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Evaluation of human-animal relationship (HAR) in dairy goats
No full textThe aim of this study was to set up a valid, feasible and reliable test to measure the quality of the HAR in on-farm dairy goats’ welfare assessment protocols. Twelve commercial dairy farms in Northern Italy were selected and classified as “good” (n=6) and “poor” (n=6) HAR on the basis of reports from local veterinarians, confirmed by a survey about farmers’ attitude. HAR was measured by: snorting – the number of alert sounds; voluntary approach (VA) test – in a stationary situation, the latency to the first contact by goat and the % of goats that entered in contact with the observer and within a 1.5 m radius around him were recorded; avoidance distance (AD) test – the avoidance distance from a moving person and the % of tested goats, of contacts with the observer followed by withdrawal or acceptances of gentle stroke were recorded. Snorts were rarely and random expressed, so they do not seem suitable to be included in a protocol. A PCA was performed to confirm the validity of the variables recorded and to select the most promising indicators. The considered variables were able to discriminate between “good” and “poor” HAR farms. Latency to first contact seems a valid and feasible indicator (One-way ANOVA: P=0.01). This indicator is easy to perform and the VA-test might be stopped immediately after the first contact, saving time. Other variables resulted valid, but they were more time consuming or required a more specific training: % tested goats (P=0.006), AD mean (P=0.016), % contacts (P=0.006), % acceptance (P=0.003). Our preliminary results suggest that the latency to first contact is a promising indicator of HAR, that can be supported by other indicators if more deepened evaluation is required. In collaboration with WP3, the indicators developed in Italy were tested in a controlled experimental situation at SRUC facilities (Edinburgh) on 40 goats subjected to different HAR treatments (positive, neutral, negative). Data analysis is still on going
Italian dairy farmers' attitudes and handling practices and their consequences on human-animal relationship
No full textValidity and feasibility of human-animal relationship tests for on-farm welfare assessment in dairy goats
Full text linkThis study aims at establishing suitable tests to measure the quality of the Human-Animal Relationship (HAR) in dairy goats for on-farm welfare assessment protocols by evaluating the predictive validity of different categories of HAR tests and their feasibility in on-farm condition. Twelve commercial dairy farms in Northern Italy were selected and classified as "good" (n = 6) and "poor" (n = 6) HAR on the basis of reports from a technical advisor. Some variables were tested to measure the HAR: sneezing - the number of alert sounds; voluntary approach (VA) test - in a stationary situation, the latency to the first contact by goat and the% of goats that entered in contact with the test person and within a 1.5 m radius around her were recorded, both continuously and at scan sample intervals; avoidance distance (AD) test the avoidance distance from a moving and approaching person and the% of tested goats, of contacts with the test person followed by withdrawal or of acceptances of gentle stroke were recorded. The feasibility of each test was evaluated based on costs, time consumption, safety and training requirement. Sneezes were rarely and random expressed, so they do not seem suitable to be included in a protocol. Both Principal Component Analysis and One-way ANOVA confirmed the predictive validity of most of the variables, which were able to discriminate between "good" and "poor" HAR farms. Latency to first contact resulted valid (P = 0.01) and a high feasibility was reported. The indicator was easy to be recorded and the VA test could be stopped immediately after the first contact, saving time. Variables from the AD test resulted valid (% tested goats: P = 0.006; AD mean: P = 0.016; % contacts: P = 0.006; % acceptance: P = 0.003), although they were more time consuming or required a more specific training compared to latency to first contact. The correlation among variables seemed to support also a convergent validity of the tests used. The investigation pinpointed promising behavioural tests to be included into on-farm welfare assessment protocols in dairy goats. Taking into account species, test results and feasibility considerations, we suggest the inclusion of latency to the first contact with the test person into on-farm welfare assessment protocols. However, these results should be further tested in a larger number of farms of different dimensions, to overcome the limitations of this study due to the small sample size and to check the effect of farm size
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Selection of animal-based welfare parameters for on-farm assessment in cattle and buffalo. In: COST ACTION 846 - Measuring and Monitoring Animal Welfare (Eds: Blokhuis, H. J., Jones, R. B., Veissier, I., Geers, R.), ESF, Bruxelles, Belgium, 23.
No full textAppropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
How do Italian farmers perceive their dairy cows.
