The assessment of cattle cleanliness

Too dirty cattle is a common problem detected by the County Administrative Boards in Swedish herds. This leads to compromised animal welfare and poses risks to animal health, food safety, and milk quality.

However, there is a lack of information regarding several crucial factors necessary to improve compliance with legislation and prevent such problems, for example which animals are getting most dirty, where in the system, and when during the year.

The project aims to identify areas of concern related to excessively dirty cattle and examine different stakeholders´ assessments of the degree of dirtiness to achieve evaluations that are more consistent.

Inspection reports and data from the animal welfare control database will be analysed to gain knowledge and develop a targeted improvement strategy.

Workshops and surveys will be used to gather assessments from stakeholders and discuss factors influencing their evaluations.

The project is a collaboration between the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the District Veterinary Services, aiming to leverage both scientific and practical expertise while addressing relevant issues concerning dirty cattle and consistency in assessments.