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Dr. Monica Battini
Università degli Studi di Milano

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0 Animal Behavior
0 Animal Communication
0 Animal Welfare
0 Ethology
0 ruminants

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Journal article
Published: 18 May 2021 in Animals
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This study focuses on the problem of assessing inter-observer reliability (IOR) in the case of dichotomous categorical animal-based welfare indicators and the presence of two observers. Based on observations obtained from Animal Welfare Indicators (AWIN) project surveys conducted on nine dairy goat farms, and using udder asymmetry as an indicator, we compared the performance of the most popular agreement indexes available in the literature: Scott’s π, Cohen’s k, kPABAK, Holsti’s H, Krippendorff’s α, Hubert’s Γ, Janson and Vegelius’ J, Bangdiwala’s B, Andrés and Marzo’s , and Gwet’s γ(AC1). Confidence intervals were calculated using closed formulas of variance estimates for π, k, kPABAK,H, α,Γ, J, , and γ(AC1), while the bootstrap and exact bootstrap methods were used for all the indexes. All the indexes and closed formulas of variance estimates were calculated using Microsoft Excel. The bootstrap method was performed with R software, while the exact bootstrap method was performed with SAS software. k, π, and α exhibited a paradoxical behavior, showing unacceptably low values even in the presence of very high concordance rates. B and γ(AC1) showed values very close to the concordance rate, independently of its value. Both bootstrap and exact bootstrap methods turned out to be simpler compared to the implementation of closed variance formulas and provided effective confidence intervals for all the considered indexes. The best approach for measuring IOR in these cases is the use of B or γ(AC1), with bootstrap or exact bootstrap methods for confidence interval calculation.

ACS Style

Mauro Giammarino; Silvana Mattiello; Monica Battini; Piero Quatto; Luca Battaglini; Ana Vieira; George Stilwell; Manuela Renna. Evaluation of Inter-Observer Reliability of Animal Welfare Indicators: Which Is the Best Index to Use? Animals 2021, 11, 1445 .

AMA Style

Mauro Giammarino, Silvana Mattiello, Monica Battini, Piero Quatto, Luca Battaglini, Ana Vieira, George Stilwell, Manuela Renna. Evaluation of Inter-Observer Reliability of Animal Welfare Indicators: Which Is the Best Index to Use? Animals. 2021; 11 (5):1445.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mauro Giammarino; Silvana Mattiello; Monica Battini; Piero Quatto; Luca Battaglini; Ana Vieira; George Stilwell; Manuela Renna. 2021. "Evaluation of Inter-Observer Reliability of Animal Welfare Indicators: Which Is the Best Index to Use?" Animals 11, no. 5: 1445.

Conference paper
Published: 21 January 2021 in Transactions on Petri Nets and Other Models of Concurrency XV
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This work presents a dataset of cat vocalizations focusing on the meows emitted in three different contexts: brushing, isolation in an unfamiliar environment, and waiting for food. The dataset contains vocalizations produced by 21 cats belonging to two breeds, namely Maine Coon and European Shorthair. Sounds have been recorded using low-cost devices easily available on the marketplace, and the data acquired are representative of real-world cases both in terms of audio quality and acoustic conditions. The dataset is open-access, released under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence, and it can be retrieved from the Zenodo web repository.

ACS Style

Luca A. Ludovico; Stavros Ntalampiras; Giorgio Presti; Simona Cannas; Monica Battini; Silvana Mattiello. CatMeows: A Publicly-Available Dataset of Cat Vocalizations. Transactions on Petri Nets and Other Models of Concurrency XV 2021, 230 -243.

AMA Style

Luca A. Ludovico, Stavros Ntalampiras, Giorgio Presti, Simona Cannas, Monica Battini, Silvana Mattiello. CatMeows: A Publicly-Available Dataset of Cat Vocalizations. Transactions on Petri Nets and Other Models of Concurrency XV. 2021; ():230-243.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca A. Ludovico; Stavros Ntalampiras; Giorgio Presti; Simona Cannas; Monica Battini; Silvana Mattiello. 2021. "CatMeows: A Publicly-Available Dataset of Cat Vocalizations." Transactions on Petri Nets and Other Models of Concurrency XV , no. : 230-243.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2021 in Italian Journal of Animal Science
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The present study aims to understand the influence of a reduced amount of straw litter on goats’ lying comfort and hygienic characteristics of milk and straw. Lying behaviour (frequency, lying posture, location and social context) of 24 Alpine goats subjected to two different straw treatments (Regular: 2 kg/straw/head + 1 kg straw/head/day, n = 12; Scarce: 1 kg straw/head + 0.5 kg straw/head/day, n = 12) was observed from video recordings using a scan sampling method at 15-min scan intervals in March 2017. Moreover, straw and milk samples were submitted to microbiological analysis for the detection of total bacteria (SPC) and Enterobacteriaceae count. No significant differences in the duration of lying were observed between treatments, except at the beginning of the experimental period (Day 1: Regular: 26.0%; Scarce: 20.3% of scans; p < .05). In both treatments lying behaviour followed the normal lying patterns for goats, with a preference for sternal lying (99.4% of scans), in contact with a pen wall (78.2% of scans) and not in contact with other goats (alone: 79.7% of scans). Milk and straw SPC and Enterobacteriaceae count were not affected by the treatment. This preliminary study suggests the possibility to reduce the amount of straw as bedding material in goat farms, without affecting animal welfare and microbiological characteristics of milk and straw litter. However, further studies are required to confirm these results under different climatic conditions.

