Yes, These parameters are definitely contributed by how the animals are treated or kept. If the animal welfare is good the performance will be better. But it should be well defined based on breed and regions.

I am also confused because in high producing animals welfare might be compromised! Isn't it ??

Right Kotresh, but i think high productive and reproductive performance is not indicative of good welfare. A high producing animal might have compromised welfare. Similarly, high reproductive performance justifies only good biological functioning and these targets are backed up as a aim for breeding programmes. Therefore, i think these are not the effective indicators or can be called as indirect indicators which should not be included in welfare assessment protocols(eg. welfare quality principles don't include good performance in the principles neither in indicators). However, we can correlate the findings of the welfare assessment with management practices, production reproduction parameters.

Sir, even they can be included in assessing welfare status among extensive or range system of rearing because there will be minimal inputs and animals performance will be definitely dependant on the fodder and feed availability, terrain conditions, water availability and water availability!

Animals are also having freedom to express their natural behavior and we can easily assess whether 5 freedoms are met or not !

So I feel the productive and reproductive parameters can be a good indicators of welfare in extensive system of rearing

Dear Kotresh, that's the difference between animal science and animal welfare, as former focus on production while later focuses on individual. In between the welfare assessment is a multidimensional aspect. I think focus should not be on identifying the production or reproduction indicators, instead we must focus on those indicators that ensure the efficiency of animals at high productive and reproductive performance. The productive and reproductive performance can be used as a prescreening tool for welfare assessment

Whenever we talk of reproductive and productive performance, the animal welfare is compromised. Dairy man is willing to feed productive animals but he is not interested to feed dry or unproductive animals. When economic consideration comes, the animal welfare is forgotten. A farmer wants to increase the milk production of his cow as much as possible. In doing so, animal has to pump more blood through its udder. The heart has to increase it's cardiac output. So the highly productive animals are stressed very soon. If an animal has a poor reproductive performance, it's culled and slaughtered. So, how can you expect production performance and animal welfare being taught together? These are the two sides of a coin. When you get higher production, there's no welfare. If you take care of animal welfare, the production gets compromised!

Эксплуатационные стрессы могут негативно влиять на продуктивность, качество молока и репродукцию. Это защитная реакция организма с целью восстановить гомеостаз. Стрессы могут возникать из-за некомфортных условий содержания, доения и прочего. Поэтому репродукция и продуктивность являются результатом благосостояния животных, а не только как мы кормим и чем. Нарушение благосостояния и стресс срываю иммунитет, нарушают аппетит и конечно влияют отрицательно на продуктивность. Поэтому я согласен что благосостояние и продуктивность и репродукцию надо оценивать в комплексе.

Operational stresses can negatively affect productivity, milk quality and reproduction. This is a protective reaction of the body in order to restore homeostasis. Stress can occur due to uncomfortable conditions of detention, milking and other things. Therefore, reproduction and productivity are the result of animal welfare, and not just how we feed and what. Disturbance of well-being and stress disrupt the immune system, disrupt appetite and, of course, negatively affect productivity. Therefore, I agree that welfare and productivity and reproduction should be evaluated in a comprehensive

Ashwani Roy Olexandr Chernenko Thank your respected mentors for your valuable comment on this aspect. As you have rightly said that there is a trade off between the welfare and productivity of the livestock. Therefore, our aim should be to provide the desired/appropriate welfare to the livestock (at point C in the graph). The parameters of the production and reproduction can be benchmarked after the consensus of the experts, farmers, veterinarians etc.. Thus, after taking the opinions of all the stakeholders we can include these in welfare assessment. But the weightage to these parameters (productive and reproductive performance) should be less when compared to feeding, environment/housing, health and behaviour, while performing welfare assessment.

I agree.

Ankaj Thakur very nice picture!.

It describes very well and introduce a new concept: We as humans can even improve the welfare of animals in natural conditions. I totally agree.

What is your source?

Thanks in advance

Javier Prieto Jiménez Thank you sir. You have rightly said that welfare of animals in natural conditions can be greatly improved through proper stockmanship. Sir, the above figure is from the source i have mentioned in the link below

Article Economic Aspects of Animal Welfare

!!! when assesment proctools include more objective and irrefutable evidence, it leaves little room for decision makes' egos and prejudices ...

You cannot manage stock to be productive without taking their welfare into consideration. With poor welfare practices, stock will not have the appetite to optimise their productive potential. Farmers rear and manage their stock to optimise (and even maximise) their farm profit so the two aspects go hand in hand.

Yea both welfare and productivity/reproduction are related. They must be taken for consideration with local conditions like climatic zone, breed, purpose of keeping animal etc.

Animal welfare, productivity and reproduction are going hand in hand. You can not expect animal to produce/reproduce optimally in a poor welfare condition. It has to be well fed, housed, vaccinated, treated when diseased and closely monitored, all of this are act of welfarism.

good question

Improved animal performance and good herd management, hence sustainable farm profits and improved household lifestyles all require sustainable animal welfare practices. You can read more about this in my book "Cow talk" which is freely downloadable from my website www.profitabledairysystems.com.au. John Moran, Australia.

John Moran Thank you sir for your comment. I have read your book. It is easy to understand and nicely written.

I agree that animal welfare should include management practices in welfare assessment protocols for livestock.

Because this is old; we should re-think for better output according to our demand.

An animal's health and performance is affected by its genetics and its environment. One can select for healthier animals and increase traits like fertility, and many selection indexes include disease resistance, improved fertility, better mammary health, resistance to parasites and other traits. Animals that have superior genetics for such traits will not express those traits if they are not provided with an environment in which to display their genetic potential. Inadequate feed, heat stress, unsanitary conditions, poor housing, lack of healthcare and poor stockmanship all lead to poor welfare. Welfare of domesticated animals is different from welfare of animals in the wild. Most domesticated animals would not survive if introduced into a wild setting, so be very careful in using the term "natural". What might be natural for an animal in the wild would not be natural for cattle or pigs or sheep or goats or camels or chickens or other species that have been domesticated for about 7,000 to 10,000 years.

Aiming at welfare brings fruits of productivity in a more sustainable manner. Providing welfare does not necessarily involve higher capital. Assessing what the animal really needs and providing it optimally and cost effectively will improve production and reproduction. Whether in terms of the five freedoms or in terms of stress strain concept or in any other assessment protocols, welfare is not contradictory to productivity in a long term sustainability perspective.