Table 1 The principles, criteria and measures of the Welfare Quality® assessment protocol for dairy cows

1. Good feeding

1. Absence of prolonged hunger (APH)

Body condition score

2. Absence of prolonged thirst (APT)

Water provision; cleanliness of water points; water flow; functioning of water points

2. Good housing

3. Comfort around resting (CAR)

Time needed to lay down; animals colliding with housing equipment during lying down; animals lying partly or completely outside the lying area; cleanliness of udders, flank/upper legs, lower legs

4. Thermal comfort

As yet, no measure is developed. For the study the momentary temperature was recorded

5. Ease of movement (EM)

Presence of tethering; access to outdoor loafing area or pasture

3. Good health

6. Absence of injuries (AI)

Lameness; integument alterations

7. Absence of disease (AD)

Coughing; nasal discharge; ocular discharge; hampered respiration; diarrhoea; vulvar discharge; milk somatic cell count; mortality; dystocia; downer cows

8. Absence of pain induced by management procedures (APIMP)

Disbudding/dehorning; tail docking

4. Appropriate behaviour

9. Expression of social behaviours (ESB)

Agonistic behaviours – assessed by observation of head butts; displacements; chasing; fighting; chasing-up

10. Expression of other behaviours (EOB)

Access to pasture

11. Good human-animal relationship (GHAR)

Avoidance distance

12. Positive emotional state (PES)

Qualitative behaviour assessment – by observation of the cows’ 'body language' regarding 20 behavioural terms (active, relaxed, fearful, agitated, calm, content, indifferent, frustrated, friendly, bored, playful, positively occupied, lively, inquisitive, irritable, uneasy, sociable, apathetic, happy, distressed)