ACS Style

Stefania Celozzi; Silvana Mattiello; Monica Battini; Maddalena Zucali; Lisa Pirovano; Clara Albano; Milena Brasca; Luciana Bava. Effect of a reduced amount of straw bedding on goats’ comfort and hygienic characteristics of milk and straw. Italian Journal of Animal Science 2021, 20, 995 -1001.

AMA Style

Stefania Celozzi, Silvana Mattiello, Monica Battini, Maddalena Zucali, Lisa Pirovano, Clara Albano, Milena Brasca, Luciana Bava. Effect of a reduced amount of straw bedding on goats’ comfort and hygienic characteristics of milk and straw. Italian Journal of Animal Science. 2021; 20 (1):995-1001.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Stefania Celozzi; Silvana Mattiello; Monica Battini; Maddalena Zucali; Lisa Pirovano; Clara Albano; Milena Brasca; Luciana Bava. 2021. "Effect of a reduced amount of straw bedding on goats’ comfort and hygienic characteristics of milk and straw." Italian Journal of Animal Science 20, no. 1: 995-1001.

Journal article
Published: 14 December 2020 in Animals
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Although the domestic cat (Felis catus) is probably the most widespread companion animal in the world and interacts in a complex and multifaceted way with humans, the human–cat relationship and reciprocal communication have received far less attention compared, for example, to the human–dog relationship. Only a limited number of studies have considered what people understand of cats’ human-directed vocal signals during daily cat–owner interactions. The aim of the current study was to investigate to what extent adult humans recognize cat vocalizations, namely meows, emitted in three different contexts: waiting for food, isolation, and brushing. A second aim was to evaluate whether the level of human empathy toward animals and cats and the participant’s gender would positively influence the recognition of cat vocalizations. Finally, some insights on which acoustic features are relevant for the main investigation are provided as a serendipitous result. Two hundred twenty-five adult participants were asked to complete an online questionnaire designed to assess their knowledge of cats and to evaluate their empathy toward animals (Animal Empathy Scale). In addition, participants had to listen to six cat meows recorded in three different contexts and specify the context in which they were emitted and their emotional valence. Less than half of the participants were able to associate cats’ vocalizations with the correct context in which they were emitted; the best recognized meow was that emitted while waiting for food. Female participants and cat owners showed a higher ability to correctly classify the vocalizations emitted by cats during brushing and isolation. A high level of empathy toward cats was significantly associated with a better recognition of meows emitted during isolation. Regarding the emotional valence of meows, it emerged that cat vocalizations emitted during isolation are perceived by people as the most negative, whereas those emitted during brushing are perceived as most positive. Overall, it emerged that, although meowing is mainly a human-directed vocalization and in principle represents a useful tool for cats to communicate emotional states to their owners, humans are not particularly able to extract precise information from cats’ vocalizations and show a limited capacity of discrimination based mainly on their experience with cats and influenced by empathy toward them.

ACS Style

Emanuela Prato-Previde; Simona Cannas; Clara Palestrini; Sara Ingraffia; Monica Battini; Luca Andrea Ludovico; Stavros Ntalampiras; Giorgio Presti; Silvana Mattiello. What’s in a Meow? A Study on Human Classification and Interpretation of Domestic Cat Vocalizations. Animals 2020, 10, 2390 .

AMA Style

Emanuela Prato-Previde, Simona Cannas, Clara Palestrini, Sara Ingraffia, Monica Battini, Luca Andrea Ludovico, Stavros Ntalampiras, Giorgio Presti, Silvana Mattiello. What’s in a Meow? A Study on Human Classification and Interpretation of Domestic Cat Vocalizations. Animals. 2020; 10 (12):2390.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Emanuela Prato-Previde; Simona Cannas; Clara Palestrini; Sara Ingraffia; Monica Battini; Luca Andrea Ludovico; Stavros Ntalampiras; Giorgio Presti; Silvana Mattiello. 2020. "What’s in a Meow? A Study on Human Classification and Interpretation of Domestic Cat Vocalizations." Animals 10, no. 12: 2390.

Journal article
Published: 03 September 2020 in Animals
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In this study, we investigated the lipid composition of fresh and semi-hard goat cheese produced in three Italian farms as well as the welfare assessment of goats reared in these farms. The fatty acid (FA) profile of cheese samples were found to be strictly related to the livestock system. Cheese collected from farms in which goats were allowed to graze and were fed diets with a higher forage/concentrate (F/C) ratio showed a FA profile represented by higher contents of health-promoting fatty acids. In the same samples, the health lipid indices showed the most favorable values. Conversely, cheese samples collected from a conventional-lowland farm, where goats were fed with higher amounts of concentrates and lower F/C ratio, presented a lower nutritional quality, characterized by the worst results for what concerns the health lipid indices. Then, we built a multivariate model able to discriminate samples coming from farms managed by a low-input system from those coming from farm managed by a high-input system. The comparison of animal welfare measurements and fatty acids data showed that a better intrinsic quality of low-input farms did not always correspond to better extrinsic quality, suggesting that the information on the livestock system is not always enough to provide consumers with complete awareness of the total product quality.

