Based on the KTBL guide and taking into account INTIA Animal Welfare certificate, a document has been prepared and distributed to INTIA’s advisors. In this document in addition to all the indicators listed in the KTBL guide, there have been included other clinical signs such as coughs and diarrhoea, and most importantly, aspects related to the use of natural resources (grazing).
The demostration consist on trainning farmers and advisors of Navarra to evaluate the minimum animal welfare requirements and to establish a self-control consisting of systematically recording indicators related mainly to animals, providing information that will lead to better animal welfare management.
It is being implemented in all farms registered in the IGP Ternera of Navarre, most of which are suckle cows that sell calves right after weaning ( at least 4 months old ) or farms where they fatten their own calves (closed cycle). There are also a few feedlots.
The only cost would be the time required to evaluate the animals, although compensated by savings derived from better animal welfare status.
There is no extra cost for IGP Ternera de Navarra advisors. The time spent on the visits is nearly the same. We started from the specifications of the IGP Ternera de Navarra, where all the requirements were already included, except for the principle “behavior of animals" and some other related with health.
There was no impediment to its implementation on farms; in fact, it was very well received. Only in a very few cases, farmers are somewhat reluctant to record more data.
This is a guide which helps farmers to improve animal welfare, to identify possible areas for improvement in production and to obtain the INTIA-Animal Welfare certificate.