In order to improve the welfare and adaptability of dairy
cows through genetic selection long term, the co-operation
of breeding experts, geneticists, epidemiologists, nutritionists,
ethologists and others concerned with animal welfare
problems is required. Sustainable breeding goals aimed at
improving fitness and robustness is necessary to prevent the
decrease in the quality of life of the animals and, perhaps,
enhance it. The effectiveness of a selection programme to
improve welfare should be enhanced if selection acts
directly on causes of poor welfare and not only on its
symptoms. To implement such a programme, research is
needed to clarify the relationship between production,
negative energy balance, metabolic stress and welfare indicators
and to develop practical methods for measuring
negative energy balance and metabolic stress. This research
should identify traits directly related to welfare status, such
as negative energy balance, body condition score, onset of
cyclicity after calving etc and, ultimately, provide better
selection tools to improve welfare status in dairy cows.