?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.relation=https%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2Fid%2Feprint%2F15918%2F&rft.title=Improving+animal+welfare+by+assessing+college%E2%80%99s+farms&rft.creator=Smolders%2C+Gidi&rft.subject=+Food+security%2C+food+quality+and+human+health&rft.subject=+Health+and+welfare&rft.subject=+Breeding+and+genetics&rft.subject=+Feeding+and+growth&rft.description=Health+and+welfare+is+a+major+topic+in+the+Netherlands+in+both+organic+and+non-organic+dairy+farming.+This+report+highlights+issues+arising+from+welfare+assessments+conducted+on+Dutch+farms+producing+milk+for+Ben+and+Jerry%E2%80%99s+(B%26J)+ice+cream.+The+Netherlands+is+the+base+for+the+European+market+for+B%26J+ice-cream.+Four+years+ago+11+farms+were+asked+to+produce+milk+for+B%26J.+High+human+and+animal+welfare+was+a+pre-condition.+In+order+to+evaluate+the+animal+welfare+on+those+farms%2C+cows+were+assessed+at+the+end+of+the+housing+season+and+at+the+end+of+the+grazing+season.+At+a+plenary+meeting+the+farmers+discussed+the+results+and+the+possible+improvements+on+their+farms.+Since+the+farmers+had+a+desire+to+control+things+on+their+own+farms%2C+they+wanted+to+assess+their+own+farms+and+animals.+In+a+number+of+sessions+a+checklist+was+developed+by+the+group+of+farmers+and+tested.+This+so-called+%E2%80%98caring+dairy%E2%80%99+checklist+is+now+used+in+all+kinds+of+farmers+groups%2C+conventional+and+organic%2C+with+farmers+assess+each+others+cows+and+farms.+A+5+hour+workshop+at+a+host+farm+at+the+beginning+of+the+process+includes+a+theoretical+and+practical+part+and+at+least+a+proposal+from+the+host+farmer+with+three+points+to+improve.+The+following+assessments+of+colleagues+take+3+hours+per+farm%2C+which+also+results+in+proposals+to+improve.&rft.contributor=Vaarst%2C+Mette&rft.contributor=Roderick%2C+Stephen&rft.date=2009&rft.type=Report+chapter&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.language=en&rft.identifier=%2Fid%2Feprint%2F15918%2F1%2F15918.pdf&rft.identifier=+++Smolders%2C+Gidi++++(2009)+Improving+animal+welfare+by+assessing+college%E2%80%99s+farms.++++In%3A+Vaarst%2C+Mette+and+Roderick%2C+Stephen+(Eds.)++CORE+Organic+project+nr%3A+1903+-+Aniplan.+Workshop+report+-+The+process+of+researching+animal+health+and+welfare+planning.+Core+Organic+project+Series%2C+no.+1903-2.+Aarhus+Universitet+-+Faculty+of+Agricultural+Sciences+%2C+Departement+of+Animal+Health+and+Bioscience%2C+pp.+28-30.+++++++++