No full textHow do Italian farmers perceive their dairy cows?
Theme: cowness
D. Baroli1*, M. Minero1 , D. Zucca, S. Waiblinger2, S. Mattiello1 E. Canali1
1 : Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Milan, Italy,
2 : Institute of Animal Husbandry and Welfare, University of Veterinary Medicine Wien, Austria
Dr Daniela Baroli Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Via Celoria 10,
20133 Milan. Italy. [email protected]
The human–animal relationship (HAR) is a core issue to improve the welfare of
farmed animals. The quality of HAR depends on how animals and humans perceive each
other. Particular attention has been paid in recent years to the role that the attitudes of
stockmen play on their behaviour towards dairy cattle and the reactions of these animals
towards people i.e their level of fear or confidence (Breuer et al., 2000; Rushen et al.,
1999; Hemsworth et al., 2000 Waiblinger et al., 2002; Waiblinger et al. 2006).
Objectives of subtask 3.1 of the EU funded Welfare Quality® project were to
determine the variability of the farmers’ practices and attitude and behaviour in order to
understand the HAR in European countries (Italy and Austria) characterised by different
dairy production systems. Austrian partner dealt with small medium size family run farms
while we dealt with larger, employee run farms with large herd size. The research
consisted of two parts performed on dairy farms in Italy: a questionnaire survey in order
to collect information on variability of handling practices and attitudes; and on farm
study in a sample of dairy farms to relate these practices to farmers attitudes and to
animal behaviour towards humans. In this paper the results of the survey will be
analysed. The questionnaire was developed by Austrian partner with questions regarding,
among others, housing, and management and the farmers’ attitudes and their assessment
of the own animals behaviour. Farmers were asked to answer statements about general
characteristics of caw, heifers and calves, the importance of gentle contact during daily
work and the importance of characteristics of cows for ease of handling. They could
answer on a 7-point Likert scale from “agree totally” (=7) to “disagree totally” (=1) or
from “very important” (=7) to “not at all important” (=1).
155 dairy farms (loose housing) were randomly chosen in Northern. The
questionnaire was handed over to the farmers by the technicians of the Breeders
Association. The main stockperson responsible for the cattle on the farm was asked to
fill in the questionnaire. All the farmers gave the questionnaires back to technicians who
delivered the filled questionnaires back to the Department. Farmers knew that the
questionnaires were anonymously treated when they gave back to technicians anonymous
sealed envelopes. Collected data were analysed to obtain descriptive analysis regarding
the variability of handling practices, specific attitudes and opinion of the farmers.
This is the first study performed in Italy where a systematic questionnaire survey
and farm visits show farmer attitudes, handling practices and the cows-human
relationship in Italian dairy farms. Data from all the 155 returned questionnaires were
used for the statistical analysis. Persons that filled in the questionnaire (owners who
works with the cows) ranged in age from 19 to 64 years (mean: 41.2 ). 2.6% of the
questionnaires were filled in by women, 97.4 % by men. From the questionnaires comes
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out that these farms with large herd size (120 lactating cows as average) are usually run by
a farmer although other people do part of the job and milking is always done by a milker
in 44,5% of these farms.
69.3% of the farmers think that dairy cows can recognize humans, 30.4% agree that
cows are intelligent and 36.2% that learn quickly. Few farmers think that is difficult to
handle cows (6.3%) and calves (4.0%). Only 7.2 % of farmers think that calves are not
very sensitive to pain and 10.5% neither the cows. Vocal contacts when approaching
animals (calves, heifers or cows) are important for 60% of interviewed farmers. Farmers
vary in their attitudes towards cows in general and regarding the importance of contact.
Despite large herd size, most farmers show a positive attitude, and agree both on the
importance of gentle contact during daily work and the significance of the cows’ being
easy to handle and confident in contact humans, there is still a percentage showing
different attitude. Only 11 % of them state that cows must have fear of humans to be
easy handled Moreover farmers think that regular contact to the animals in different age
categories is important or very important, but still some of them give less importance to
such contact. Daily management practices showed that many farmers have often contacts
with their calves during the first month of life, and these contacts diminish when the
calves grow. 66 % of the farmers never talked to their heifers, while many of them are
accustomed to use voice with their cows.
These data suggest that there are still some difficulties in transforming positive attitude
in positive handling
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