Animal Welfare Aspects Research Articles

Aspects of animal welfare in keeping and use of sport horses

Aspects of animal welfare in keeping and use of sport horses

Ectopia ureteral unilateral congênita em uma cadela Teckel Dachshund com pelagem arlequim: relato de caso

O presente relato apresenta a primeira descrição de ectopia ureteral congênita na raça Teckel Dachshund, diagnosticada em uma cadela com pelagem arlequim. O animal, aos dois meses de idade, apresentava sinais de incontinência urinária e cistite bacteriana, sendo submetido a um plano diagnóstico para confirmação de ureter ectópico. A urografia excretora revelou hidroureter direito com desembocadura caudal ao trígono da bexiga. O exame físico do animal evidenciou ainda hérnia inguinal bilateral, o que reforçou a caracterização da origem congênita das alterações. Aspectos de bem-estar animal são também discutidos.

Licensing poultry CO2gas-stunning systems with regard to animal welfare: investigations under practical conditions

AbstractCarbon dioxide stunning of broilers is not permitted in Germany. However, the competent authority can license a system for testing, during which scientific evaluation with regard to animal welfare is required. Between 2004 and 2011 several aspects of three systems have been evaluated in Germany and Italy under practical conditions including: (i) supply to the stunning system; (ii) induction conditions; (iii) stunning effectiveness; and (iv) process control. The systems were: (i) LINCO progressive gas-stunning system in which broilers in their transport crates are lowered stepwise into a pit filled with CO2and exposed to slowly increasing concentrations of CO2in air up to between 50 and 65% with total dwell times between 275 and 440 s depending on birds’ weight; (ii) Stork PMT two-phase gas-stunning system (40% CO2/30% O2/30%N2for 1 min/80% CO2for 2 min) in which broilers are tipped onto a belt, on which they pass through the gas atmospheres; and (iii) Anglia Autoflow two-phase CO2-stunning system, in which the birds are exposed to the atmosphere in their crates. Results on the third system are pending as the investigation is still ongoing. In systems (i) and (ii) analysis of behaviour showed that birds were only exposed to high CO2concentration (> 40%) after becoming unconscious. Stunning effectiveness was very high but, nevertheless, occasionally birds (0.027% LINCO system and 0.003% Stork PMT system) were able to regain consciousness. Examples of evaluation of behaviour during induction are presented in this paper and animal welfare aspects are compared. Controlled-atmosphere stunning systems for broilers using less than 40% CO2until animals are unconscious, show obvious advantages compared to electrical water-bath stunning, for example, the avoidance of shackling and achieving high stunning effectiveness.

How can economists help to improve animal welfare?

AbstractTo-date, the dominant approach to improving farm animal welfare has consisted of a combination of voluntary improvements undertaken by farmers and the tightening of legal requirements. However, history suggests that there is a limit to the improvements capable of being secured by this approach. In this paper, it is argued that economic principles can and should have an important role when new, market-driven and other approaches are set up to improve farm animal welfare. The paper focuses on two ways in which economic principles can improve analyses of animal welfare. Thefirstis by helping to define priorities as to which aspects of animal welfare should be promoted. Here, economic approaches can be used to capture and synthesise the perspectives of all the stakeholders, including the animals, in a transparent and systematic way. Thesecondway is by helping to ensure that incentives are set up in the right way. Where the benefits and costs of improving animal welfare are initially distributed unevenly across stakeholders so that a socially desirable situation will not develop automatically, or be implemented, suitable economic principles may help to create incentives which correct this situation. Thus, if society is to achieve its goal of improving animal welfare, scholars from different disciplines should collaborate in identifying animal needs, assessing stakeholder preferences, making priorities transparent and providing incentives that make solutions realistically attainable.

Was sind und was können polyklonale aviäre Antikörper?

The IgY-technology includes all aspects of the production of specific antibodies (Ab) in laying hens as for example animal keeping, immunisation as well as IgY-extraction procedures. IgY-Ab can be used for all immunological techniques similar to the use of IgG-antibodies and, despite of the aspect of animal welfare, offers several advantages. For example, from one laying hen ca. 20 g total IgY can be obtained within one year. So, IgY-Ab are suited for therapeutic/prophylactic purposes which needs relatively large quantities of Ab.

