Of the bovine ilk: Quantifying the welfare of dairy cattle in history, 1750-1900

Markus Lampe and Paul Sharp

No 257, Working Papers from European Historical Economics Society (EHES)

Abstract: We seek to understand the welfare of dairy cattle in Denmark from 1750 to 1900, a period marked by significant agricultural development and industrialization. By applying contemporary animal welfare metrics to historical data, we uncover a detailed picture of how bovine welfare evolved. Our findings reveal a complex pattern of both improvements and declines in welfare over time, influenced by changes in farming practices such as feeding, housing, and health management. Our work contributes to a deeper understanding of the nexus of economic progress and animal welfare, highlighting the historical complexities of agricultural practices and their impact on animal welfare.

Keywords: Animal welfare; cattle; dairying; Denmark (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: N53 N54 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 37 pages
Date: 2024-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr, nep-evo and nep-his
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hes:wpaper:0257

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