Data

This study therefore aimed to assess and compare animal welfare in grazing and confined dairy systems in Argentina, using the WQ® for dairy cattle. Grazing (n= 9) and confined dairy farms (n=9) distributed in Santa Fe, Cordoba and Entre Rios provinces, the main dairy region of Argentina, were visited in spring-summer season (December 2021 to March 2022). Grazing dairy farms had lactating cows on pasture all year round, and confined dairy farms had cows under a barn either on a free-stall or a compost-bedded pack housing system, with no access to pasture. The number of lactating cows to be assessed on each farm was determined in accordance with the WQ® recommendations. A total of 1,392 lactating cows were assessed, comprising 627 cows in grazing systems and 765 in confined systems. Cow selection was conducted randomly. In confined systems where lactating cows were subdivided into multiple groups, the sample was proportionally defined according to the size of each herd.
Data collection followed the Welfare Quality® protocol for dairy cattle and was structured around its four principles: Good Feeding, Good Housing, Good Health, and Appropriate Behaviour. Individual indicators were recorded at cow level, while herd-level measures were obtained from group observations, farm records, and interviews with farm managers.
Evaluations were carried out consistently between 07:00 and 15:00, always beginning after the first milking. Each farm was visited once, and cows were observed while standing freely in their usual environment, without the use of physical restraint or handling. To avoid duplicate assessments, the identification number of each cow was recorded prior to evaluation. Assessors were blinded to the clinical history of the herds to minimize the risk of selection bias.