Managing major data of genetically modified mice: from scientific demands to legal obligations

The number of genetically modified mice is increasing rapidly. Several limitations when working with these animals are to be considered: small colonies, the continued danger of loss, often a limited breeding-success, the need to keep those mutants in stock, difficult and costly import-procedures, and also a major (scientific) value of those mutants often available only with major restrictions. To gather relevant information about all active and archived genetically modified mouse lines available in-house (>1.500) and to deal with a unique resource for several, quite different purposes, a data base was developed enabling optimum knowledge management and easy access. The data base covers also legal restraints and is being linked with the institutional publication repository. To identify the lines available detailed information is provided for each line, as the international designation, a short name, the characterization/description, and the genetic modification including the technique used therefore. The origin of the mutation (gene-ID# and donor organism), the origin of regulatory elements and their donors are listed as well as the genetic background, back-cross generation, phenotype, possible publications, keywords, and some in-house information. Also aspects of animal welfare, obligations to record genetically modified organisms, and technology transfer are displayed; the latter to make licenses possible (if legally permitted). Material transfer agreements, patents, or legal restrictions are listed. This data base helps to avoid double-imports, saves animals and costs since a redundant generation or import can be omitted. However, this is a contribution to the 3R principles developed by Russell and Burch.

Effect of sequential feeding on nitrogen excretion, productivity, and meat quality of broiler chickens

The aim of this trial was to investigate the effect of a 24-h cycle sequential feeding program on nitrogen excretion, incidence of foot pad lesions, productive performance, quality traits, and chemical composition of broiler chicken breast meat. In total, 1,320 one-day-old male Cobb 700 chicks were split into 2 groups of 6 replicates each. From 1 to 10 d of age, all of the chickens received the same prestarter diet (ME 3,058 kcal/kg; CP 226 g/kg). The control group (CON) received 1 of 3 diets for 24-h cycles: starter (ME 3,162 kcal/kg; CP 205 g/kg), grower (ME 3,224 kcal/kg; CP 192 g/kg), and finisher diets (ME 3,242 kcal/kg; CP 184 g/kg) from d 11 to 18, 19 to 38, and 39 to 44 of age, respectively. The sequential feeding group (SF) received the same diets as the CON birds for half of the day, and then low-protein and isoenergetic diets for the remaining half of the day. Birds submitted to the SF program showed better utilization of dietary nitrogen compared with the CON birds (45.0 vs. 46.1% of N excreted/N ingested, respectively; P < 0.05), and consequently the SF birds had lower nitrogen excretion compared with the CON birds (24.8 vs. 25.9 N g/kg of BW, respectively; P < 0.01). The SF birds exhibited a significantly lower incidence (7 vs. 13%) of foot pad lesions and consumed 70 g of feed/bird more than the CON birds. The SF birds also had a significantly higher feed conversion rate compared with that of the CON birds (1.84 vs. 1.78, respectively). The SF breast meat exhibited a significantly lower ultimate pH, a higher cook loss, and a lower lipid content compared with the values found for the CON group. The SF approach in poultry husbandry had positive repercussions on environmental and animal welfare aspects, but adversely affected feed efficiency, and altered some meat traits (mainly pH and cook loss).

Outcome of the public consultation on the draft Scientific Opinion of the Scientific Panels on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) and on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) on the Guidance on the risk assessment of food and feed from genetically modified animals and on animal health and welfare aspects

Outcome of the public consultation on the draft Scientific Opinion of the Scientific Panels on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) and on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) on the Guidance on the risk assessment of food and feed from genetically modified animals and on animal health and welfare aspects

Repeated Use of Surrogate Mothers for Embryo Transfer in the Mouse

Embryo transfer in mice is a crucial technique for generation of transgenic animals, rederivation of contaminated lines, and revitalization of cryopreserved strains, and it is a key component of assisted reproduction techniques. It is common practice to use females only once as surrogate mothers. However, their reuse for a second embryo transfer could provide hygienic and economic advantages and conform to the concept of the 3Rs (replace, reduce, refine). This investigation evaluated the potential for a second embryo transfer in terms of feasibility, reproductive results, and experimental burden for the animal. Virgin female ICR mice (age 8-16 wk) were used as recipients for the first embryo transfer. Immediately after weaning of the first litter, a second surgical embryo transfer was performed into the same oviduct. Virgin females of comparable age to the reused mothers served as controls and underwent the same procedure. The first surgery did not affect the success of the second embryo transfer. Histological sections showed excellent wound healing without relevant impairment of involved tissues. We observed no differences in pregnancy rates or litter sizes between the transfer groups. Most importantly, we found no change in behavior indicating reduced well-being and no increase of corticosterone metabolites in the feces of surrogate mothers reused for a second embryo transfer. We conclude that a second embryo transfer in mice is feasible with regard to reproductive and animal welfare aspects.

