Terms Of Animal Welfare Research Articles

Performing encounters (and encountering performance) at Auckland Zoo

Performing encounters (and encountering performance) at Auckland Zoo

Immortalization effect of SV40T lentiviral vectors on canine corneal epithelial cells

BackgroundPrimary canine corneal epithelial cells (CCECs) easily become senescent, and cell proliferation is limited. Therefore, sampling for experimentation requires a large number of animals, which is problematic in terms of animal welfare and fails to maintain the stability of the cells for in vitro analyses.ResultsIn this study, CCECs were separated and purified by trypsin and dispase II enzymatic analysis. Next, the cells were immortalized by transfection with a lentiviral vector expressing Simian vacuolating virus 40 large T (SV40T). The immortalized canine corneal epithelial cell line (CCEC-SV40T) was established by serial passages and monoclonal selection. The biological characteristics of CCEC-SV40T cells were evaluated based on the cell proliferation rate, cell cycle pattern, serum dependence, karyotype, and cytokeratin 12 immunofluorescence detection. In addition, we infected CCEC-SV40T cells with Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (S. pseudintermedius) and detected the inflammatory response of the cells. After the CCEC-SV40T cells were passaged continuously for 40 generations, the cells grew in a cobblestone pattern, which was similar to CCECs. The SV40T gene and cytokeratin 12 can be detected in each generation. CCEC-SV40T cells were observed to have a stronger proliferation capacity than CCECs. CCEC-SV40T cells maintained the same diploid karyotype and serum-dependent ability as CCECs. After CCEC-SV40T cells were infected with S. pseudintermedius, the mRNA expression levels of NLRP3, Caspase-1 and proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α, were upregulated, and the protein levels of MyD88, NLRP3 and the phosphorylation of Iκbα and p65 were upregulated.ConclusionsIn conclusion, the CCEC-SV40T line was successfully established and can be used for in vitro studies, such as research on corneal diseases or drug screening.

Kontribusi Kebun Binatang Taman Rimbo Jambi Terhadap Aspek Sosial Ekonomi, Lingkungan Fisik dan Konservasi Satwa Eksitu

This study aimed to assess the contribution value of Taman Rimbo Jambi Zoo from the aspect of ex-situ animal conservation, socio-economic, and physical environment. Taman Rimbo Zoo is the only conservation institution in Jambi that has a form as an animal park and it has been established since 1980. Taman Rimbo Zoo is a specific conservation in Jambi that is expected to contribute value from the aspect of ex-situ conservation as the main function, socio-economic community, and physical environment. The opportunity of Taman Rimbo Zoo development is primely considering that there are still few places of flora and fauna recreation that are inexpensive, educative and healthy. The data collection techniques in this study are observation, literature study, and interview. Based on the results obtained, the contribution level of animal conservation aspect is very low (19.8). As the main function of the conservation aspect, it is necessary to prioritize the improvements in its management both in terms of animal welfare in breeding success and reducing mortality rates in the collection of animals. In the other side the contribution level of socio-economic aspect is high (28.8) because the existence of Taman Rimbo Zoo gives the opportunity to the local community in employment, business, and becomes a source of Regional Income for Jambi Province. Meanwhile the physical environment aspect, the contribution level is very low (15.0), it occurs since there is no management or utilization for liquid waste from activities in Taman Rimbo Zoo and the tree species in Taman Rimbo Zoo environment are still not optimal in absorbing pollutants. The achievement of Taman Rimbo Zoo contribution assessment from all aspects is 63.6, which means Taman Rimbo Zoo contribution is still considered low and need an improvement in its management.

Engineered Full Thickness Electrospun Scaffold for Esophageal Tissue Regeneration: From In Vitro to In Vivo Approach.

Acquired congenital esophageal malformations, such as malignant esophageal cancer, require esophagectomy resulting in full thickness resection, which cannot be left untreated. The proposed approach is a polymeric full-thickness scaffold engineered with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to promote and speed up the regeneration process, ensuring adequate support and esophageal tissue reconstruction and avoiding the use of autologous conduits. Copolymers poly-L-lactide-co-poly-ε-caprolactone (PLA-PCL) 70:30 and 85:15 ratio were chosen to prepare electrospun tubular scaffolds. Electrospinning apparatus equipped with two different types of tubular mandrels: cylindrical (∅ 10 mm) and asymmetrical (∅ 10 mm and ∅ 8 mm) were used. Tubular scaffolds underwent morphological, mechanical (uniaxial tensile stress) and biological (MTT and Dapi staining) characterization. Asymmetric tubular geometry resulted in the best properties and was selected for in vivo surgical implantation. Anesthetized pigs underwent full thickness circumferential resection of the mid-lower thoracic esophagus, followed by implantation of the asymmetric scaffold. Preliminary in vivo results demonstrated that detached stitch suture achieved better results in terms of animal welfare and scaffold integration; thus, it is to be preferred to continuous suture.

