Welfare Assessment: Correspondence Analysis ofWelfare Score and Hematological and Biochemical Profiles of Dairy Cows in Sardinia, Italy

The need for animal welfare definition and assessment is increasing worldwide, and several
studies have been conducted to help fill the knowledge gaps regarding the welfare of cattle. However,
further studies are needed to provide valid synthetized measures for welfare evaluation. The aim of
this study was to assess the welfare status of 16 Sardinian dairy cattle farms, based on the developed
AnimalWelfare and Biosecurity Evaluation checklist (AWB-EF) and the corresponding hematological,
biochemical, and electrophoretic profiles of these animals. Considering the AWB-EF as gold standard,
blood samples were collected from 230 Holstein breed dairy cattle, aged between 3 and 8 years, out
of the periparturient period, and with no clinical signs of specific pathologies. Principal Component
(PC) and correlation analyses were performed to simplify phenomena interpretation and assess
positive/negative associations. Four PCs were able to explain 76% of the total variability, and six
laboratory parameters were strongly associated with the AWB-EF score (Spearman’s correlation
coefficient 0.40, p-Value < 0.05), reflecting the real health status of the animals. Given the complexity
of animal welfare as a multidimensional concept and the need to include both animal-based and
non-based measures in welfare evaluation, the present work represents a sound basis for future
evaluation and veterinary health planning.