ACS Style

Annalaura Lopez; Mauro Vasconi; Monica Battini; Silvana Mattiello; Vittorio Maria Moretti; Federica Bellagamba. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Quality Attributes of Fresh and Semi-Hard Goat Cheese from Low- and High-Input Farming Systems. Animals 2020, 10, 1567 .

AMA Style

Annalaura Lopez, Mauro Vasconi, Monica Battini, Silvana Mattiello, Vittorio Maria Moretti, Federica Bellagamba. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Quality Attributes of Fresh and Semi-Hard Goat Cheese from Low- and High-Input Farming Systems. Animals. 2020; 10 (9):1567.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Annalaura Lopez; Mauro Vasconi; Monica Battini; Silvana Mattiello; Vittorio Maria Moretti; Federica Bellagamba. 2020. "Intrinsic and Extrinsic Quality Attributes of Fresh and Semi-Hard Goat Cheese from Low- and High-Input Farming Systems." Animals 10, no. 9: 1567.

Journal article
Published: 01 May 2020 in Journal of Veterinary Behavior
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ACS Style

Simona Cannas; Silvana Mattiello; Monica Battini; Sara Irene Ingraffia; Delia Cadoni; Clara Palestrini. Evaluation of Maine Coon cat behavior during three different management situations. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 2020, 37, 93 -100.

AMA Style

Simona Cannas, Silvana Mattiello, Monica Battini, Sara Irene Ingraffia, Delia Cadoni, Clara Palestrini. Evaluation of Maine Coon cat behavior during three different management situations. Journal of Veterinary Behavior. 2020; 37 ():93-100.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Simona Cannas; Silvana Mattiello; Monica Battini; Sara Irene Ingraffia; Delia Cadoni; Clara Palestrini. 2020. "Evaluation of Maine Coon cat behavior during three different management situations." Journal of Veterinary Behavior 37, no. : 93-100.

Review
Published: 02 April 2020 in Animals
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Outdoor and extensive farming systems allow animals to behave in a natural way and are often perceived as welfare friendly. Nonetheless, the natural environment poses multiple challenges to the welfare of animals, sometimes hampering their capacity to cope. Welfare assessment in outdoor and extensive systems has been rarely investigated, and little is known about the most appropriate indicators. The aim of this review was to identify animal-based measures of welfare to apply in extensive and pasture-based systems in domestic ruminants. Through the use of a dedicated software for systematic reviews, 810 papers were screened and a total of 52 papers were retained for in-depth analysis. ABM resulting from these papers were initially divided according to the species (cattle and small ruminants, including sheep and goats) and then to four principles: comfort, behavior, feeding and health. The results showed that welfare data were collected applying different methodologies, with an increasing use of sensors in recent years. The need to herd and restrain animals for individual data collection is one of the major constraints to data collection in extensive farming systems. It is suggested that welfare assessment in outdoor/extensive farming systems is carried out by following shared procedures in order to provide evidence of the higher animal welfare claims that these products often imply compared to indoor systems.

ACS Style

Chiara Spigarelli; Anna Zuliani; Monica Battini; Silvana Mattiello; Stefano Bovolenta. Welfare Assessment on Pasture: A Review on Animal-Based Measures for Ruminants. Animals 2020, 10, 609 .

AMA Style

Chiara Spigarelli, Anna Zuliani, Monica Battini, Silvana Mattiello, Stefano Bovolenta. Welfare Assessment on Pasture: A Review on Animal-Based Measures for Ruminants. Animals. 2020; 10 (4):609.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Chiara Spigarelli; Anna Zuliani; Monica Battini; Silvana Mattiello; Stefano Bovolenta. 2020. "Welfare Assessment on Pasture: A Review on Animal-Based Measures for Ruminants." Animals 10, no. 4: 609.

Journal article
Published: 11 February 2020 in Animals
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Disbudding is a routine procedure performed in goat kids at an early age, especially the ones in the dairy industry. The procedure is mainly done to increase safety for other animals and workers in intensive dairy farms. Disbudding is a painful procedure that affects the welfare of the kids. Effective and practical pain mitigation strategies to reduce the suffering of goat kids due to disbudding have not yet been found. We studied two different pain mitigation strategies for this procedure and concluded that they were not entirely effective. Consumers are increasingly aware of animal farming practices, especially the ones that can lead to suffering and pain, such as disbudding. It is crucial that pain mitigation strategies as well as possible alternative solutions to disbudding continue to be investigated. Nowadays, most of the goat milk production in developed countries is done in intensive indoors production systems. In these systems, procedures such as disbudding are performed routinely. Disbudding is done in young goat kids and is a recognised as a painful procedure. Pain mitigation strategies have been extensively researched, but a method that is effective in mitigating pain as well as being safe and practical has not yet been found. In this paper we used three treatment groups: one control and two groups with pain mitigation strategies for cautery disbudding, one using local anaesthesia (lidocaine) and a second one using local anaesthesia (lidocaine) plus an analgesic (flunixin meglumine). The behaviour of twenty-seven goat kids was recorded for three hours after disbudding. Overall, the goat kids that received both pain mitigation treatments dedicated more time performing active and positive behaviours. Nevertheless, the incidence of behaviours related to pain and discomfort was not consistently reduced. Research is still needed to find a practical and effective pain mitigation strategy for disbudding. A solution to this challenge would improve animal welfare as well as address societal concerns linked to the suffering of farm animals.