HEALTH STATUS OF STRAY DOGS IN HUMAN SOCIETY, THEIR POTENTIAL TO HARBOR VARIOUS FUNGAL PATHOGENS AND CALL FOR HUMANE METHOD OF MANAGEMENT

Dogs harbor and transmit various zoonotic diseases, fungal dermatitis being most prevalent. Animals, especially dogs, being integral pivot of human society need to be analyzed more closely in terms of their social and biological effects on human life. The purpose of this study was to understand the scenario of fungal agents related to dermal infections in dogs from twenty-one locations of Jabalpur (India). In addition, the dog population characteristics including their health status and interaction with human were also evaluated. In year 2017, 1576 dogs and in year 2018, 1740 dogs were surveyed for this purpose. Majority of ailments observed were dermal diseases. It was found that frequency of dermatitis cases was highest (ca.80% in year 2017-2018) among contagious aliments and directly proportional to the density of dogs. Fungi were isolated from hair and scale samples from lesion periphery. Fungi, causing ailments ranging from mild local allergies to contagious cutaneous diseases, were isolated on Dermatophye Test Medium and Sabouraud Dextrose Agar medium. Non- dermatophytic moulds (44.6%) were isolated more frequently than dermatophytes (33.9%). Yeast forms (21.4%) were at third position in frequency of isolation. Aspergillus species (36%) were most frequent non- dermatophyte. Trichophyton species (68.4%) were the most frequently isolated dermatophyte; whereas, Malassezia species (50%) were prominent yeast forms. 47.5% of all isolates were positive for hair perforation test and 70.5% were positive for urease production test; whereas, 3.3% of isolates showed variable results for urease production test. In present research, position of stray dogs in human society in terms of animal welfare and ethical treatment has also been addressed.

TinyCowNet: Memory- and Power-Minimized RNNs Implementable on Tiny Edge Devices for Lifelong Cow Behavior Distribution Estimation

Precision livestock farming promises substantial advantages in terms of animal welfare, product quality and reducing methane emissions, but requires continuous and reliable data on the animal's behavior. While systems suitable for use within the barn exist, grazing over long distances poses challenges. Here, we address this issue by proposing an ultra low-power Edge AI device, minimizing data transmission requirements and potentially improving accuracy as compared to classification-based solutions. Namely, we propose cow behavior distribution regression with Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs), dubbed TinyCowNet, to estimate mixed-label sample spaces. Without quantization, the random search to minimize resources and maximize accuracy shows networks requiring a memory of 76kB on average and offering an accuracy up to 95.7&#x0025;. These are implementable on a wide range of low-power Micro Controller Units (MCU) and Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA). Furthermore, our proposed post-training full-integer quantization for RNNs combined with power estimation on 45nm CMOS using experimental literature shows a TinyCowNet occupying a memory around <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\approx 2$ </tex-math></inline-formula>kB, having a hypothetical power consumption on the order of 200nW, delivering an accuracy of 95.2&#x0025; and a Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.86. This work paves the way for the future creation of low-cost, highly accurate cow behavior estimation devices with long battery life that reduce the entry barriers currently hindering precision livestock farming outside the barn.

기독교 채식주의의 역사와 사회윤리적 담론 이해

The aim of this study is to understand the nature of Christian vegetarianism based on historical research on the Christian vegetarian tradition and to examine the socio-ethical discourse implied in the dietary practice. The tradition of prohibiting meat in Christian dietary practices began with the ascetic lives of monks. This practice became the main rule of the monastery and was inherited as a Christian dietary tradition, emphasized by precedents such as Lent and Ember days. However, due to factors such as the strict prohibition of eating meet by the sectarians, the moderating of monastic asceticism, and the criticism of the monastic practices by religious reformers, the dietary practice of carnivores was not inherited in the Christian religious tradition. Nevertheless, Christian vegetarian traditions based on the prohibition of meat include social ethical discourse in terms of animal welfare and maintaining social order. Therefore, it is meaningful to reflect on these Christian dietary practices in modern society. In particular, in the 21st century, when vegetarianism is emphasized as an alternative diet to solve the crisis of climate change, Christianity suggests that it is necessary to inherit its practical wisdom by reflecting on the ecological discourse implied in the vegetarian tradition.

