Animal welfare practices in livestock farms from the perspective of veterinarians: Northeast Anatolia region in Turkiye

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the opinions of veterinarians providing clinical services in the northeast Anatolia region regarding the compliance of enterprises in the region with animal welfare standards. A survey was sent to veterinarians working in the region, and 82 participants provided feedback on a voluntary basis. The survey questions were designed using the principles of "Animal Welfare" and the "Animal Needs Index," and the prepared questionnaire consisted of five main headings: "good nutrition, good shelter, appropriate behaviour, good care, and good health." Closedended questions were used with a five-point Likert scale to determine the views of veterinarians and thoughts on practices related to animal welfare in the region. According to the perceptions of veterinarians, enterprises in the region were considered "somewhat appropriate" in terms of animal welfare criteria for care, feeding, animal behaviour, and health practices. However, it was observed that enterprises were not compliant with animal welfare criteria in terms of shelter flooring, bedding, ventilation, appropriate rations, silage use, body-udder hygiene, vaccine-parasite-drug-herd management, and some diseases. It was determined that a substantial portion of livestock enterprises in the region faced difficulties in implementing animal welfare criteria. In this context, it is believed that addressing the current deficiencies of enterprises, increasing support and incentives to enhance animal welfare, and providing technical assistance to breeders will help overcome the challenges. It is important for veterinarians to inform and guide breeders regarding animal welfare practices within the framework of the breeder–veterinarian relationship.