ACS Style

Inês Ajuda; Monica Battini; Silvana Mattiello; Cecilia Arcuri; George Stilwell. Evaluation of Pain Mitigation Strategies in Goat Kids after Cautery Disbudding. Animals 2020, 10, 277 .

AMA Style

Inês Ajuda, Monica Battini, Silvana Mattiello, Cecilia Arcuri, George Stilwell. Evaluation of Pain Mitigation Strategies in Goat Kids after Cautery Disbudding. Animals. 2020; 10 (2):277.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Inês Ajuda; Monica Battini; Silvana Mattiello; Cecilia Arcuri; George Stilwell. 2020. "Evaluation of Pain Mitigation Strategies in Goat Kids after Cautery Disbudding." Animals 10, no. 2: 277.

Review
Published: 02 October 2019 in Animals
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Until now, most research has focused on the development of indicators of negative welfare, and relatively few studies provide information on valid, reliable, and feasible indicators addressing positive aspects of animal welfare. However, a lack of suffering does not guarantee that animals are experiencing a positive welfare state. The aim of the present review is to identify promising valid and reliable animal-based indicators for the assessment of positive welfare that might be included in welfare assessment protocols for ruminants, and to discuss them in the light of the five domains model, highlighting possible gaps to be filled by future research. Based on the existing literature in the main databases, each indicator was evaluated in terms of its validity, reliability, and on-farm feasibility. Some valid indicators were identified, but a lot of the validity evidence is based on their absence when a negative situation is present; furthermore, only a few indicators are available in the domains of Nutrition and Health. Reliability has been seldom addressed. On-farm feasibility could be increased by developing specific sampling strategies and/or relying on the use of video- or automatic-recording devices. In conclusion, several indicators are potentially available (e.g., synchronisation of lying and feeding, coat or fleece condition, qualitative behaviour assessment), but further research is required.

ACS Style

Silvana Mattiello; Monica Battini; Giuseppe De Rosa; Fabio Napolitano; Cathy Dwyer. How Can We Assess Positive Welfare in Ruminants? Animals 2019, 9, 758 .

AMA Style

Silvana Mattiello, Monica Battini, Giuseppe De Rosa, Fabio Napolitano, Cathy Dwyer. How Can We Assess Positive Welfare in Ruminants? Animals. 2019; 9 (10):758.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Silvana Mattiello; Monica Battini; Giuseppe De Rosa; Fabio Napolitano; Cathy Dwyer. 2019. "How Can We Assess Positive Welfare in Ruminants?" Animals 9, no. 10: 758.

Short communication
Published: 26 September 2019 in Veterinary and Animal Science
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Lameness due to claw overgrowth remains one of the main welfare challenges in dairy goat farms. Although claw trimming is a crucial part of the solution, most times there is a delay in its implementation, with no perceived consequences. The goal of this cross-sectional study was to assess the correlation between the size and deformation of dairy goats claws with lameness score. The width and length of the claws of 38 adult dairy goats were taken and classified as deformed (DEF) or non-deformed (NO_DEF). Lameness was also scored in the majority of the animals assessed for claw deformation. Deformation of at least one claw was present in 34 animals (89% of the total sample). From the 34 goats with deformed claws, 33 presented at least one deformed rear claw and 18 presented at least one deformed front claw. From the 152 claws assessed 58% were deformed (n = 88), of which 19% (n = 29) were front claws and 39% were rear claws (n = 59). Increased width of the front claws was associated with increased likelihood of having deformation with odds of 1.24, and the increased length explained 16% of the variation in lameness scores. A positive relation between lameness score and the number of deformed claws was also shown. Overall, these results suggest that the size of dairy goats’ claws influences the prevalence of deformation and lameness severity and that the number of deformed claws affects goats’ gait. They also help to build the argument in favor of regular trimming in dairy goat farms.

ACS Style

Inês De Grenho Gonçalves Ajuda; Monica Battini; George Stilwell. The role of claw deformation and claw size on goat lameness. Veterinary and Animal Science 2019, 8, 100080 .

AMA Style

Inês De Grenho Gonçalves Ajuda, Monica Battini, George Stilwell. The role of claw deformation and claw size on goat lameness. Veterinary and Animal Science. 2019; 8 ():100080.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Inês De Grenho Gonçalves Ajuda; Monica Battini; George Stilwell. 2019. "The role of claw deformation and claw size on goat lameness." Veterinary and Animal Science 8, no. : 100080.