Temperature conditions during commercial transportation of cull sows to slaughter

Management of ambient temperature is central in sow production, but temperature in commercial trucks transporting sows has only received limited scientific focus. We aimed to describe temperature inside trucks depending on season and on shifts in state of the trucks (‘non-stationary’, ‘stopped’, ‘waiting’) transporting sows (up to 8 h) to slaughter. Temperature outside the trucks was described during the last part of the journeys, and compared with temperature inside the trucks. Data were collected during 12 months and included 39 commercial journeys. We measured temperature (°C) inside trucks every minute in one compartment holding sows at commercial density. Data for temperature outside the trucks were collected from an official weather station near the slaughterhouse. Mean journey duration was 233 ± 114 min (range 47–470 min). From GPS-data, 26 of the journeys involved at least one stop lasting 5 min or more. Stops had a mean duration of 14 ± 8 min (range 5–40 min). Mean temperature inside trucks during journeys was 13.8 ± 5.3 °C (3.3–26.0), and differed between seasons. During journeys, temperature inside trucks increased during stationary periods. When compared to the outside temperature during 10 min before arriving at the slaughterhouse, and in the first 10 min of waiting after arrival, the mean temperature difference between inside and outside the truck ranged from 3 to 7 °C.The results suggest that in a moderate climatic zone like Denmark, temperature in trucks transporting sows to slaughter was not maintained within the thermal comfort zone of sows, and increased during stationary periods. This may have adverse consequences in terms of animal welfare. Future studies of optimization of transport management, ventilation and logistics are needed to examine possibilities to maintain temperatures in the comfort zone.

Physiological and behavioral response of foals to hot iron or freeze branding

Branding horses with permanent marks is still a routine for many breeders in many parts of the world. This method of identification is traditionally done with a hot iron, although cold or freeze branding with liquid nitrogen has been widely disseminated as a less painful method. However, there are no studies comparing freeze and hot iron branding related to horses. This study aimed to compare brand quality and autonomic responses (heart rate variability), cortisol levels, and behavioral responses induced by hot branding (hot iron) and freeze branding (liquid nitrogen). Twenty-three foals of pure and crossbreds of Mangalarga Marchador, aged between 20 and 28 weeks, males and females were branded with the symbol 47 (6.5 × 8.5 cm) on the left shoulder. The animals were divided into 2 groups: hot iron (n = 11) and freeze (n = 12) and the twitching lip method was used to restrain the animals during the branding. No differences in cortisol levels were detected between the 2 groups. In the behavioral assessment, only in the hot iron group was one case of kicking and another of rearing observed. Horses in the hot iron group had more limb movements than did those in the freeze group. Our results have shown that hot iron branding has higher autonomic activation than freeze branding, with sympathetic predominance over the parasympathetic activation, as characterized by higher LF/ HF ratio, LF, SDNN/RMSSD ratio, and lower HF. Freeze branding produced fewer wounds and necrosis in the skin with no significant differences in the sharpness of the mark. Freeze branding proved to be a better option than hot iron because it causes less intense autonomic stress responses and fewer open wounds while giving the same sharpness as the hot iron branding. In terms of animal welfare, hot iron branding should be avoided or universally banned.

