Risk Factors and Indicators of Reduced Welfare of Grazing Dairy Cows from Selected Smallholder Dairy Farms in Midlands Province

Abstract

Consumers of animal products in the whole world have become increasingly concerned about food quality, safety and welfare of farm animals. As a result, new approaches, new regulations and new standards have been developed to ensure particular animal welfare levels on farm. Zimbabwe like many African countries is lagging behind and has its Prevention of cruelty to animals act of 1960, which doesn’t effectively address modern day animal welfare realities. On the other hand, rangeland (veld) in Zimbabwe is of good quality only in wet summer (November-February) whereas in winter veld quality drastically drops. Five percent of the smallholder dairy farmers in Zimbabwe own forage pastures while about 10% supplement their cows with urea treated stover and sometimes maize silage in winter. The grazing area is shared by the community with a recommended carrying capacity of 1LU/ 9 hectares and a stocking rate of 1LU/3 hectares.