Journal article
Published: 09 August 2019 in Animals
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Cats employ vocalizations for communicating information, thus their sounds can carry a widerange of meanings. Concerning vocalization, an aspect of increasing relevance directly connected withthe welfare of such animals is its emotional interpretation and the recognition of the production context.To this end, this work presents a proof of concept facilitating the automatic analysis of cat vocalizationsbased on signal processing and pattern recognition techniques, aimed at demonstrating if the emissioncontext can be identified by meowing vocalizations, even if recorded in sub-optimal conditions. Werely on a dataset including vocalizations of Maine Coon and European Shorthair breeds emitted in threedifferent contexts: waiting for food, isolation in unfamiliar environment, and brushing. Towards capturing theemission context, we extract two sets of acoustic parameters, i.e., mel-frequency cepstral coefficients andtemporal modulation features. Subsequently, these are modeled using a classification scheme based ona directed acyclic graph dividing the problem space. The experiments we conducted demonstrate thesuperiority of such a scheme over a series of generative and discriminative classification solutions. Theseresults open up new perspectives for deepening our knowledge of acoustic communication betweenhumans and cats and, in general, between humans and animals.

ACS Style

Luca A. Ntalampiras; Luca Andrea Ludovico; Giorgio Presti; Emanuela Prato Prato Previde; Monica Battini; Simona Cannas; Clara Palestrini; Silvana Mattiello. Automatic Classification of Cat Vocalizations Emitted in Different Contexts. Animals 2019, 9, 543 .

AMA Style

Luca A. Ntalampiras, Luca Andrea Ludovico, Giorgio Presti, Emanuela Prato Prato Previde, Monica Battini, Simona Cannas, Clara Palestrini, Silvana Mattiello. Automatic Classification of Cat Vocalizations Emitted in Different Contexts. Animals. 2019; 9 (8):543.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca A. Ntalampiras; Luca Andrea Ludovico; Giorgio Presti; Emanuela Prato Prato Previde; Monica Battini; Simona Cannas; Clara Palestrini; Silvana Mattiello. 2019. "Automatic Classification of Cat Vocalizations Emitted in Different Contexts." Animals 9, no. 8: 543.

Journal article
Published: 24 July 2019 in Animals
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Understanding the emotions of dairy cows is primarily important in enhancing the level of welfare and provide a better life on farm. This study explored whether eye white and ear posture can reliably contribute to interpret valence and arousal of emotions in dairy cows. The research was conducted in five Italian dairy farms. Four hundred and thirty-six photographs of cows' heads were scored (four-level), according to the eye white and ear posture during feeding, resting, pasture, and an avoidance distance test at the feeding rack (ADF test). Eye white and ear posture were significantly correlated and influenced by the context (P = 0.001). Pasture was the most relaxing context for cows (67.8% of half-closed eyes; 77.3% ears hung down or backwards). The excitement during ADF test was high, with 44.8% of eye white being clearly visible and ears directed forwards to the approaching assessor (95.5%). Housing and management mostly influenced emotions during feeding and resting (P = 0.002 and P = 0.001, respectively): where competition for feeding places and cubicles was low, the cows showed the highest percentages of half-closed eyes and ears backwards or hung down. This research supports the use of eye white and ear posture as reliable indicators of emotions in dairy cows.

ACS Style

Monica Battini; Anna Agostini; Silvana Mattiello. Understanding Cows' Emotions on Farm: Are Eye White and Ear Posture Reliable Indicators? Animals 2019, 9, 477 .

AMA Style

Monica Battini, Anna Agostini, Silvana Mattiello. Understanding Cows' Emotions on Farm: Are Eye White and Ear Posture Reliable Indicators? Animals. 2019; 9 (8):477.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Monica Battini; Anna Agostini; Silvana Mattiello. 2019. "Understanding Cows' Emotions on Farm: Are Eye White and Ear Posture Reliable Indicators?" Animals 9, no. 8: 477.

Journal article
Published: 08 May 2019 in Animals
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Welfare of animals significantly depends on how stakeholders perceive their needs and behave in a way to favor production systems that promote better welfare outcomes. This study aimed at investigating stakeholders’ perception of the welfare of equines, small ruminants, and turkeys using text mining analysis. A survey composed by open-ended questions referring to different aspects of animal welfare was carried out. Text mining analysis was performed. A total of 270 surveys were filled out (horses = 122, sheep = 81, goats = 36, turkeys = 18, donkeys = 13). The respondents (41% veterinarians) came from 32 different countries. To describe welfare requirements, the words “feeding” and “water” were the most frequently used in all the species, meaning that respondents considered the welfare principle “good feeding” as the most relevant. The word “environment” was considered particularly important for turkeys, as well as the word “dry”, never mentioned for other species. Horses stakeholders also considered “exercise” and “proper training” important. Goat stakeholders’ concerns are often expressed by the word “space”, probably because goats are often intensively managed in industrialized countries. Although the sample was too small to be representative, text mining analysis seems to be a promising method to investigate stakeholders’ perception of animal welfare, as it emphasizes their real perception, without the constraints deriving by close-ended questions.

