessment in dairy cows in a farm from Prahova County.

Assuring a good animal welfare level is not only a mean of increasing livestock production, but also a moral duty of human society. As a major concern, of general interest, animal welfare is covered by numerous governmental or nongovernmental organizations and bodies: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation, World Trade Organization, European Council, European Union, Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals, Eurogroup for Animals, World Organization for Animal Health, Codex Alimentarius, World Veterinary Association, World Society for the Protection of Animals. The present paper aims to assess the welfare level in a farm from Prahova County, respectively in 2 houses for dairy cows with capacities of 520 and 480 animals, reared in collective pens. Because our country hasn’t an official welfare assessment system, we used an integrative numerical system from Austria organic farming: Animal Needs Index 35. This system consists in the study of welfare indicators included in 5 areas of influence: locomotion, social interaction, flooring, light and air, stockmanship, for each parameter points being awarded. The sum of all scores gives the overall ANI score. The research was based on metric measurements, data from health records, body hygiene score, gait score or were done by using specific equipment (Drager MiniWarn portable gas analyzer, LM8010 multifunction device, SL4012 sound level meter, Hill catathermometer). The overall ANI score was 24 for the first house and 23.5 points for the second with a weighted average of 23.76 points. As critical issues stand out: lack of outdoor access, draughts’ high velocity, poor hygiene of pens, feeding and drinking areas, as well as poor body hygiene of animals (soiled animals). Based on obtained scores, the welfare of dairy cows in the farm can be rated as average.