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The use of in-depth interviews to understand the process of treating lame dairy cows from the farmers' perspective

The use of in-depth interviews to understand the process of treating lame dairy cows from the farmers' perspective
The use of in-depth interviews to understand the process of treating lame dairy cows from the farmers' perspective
Interventions aimed at improving animal welfare on farms may be more successful if greater attention is paid to the points of view of farmers. For example, understanding how different dairy farmers detect lame cows, decide to treat them, get them to the point of treatment, and how practical considerations that impact on this process may be important for reducing lameness on dairy farms. In-depth interviews with twelve dairy farmers were carried out to explore how this occurred on their farms. This in-depth approach allowed a number of factors influencing lameness treatment to be uncovered. The language used by farmers to describe lameness gave important insight into their perceptions of lameness and into the value they placed on prompt treatment. Farmers' perceptions of lameness were found to affect the speed of treatment, with treatment of cows perceived to have impaired mobility or to be less severely lame sometimes delayed. Other priorities on the farm, skilled labour availability, farm infrastructure and farmers' emotional responses to lameness treatment were all found to impact on whether or when a lame cow was treated. In order to encourage farmers to promptly treat all lame cows their perceptions of lameness and the benefits of prompt treatment must be addressed. The language used when communicating with farmers about lameness may be key to achieving this. The practical barriers, such as time and labour constraints, associated with the treatment process, must also be understood, taken into account and seen in the context of the farm management as a whole.
animal welfare, dairy cattle, farmer, lameness, qualitative, treatment
0962-7286
157-165
Horseman, Sue
4c70320f-108d-4325-b6a5-58faa5768821
Roe, Emma
f7579e4e-3721-4046-a2d4-d6395f61c675
Huxley, Jon
d261ecbd-7936-4130-9f4b-db400ab070c8
Bell, Nick
82169b96-24f3-433a-adb0-0c462c6cab13
Mason, Colin
4d236256-3501-4e30-9248-f3a0cd35e551
Whay, Becky
ad53667f-60ce-4eac-8d47-fe4898077e21
Horseman, Sue
4c70320f-108d-4325-b6a5-58faa5768821
Roe, Emma
f7579e4e-3721-4046-a2d4-d6395f61c675
Huxley, Jon
d261ecbd-7936-4130-9f4b-db400ab070c8
Bell, Nick
82169b96-24f3-433a-adb0-0c462c6cab13
Mason, Colin
4d236256-3501-4e30-9248-f3a0cd35e551
Whay, Becky
ad53667f-60ce-4eac-8d47-fe4898077e21

Horseman, Sue, Roe, Emma, Huxley, Jon, Bell, Nick, Mason, Colin and Whay, Becky (2014) The use of in-depth interviews to understand the process of treating lame dairy cows from the farmers' perspective. Animal Welfare, 23 (2), 157-165. (doi:10.7120/09627286.23.2.157).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Interventions aimed at improving animal welfare on farms may be more successful if greater attention is paid to the points of view of farmers. For example, understanding how different dairy farmers detect lame cows, decide to treat them, get them to the point of treatment, and how practical considerations that impact on this process may be important for reducing lameness on dairy farms. In-depth interviews with twelve dairy farmers were carried out to explore how this occurred on their farms. This in-depth approach allowed a number of factors influencing lameness treatment to be uncovered. The language used by farmers to describe lameness gave important insight into their perceptions of lameness and into the value they placed on prompt treatment. Farmers' perceptions of lameness were found to affect the speed of treatment, with treatment of cows perceived to have impaired mobility or to be less severely lame sometimes delayed. Other priorities on the farm, skilled labour availability, farm infrastructure and farmers' emotional responses to lameness treatment were all found to impact on whether or when a lame cow was treated. In order to encourage farmers to promptly treat all lame cows their perceptions of lameness and the benefits of prompt treatment must be addressed. The language used when communicating with farmers about lameness may be key to achieving this. The practical barriers, such as time and labour constraints, associated with the treatment process, must also be understood, taken into account and seen in the context of the farm management as a whole.

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in depth interview paper November FINAL Pre-pub.pdf - Version of Record
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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 24 March 2014
Published date: 1 May 2014
Keywords: animal welfare, dairy cattle, farmer, lameness, qualitative, treatment
Organisations: Economy, Society and Space

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 356397
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/356397
ISSN: 0962-7286
PURE UUID: 870b07cb-7f2c-40d9-974e-4f3717b8dea3
ORCID for Emma Roe: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-4674-2133

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Date deposited: 25 Sep 2013 13:28
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:28

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Contributors

Author: Sue Horseman
Author: Emma Roe ORCID iD
Author: Jon Huxley
Author: Nick Bell
Author: Colin Mason
Author: Becky Whay

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