ACS Style

Emanuela Dalla Costa; Vito Tranquillo; Francesca Dai; Michela Minero; Monica Battini; Silvana Mattiello; Sara Barbieri; Valentina Ferrante; Lorenzo Ferrari; Adroaldo Zanella; Elisabetta Canali. Text Mining Analysis to Evaluate Stakeholders’ Perception Regarding Welfare of Equines, Small Ruminants, and Turkeys. Animals 2019, 9, 225 .

AMA Style

Emanuela Dalla Costa, Vito Tranquillo, Francesca Dai, Michela Minero, Monica Battini, Silvana Mattiello, Sara Barbieri, Valentina Ferrante, Lorenzo Ferrari, Adroaldo Zanella, Elisabetta Canali. Text Mining Analysis to Evaluate Stakeholders’ Perception Regarding Welfare of Equines, Small Ruminants, and Turkeys. Animals. 2019; 9 (5):225.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Emanuela Dalla Costa; Vito Tranquillo; Francesca Dai; Michela Minero; Monica Battini; Silvana Mattiello; Sara Barbieri; Valentina Ferrante; Lorenzo Ferrari; Adroaldo Zanella; Elisabetta Canali. 2019. "Text Mining Analysis to Evaluate Stakeholders’ Perception Regarding Welfare of Equines, Small Ruminants, and Turkeys." Animals 9, no. 5: 225.

Journal article
Published: 19 July 2018 in Animals
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This research investigated whether using qualitative behaviour assessment (QBA) with a fixed list of descriptors may be related to quantitative animal- (ABM) and resource-based (RBM) measures included in the AWIN (Animal Welfare Indicators) welfare assessment prototype protocol for goats, tested in 60 farms. A principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted on QBA descriptors; then PCs were correlated to some ABMs and RBMs. Subsequently, a combined PCA merged QBA scores, ABMs and RBMs. The study confirms that QBA can identify the differences in goats’ emotions, but only few significant correlations were found with ABMs and RBMs. In addition, the combined PCA revealed that goats with a normal hair coat were scored as more relaxed and sociable. A high farm workload was related to bored and suffering goats, probably because farmers that can devote less time to animals may fail to recognise important signals from them. Goats were scored as sociable, but also alert, in response to the presence of an outdoor run, probably because when outdoors they received more stimuli than indoors and were more attentive to the surroundings. Notwithstanding these results, the holistic approach of QBA may allow to register animals’ welfare from a different perspective and be complementary to other measures.

ACS Style

Monica Battini; Sara Barbieri; Ana Vieira; Edna Can; George Stilwell; Silvana Mattiello. The Use of Qualitative Behaviour Assessment for the On-Farm Welfare Assessment of Dairy Goats. Animals 2018, 8, 123 .

AMA Style

Monica Battini, Sara Barbieri, Ana Vieira, Edna Can, George Stilwell, Silvana Mattiello. The Use of Qualitative Behaviour Assessment for the On-Farm Welfare Assessment of Dairy Goats. Animals. 2018; 8 (7):123.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Monica Battini; Sara Barbieri; Ana Vieira; Edna Can; George Stilwell; Silvana Mattiello. 2018. "The Use of Qualitative Behaviour Assessment for the On-Farm Welfare Assessment of Dairy Goats." Animals 8, no. 7: 123.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2018 in Animal
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This study was conducted within the context of the Animal Welfare Indicators (AWIN) project and the underlying scientific motivation for the development of the study was the scarcity of data regarding inter-observer reliability (IOR) of welfare indicators, particularly given the importance of reliability as a further step for developing on-farm welfare assessment protocols. The objective of this study is therefore to evaluate IOR of animal-based indicators (at group and individual-level) of the AWIN welfare assessment protocol (prototype) for dairy goats. In the design of the study, two pairs of observers, one in Portugal and another in Italy, visited 10 farms each and applied the AWIN prototype protocol. Farms in both countries were visited between January and March 2014, and all the observers received the same training before the farm visits were initiated. Data collected during farm visits, and analysed in this study, include group-level and individual-level observations. The results of our study allow us to conclude that most of the group-level indicators presented the highest IOR level ('substantial', 0.85 to 0.99) in both field studies, pointing to a usable set of animal-based welfare indicators that were therefore included in the first level of the final AWIN welfare assessment protocol for dairy goats. Inter-observer reliability of individual-level indicators was lower, but the majority of them still reached 'fair to good' (0.41 to 0.75) and 'excellent' (0.76 to 1) levels. In the paper we explore reasons for the differences found in IOR between the group and individual-level indicators, including how the number of individual-level indicators to be assessed on each animal and the restraining method may have affected the results. Furthermore, we discuss the differences found in the IOR of individual-level indicators in both countries: the Portuguese pair of observers reached a higher level of IOR, when compared with the Italian observers. We argue how the reasons behind these differences may stem from the restraining method applied, or the different background and experience of the observers. Finally, the discussion of the results emphasizes the importance of considering that reliability is not an absolute attribute of an indicator, but derives from an interaction between the indicators, the observers and the situation in which the assessment is taking place. This highlights the importance of further considering the indicators' reliability while developing welfare assessment protocols.