First report on outbreaks of contagious ovine digital dermatitis in Sweden

BackgroundContagious ovine digital dermatitis (CODD) is considered widespread in the United Kingdom but was only recently reported in mainland Europe, as one outbreak in Germany. The disease can cause severe lameness in sheep and, if left untreated, can lead to total avulsion of the hoof capsule. CODD is considered to have multifactorial and polymicrobial aetiology, in which Treponema medium/Treponema vincentii phylogroup, Treponema phagedenis phylogroup and Treponema pedis are believed to play a significant role. Footrot and CODD have a close connection and footrot is considered an important risk factor for CODD.CaseLameness, mainly in lambs aged 1.5 months, was reported on a farm in Sweden in spring 2018. The animals showed no signs of footrot and the causative agent, Dichelobacter nodosus, was not found. CODD was suspected but not confirmed, and the clinical signs subsided when the animals were turned out to pasture. In February 2019, young lambs and ewes were lame again and this time CODD was diagnosed. After treatment, the whole flock was slaughtered later in 2019 due to CODD.In autumn 2020, CODD was diagnosed on another Swedish farm, this time as part of a mixed infection with D. nodosus. The animals were treated with footbaths in zinc sulphate 10% by the farmer, but lameness recurred soon afterwards. The animals were treated, but ultimately the whole flock was slaughtered. No connection was found between the two farms.ConclusionThe first two outbreaks of CODD in Sweden have been diagnosed and are described in this case report. If it spreads, CODD could have a negative impact on the Swedish sheep industry in terms of animal welfare, production and antibiotic use.

Improving Horse Welfare and Environmental Sustainability in Horse Husbandry: Linkage between Turnout and Nitrogen Surplus

A scientific consultation tool is currently being developed in Germany to assess, analyze, and improve animal welfare on site and simultaneously consider aspects of environmental sustainability in horse husbandry in order to contribute to a resource-conserving and responsible handling of natural resources and the welfare of living beings. To date, no study has assessed to what extent species-appropriate free-range locomotion possibilities are implemented on horse farms and to what extent turnout areas are affected by unwanted nutrient inputs from horse excretions. Using the indicators “species-appropriate turnout” (hereafter: “turnout”) and “unwanted nitrogen inputs in water bodies” (based on “nitrogen surplus”), we exemplarily examine animal- and environmentally relevant aspects of horse husbandry. We conducted 88 assessments on 46 horse farms (n = 2220 horses) to test literature-based indicators of animal welfare and environmental sustainability. We found that the indicator “nitrogen surplus,” used to assess an aspect of environmental sustainability, was mostly a problem in the wintertime (summertime = −4.24, range: −109.27–58.97; wintertime: mean: 12.01, range: −35.19–468.00 nitrogen surplus per hectare, n = 44 farms, p &lt; 0.001), when the horses had a reduced space allowance for free locomotion. On most farms, “turnout” was provided daily for several hours, but in many of the single housing systems, not all horses had the possibility for free locomotion (24.1 ± 20.4% of horses per farm), which is unacceptable in terms of animal welfare. Husbandry systems with a large enough space allowance for turnout (≥200 m2 per horse) were found to be measures with a valuable synergetic effect, providing a resource which is an opportunity both for an environmentally sustainable and welfare-friendly horse husbandry. Demanuring remarkably decreased the nitrogen surplus (p &lt; 0.001). Hence, based on the study, we recommend to daily demanure the pasture or paddock if the space allowance is less than 200 m2 per horse. In conclusion, regarding animal welfare, group housing is favorable, but regarding a site-specific environmentally friendly or even biodiversity-enhancing management, space allowance per horse is a crucial factor rather than the type of housing system. The two selected exemplary indictors demonstrate the need for a holistic and comprehensive decision support system that considers the linkage between horse welfare and environmental sustainability in order to assist peoples’ decision-making with horses under their care.

Assessment of the Culture of Care working with laboratory animals by using a comprehensive survey tool.

The term Culture of Care, within the scientific community using laboratory animals, is being used more and more frequently after it was introduced in the EU Directive 2010/63/EU, where it is phrased as a 'climate of care', which became effective in national legislation from January 2013. However, there is a risk that the term could become a meaningless phrase if no agreed local definition of the term exists at the animal facility (called establishment in the EU Directive). This paper presents a comprehensive survey tool that provides a means to describe what the Culture of Care in an establishment looks like. The tool is one of the elements that can contribute to the overall picture of the culture; however, it cannot stand alone. Together with an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Culture of Care (e.g. key performance indicators) and a description of the outcomes and achievements in terms of animal welfare and the 3Rs (Replace, Reduce, Refine), the survey tool will constitute a comprehensive picture. The survey tool offers a multilevel and comprehensive view of different subcultures, presenting details on mindset and behaviour of the employees and the different relations within the culture, thus enabling the initiation of improvement projects if required. The tool addresses essential elements of a co-operative culture in terms of what we think, what we do and how we work together.

Pain Management in Farm Animals: Focus on Cattle, Sheep and Pigs.

