Quality starts from well-being
Love for animals
Animal welfare is an elusive concept for many because it has no single definition and can take on different meanings. In general, welfare is related to “the quality of life of an animal, as it is experienced by an individual being”.
A holistic approach to animal welfare takes into account not only physical and health conditions, but also psychological well-being and the ability to express species-specific behaviors.
High welfare implies that the animal is healthy, happy and free from suffering, as indicated by the five freedoms:
- Freedom from hunger and thirst: availability of fresh water and a diet that keeps the animal healthy
- Freedom to have an appropriate physical environment that includes shelter and rest areas
- Freedom from pain, injury, and disease through prevention, timely diagnosis and treatment
- Freedom to exhibit species-specific behaviors through sufficient space, appropriate environment, and the company of specimens of the same species
- Freedom from fear and discomfort through conditions and treatment that avert psychological suffering.
A continuous focus on genetics and the use of new technologies, through the “afimilk” computer system for animal management, have provided considerable support for improving milk quality.
Currently our herd consists of 1,300 dairy cows and 1,000 replacement heifers, allowing for an annual production of 13,500,000 liters of milk.
To achieve these numbers while respecting animal welfare, in 2022 we built a brand new rotary milking parlour consisting of 80 stations and capable of milking about 400 cows per hour, giving us the opportunity to further grow our herd.