# Assessment of Production Technologies on Dairy Farms in Terms of Animal Welfare
## 5 Technology of Feeding and Providing Water to Dairy Cattle
Programmable robots used for pushing feed in the barn are powered by electric motors, which eliminates the source of exhaust fumes and noise, which is a factor of environmental stress for cattle [23]. An important issue in the assessment of dairy cattle feeding technology is to create comfortable conditions for the animals in the feeding area. This comfort is the inspiration for research that assesses, for example, the impact of additional equipment (feed barriers)in the feeding area on the behavior and stress of cows [24], taking into account additional herd density [25], or the influence of feeding space on the distances between cows and their aggressive behavior [26]. Reactions expressing stress and aggression in cows are among the factors assessing their welfare in the case of a given feeding technology. Technological solutions that provide dairy cattle with free access to feed, with reduced competition between animals, meet the requirements of freedom from hunger and discomfort. Providing individual groups of dairy cattle with access to water is a fulfillment of the basic principle of animal husbandry. This does not mean, however, that research is not undertaken to understand the impact of selected technical and technological solutions on the comfort of cows and other groups of animals when drinking water. This comfort reflects the animal welfare associated with watering. When assessing the technology of providing cows with water, it is crucial to determine whether cows have access to the appropriate amount of water per day [27]. The assessment of cow watering technology involves answering the question about animals' preferences regarding watering equipment and its features, including the location in the barn or on the pasture. In the study of [PERSON] et al. [28], cows' preference for larger water troughs was found. These observations were confirmed and supplemented by [PERSON] et al. [29] indicating the preferences of cows for water troughs with an appropriate water surface and placed at a certain height. The method of providing water to animals on a dairy farm, combined with the cleanliness of water and drinkers, affects animal welfare [30]; dairy cows drink longer, with more sips and fewer breaks with water bins compared to valve troughs. In improving the technology of water supply for dairy cattle, the priority is the interest of animals, their comfort and welfare. It is up to the owner of a herd of dairy cows to use certain features of the watering system to achieve specific benefits. For example, knowledge about the location of drinking water when using a milking robot in a pasture translates into water intake by cows, their milk yield and behavior [31]. As a result of research and observations of cows' behavior in the drinking zone, it is possible to indicate the animals' preferences for specific technological solutions for water supply. In this way, it is possible to approach a certain optimum ensuring freedom of dairy cattle from thirst and discomfort associated with water intake. A noteworthy example of improving watering technology is providing cows with access to water in the milking parlor (Figure 2). Such a solution can be considered in terms of welfare. However, welfare is not only determined by access to water but also by the fact that the water is heated to a temperature suitable for the cows. In this technology, the source of energy for heating the water is key. The energy comes directly from the milk milked in the parlor, where the key role is played by the heat exchanger cooperating with the cooling tank. This example shows that the goals of developing cattle watering technology can be combined with achieving the goal of improving animal welfare. Figure 1: Feeding alley for cattle outside the barn; an example from a French dairy farm.