{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,9]],"date-time":"2026-01-09T18:51:41Z","timestamp":1767984701264,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"19","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,6]],"date-time":"2022-10-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1665014400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"FCT","award":["UIDB\/00276\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/00276\/2020"]}]},{"name":"FCT","award":["LA\/P\/00\u20139\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["LA\/P\/00\u20139\/2020"]}]},{"name":"AL4AnimalS","award":["UIDB\/00276\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/00276\/2020"]}]},{"name":"AL4AnimalS","award":["LA\/P\/00\u20139\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["LA\/P\/00\u20139\/2020"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The welfare of farm animals has become an increasingly important issue for society, especially for consumers of animal products. Currently, there is no standardized and validated protocol in Portugal for assessing the welfare of suckler cow herds in extensive systems. This work aims to study and apply previously used indicators, based on behavior, mental status, health, body condition, and interactions with the environment. Criteria and measures were adapted from protocols for cattle in other production systems (Welfare Quality\u00ae, WQ) or protocols set for pasture-based cattle in New Zealand. To the WQ measures, such as body condition, absence of injuries and diseases, positive emotional state and management indicators, we added behavior when in the chute, distance to water points, positioning of ear tags, and thermal comfort. The feasibility of the protocol was assessed in herds with cows belonging to three different Portuguese autochthonous beef breeds. The welfare of the herds was considered good or excellent, with only the behavior at the chute being negatively scored in the Brava breed. The application and validation of indicators to correctly assess animal welfare all along the production chain is crucial to achieve certification, and to the identification and correction of causes of poor welfare.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani12192689","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,7]],"date-time":"2022-10-07T22:47:27Z","timestamp":1665182847000},"page":"2689","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Applying a New Proposed Welfare Assessment Protocol to Suckler Herds from Three Different Autochthonous Breeds"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9253-1508","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Diana","family":"Valente","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"CIVG\u2014Vasco da Gama Research Center, EUVG\u2014Vasco da Gama University School, 3020-210 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3733-3223","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"George","family":"Stilwell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal Behavior and Welfare Laboratory, Centre of Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal"},{"name":"CIISA\u2014Animal Behaviour and Welfare Laboratory, Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"European Commission (2020). 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