Identification of key performance indicators for on-farm animal welfare incidents: possible tools for early warning and prevention

We found that the late registration of calves, the use of on-farm burial as a method of carcase disposal, an increasing number of moves to knackeries over time and records of animals moved to 'herd unknown' were notable on the case farms.Four KPIs were prominent on the case study farms and warrant further investigation in control herds to determine their potential to provide a framework for refining current systems of early warning and prevention.The Early Warning System (EWS) was established in Ireland in 2004 when the Minister for Agriculture and Food accepted the recommendation of the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council (FAWAC) for the establishment of a collaborative, nationwide early warning/intervention system for farm animal welfare cases. The EWS currently involves a partnership between the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (DAFF), the Irish Farmers Association (IFA), the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) and the Health Service Executive (HSE), and aims to identify and address cases in which the welfare of farm animals is compromised. Its purpose is to provide a framework within which problems can be identified and resolved before they become critical or overwhelming.The assessment and monitoring of farm animal welfare are key objectives of the European Community's Action Plan on Animal Welfare (2008) [1]. However, there is an inconsistent approach to the recording of on-farm animal welfare across the community [2]. Developing a harmonised European monitoring system to assess the quality of farming systems and their impact on the diseases and welfare of animals is advocated by the European Food Safety Authority [2]. In Ireland, the Animal Field Inspection Testing database (AFIT) was introduced in 2008, to collate information on regulatory inspections performed by Veterinary Inspectors (VIs). Technical Agricultural Officers and District Superintendents may also be involved in inspections to herds that are considered a