Animal Welfare Problems Research Articles

Reasons for admission and rehabilitation rates of various wildlife species in Finland.

Wildlife rehabilitation is a common part of animal-protection work. In Finland wildlife care is usually based on volunteer work and no licensing or training is required. Wildlife casualties are also treated professionally in some contexts such as zoos. The species of wildlife casualties may influence treatment decisions. Our anonymous online survey examined wildlife caregiving practices in Finland (n = 78), focusing on the care provided to various animal species and the outcomes of rehabilitation efforts. The survey was sent to both veterinarians and volunteers caring for wildlife, and it was part of a larger survey. Questions were mainly closed, and opinion-related questions were applied on a Likert scale (1-7; where 1 meant strongly disagree and 7 meant strongly agree). Most respondents primarily cared for mammals and birds. Reptiles, amphibians, and fish received less attention. Injuries and overwinter survival, especially in the case of hedgehogs, were the primary reasons for wildlife admissions. The training background of the rehabilitators varied and was related to the animal species being treated. Those caring mainly for hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) were the least likely to have animal-related training or long-term experience in wildlife care. We show a notably high rehabilitation rate of approximately 80% of commonly treated species, significantly surpassing figures from other countries, which raises concerns that animals are admitted or released on too light grounds, leading to animal welfare problems. It is also noteworthy that only one-fifth of respondents said they kept records of animal admissions. Less than 40% of respondents emphasized the need for further education on any specific issue, which may indicate overestimation of personal skills. In conclusion, our study raises concerns regarding the ethics and potential harm associated with wildlife rehabilitation.

Short communication: The orientation of cubicles plays a role – greater deviation from the north–south direction, more technopathies in dairy cows

Magnetic alignment (MA) is a biological phenomenon denoting spontaneous orientation of an animal’s body at rest, when fleeing a threat, hunting, etc. in relation to the Earth’s magnetic field lines, often parallel to the field lines, i.e. in a north–south (NS) direction. MA has been demonstrated in several animal species, including grazing and resting domestic mammals. Based on the assumption that cows prefer to orientate their bodies in the NS direction when resting and sleeping, we hypothesised that MA could contribute to the incidence of technopathies in dairy cows, i.e. various disorders caused by the stable equipment that pose a serious animal welfare problem. It was hypothesised that the incidence of technopathies increases when the cubicles (resting places) orientation deviates from the NS position. The incidence of technopathies was recorded in 34 free-stall dairy farms. The type (hairless patch, scratch, swelling, wound), location and size of the lesions were recorded in almost 1 200 dairy cows. Based on the number of cubicles available and the number of cows, the cubicle-per-cow index (CC index) was calculated and divided into two groups: CC index ≥ 1 for stables with at least one cubicle per cow and CC index < 1 if the number of cows exceeded the number of cubicles available. The orientation of the cubicles was determined by the azimuth (the angle between north and the chosen clockwise direction). The farms were categorised into two groups according to azimuth: NS (azimuth deviating ± 15° from north or south, i.e. 345-15° and 165-195°) and non-NS (azimuth 15-165° and 195-345°). We found that the frequency of cows with technopathies was 30% lower in the NS-orientated cubicles and the number of technopathies per cow was 40% lower in the NS-orientated cubicles than in the non-NS-orientated cubicles. In addition, a higher number of technopathies per cow was observed when the CC index was ≥ 1, with a significant difference in the non-NS-aligned cubicles. According to our results, cubicle orientation has some influence on the incidence of technopathies. Although biological phenomena such as MA are seemingly unimportant and usually overlooked, they should be considered in livestock production when planning the positioning of stable equipment/ cubicle.

Spatiotemporal analysis of a population management intervention for dogs and cats in a municipality in central Mexico.

