Variables de bienestar animal que impactan en la producción de ganado bovino lechero en cinco ganaderías del cantón Santa Rosa.

Abstract

The variables of animal welfare that directly influence dairy cattle production are crucial to ensuring efficient and sustainable production while safeguarding the health and comfort of the animals involved. This study aims to evaluate the animal welfare conditions in five dairy cattle farms in the canton of Santa Rosa using the Welfare Quality protocol and scoring system to determine the animals' comfort levels. The study was conducted on five cattle farms in the Canton of Santa Rosa, El Oro Province. It was an observational, non-experimental, descriptive, and longitudinal study, consisting of direct "in situ" observation of the daily routine of the dairy herd without interfering with daily operations. The first farm, Hacienda Noblecilla, was visited on March 3, 2024; Hacienda Poma Rosa was visited on April 20, 2024; Hacienda Cabuyas on June 12, 2024; Hacienda Casa Lago on June 21, 2024; and Hacienda Santa Rita was visited on July 19, 2024, to evaluate animal welfare. Using specific forms, we collected data on the environment, animals, feeding, management, health, and infrastructure. This information, organized in Excel and visually represented, was entered into specialized software to calculate a welfare score according to Welfare Quality standards. The results, analyzed by variables, reveal that Cabuyas and Santa Rita maintain adequate nutrition in their herds, with most animals in optimal body condition, while Casa Lago and Noblecilla present thin animals, indicating possible nutritional issues. The cows in all the farms consume locally adapted forage, with Noblecilla and Poma Rosa using Tanner and Saboya, Cabuyas focusing on Saboya, Casa Lago using star grass and legume residues, and Santa Rita using German grass and Saboya. All farms obtain water from the public supply, except Finca N°5, which also uses river water. Hygiene issues were observed in fixed drinking troughs. Regarding management, most farms implement a partial milking system, with Cabuyas standing out for its extensive grazing system, while Casa Lago adopts a more intensive approach. The environmental conditions benefit from the silvopastoral system, which provides shade and coolness, and the proximity of the barns to the pastures reduces stress during transfers. The overall health of the cows is good, although Finca N°4 presents problems with ocular secretions and foot issues, requiring attention. Fincas N°4 and N°5 show suboptimal teat conditions, suggesting the need to improve milking practices. In terms of infrastructure, Finca N°3 and Cabuyas stand out for their non-slip floors, while other farms could benefit from improvements to reduce risks. According to the Welfare Quality assessment, Noblecilla and Cabuyas received a "good" animal welfare rating, while Poma Rosa, Casa Lago, and Santa Rita met the minimum criteria with a "sufficient" rating.