Abstract:

The aim of this study was to evaluate animal welfare conditions with the aspects of barn measurements, equipment, climatic conditions and some husbandry practices in Afyonkarahisar province. For this purpose, 101 dairy cattle enterprises visited in between january and march months of 2013. Barn types were determined as tie-stall (98%), free-stall (1%) and semi open (1%) in the cattle enterprises. Means of area for barn, windows and chimney were determined as 184.0, 5.3 and 1.2 m2, respectively. Feeders height and width were 59.4 and 46.2 cm. The ratios of enterprises possessing automatic waterers were 18.8%. Means for temperature, humidity, ammonia and carbon dioxide were determined as 16.7 ºC, 59.3%, 7.4 ppm and 1049.7 ppm, respectively. It was determined that 32.7 % and 3 % staff in cattle enterprises have been educated in cattle breeding and animal welfare, respectively.It has been observed that calves were kept indoor group (95%), indoor individual pen (3%) and outdoor individual hutch (2%). Mean value for calves kept in indoor groups determined as 4.9 m2/head. There were no castration and tail cut in cattle enterprises. It was concluded that the dairy cattle enterprises of Afyonkarahisar were not suitable in the aspect of barn type, orders in barn, water bowl and personal education but convenient in relation to climatic conditions in barns, feeder measurements, milking technics and calf rearing

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