Il benessere degli ovini in allevamenti semiestensivi amiatini

Maintaining animals in extensive grazing systems is not the only condition for achieving good welfare levels, if we cannot guarantee that all their requirements are satisfied. We carried out a survey in 20 semi-extensive sheep farms in Mount Amiata Region (Italian Apennines), in order to monitor welfare conditions. Our results point out that, even though sheep are free of performing their normal behaviour, some stressful events can negatively affect their welfare. Among acute stressors, we can remember tail docking, that is achieved in 30% of the visited farms, with no precaution in order to minimize pain; furthermore, predation by stray dogs or wild carnivores has been recorded in 55% of the farms. Among chronic stressors, it is important to underline that litter removal is quite infrequent (only once a year in 60% of the visited farms). In some farms, we noticed the lack of shelter from aversive weather conditions (e.g. rain, wind, direct solar radiation) when animals are at pasture. It is also remarkable that, in some cases, no possibility is available for isolation of ill or injured animals.