Simple SummaryPain causes behavioral, autonomic and neuroendocrine changes and is a common cause of animal welfare compromise in farm animals. These recommendations focus on cattle, sheep, and pigs, and present the implications of unmanaged pain in terms of animal welfare and ethical perspectives, and its challenges and misconceptions. We provide an overview of pain management including assessment and treatment applied to the most common husbandry procedures, and recommendations to improve animal welfare in these species. Pain causes behavioral, autonomic, and neuroendocrine changes and is a common cause of animal welfare compromise in farm animals. Current societal and ethical concerns demand better agricultural practices and improved welfare for food animals. These guidelines focus on cattle, sheep, and pigs, and present the implications of pain in terms of animal welfare and ethical perspectives, and its challenges and misconceptions. We provide an overview of pain management including assessment and treatment applied to the most common husbandry procedures, and recommendations to improve animal welfare in these species. A cost-benefit analysis of pain mitigation is discussed for food animals as well as the use of pain scoring systems for pain assessment in these species. Several recommendations are provided related to husbandry practices that could mitigate pain and improve farm animal welfare. This includes pain assessment as one of the indicators of animal welfare, the use of artificial intelligence for automated methods and research, and the need for better/appropriate legislation, regulations, and recommendations for pain relief during routine and husbandry procedures.

Effect of low and high concentrate supplementation on health and welfare indicators in different breeds in small-scale mountain dairy farms.

We investigated and compared the effects of low and high concentrate supplementation in terms of animal welfare, health and reproductive performance in two different dairy cow breeds on small-scale mountain farms. 64 South Tyrolean dairy farms were evaluated using an on-farm assessment for animal-based and resource-based welfare indicators, data from test day records, and a questionnaire for the farmer. Farms were divided into four groups: low input Tyrolean Grey (L-TG), low input Brown Swiss (L-BS), high input Tyrolean Grey (H-TG) and high input Brown Swiss (H-BS). Effects of intensity level, breed and their interaction were calculated and analyzed statistically. The predominant husbandry system across all groups was tie-stall. The average energy-corrected milk yield increased with increasing concentrate level, with L-TG showing the lowest and H-BS showing the highest milk yield. Age at first calving was lowest in H-BS when compared to all other systems, while numbers of lactations were higher in L-TG compared to H-BS. Feed efficiency (percentage of milk out of roughage) was significantly higher in L-TG and L-BS when compared to H-TG and H-BS. L-BS showed the poorest results for most of the welfare indicators such as lean cows, lesions and percentage of dirty animals. In conclusion, a higher concentrate level in diets does not lead automatically to lower animal welfare for dairy cows in alpine regions. Indeed, keeping high yielding breeds in extensive systems seems to be challenging. The dual-purpose breed TG showed some clear advantages in that calving interval was lower and the number of lactations greater.

Evaluation of direct and maternal responses in reproduction traits based on different selection strategies for postnatal piglet survival in a selection experiment

BackgroundPostnatal piglet survival is important both in economic and animal welfare terms. It is influenced by the piglet’s own direct genetic effects and by maternal genetic effects of the dam, associated with milk production and mothering abilities. These genetic effects might be correlated, affected by other non-genetic factors and unfavourably associated with other reproduction traits such as litter size, which makes the development of optimal breeding strategies a challenge. To identify the optimum selection strategy for piglet survival, a selection experiment was carried out to compare responses in survival and reproduction traits to selection on only direct, only maternal, or both genetic effects of postnatal survival. The data of the experiment were recorded from outdoor reared pigs, with first- and second-generation sires selected based on their estimated breeding values for maternal and direct effects of postnatal survival of indoor reared offspring, respectively, with the opportunity to identify potential genotype-by-environment interaction.ResultsA Bayesian multivariate threshold-linear model that was fitted to data on 22,483 piglets resulted in significant (Pr(h2 > 0) = 1.00) estimates of maternal and direct heritabilities between 0.12 and 0.18 for survival traits and between 0.29 and 0.36 for birth weight, respectively. Selection for direct genetic effects resulted in direct and maternal responses in postnatal survival of 1.11% ± 0.17 and − 0.49% ± 0.10, respectively, while selection for maternal genetic effects led to greater direct and maternal responses, of 5.20% ± 0.34 and 1.29% ± 0.20, respectively, in part due to unintentional within-litter selection. Selection for both direct and maternal effects revealed a significant lower direct response (− 1.04% ± 0.12) in comparison to its expected response from single-effect selection, caused by interactions between direct and maternal effects.ConclusionsSelection successfully improved post- and perinatal survival and birth weight, which indicates that they are genetically determined and that genotype-by-environment interactions between outdoor (experimental data) and indoor (selection data) housed pigs were not important for these traits. A substantially increased overall (direct plus maternal) response was obtained using selection for maternal versus direct or both direct and maternal effects, suggesting that the maternal genetic effects are the main limiting factor for improving piglet survival on which selection pressure should be emphasized.

