Behavioural and physiological measures: correlation and relevance in evaluating the welfare of beef cattle
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2024v45n3p957Keywords:
Animal welfare, Flight distance, Composite scale score, GlucoseAbstract
This study investigated the correlation between the scale score and flight distance with physiological stress indicators and its relevance to welfare assessments in beef cattle. Plasma glucose testing in the laboratory was compared to capillary blood testing using a portable glucometer to test/validate the methodology in cattle. Thirty-six cattle were studied, divided into two treatments, where each animal was considered one experimental unit. Each group comprised 18 randomly chosen cattle, which were evaluated over 490 days. A descriptive analysis (mean, standard deviation and coefficient of variation), an analysis of repeated measurements over time, and the Pearson correlation were carried out, followed by a randomisation test. The effect of the treatments was measured using the following indicators: flight distance, composite scale score, plasma glucose, capillary glucose and blood cortisol, evaluated in repetitions over time. The results showed a moderate association (0.57414) between the composite scale score and flight distance, while the composite scale score, capillary glucose (0.63870), plasma glucose (0.63386) and cortisol (0.62329) were highly correlated. The composite scale score and the levels of glucose and cortisol are reliable indicators for determining the degree of animal well-being. The portable glucometer was accurate in determining glucose levels in cattle.
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