The overpopulation of dogs and cats has generated socioeconomic, political, and animal welfare problems, in addition to an important public health problem, due to the risk of zoonotic diseases. This study aimed to analyze the spatiotemporal coverage of canine and feline sterilization services provided by a governmental agency in the rural and urban areas of the municipality of Tequisquiapan, Querétaro. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Tequisquiapan's municipality, Querétaro, Mexico, from July 2019 to September 2022. The total number of sterilized dogs and cats was obtained from the monthly records of the Tequisquiapan Animal Health and Welfare Services Center (CESSBA, by its Spanish acronym). The collected information was related to the sterilized animals (species and sex) and their responsible guardians (sex and address). Access to dog and cat sterilization services was assessed using a geographic information system. Kernel density and directional ellipse tools were used to analyze the CESSBA coverage of care. Indicators were estimated to compare magnitudes and changes at the census tract level. A total of 4,489 animals were sterilized, with n = 2,611 (58%) dogs, of which 1,939 were female and 672 were male. The remaining n = 1,878 animals were cats, representing 42% of the total, with 1,257 females and 621 males. Up to 73% of the sterilized animals were owned by women. The population management of dogs and cats allowed us to increase the territorial coverage from 71.8% in 2019 to 92.3% in 2022. According to the temporal analysis (2019-2022), there was an annual upward trend in the number of sterilizations performed by CESSBA, with a rate of between 55.6 and 94.3 registered sterilizations per 100 inhabited dwellings and between 166.4 and 302.8 registered sterilizations per 1000 inhabitants. The analysis of the dog and cat sterilization service coverage revealed an upward trend, consisting of an increase in accessibility and participation of responsible caregivers who resided in both urban and rural areas of Tequisquiapan. Although it was not possible to evaluate the impact of the program, the use of georeferenced data and geospatial analysis showed that it can support the control of animal overpopulation.

Associations of lameness with milk composition, fatty acid profile, and milk coagulation properties in mid-lactation high-yielding Holstein cows

Lameness, an animal welfare and profitability related problem in dairy industry, was evaluated on 126 multiparous Estonian Holstein cows on a 5-point scale; score three or above indicated lameness. Milk samples of the cows were analysed for basic composition, content of mineral elements, fatty acid (FA) profile and coagulation properties (MCP). Lame cows had lower milk yield and a lower milk protein and milk fat yield compared to non-lame cows. MCP and content of mineral elements were not affected by lameness. The concentrations of most individual milk FA, their groups formed by chain length, degree of saturation or by origin were not affected by the lameness. Lameness was associated with a higher concentration of odd- and branched-chain fatty acids and C18:0. Milk from lame cows is suitable for consumers as lameness did not impair nutritional value nor MCP of the milk.

Sexaje in ovo con Imágenes Hiperespectrales (HSI): Un método no destructivo y no invasivo

Poultry farming worldwide presents great development; however, one of the great limitations is the determination of the sex of the embryo in ovo, because on farms birds are raised for two purposes, egg production or meat production, so there is a sex preference. In the commercial egg production line, females are preferred, and newborn males are discarded, millions of chicks being sacrificed worldwide, generating great economic losses; it also represents a serious ethical and animal welfare problem, which is why countries like France and Germany have decreed new regulations that regulate and prohibit the slaughter of male chicks. Multiple optical and non-optical techniques have been proposed for in ovo sexing, but they have not yet been developed at an industrial and commercial level. Of all the available techniques, hyperspectral HSI imaging is shown to be a viable non-invasive and non-destructive technique for in ovo sexing, because it provides extensive spectral information about an egg. In this context, the advances, and approaches of HSI with respect to its potential use in in ovo sexing are discussed. HSIs have demonstrated considerable precision in sexing, however, they present limitations such as complexity in data processing and embryonic development time.

