Measuring animal welfare: why we look at Five Domains

Animal welfare at Lely is not just a claim – it is part of who we are. As a core Farm of the Future impact area, it shapes our innovation and reflects our belief that when we take good care of our cows, they take good care of our dairy. As societal expectations continue to evolve, this focus is becoming even more relevant. 

To support healthier cows and more resilient farms, we are working to make animal welfare more measurable for farmers. Manager of Farm Management Support Competence, Rozan van Rossum, shares what this looks like in practice. ‘Our solutions collect a wealth of data on each cow, for example, by capturing real-time indicators of milk yield and behavior to detect early signs of disease. We are now evolving our approach, and the Five Domains Model provides the framework to do so. Using a modified version of the model, we aim to give farmers a clear, measurable and actionable picture of animal welfare on their farm.’

The Five Domains Model is a scientific framework built around five areas, four of which have measurable indicators: Good Nutrition, Good Physical Environment, Good Health, Positive Behavioral Interactions and Positive Mental State. Rather than focussing on avoiding negative impacts, it fosters positive animal welfare. Rozan explains how this translates into practice. 

‘It is not enough to tell a farmer that a cow is stressed or unhappy. We want to tell them why and what they can do about it.’
Rozan van Rossum, Manager of Farm Management Support Competence 

‘The model provides a structure to build on what we already measure, organising data across key domains and enabling farmers to consistently track both baseline welfare levels and the impact of interventions over time. And when innovating, it can allow us to think about which domain we want to improve in and where to focus for the greatest impact.’ 

Rozan says Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are in the process of being verified across the four domains with measurable indicators. ‘We have been measuring indicators for animal health for decades. Now we are broadening that picture to include indicators across the other three domains. While these KPIs will initially support compliance reporting, the intention is to go beyond that – developing insights from them to help farmers gain a more complete understanding of their herd. Alongside this, we are also developing a formal animal welfare policy, set for release later this year, which will further guide our work in this area.’  

For Rozan, measurability is the foundation, not the finish line. ‘It is not enough to tell a farmer that a cow is stressed or unhappy. We want to tell them why and what they can do about it. It’s an ambitious challenge – but one that lies at the very heart of what we do.

Creating impact for cow, people and planet 

We believe in a future of farming that is sustainable, profitable and enjoyable. ESG (Environmental. Social, Governance) helps us turn that ambition into action by creating a positive impact for cows, people and the planet. 

As part of our Impact30 strategy [link naar Strategy - Shaping the future of farming - Lely] , we embed ESG throughout our business. Through our ESG stories, we share how ESG comes to life in practice. From successful initiatives to projects that are still evolving, these stories offer a view of our journey and the impact we aim to create for farmers, employees, communities and the environment. 

Read more on our ESG ambitions on Our Impact.