The development of the AWIN welfare assessment protocol for donkeys

The donkey population has increased in the last 10 years, with an estimated 50 million donkeys currently worldwide. Donkey welfare, meanwhile, is an increasing global concern that receives close public scrutiny. However, multiple challenges are surrounding how donkey welfare is assessed and recorded...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Dalla Costa, Emanuela, Dai, Francesca, Murray, Leigh Margaret Anne, Cannas, Simona, Canali, Elisabetta, Zanella, Adroaldo José, Minero, Michela
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:Brasil
Institución:Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade de São Paulo (FMVZ-USP)
Repositorio:Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Research and Animal Science
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:revistas.usp.br:article/173333
Acceso en línea:https://www.revistas.usp.br/bjvras/article/view/173333
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Protocolo AWIN
Medida de origem animal
Bem-estar de jumentos
Avaliação do bem-estar
Indicador do bem-estar
AWIN protocol
Animal-based measure
Donkey welfare
Welfare assessment
Welfare indicator
Descripción
Sumario:The donkey population has increased in the last 10 years, with an estimated 50 million donkeys currently worldwide. Donkey welfare, meanwhile, is an increasing global concern that receives close public scrutiny. However, multiple challenges are surrounding how donkey welfare is assessed and recorded. The Animal Welfare Indicators (AWIN) project is the first project, funded by the European Commission, intended to improve donkey welfare by developing a scientifically sound and practical on-farm welfare assessment protocol. The present study describes the procedure for the development of the AWIN welfare assessment protocol for donkeys: 1) selection of promising welfare indicators; 2) research to cover gaps in knowledge; 3) stakeholder consultation; 4) testing the prototype protocol on-farm. The proposed two-level strategy improved on-farm feasibility, while the AWIN donkey app enables the standardized collection of data with prompt results. Although limitations are linked with a relatively small reference population, the AWIN welfare assessment protocol represents the first scientific and standardized approach to evaluate donkey welfare on-farm.