Assessing body condition scores, weight gain dynamics, and fecal egg counts in feedlot and non-feedlot cattle within high throughput abattoirs of the Eastern Cape Province

IntroductionFeedlots have emerged as an ideal mitigation option to pursue sustainable and efficient livestock production. This paper aims to elucidate how the establishment and widespread adoption of feedlots have provided solutions to complex problems of food security, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability.MethodsAn observational cross-sectional study compared fecal egg count per gram (EPG), weight gain, and body condition score (BCS) in feedlot and non-feedlot cattle at high throughput abattoirs. Cattle (n = 120) of different age and sex groups, farms, and breeds were selected from two commercial abattoirs (EA1 and EA2) in the Eastern Cape Province.ResultsAt EA1, non-feedlot cattle exhibited higher EPG values (323.3±28.9) than feedlot cattle (73.3±13.3), indicating a potentially greater susceptibility to internal parasitic infections. The similar weight gains between feedlot (298.1±4.7) and non-feedlot cattle (287.16±7.79) were attributed to the sufficient natural pasture in the communally raised cattle. However, body condition scores were significantly (P&amp;lt; 0.05) better in feedlot than in non-feedlot cattle. Nonetheless, the feedlot farms of origin had a significant effect (P&amp;lt; 0.05) on the EPG and body condition score values in EA1, with no significant effect in EA2.DiscussionMoreover, the negative correlation between EPG and body condition scores highlights that as parasite load increases, there might be a subtle tendency for body condition to decrease. These results underscore the importance of feedlots as an effective management strategy to improve animal health and productivity. Further investigations into the factors driving the differences in non-feedlot cattle are needed for informed decision-making in livestock management and abattoir operations.

Profiting from cruelty: Digital content creators abuse animals worldwide to incur profit

With the increasing interest of people in profiting from cruelty on the Internet and the failure of platforms such as YouTube in removing contents related to this practice, to recognize who is funding animal suffering is imperative to combat this serious problem for sustainability, conservation, and animal welfare. Here, we investigate how content creators exploit animals to incur profit, by analyzing 411 productions of: A) visible and B) hidden suffering. Categories included A) 1. Hunting-fishing-experiments, 2. Animal crushing, 3. Cruel slaughtering, 4. Animal fights, 5. Cooking/eating animals alive, 6. Staged rescues, and B) 7. Selfies and 8. Wildlife as pets. Across 39 countries, different tools and tactics, from high heels to grenade launchers, were resorted to harm and to expose >96 animal species in nearly 50 h of online animal cruelty content. Monetized by 155 advertisers, 114 videos amassed over US $1,14 million, benefiting 79 channels. ‘Wildlife as pets’ was most profitable and 38 of the identified species are listed in CITES appendices. Model-based insights revealed monetization's link to cruelty categories (especially Category 8, ‘Wildlife as pets’) and creators' gender (i.e., undetermined gender of content creator) parameters. Children were in 61 productions. Removals generated by YouTube correlated with cruelty Category 6 (Staged rescues), proving that the diligence of the platform in taking contents down is paramount for more or less monetization. We propose advertiser-imposed legal standards on social networks to compel content removal and that audience report crimes to police aiming legal penalization of animal cruelty content creators.

Using surveillance data for early warning modelling of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Europe reveals a seasonal shift in transmission, 2016–2022

Avian influenza in wild birds and poultry flocks constitutes a problem for animal welfare, food security and public health. In recent years there have been increasing numbers of outbreaks in Europe, with many poultry flocks culled after being infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Continuous monitoring is crucial to enable timely implementation of control to prevent HPAI spread from wild birds to poultry and between poultry flocks within a country. We here utilize readily available public surveillance data and time-series models to predict HPAI detections within European countries and show a seasonal shift that happened during 2021–2022. The output is models capable of monitoring the weekly risk of HPAI outbreaks, to support decision making.

A Successful Case of Implementation of Farm Animal Welfare Audits by Large Meat Buyers