Guidance on the risk assessment of food and feed from genetically modified animals and on animal health and welfare aspects

This document provides guidance for the risk assessment of food and feed containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified (GM) animals, as well as for the health and welfare assessment of these animals, within the framework of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 on GM food and feed. The assessment strategy seeks to deploy appropriate approaches to compare GM animals and derived food and feed with their respective comparators. The health status of a food/feed producing animal has traditionally been considered as an important indicator of the safety of derived foods/feed and therefore comparative analysis of the phenotypic characteristics of the GM animal with the traditionally-bred animal, including health and physiological parameters, is considered an important component in the risk assessment. The document addresses the molecular characterisation, which provides information on the structure and expression of the insert(s) and on the stability of the intended trait(s); the toxicological assessment, which addresses the possible impact of biologically relevant change(s) in the GM animal and/or derived food and feed, the allergenicity assessment of the novel protein(s), as well as of the whole food derived from the GM animal; and the nutritional assessment to evaluate whether food and feed derived from a GM animal is as nutritious to humans and/or animals as food and feed derived from traditionally-bred animals. This guidance document also addresses the scientific requirements for the assessment of health and welfare of GM animals bred for food and feed use. The assessment is made in terms of the effective functioning of their body systems in a given environment. The document does not cover the environmental risk assessment of GM animals, which will be addressed in stand-alone guidance under development by the EFSA GMO Panel.

Finfish Aquaculture: Animal Welfare, the Environment, and Ethical Implications

The aim of this review is to assess the ethical implications of finfish aquaculture, regarding fish welfare and environmental aspects. The finfish aquaculture industry has grown substantially the last decades, both as a result of the over-fishing of wild fish populations, and because of the increasing consumer demand for fish meat. As the industry is growing, a significant amount of research on the subject is being conducted, monitoring the effects of aquaculture on the environment and on animal welfare. The areas of concern when it comes to animal welfare have here been divided into four different stages: breeding period; growth period; capturing and handling; and slaughter. Besides these stages, this report includes a chapter on the current evidence of fish sentience, since this issue is still being debated among biologists. However, most biologists are at present acknowledging the probability of fish being sentient creatures. Current aquaculture practices are affecting fish welfare during all four of the cited stages, both on physical and mental levels, as well as on the ability of fish to carry out natural behaviors. The effect fish farming has on the environment is here separated into five different categories: the decline of wild fish populations; waste and chemical discharge; loss of habitat; spreading of diseases; and invasion of exotic organisms. There is evidence of severe negative effects on the environment when looking at these five categories, even when considering the difficulty of studying environmental effects, due to the closely interacting variables. The ethical arguments and scientific evidences here reviewed have not all come to the same conclusions. Nevertheless, the general agreement is that current aquaculture practices are neither meeting the needs of fish nor environment. Thus, the obvious environmental and animal welfare aspects of finfish aquaculture make it hard to ethically defend a fish diet.

Information search behaviour and its determinants: the case of ethical attributes of organic food

AbstractDaily decisions on food purchase are known to be undertaken using limited information search. However, when confronted with ‘ethical’ products, consumers often become more involved, and this results in a more extensive search for information. This research focuses on the information search behaviour of European consumers with regard to ethical attributes like animal welfare or environmental aspects of organic food by means of an Information Display Matrix. Row‐wise information search by product characteristics (attributes) was widely preferred over information search by product alternatives (column‐wise). Therefore, information (e.g. in the Internet) should increasingly be provided by attributes. The majority of consumers use simplifying and selective search strategies when looking for information on organic food with additional ethical attributes. Consumers tend to start information search in the top, left hand corner and move towards the bottom, right hand corner. Thus, principal attributes should be placed in the upper left corner and be followed by the next most important and so on when presenting information on an array of different products. Our results show that information search patterns of consumers depend on socio‐demographic characteristics like gender and age and, to a lesser extent, also on attitudes regarding environmental or social aspects of food production. Thus, marketers, particularly those using the Internet, should revise their systems of information provision and focus increasingly on consumers' needs.

