Systematic welfare assessment in dairy herds using validated indicators enables evidence-based management that protects cows from preventable suffering.
Dairy cow welfare assessment provides the information needed to make evidence-based management decisions. Lameness prevalence tells you about flooring, hoof care, and mobility; body condition score tells you about nutrition and metabolic health; cleanliness indicates cubicle design and management. These indicators, collected systematically and regularly, create a welfare portrait of the herd that guides intervention priorities. Benchmarking against industry standards identifies outlier farms; tracking over time measures improvement. The challenge is converting assessment from an audit requirement into a genuine management tool that farmers use proactively.