Farm animal welfare and production in relation to farmer attitudes

The quality of stockmanship has a major influence on farm animal welfare and productivity. Farmers attitudes are reflected in their management decisions and behaviour towards animals, which, in turn, affects animal behaviour, welfare and productivity. Attitudes can affect the way farmers treat their animals, the environment they provide the animals, and even their own job satisfaction through feedback received from the animals. Farmers perceptions of what animal welfare is and how to improve it may differ from the perceptions of consumers and other stakeholders, and therefore it is crucial to understand what farmers mean when they talk about improving animal welfare. In this study I wanted to establish how farmers perceive improving animal welfare , what the phrase means to farmers, and how is it constructed in their speech. I also wanted to study how farmers perceive relationships among their personal attitudes, animal welfare and production, and if the attitudes are related to animal welfare and/or production. To chart farmers perceptions, we conducted two sets of qualitative interviews and a questionnaire survey using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) as a conceptual framework. The theory states that personal attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control, together shape an individual's behavioural intentions and behaviours. We found that the farmers perceived the improvement of animal welfare as four specific, practical attitude objects (providing animals with a favourable environment; taking care of animal health; treating animals humanely; and taking care of the farmer s own well-being) and two different, but often overlapping, general attitudinal dimensions (the instrumental and intrinsic evaluations of animal welfare). The farmers intentions to improve animal welfare were best explained by their attitudes towards the specific welfare-improving actions. To ensure the validity of the findings of the questionnaire survey we interviewed farmers on 30 Finnish commercial pig farms. At the same time, we also assessed sow welfare (A-index) on-farm. The majority of the farmers considered that animal welfare does affect productivity and that there are linkages between farmer attitudes, animal welfare and productivity. Good stockmanship and healthier animals resulted in more piglets born and a shorter reproduction cycle. To study the relationships between farmer attitudes and animal welfare, we conducted correlation analyses for psycho-social data (gathered via questionnaire survey) and welfare indicator data, including also demographic parameters, from 117 dairy farmers. The environment-based animal welfare indicator data consisted of categorized housing and management parameters for cows. Analyses showed that some of the psycho-social factors were correlated with animal welfare indicators: perceiving the measures to improve animal welfare to be important and easy were positively related to higher animal welfare indicators, and sources of subjective norms, such as an agricultural adviser, were mostly negatively linked with animal welfare indicators. When studying the relationships between farmer attitudes and animal productivity, we used the same partial correlation procedure for psycho-social, production and demographic data from 124 piglet farmers. Among these farmers, treating animals humanely, perceiving it easy to provide the animals with a favourable environment, and having a positive attitude towards new information and scientific research were associated with above average piglet productivity. Through larger litters, decreased piglet mortality and higher numbers of weaned piglets, especially in first parity litters, these factors proved to be the most effective elements of the TPB in improving piglet production. The statistical linkages, even the weak ones, are noteworthy because also in the light of the farmers own views, such correlations were expected. The concept of improvement of animal welfare examined in this study outlines measures to improve animal welfare from the farmers point of view. Actions to improve animal welfare also have an economic impact as they enhance animal production. In order to identify attitudes of greatest relevance to both welfare and productivity, we still need a deeper understanding of the effects of attitudes on animal welfare.

Grantor dc:publisher

Helsingin yliopisto

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• Kauppinen, Tiina

• kliininen tuotantoeläinlääketiede

Statement dc:rights

• Julkaisu on tekijänoikeussäännösten alainen. Teosta voi lukea ja tulostaa henkilökohtaista käyttöä varten. Käyttö kaupallisiin tarkoituksiin on kielletty.
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• Publikationen är skyddad av upphovsrätten. Den får läsas och skrivas ut för personligt bruk. Användning i kommersiellt syfte är förbjuden.

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10138/42040

OAI record oai:identifier

https://helda.helsinki.fi/server/oai/request?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=dim&identifier=oai%3Ahelda.helsinki.fi%3A10138%2F42040