Abstract For many years, the supply chain managers of large supermarkets and restaurant corporations have been conducting animal welfare audits of farms and slaughter plants. Some programs have been more effective than others. This case history describes the early implementation of a highly effective program for auditing animal welfare in slaughter plants. The lessons learned from the implementation of this program in 1999 are still relevant today. There were four major factors that made this welfare auditing program effective. They were: (1) corporate management became motivated to improve conditions in the slaughter plants after they visited plants that had severe animal welfare problems, (2) the welfare standards used to audit the beef and pork plants were simple and easy to understand. They provided clear guidance on conditions that would result in a failed audit, (3) more than one commercial company enforced the same standards at the numerous slaughter plants, and (4) there was an emphasis on repairing existing facilities and improving management instead of buying lots of expensive new equipment. There were only 3 plants out of 75 where expensive renovations were required. This case history will also discuss how veterinarians and management consultants can help food animal supply chain managers implement effective programs that will improve animal welfare. Practical commercial animal welfare assessments will need to be simpler than assessments used for research. Information © The Author 2023

Susceptibility of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Pasteurella multocida and Streptococcus suis Isolated from Pigs in Hungary between 2018 and 2021.

Porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC) has been a major animal health, welfare, and economic problem in Hungary; therefore, great emphasis should be put on both the prevention and control of this complex disease. As antibacterial agents are effective tools for control, antibiotic susceptibility testing is indispensable for the proper implementation of antibacterial therapy and to prevent the spread of resistance. The best method for this is to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) by the broth microdilution method. In our study, we measured the MIC values of 164 Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, 65 Pasteurella multocida, and 118 Streptococcus suis isolates isolated from clinical cases against the following antibacterial agents: amoxicillin, ceftiofur, cefquinome, oxytetracycline, doxycycline, tylosin, tilmicosin, tylvalosin, tulathromycin, lincomycin, tiamulin, florfenicol, colistin, enrofloxacin, and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. Outstanding efficacy against A. pleuropneumoniae isolates was observed with ceftiofur (100%) and tulathromycin (100%), while high levels of resistance were observed against cefquinome (92.7%) and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (90.8%). Ceftiofur (98.4%), enrofloxacin (100%), florfenicol (100%), and tulathromycin (100%) were found to be highly effective against P. multocida isolates, while 100% resistance was detected against the sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim combination. For the S. suis isolates, only ceftiofur (100%) was not found to be resistant, while the highest rate of resistance was observed against the sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim combination (94.3%). An increasing number of studies report multi-resistant strains of all three pathogens, making their monitoring a high priority for animal and public health.

Effect of Citric Acid on Carcass Characteristics and Physico Chemical Attributes of Broiler Chickens

With the removal of antibiotics, the poultry industry is challenged with identifying a valid alternative to antibiotics with similar capabilities. Organic acids like citric acid are agents with the capability to reduce pathogenic bacteria and increase nutrient digestibility through their effect on the pH in the gastrointestinal tract. Citric acid improves animal welfare and economic concerns in the poultry industry by reducing body weight loss and improving meat quality attributes. Citric acid supplementation in feeds diminishes microorganisms within the gastrointestinal tract and consequently enhances feed intake and digestion, with positive effects on growth rate and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens. A review was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE (published articles) to determine the effect of citric acid supplementation on carcass characteristics, physico chemical attributes and sensory attributes of broiler chickens. Findings indicated that organic acids such as citric acid may improve animal welfare and economic problems in the chicken business by lowering body weight loss and enhancing meat quality qualities. At the same time, citric acid supplementation had an antibacterial effect on the growth of microorganisms. This shows that citric acid can be used in broiler chickens to improve performance and meat quality. The current review evaluates the effect of various citric acid level supplementation on carcass characteristics, physico chemical attributes and sensory attributes of broiler chickens.

Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites and molecular identification of beta-tubulin mutations associated with benzimidazole resistance in Haemonchus contortus in goats from selected districts of Uganda.

