On-Farm Welfare Assessment of Dairy Cattle (Friesian) in Nyala City, Sudan

Cattle in Sudan serves multiple purposes in agricultural systems, and producing milk is crucial for raising income and providing for domestic needs.However, there is no historical data on the assessment of cattle welfare in Sudan, especially in Nyala.The current study was carried out on 11 dairy farms with Frisian cows from January to March 2021.The primary goal of the study was to assess dairy cows' welfare issues.In this study, 155 female Friesian cows were randomly selected from the farms and examined.Data was collected by closely observing, and the following factors were evaluated: appropriate behaviors, emotional state, physical state, lameness, lesion and injury, health status, and cleanliness of the body.According to the study, the following percentages of animals were impacted: Among cows, 21.3% exhibited anxious behavior, 23.2% displayed fear, 54.2% had thin body conditions, and 27.1% had very thin body conditions.Twenty percent of cows had mildly damaged hocks, 13.5% had swollen knees without skin damage, and 11.6% had swollen knees with skin damage.Cows with dirty udders, dirty hindquarters, dirty lower legs, and dirty flanks comprised 32.3%, 52.3%, 49.7%, and 43.2% of the herd.Additionally, 69.0% of cows had ectoparasites, 28.4% had abnormal nasal discharge, 31.6% had abnormal ocular discharge, and 27.1% had hair loss.We conclude that the major welfare issues highlighted in this study include injuries, ectoparasites, unclean coats, and health status.Education and veterinary services are required to improve the wellbeing of the dairy cattle in the research region.