ACS Style

A. Vieira; M. Battini; E. Can; S. Mattiello; G. Stilwell. Inter-observer reliability of animal-based welfare indicators included in the Animal Welfare Indicators welfare assessment protocol for dairy goats. Animal 2018, 12, 1942 -1949.

AMA Style

A. Vieira, M. Battini, E. Can, S. Mattiello, G. Stilwell. Inter-observer reliability of animal-based welfare indicators included in the Animal Welfare Indicators welfare assessment protocol for dairy goats. Animal. 2018; 12 (9):1942-1949.

Chicago/Turabian Style

A. Vieira; M. Battini; E. Can; S. Mattiello; G. Stilwell. 2018. "Inter-observer reliability of animal-based welfare indicators included in the Animal Welfare Indicators welfare assessment protocol for dairy goats." Animal 12, no. 9: 1942-1949.

Journal article
Published: 01 November 2017 in Journal of Dairy Science
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Consistency over time (COT) of animal-based indicators is key to a reliable and feasible welfare protocol, indicating that results are representative over long-term situations. High levels of consistency ensure fairness for the farmer and credibility of the system. In addition, indicator COT reduces recording costs, as having indicators that do not change over a long period of time will require less farm visits to achieve reliable estimates. To date, COT of animal-based indicators included in the welfare assessment of dairy goats has never been tested. Therefore, our aim was to investigate COT of animal-based indicators included in the Animal Welfare Indicators (AWIN) welfare assessment prototype protocol for dairy goats. To meet this goal, a study was designed where an average of 3 mo elapsed between 2 sets of visits to the same 20 dairy goat farms (10 in Portugal and 10 in Italy), with no major changes in management routines or housing conditions occurring during this period. Initially, we performed a Wilcoxon signed rank test to investigate whether the results obtained during the 2 visits were significantly different. After this preliminary screening, the indicators presenting nonsignificant differences between visits were submitted to a second step analysis, where discriminative and evaluative analyses were conducted to reach a final indicator lineup. The discriminative approach helped distinguishing among farms, whereas the agreement analysis showed us the range of differences between repeated assessments. Some particular conclusions could be drawn from this combined analysis, helping to the development of the final AWIN welfare assessment protocol for dairy goats and as a further step to develop a welfare assessment monitoring scheme for this and other species. In this sense, the AWIN welfare assessment protocol allows for the quick differentiation between farms based on the identification of persistent welfare problems, by recording highly consistent and feasible indicators. In a second step, a more comprehensive protocol, consisting of indicators more likely to be subject to variations along time, was applied. Repeated assessments and long-term studies of indicator consistency are needed to help determine the frequency of visits required to obtain a consistent and feasible welfare assessment scheme. This paper adds to the literature by providing guidance on the variability of animal-based indicators over time.

ACS Style

Edna Can; Ana Vieira; Monica Battini; Silvana Mattiello; George Stilwell. Consistency over time of animal-based welfare indicators as a further step for developing a welfare assessment monitoring scheme: The case of the Animal Welfare Indicators protocol for dairy goats. Journal of Dairy Science 2017, 100, 9194 -9204.

AMA Style

Edna Can, Ana Vieira, Monica Battini, Silvana Mattiello, George Stilwell. Consistency over time of animal-based welfare indicators as a further step for developing a welfare assessment monitoring scheme: The case of the Animal Welfare Indicators protocol for dairy goats. Journal of Dairy Science. 2017; 100 (11):9194-9204.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Edna Can; Ana Vieira; Monica Battini; Silvana Mattiello; George Stilwell. 2017. "Consistency over time of animal-based welfare indicators as a further step for developing a welfare assessment monitoring scheme: The case of the Animal Welfare Indicators protocol for dairy goats." Journal of Dairy Science 100, no. 11: 9194-9204.

Journal article
Published: 02 July 2016 in Italian Journal of Animal Science
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The aim of the study is to develop a scoring system for dairy farms in order to give specific information about the product and production process of milk. The scoring system, based on a multi-dimensional approach, was developed on the basis of data collected in 29 Italian dairy farms and included different aspects. For the evaluation of animal welfare, a selection of indicators set up in the European Project® assessment protocol for cattle 2009 was used. Environmental sustainability of milk production was assessed by a cradle-to-farm-gate Life Cycle Assessment. Laboratory analyses were carried out on bulk tank milk to evaluate microbiological, nutritional and nutraceutical quality. Nineteen variables were selected and retained to define six quality aspects: animal welfare, environmental and economic sustainability of farms, microbiological, nutritional and nutraceutical quality of milk. Each farm was visited twice; each visit received, for each variable, a score between 1 and 3 based on the frequency distribution of that variable in the farm sample. The relation among farm characteristics and quality aspects showed the importance to maximise dairy efficiency to improve environmental and economic sustainability of the farms and the inclusion of hay in dairy cows’ ration to enhance the nutraceutical and nutritional quality of milk. The proposed multi-dimensional scoring system is a practical tool: for the farmer, to support decisions for improving the quality of the product and the productive process; for the dairy company, as a value-added opportunity; for the consumer, who receives detailed information about nutritional characteristics and production system of dairy products.