COVID-19 restrictions provide a brief respite from the wildlife roadkill toll

The COVID-19 pandemic provides a rare opportunity to reveal the impact of reduced human activity on wildlife. I compared traffic volume and wildlife roadkill data along 18 km of highway before, during and after a 3-month period of COVID-19 restrictions with baseline data from the previous four years. Three marsupial herbivores comprised 89% of the 1820 roadkills recorded during the 4.5-year survey period: rufous-bellied pademelon Thylogale billardierii (31.5% of total), common brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula (29.8%) and red-necked wallaby Notamacropus rufogriseus (27.9%). During April 2020, when human activity was most restricted in the study area, traffic volume decreased by 36% (i.e. by an average 13,520 vehicle movements per day) and wildlife roadkill decreased by 48% (i.e. from 44 to 23 roadkills). However, when restrictions eased, traffic volume and wildlife roadkill returned to baseline levels indicating that the respite was brief in terms of animal welfare and of limited conservation value for these widespread and abundant species. Nevertheless, the results of this study suggest that even short periods of traffic reduction or road closures could be used as part of a management strategy for the conservation of endangered wildlife populations and re-wildling programs where roadkill is a risk factor.

The Use of biofloors in great ape zoo exhibits

The past several decades have seen significant progress in zoo exhibit design, with naturalistic spaces replacing many of the traditional concrete enclosures. Furthermore, research studying the impact of such exhibit design in terms of animal welfare and zoo visitor experience has increased. While this has been especially true for studies of zoo-housed great apes, the effect of the floor type that apes reside on—whether concrete or a softer/organic substrate—has received relatively little attention. To better understand zoos’ motivations for, and experiences with, different flooring substrates, a survey was administered to all 89 zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums that house great apes. Here, the results of the survey are presented and interpreted in the context of the knowledge gained from the four biofloor exhibits housing chimpanzees and gorillas at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, USA. Of the 62 zoos that responded, 45 reported having indoor exhibit spaces in which visitors could view great apes, but only 13 had exhibits that provide a biofloor as the exhibit substrate. Zoos indicated that animal welfare was a key motivator for installing biofloors, while facility constraints were most often cited as the primary impediment to having a biofloor. Pest control and cleaning protocols only varied slightly across institutions and floor types, with many zoos following similar maintenance procedures. Overall, survey responses and experiences at Lincoln Park Zoo suggest biofloors promote positive welfare without compromising husbandry efforts and are a worthwhile investment.

Suitability of Slower Growing Commercial Turkey Strains for Organic Husbandry in Terms of Animal Welfare and Performance.

Intensive turkey production with fast growing strains is often critically discussed regarding animal welfare problems. Studies evaluating the welfare status of both organic and less intensive selected turkey strains are limited, except in the slightly slower growing Kelly Broad Breast Bronze (Kelly). The aim of this study was to assess the welfare of turkeys from two strains with further decreased growth rate, Hockenhull Large Bronze (HoBr) and Hockenhull Black (HoBl), in comparison to Kelly under commercial organic conditions with 100% organic feed. Altogether 844 non-beak-trimmed male turkeys (274–288 per line) were reared and fattened in three replications with each six groups. On group level, use of resources in the 7, 16, and 25th week of life, mortality and feed conversion were recorded. Each bird was assessed with regard to plumage and skin condition as indicators of agonistic interactions, cannibalism and feather pecking, with regard to leg health, footpad, breast skin condition and, as performance indicators, live and carcass weight, utilization, daily weight gain and weights of valuable meat parts. The significantly slower growing HoBl showed slightly fewer malposition of the legs, reduced injury rates and less breast buttons, but a higher susceptibility to footpad dermatitis than Kelly turkeys. HoBr with a similar growth rate compared to Kelly had slightly more problems concerning walking ability and plumage damage, but also less breast buttons than Kelly turkeys. However, effect sizes were negligible (Φ < 0.10), except for the higher occurrence of footpad dermatitis and the reduced number of breast buttons in HoBl with small effect sizes (Φ = 0.20–0.24). Use of resources, prevalence of breast blisters and mortality, were not statistically different, although mortality rate was numerically lower in HoBl. Thus, for none of the studied strains clear benefits or disadvantages in terms of the birds' predisposition for welfare problems could be identified. Overall, prevalences of animal welfare problems were mostly lower than in comparable studies while performances were comparatively high. Therefore, turkeys from the studied strains appear to be suitable for organic rearing and fattening with 100% organic feed, given a good management.