Examination of the prevalence of skin injuries in debeaked fattened turkeys

Within the framework of a cooperative research project, turkey health as well as numerous aspects of animal welfare were examined in various intensive commercial farms with varying rearing forms. The present study demonstrates the prevalence of skin injuries concerning living animals as well as carcasses of slaughtered turkeys of both sexes. Although all turkeys were debeaked, prevalences of skin injuries at a value of 12.8% with male turkeys and 13.8% with female turkeys could be found at the age of 16 weeks. Within the scope of medically inspections skin injuries were mainly established in the head region, especially the snood as well as in the region of the back. By means of their clinical picture pecking wounds and scratch injuries could be distinguished. Skin lesion produced primary as a result of scratching the skin surface, could be enlarged by the animal itself or by conspecifics by beak pecking, especially after bleeding, in spite of debeaked upper beak. Injuries in the head region, especially of the snood, could be explained mainly as a result of pecking by conspecifics by reason of their clinical picture and were found mainly in male turkeys. Skin injuries in the region of the back, especially at the coxal tuberosity, were identified primarily as scratch marks. They were found mainly in female turkeys. A statistically significant correlation of the injury prevalence to particular husbandry parameters discussed in the literature as "predisposing" or "limiting" factors (e.g., population density, light regime or offer of employment material) could not be established in this study. At the meat inspection fresh scratching injuries at the chest and the hind legs were diagnosed most often. Especially fresh injuries of the carcass point to a misguided behaviour of the staff concerning animal handling during loading and transport which is not conform to animal welfare.

Farmers’ Attitude Towards Animal Welfare Aspects and Their Practice in Organic Dairy Calf Rearing: a Case Study in Selected Nordic Farms

In organic philosophy, the concept of “naturalness” is of major importance. According to the organic interpretation of animal welfare, natural living is considered a precondition for accomplishing welfare and the principal aims of organic production include the provision of natural living conditions for animals. However, respective regulations are lacking in organic legislation. In practice, the life of a calf in organic rearing systems can deviate from being natural, since common practices in dairy farms include early weaning, dehorning, or cow-calf separation soon after birth. This case study explores how calf welfare is approached in six different organic dairy farms and how far the concept of naturalness is implemented. The farms included in this study were located in Norway and Sweden. A semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The interviewed farmers approach the concept of welfare in various ways and state that “naturalness” is an aspect of animal welfare. However, in practice in the calf rearing systems under study, only a few “naturalness” aspects were implemented. Reasons for the observed discrepancy might lie in differing understandings of “naturalness,” in economic restrictions, and in other trade-offs resulting from production system inherent characteristics and in limited regulation concerning provision of natural living aspects.

The influence of housing systems on the air quality and bacterial eggshell contamination of table eggs

This paper compares two different housing systems for laying hens producing table eggs, namely a conventional cage system and an aviary, during three summer months, starting from the 20&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; week of the production cycle. Research was focused on airborne bacteria, fungi and dust levels and on the bacterial eggshell contamination. Levels of airborne bacteria determined in the aviary system were many times higher and ranged from 6.2 &amp;times; 10&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt; CFU/m&lt;sup&gt;3 &lt;/sup&gt;to 8.9 &amp;times; 104 CFU/m3, and the levels of airborne fungi ranged from 1.6 &amp;times; 10&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt; to 1.9 &amp;times; 104 CFU/m&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;, while the levels of airborne bacteria and fungi determined in the conventional cage system ranged from 1.6 &amp;times; 10&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt; to 2.5 &amp;times; 10&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt; CFU/m3 and from 0.8 &amp;times; 10&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt; to 1.3 &amp;times; 10&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt; CFU/m&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;, respectively. Microbial air contamination was associated with eggshell contamination, with the levels in the aviary ranging from 5.4 &amp;times; 10&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt; to 9.6 &amp;times; 103 CFU/eggshell and those in the conventional cage system ranging from 2.3 &amp;times; 10&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt; to 3.6 &amp;times; 10&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt; CFU/eggshell. Airborne dust levels in the aviary and conventional cage system ranged from 3.2 to 4.6 mg/m&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt; and from 0.7 to 1.2 mg/m&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;, respectively. From the aspect of animal welfare and behavioural requirements, alternative systems, i.e. aviaries, appear more acceptable; however, they are not satisfactory from hygienic aspects because of a higher content of airborne pollutants which can represent a greater risk of horizontal contamination of the egg content.

Wildlife conservation and animal welfare: two sides of the same coin?

