Assessment of dairy Goat Welfare in Khartoum State

Abstract

Welfare assessment can play multiple roles in the path to welfare improvement. By the application of AWIN welfare assessment protocol, based on resources and animal-based indicators, we affecting intensively kept dairy goats in Sudan. During February to September,2018,ninety dairy goats ‘owner’s fences, organized in seven localities of Khartoum state were assessed to evaluate their principles and criteria of freedom from hunger (appropriate nutrition),freedom from thirst (good drinking and absence of prolonged thirst ), freedom from discomfort (good housing, comfort around resting, thermal comfort and ease movement ), freedom from pain, injury and disease (By prevention, rapid diagnosis and treatment)and freedom to express normal behaviors (expression of social behavior, expression of other behavior, good human-animal response and positive emotional state ). The information was collected by using questionnaire, visit, direct interviews and observations with the fences owner. The current study showed that, some freedom from hunger and thirst parameters related to absence of crowding in feeder and drinkers were registered 61.9% and 85.7% respectively and absence of prolonged hunger and thirst were 61.9% and 81.7% respectively. Freedom from discomfort parameters related to shelter structure were recorded 81%, enough area was 76.2% within fences. 47.6% and 57.1% of owners who bred dairy goats revealed that they provided cooling during summer season and their fences had play yard respectively. A few owners (23.8%) had light source in the goat fences. Health status of the animals showed that, only 42.9% of owner vaccinated their goats against epidemic diseases (Pest des patties of ruminantium -PPR-, hemorrhagic septicemia, Brucellosis). All of owner had mortality among their goat, due to accident or diseases. Most of owners (66.6%) consult the veterinarian when their goats become sick, while others (23.8%) used traditional and herbal medicine to treattheir sick goats. Half of owner (57.1%) used antiparasiticdrugs (spray or injectable drugs) for controlled external parasites. The appropriate behavior welfare for dairy goats in Khartoum state showed that, about half of goat owners their animals queuing at feeding and drinking and 80% of them their animals feeding their kids, while 81%of them their animals showed normal ruminations and ease to move, however, the majority of dairy goats owners observed good human-animal response. It is therefore concluded that, welfare assessment detect some present problems in the animal’s life, housing parameters related to structure, design and micro-environment, health status of the animals and good human-animal response. In the dairy goat area, identification of the main welfare problems across countries and different production system is needed.