Vitality in relation to litter size of crossbred pigs and the effect of the terminal sire line

Context Most research on sire lines is linked to growth and carcass traits. Only a limited number of field trials explore the effect of sire line on piglet vitality, litter size and the interactions between these traits. Aim The aim of this study was to examine the effect of sire line on the growth performance and vitality of progeny from birth to weaning and to evaluate the lines with respect to their impact on litter size. Methods Data included 150 litters of a Synthetic sire line (A) and 154 of a Piétrain sire line (B), with 4209 piglets born alive, which resulted from matings to 337 dams (Camborough PIC). The numbers of total born and born alive piglets per litter were recorded. Within 24 h after birth, piglet individual birthweight (BWbirth), sex (male/female) and body temperature (BT) were also recorded. At weaning, mortality rates and weaned pigs per sow were registered. At the day of weaning, 665 randomly chosen pigs were individually weighed. Weaning weights (WW) were used to calculate the weaning average daily gain (WADG). Key results Sire line significantly affected number of total born (P &lt; 0.0001), number born alive (P &lt; 0.01) and number of weaned pigs per sow (P &lt; 0.01). Across lines, each additional piglet per litter resulted in a 31.2 g decline in BWbirth (P &lt; 0.001). Larger litter sizes, higher BWbirth (P &lt; 0.01) and piglets with a lower BT (P &lt; 0.0001) were detected in litters of Sire line B compared with litters of Sire line A. No differences between lines were detected for WADG, WW and pre-weaning mortality (P &gt; 0.05). A positive correlation between birthweight and WW resulted in a correspondingly higher WADG (P &lt; 0.0001). Overall, heavier BWbirth piglets had a higher BT (P &lt; 0.0001). Conclusions The present study indicates that Sire line B would offer a possibility to maintain litter size at a high level and, simultaneously, achieve higher BWbirth, with consequently more vital piglets. Implication It is important to emphasise that further selection for litter size in dam lines is not indicated in terms of animal welfare but also production efficiency. Instead, it seems feasible to follow the above strategy and stabilise litter size at a high level, while at the same time breeding for vitality and survivability in sire lines.

Farm efficiency related to animal welfare performance and management of sheep farms in marginal areas of Central Italy: a two-stage DEA model

The development of specific actions to increase animal health and welfare is indicated as a strategy to improve the efficiency and sustainability of many livestock systems, including sheep farming. In this paper, efficiency measures are provided to confirm the hypothesis that farms that are higher-performing in terms of animal welfare and management are also more technically efficient. A two-stage Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach was adopted with the following twofold objectives: 1) to evaluate the efficiency and super-efficiency of 76 meat-producing sheep farms situated in marginal lands in central Italy, through DEA and Super-DEA (S-DEA) models; and 2) to assess the influence of animal welfare and management indicators on technical efficiency values through the application of a Tobit regression model. An overall efficiency performance varying within a range of 0.44–1 was estimated, with an average value of 0.80, implying a potential increase of 20% in terms of output production from both management and scale improvements. The ‘pure’ technical inefficiency was found to contribute three times more than scale inefficiency in determining the overall technical inefficiency. Adopting a more extensive farming system and increasing replacement rate were found to affect negatively the efficiency scores. On the other hand, having less than 5% of animals with body condition score beyond acceptable limits, presence of access control structures, well managed lambing pens, and dedicated feed stocking areas resulted in a positive influence on efficiency. Improvements in animal welfare aspects did not appear to be farm-scale-dependent. Highlights DEA and Super-DEA models were applied to assess sheep farm technical efficiency in Central Italy. An overall potential 20% increase in output production was estimated. Animal welfare factors were found to significantly affect efficiency performance.