Assessment of animal welfare - starting point for sustained improvement of their quality of life.

The Welfare Quality® European Protocol represents today the assessment reference standard for farm animal welfare and makes use of measurements for both animals and resources. The scope and purpose of this study is to assess the welfare of fattening pigs raised intensively by monitoring the sanitary and behavioral status of animals while applying this protocol. The assessment was conducted in a farm raising fattening pigs (n: 580), over the course of two years, monitoring the welfare criteria and principles described by this protocol. Data obtained showed differences amongst the three lots of animals monitored from the perspective of behavioral displays and health condition - incidence of lesions and laminitis was higher with the first lot while the behavioral displays evolved differently over the course of the study. Data analysis, causes identification and suggestions made based on the former two led to an improvement of welfare levels comparable amongst the three lots of pigs that underwent the study. Welfare Quality® system, represents a safe instrument which, once applied in welfare assessment of pigs raised in intensive systems, contributes to the improvement of the animals’ life quality.