ACS Style

Maddalena Zucali; Giovanna Battelli; Monica Battini; Luciana Bava; Marilù Decimo; Silvana Mattiello; Milena Povolo; Milena Brasca. Multi-dimensional assessment and scoring system for dairy farms. Italian Journal of Animal Science 2016, 15, 492 -503.

AMA Style

Maddalena Zucali, Giovanna Battelli, Monica Battini, Luciana Bava, Marilù Decimo, Silvana Mattiello, Milena Povolo, Milena Brasca. Multi-dimensional assessment and scoring system for dairy farms. Italian Journal of Animal Science. 2016; 15 (3):492-503.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maddalena Zucali; Giovanna Battelli; Monica Battini; Luciana Bava; Marilù Decimo; Silvana Mattiello; Milena Povolo; Milena Brasca. 2016. "Multi-dimensional assessment and scoring system for dairy farms." Italian Journal of Animal Science 15, no. 3: 492-503.

Journal article
Published: 28 April 2016 in Applied Animal Behaviour Science
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ACS Style

Lilia Grosso; Monica Battini; Françoise Wemelsfelder; Sara Barbieri; Michela Minero; Emanuela Dalla Costa; Silvana Mattiello. On-farm Qualitative Behaviour Assessment of dairy goats in different housing conditions. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 2016, 180, 51 -57.

AMA Style

Lilia Grosso, Monica Battini, Françoise Wemelsfelder, Sara Barbieri, Michela Minero, Emanuela Dalla Costa, Silvana Mattiello. On-farm Qualitative Behaviour Assessment of dairy goats in different housing conditions. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2016; 180 ():51-57.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lilia Grosso; Monica Battini; Françoise Wemelsfelder; Sara Barbieri; Michela Minero; Emanuela Dalla Costa; Silvana Mattiello. 2016. "On-farm Qualitative Behaviour Assessment of dairy goats in different housing conditions." Applied Animal Behaviour Science 180, no. : 51-57.

Journal article
Published: 19 March 2016 in Applied Animal Behaviour Science
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ACS Style

Monica Battini; Sara Barbieri; Susanne Waiblinger; Silvana Mattiello. Validity and feasibility of Human-Animal Relationship tests for on-farm welfare assessment in dairy goats. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 2016, 178, 32 -39.

AMA Style

Monica Battini, Sara Barbieri, Susanne Waiblinger, Silvana Mattiello. Validity and feasibility of Human-Animal Relationship tests for on-farm welfare assessment in dairy goats. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2016; 178 ():32-39.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Monica Battini; Sara Barbieri; Susanne Waiblinger; Silvana Mattiello. 2016. "Validity and feasibility of Human-Animal Relationship tests for on-farm welfare assessment in dairy goats." Applied Animal Behaviour Science 178, no. : 32-39.

Papers
Published: 11 March 2016 in Italian Journal of Animal Science
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The AWIN project aimed at developing an on-farm welfare assessment protocol for adult dairy goats. A prototype protocol was tested in 30 intensive dairy goat farms to evaluate its feasibility in farms of different size. Time for applying the prototype was recorded and any other constraint was taken into account. Moreover, data collected during the prototype testing provided information on the prevalence of welfare issues in intensive dairy goat farms in Northern Italy. The prototype included 25 animal-based indicators (14 group- and 11 individual-level indicators). The prototype showed a good on-farm feasibility and it was highly accepted among stakeholders, as its application did not interfere with the daily routine. Approximately 2 h were required for the application of the prototype. When feeding racks were available, using them for locking the animals during the individual assessment resulted advantageous to speed the data collection and to reduce handling stress to the goats and disturbance to the farmers. Farm size and different management systems influenced the prevalence of some indicators, with small farms in general better welfare conditions compared to larger farms. The results of the present study represent an important starting point to set up an epidemiological database that may lead to improve the welfare status of goats.

ACS Style

Monica Battini; Sara Barbieri; Ana Vieira; George Stilwell; Silvana Mattiello. Results of testing the prototype of the AWIN welfare assessment protocol for dairy goats in 30 intensive farms in Northern Italy. Italian Journal of Animal Science 2016, 15, 283 -293.

AMA Style

Monica Battini, Sara Barbieri, Ana Vieira, George Stilwell, Silvana Mattiello. Results of testing the prototype of the AWIN welfare assessment protocol for dairy goats in 30 intensive farms in Northern Italy. Italian Journal of Animal Science. 2016; 15 (2):283-293.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Monica Battini; Sara Barbieri; Ana Vieira; George Stilwell; Silvana Mattiello. 2016. "Results of testing the prototype of the AWIN welfare assessment protocol for dairy goats in 30 intensive farms in Northern Italy." Italian Journal of Animal Science 15, no. 2: 283-293.