Ventura et al 2016- citizen farm visit raw data.xlsx (77.01 kB)
Ventura et al 2016- citizen farm visit raw data.xlsx
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modified on 2016-04-23, 20:52 Citizens’ concerns about
farm animal welfare are often dismissed on the assumption that they are not
well informed about farming practices. We conducted exploratory surveys of interested
citizens (n=50) before and after a self-guided tour of a 500-head dairy farm.
‘Before’ survey questions explored perceptions, concerns, and values about
dairy cattle farming and welfare, in addition to a short knowledge-based quiz
on dairy cattle husbandry. An ‘after’ survey explored the extent to which these
constructs shifted after the tour. Before, most participants correctly answered
quiz questions about general feeding and housing practices, but scores were low
on questions about specific practices such as cow-calf separation. Participants
considered several elements as necessary for a ‘good’ life for dairy cattle:
fresh food and water, pasture access, gentle handling, space, shelter, hygiene,
fresh air and sunshine, social companions, absence of stress, health, and
safety from predators. These elements reflect a diverse conception of animal
welfare that incorporates values for physical and mental well-being, natural
living, and humane care. The visit had a mixed effect on perceptions of whether
dairy cows had a ‘good’ life, improving perceptions for a quarter of
participants, worsening perceptions in a third, with no shift in the remaining
participants. The visit appeared to mitigate some concerns (e.g. provision of
adequate food and water, gentle humane care) while reinforcing or eliciting
others (e.g. lack of pasture access, early cow-calf separation). Moreover,
animal welfare-relevant values held by participants (e.g. natural living, care)
appeared to play an important role in influencing perceptions of farm
practices. These results suggest that education and exposure to livestock
farming may resolve certain concerns, but other concerns will likely persist,
especially when practices conflict with deeply held values around animal care.