以奧地利使用之ANI 35 L方法評估台灣乳牛動物福利及其與疾病的關係

Abstract

近年來，雖然已有許多以疾病角度來研究乳牛之文獻，但以動物福利角度研究之文獻偏少。因此，本研究訪查台灣地區共53家乳牛場，除了採用奧地利政府使用之ANI 35 L評估方法，評估台灣泌乳牛之動物福利外，同時調查各乳牛場之乳房炎發生率、跛足發生率以及乳產量，進一步探究泌乳牛的動物福利與乳房炎、跛足及乳產量的關係。 研究結果顯示，訪查之53家乳牛場中，有32.1%屬於非常符合動物福利。有設置運動場之乳牛場，ANI總分會顯著升高，意即對泌乳牛動物福利之提升有顯著效用，而無運動場之乳牛場，其乳產量則會高於有運動場之乳牛場。 不同地面品質中，使用墊料之乳牛場ANI總分會顯著高於水泥地以及橡膠墊，而使用牛床之乳牛動物福利分數（ANI總分）也會顯著高於使用水泥地之乳牛場。而在本研究中，水泥地之乳牛場平均跛足發生率會顯著小於使用橡膠墊之乳牛場。 不同規模之乳牛場，其跛足發生率和乳產量並沒有顯著差異。200-299頭數的平均乳房炎發生率會顯著小於100-199頭數的乳牛場，且300頭以上之ANI總分會顯著高於100-199頭數的乳牛場。 乳房炎發生率則會與ANI評估中的躺臥處滑度項目有負相關，即當躺臥處越濕滑，得分越低，泌乳牛之乳房炎發生率就會越高。而跛足發生率在本研究中，發現會與乳牛之可活動空間以及社會互動呈負相關，即當提供乳牛越小的活動空間，以及較少的社會互動，都可能使跛足發生率提高。 在乳產量的相關性分析中，會與：（1）起身躺臥空間；（2）設備狀況；（3）健康記錄；（4）動物管理員素質的總分皆呈現正相關。此四個項目有三項屬於動物管理員素質，顯示出動物管理員素質對於乳產量有一定程度的重要性。

Resent years, there are many researches on dairy cows in concept of disease, but there are little in which concept of animal welfare in Taiwan. 53 dairy farms in Taiwan were assessed in this study with ANI 35 L (TGI 35 L), and we explore the correlation between animal welfare and mastitis prevalence, lameness prevalence, and milk yield. Of the 53 farms, 32.1% were achieved the range of “very suitable with respect to welfare”. Dairy farms with outdoor yards have higher ANI score but less milk yield than which without straw yards (p<0.05). Dairy farms with straw yards have higher ANI score than with concrete and rubber mats (p< 0.05). Also, the ANI score of farms in cubicle system are higher than in concrete (p< 0.05). Mastitis prevalence in herd size ranged from 200-299 was less than ranged from 100-199 (p< 0.05), and the ANI score in herd size ranged above 300 was higher than ranged from 100-199 (p< 0.05). A negative correlation was found between mastitis prevalence and the score of ANI criteria “lying area slipperiness”. Lameness prevalence correlated negatively with space allowance, and a trend also seen in the relationships between the ANI score in the assessment section “Social interaction” and lameness prevalence. Positive correlations were found between milk yield and the score of ANI criteria “technical condition of equipment” and the ANI score in the assessment section “Stockmanship”. There was a trend toward a relationship between milk yield and ANI criteria “animal health” and between milk yield and ANI criteria “Lying down, lying & rising”. This study revealed the animal welfare of dairy cows in Taiwan and connections between the results of animal welfare assessment by ANI 35 L and disease and milk yield.