Gastrointestinal parasites are among the most economically important pathogens of small ruminants causing serious economic losses and animal welfare problems for the livestock industry worldwide. The emergence of anthelmintic resistant H. contortus in small ruminants is a serious problem because it undermines effective helminth control and results in reduced productivity. Little is known about resistance to benzimidazoles (BZ) in Haemonchus in goats and sheep in Uganda. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites and to identify the presence of benzimidazole resistance associated mutations in the β-tubulin isotype 1 gene of Haemonchus contortus in goats from selected districts of Uganda. A total of 200 goats from 10 districts of Uganda slaughtered at Kalerwe abattoir in Kampala were sampled for H. contortus adult worms. Faecal samples were also collected to detect other intestinal parasites. Faecal microscopy and analysis were performed using flotation and sedimentation techniques. DNA was extracted from adult worms and PCR and sequencing of the ITS- 2 region and β-tubulin isotype 1 gene performed to identify H. contortus species and to determine the presence of mutations associated with anthelmintic resistance respectively. Faecal microscopy showed that the most prevalent intestinal parasites were coccidia (98%), strongyles (97.5%), Strongyloides (82%), Paramphistomum (74.5%), Moniezia (46%), Fasciola (1.5%) and Trichuris (1%). Most goats had a high intestinal burden of coccidia (≥ 5000 oocyst per gram) and strongyles (≥ 1000 egg per gram), 65% and 67.5%, respectively. The prevalence of H. contortus adult worms was 63% (126/200). Sequencing of the partial β-tubulin isotype 1 gene of 54 Haemonchus contortus adult male isolates revealed the presence of mutations associated with anthelmintic resistance. The F200Y mutation was the most common mutation (13% of samples with good beta-tubulin sequences) followed by the E198A and E198K mutations, both found in 9% of sequenced samples. Mutation F167Y was not identified in any of the samples and there were no heterozygous individuals for any of the SNPS associated with BZ resistance that were identified in this study. These findings highlight the need for controlled use of anthelmintics especially benzimidazoles, to enable sustainable control of H. contortus in Uganda, and a need for further investigation to understand the resistance of other parasites identified in this study.

Anthelmintic resistance of horse strongyle nematodes to ivermectin in São Paulo state, Brazil

The indiscriminate use of drugs to control gastrointestinal helminths in horses can lead to serious consequences for the animals, which represents a growing problem for health, animal welfare and productivity. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the anthelmintic efficacy of ivermectin in naturally infected horses in the western region of the state of São Paulo. From May 2021 to April 2022, 123 naturally infected adult horses in 12 equine breeding farms (7 to 14 animals per farm) were evaluated with the fecal egg count reduction test. The horses had not been treated with anthelmintic drugs for at least 60 days before the start of the study. The animals were treated with ivermectin (0.2 mg/kg; Eqvalan®, Merial) administered orally according to recommended dosage by the manufacturer. Individual fecal samples were collected directly from the rectal ampulla and used to determine the eggs per gram of feces (EPG) and perform coproculture for identification of larvae on the day of anthelmintic treatment (D0) and 14 days later (D14). The fecal egg count reduction (FECR) on each property was calculated using the program Shiny-egg Counts R version 3.6.1, and the presence of anthelmintic resistance was confirmed when the FECR percentage was less than 95%, and when the lower confidence limit [LCI] was less than 90%. The pre-treatment average EPG count in the 12 properties was 991. In five properties the FECR was lower than 90%; in three properties between 90% and 95%; and in four properties equal to or greater than 95% after treatment with ivermectin. The occurrence of cyathostomins with resistance to ivermectin was recorded in the majority of the farms.

One Welfare for all: Associations between sheep welfare indicators and producers’ mental health

Objective. The objective of this observational cross-sectional study was to investigate associations between farmers’ mental health scores for stress, anxiety, depression, and resilience, and sheep welfare outcomes. Materials and methods. Twenty-two sheep farms in the departments of Boyacá, Cundinamarca, Tolima, and Meta, Colombia, were visited once. Clinical health, cleanliness, and calmness of randomly selected sheep per farm were scored to identify the number of animals with different welfare problems such as lameness, hoof overgrowth, and mastitis. A face-to-face interview with the farmer was done to gather demographic information (farm size and year of establishment, gender, age, role at the farm, and education) and to complete validated psychometric scales to assess resilience, stress, anxiety, and depression. Linear regression models were used to evaluate associations between farmers’ mental health scores, demographic aspects, and within-flock prevalence of sheep welfare indicators. Results. A total of 427 sheep were evaluated across farms. The most prevalent welfare problems identified were hoof overgrowth (40.9%) and dirty fleece (32.9%), while the least prevalent were clinical mastitis (1.3%) and respiratory issues (1.2%). Farmers’ stress level was positively associated with the prevalence of clinically lame sheep and farm size. Anxiety was positively associated with the prevalence of sheep with dirty fleece, clinical lameness, and with being a female farmer. Depression was positively associated with the prevalence of hoof overgrowth. Conclusions. Findings showed that higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression among farmers were associated with the presence of animal welfare problems, larger farms, and gender.

Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA in Livestock: Antimicrobial Resistance and Genetic Lineages.

Animal production is associated with the frequent use of antimicrobial agents for growth promotion and for the prevention, treatment, and control of animal diseases, thus maintaining animal health and productivity. Staphylococcus aureus, in particular methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), can cause a variety of infections from superficial skin and soft tissue infections to life-threatening septicaemia. S. aureus represents a serious public health problem in hospital and community settings, as well as an economic and animal welfare problem. Livestock-associated MRSA (LA-MRSA) was first described associated with the sequence (ST) 398 that was grouped within the clonal complex (CC) 398. Initially, LA-MRSA strains were restricted to CC398, but over the years it has become clear that its diversity is much greater and that it is constantly changing, a trend increasingly associated with multidrug resistance. Therefore, in this review, we aimed to describe the main clonal lineages associated with different production animals, such as swine, cattle, rabbits, and poultry, as well as verify the multidrug resistance associated with each animal species and clonal lineage. Overall, S. aureus ST398 still remains the most common clone among livestock and was reported in rabbits, goats, cattle, pigs, and birds, often together with spa-type t011. Nevertheless, a wide diversity of clonal lineages was reported worldwide in livestock.

Pet Owner Perception of Ferret Boredom and Consequences for Housing, Husbandry, and Environmental Enrichment.

Boredom is a potential chronic but overlooked animal welfare problem. Caused by monotony, sub-optimal stimulation, and restrictive housing, boredom can therefore affect companion animals, particularly those traditionally caged, such as ferrets. We surveyed owners' (n = 621) perceptions of ferrets' capacity to experience boredom, behaviours they associate with it, and whether their perception of their ferrets' capacity for boredom influenced training techniques, housing, and environmental enrichment (EE). Most (93.0%) owners believed that ferrets could experience boredom, but owners who doubted that ferrets experience boredom (7.0%) provided slightly but significantly fewer EE types to their ferrets. Heat map and classification tree analysis showed that owners identified scratching at enclosure walls (n = 420) and excessive sleeping (n = 312) as distinctive behavioural indicators of ferret boredom. Repetitive pacing (n = 381), yawning (n = 191), and resting with eyes open (n = 171) were also suggested to indicate ferret boredom, but these overlapped with other states. Finally, ferret owners suggested social housing, tactile interaction with humans, and exploration as most important for preventing boredom. These results suggest that pet ferrets are at risk of reduced welfare from owners who doubt they can experience boredom, highlighting an opportunity to improve welfare through information dissemination. We recommend further investigation into ferret boredom capacity, behavioural indicators, and mitigation strategies.

The relationship between common data-based indicators and the welfare of Swiss dairy herds.

The assessment of dairy cow welfare has become increasingly important in recent years. Welfare assessments that use animal-based indicators, which are considered the most direct indicators, are time consuming and therefore not feasible for assessments on a large number of farms. One approach to reducing this effort is the use of data-based indicators (DBIs) calculated from routine herd data. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between common DBIs and the welfare of 35 dairy herds to evaluate the feasibility of a data-based welfare prediction method. For this purpose, the WelfareQuality® (WQ) protocol was used to assess the welfare of dairy cows on 35 Swiss farms, for each of which 10 commonly used DBIs were calculated from herd data. Spearman's rank correlations were used to investigate the relationship between DBIs and WQ criteria and measurements. The study found only a few statistically weak associations between DBIs and animal welfare, with no associations for measurements or criteria of resting comfort and appropriate behavior. Thus, the multidimensional welfare definition is insufficiently covered, and the present publication does not support the approach of a purely data-based prediction of dairy welfare status at the farm level. Instead, the regular calculation of DBIs that are indicative of isolated animal welfare problems or metrics of animal health could allow monitoring of these specific areas of animal welfare.

