The future of the AWIN welfare assessment protocol for goats

AWIN has developed a welfare assessment protocol for lactating dairy goats. In fact, two protocols were produced – a short/concise protocol for a first step evaluation and a more comprehensive one for a detailed assessment. This approach has increased the protocol’s feasibility and has shown to be much more appealing for researchers and stakeholders. As a consequence, requests for the use of the protocol are already numerous and worldwide, promising a bright future for the AWIN protocol. Welfare assessment protocols can be used for many reasons – as part of a certification scheme, for regulatory purposes or even for self-monitoring health and performance. For example, the first step protocol will allow farmers to swiftly and regularly check the status of their herds, going for a more in-depth evaluation when the problem or related risk factors are not immediately recognized. Additionally, AWIN proposes a positive approach to the discussion of the results, so that the farmers will not feel criticized but involved in the look for solutions. It is imperative that health, welfare and production are seen as working together, and the AWIN protocol is a way to get this message through. For an adequate and successful use of this protocol one condition is essential – an appropriate training of the operators (certifiers, farmers…). Only by a standard application of the protocol, based on good and sound knowledge of the indicators and their meaning, will it be possible to compare results and draw conclusions. Although many training material has been produced by the AWIN team, ways of using new technologies (e.g. interactive training material; web-courses) should be further developed and refined. Finally it should be said that this protocol should be seen as a starting point for further research with the objective of adapting it to other animals in the herd (dry adult goats, young stock) and to other farming systems (extensive and meat production). Although many indicators may be common, this has not been scientifically validated. In conclusion, the AWIN welfare assessment protocol should be considered has an pioneering tool for regulatory, supervisory and monitoring purposes in dairy goat farming.