New frontiers in welfare data collection: AWINGoat and AWINHorse app

The EU project AWIN (FP7-KBBE-2010-4) addressed the development, integration and dissemination of animal-based welfare indicators. In this framework, AWIN researchers developed practical and sciencebased welfare assessment protocols for sheep, goats, horses, donkeys and turkeys. To improve efficiency and reliability of protocols data collection on-farm, reducing transcription mistakes and enabling automatic data upload to a server, we aimed to create a digitalized data collection system. We started collecting data on-farm using open-source app Open Data Kit (ODK), developed by the University of Washington, Department of Computer Science and Engineering (available for Android devices). ODK was initially selected due to flexibility in creating forms for data collection, easiness of use and possibility to create a virtual server to gather and aggregate data. ODK forms were developed and used on-farm to collect animal-, management- and resource-based indicators included in the welfare assessment prototype protocols for horses, donkeys and goats. By testing the application on 100 farms by 5 assessors, AWIN researchers identified pros (on-farm feasibility and easiness of using an app on mobile devices) and cons (ODK does not create an output) of the method. As second step, AWIN researchers in collaboration with DAIA Intelligent Solutions S.L (Ordizia, Spain) developed dedicated apps for veterinarians and farmers, enabling on-farm welfare data collection and the creation of the direct output on the welfare status of assessed animals. The AWINHorse and AWINGoat apps were developed and are now freely available at Animal Welfare Science Hub (http://animalwelfarehub.com). These apps allow the user to collect data and store information on their own device, delivering an immediate visual output about welfare status of each assessed farm. Data are displayed in bar charts and the position of the assessed farm is highlighted in comparison with the median value of a reference population based on the farms assessed during the AWIN project. Besides increasing efficiency and transparency of the assessment process, these apps allow opening a dialogue with farmers about the welfare of animals assessed and actions needed to improve it. The AWINGoat and AWINhorse apps are designed in the view of the future development of global database for animal welfare.