AbstractHuman activities deprive wild animals of their life requisites by destroying or impoverishing their surroundings, causing suffering of individuals. Yet, the notion that animal welfare applies to wildlife has escaped many animal welfarists and conservationists. A well-accepted and applied ethical foundation for animal conservation that considers animal welfare is lacking. We address this by examining how worldviews of conservationists and animal welfarists are related. The clear conceptual link is that individuals within anthropogenically disturbed populations often endure suffering caused by humans. Accordingly, our objectives are to provide an overview of wildlife conservation, integrate ethical aspects of wildlife conservation and animal welfare, and encourage a ‘wildlife welfare’ ethic among conservationists. We describe the relationship between contemporary socioeconomic and environmental conditions and the impoverished status of North American wildlife. We then describe the ecological plight of large mammalian carnivores in North America. Finally, as a case study, we focus on the tenuous lives of grey wolves(Canis lupus)living in the midst of human-dominated landscapes. We conclude that the suffering wildlife endures because of humans is a collective responsibility that presents a moral imperative for animal welfarists and conservationists alike. Habitat destruction and impoverishment deprives species of life requisites, causing trauma, prolonged suffering, and eventually death. We suggest that a shared doctrine of animal welfare principles is needed, such as a modified version of the internationally recognised Five Freedoms. In essence, this would be an ethical affirmation for conservationists and animal welfarists.

Animal Welfare: An Aspect of Care, Sustainability, and Food Quality Required by the Public

People feel that they have obligations to the animals that they use and show some degree of care behavior toward them. In addition, animal welfare is an aspect of our decisions about whether animal-usage systems are sustainable. A system that results in poor welfare is unsustainable because it is unacceptable to many people. The quality of animal products is now judged in relation to the ethics of production, including impact on the animal's welfare on immediate features and on consequences for consumers. Because genetic selection and management for high productivity may lead to more disease and other aspects of poor welfare, consumers demand some major changes in animal-production systems. In teaching animal welfare, a clear definition that can be related to other concepts such as needs, health, and stress is needed. The methodology for the scientific assessment of animal welfare has developed rapidly in recent years and has become a major scientific discipline. No veterinary degree course should be approved unless a full course on the science of animal welfare and relevant aspects of ethics and law have been taught. Each country should have a national advisory committee on animal-welfare science, made up of independent scientists, including veterinarians, who can write impartial reviews of the state of scientific knowledge.

A Harean Perspective on Humane Sustainability

Animal well-being must be a primary normative consideration in a conception of humane sustainability. The two-level utilitarianism of R.M. Hare embodies aspects of both animal welfare and animal rights views, and in this paper I illustrate its application to questions about what counts as humane sustainability. Hare’s theory is highly controversial, and a thorough defense of it is beyond the scope of this paper, but the insightful way it provides of assessing various visions of humane sustainability testifies to the explanatory and analytic power of the theory. In particular, on a Harean analysis, it makes sense to distinguish among “prelapsarian,” “contemporary,” and “utopian” visions of humane sustainability.

Holy cow!: the miraculous cures of animals in late medieval England1

Interactions between saints and animals have been the focus of modern scholarship, yet an important aspect has been neglected, namely that of the saint as healer of animals, when a third party has requested help on behalf of the animal. This article therefore examines, through examples drawn from saints' Vitae and other sources, the types of animals for which saintly intervention was sought, the ailments from which they suffered, and the form which their cure took, in order to understand why medieval people turned to the saints when their animals were ill. An examination of this relationship between saint and animal will not only elucidate the role of saint as thaumaturge, but will also shed light on the veterinary aspect of animal welfare.

Stewardship, Stockmanship and Sustainability in Animal Agriculture

Sufficient food supply for all humans was, is, and will remain one of the main priorities for mankind. The choice between food from crops or animals is related to philosophical, religious and ethical, but also cultural and economical, values. However, the concept of sustainable agriculture takes into account the organization of food supply through future generations. Not only quantity, but also quality is important, especially in relation to food safety and the method of production. Specifically, the aspect of animal welfare is becoming increasingly important with the focus on stewardship and stockmanship, i.e. responsibility of humans for their animals. In the future, implications for sustainability in animal production may be of more concern to stewardship paired by stockmanship, responsibility, consciousness and morality. The moral as a basic concept of sustainable agriculture is to maintain continuous development in harmony with nature to meet requirements in the world for living creatures including human beings to live in and steward. The objective of this paper is to discuss the above issues from different viewpoints on sustainable food supply, increasing food consumption and environmental protection.