Lessons learned for animal health governance from bovine viral diarrhea eradication schemes in Scotland and Ireland.

This paper explores lessons learned for animal health governance from bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) eradication schemes in Scotland and Ireland, drawing on qualitative key stakeholder interviews. Bovine viral diarrhea is an endemic cattle disease that causes animal health and welfare problems, as well as financial losses to farmers. Initial voluntary industry-led schemes to eradicate BVD were introduced in both countries in the 2010s, followed by compulsory phases involving legislation. The paper uses a theoretical framework of co-productive governance to analyze stakeholder views on how well the design and execution of the eradication schemes worked and what can be learned to inform future directions of animal health governance. The term “co-productive governance” comes from the field of environmental governance and was developed to describe how science and politics influence each other in a context where governance is carried out by multiple actors working collaboratively. The results of key stakeholder interviews are analyzed using the concepts of vision, context, knowledge, and process. In relation to vision, the results show the importance of creating a clear narrative about the goal of disease eradication schemes, which may incorporate or replace existing vet or farmer “narratives” about a disease. With regard to context, it is difficult to engage all actors in biosecurity governance, when initiatives are developed with the legacy of existing relationships and tensions. In relation to knowledge, the results showed the importance but political complexity of basing decisions on scientific research. One of the lessons learned was the benefit of involving industry stakeholders in setting scientific questions to inform the design of the scheme. Additionally, with reference to the process, while interviewees were enthusiastic about future prospects for industry and government working together to achieve biosecurity goals co-productive governance is not a panacea for enrolling all actors in biosecurity goals. The results also highlighted that farmers and other actors might object to an eradication scheme, whether it is run by government or private industry. Thus, it is useful to keep questions about who benefits in what way from biosecurity governance open.

Slaughter of pregnant cows in the municipal abbattoir of Pijijiapan, Chiapas, Mexico

Objective: To quantify the percentage of breeding heifers slaughtered and the stage of gestation of the product, in the municipal slaughterhouse of Pijijiapan, Chiapas. Approximation: A large number of breeding heifers are sent to the slaughterhouse due to various factors such as the few gestations diagnostic tests that are carried out in the field, as well as erroneous diagnoses. Another cause is the dry season, in which the forage capacity is reduced, and the producer must dispose of animals in his productive unit, including breeding heifers, thus decreasing the population of the cattle herd. This situation can be considered as an animal welfare problem. Methodology: The total number of cattle slaughtered in four months was recorded, as well as the number of females and it was recorded whether they were pregnant or not and the gestation period of the calf. Results: Cattle individuals (428) were slaughtered, of which 399 were females (93.22%) and 29 males (6.78%). Of the females, 211 (53%) were pregnant, 39.81% in the first third of gestation, 27.48% in the second and 32.22% in the third. Limitations: It is necessary to increase the period of the study and not only in this municipality, but also to implement similar research it in other slaughterhouses in Chiapas, in order to understand this problem better

Productive performance, perching behavior, keel bone and other health aspects in dual-purpose compared to conventional laying hens

Several alternatives to avoid killing male day-old chicks are available. One of these alternatives is to keep dual-purpose chicken strains. The aim of this study was to compare dual-purpose hens (Lohmann Dual, LD) with conventional laying hens (Lohmann Tradition, LT) in terms of performance, animal welfare parameters such as keel bone state and foot pad dermatitis, and perching behavior. We expected a generally equal or even better performance of the dual-purpose hens except for laying performance. Four hundred female day-old chicks were housed in 6 pens (3 pens per strain) and reared until 54 wk of age. Each pen offered a littered area, elevated slatted manure pit, elevated wooden frame with perches or grids and nest boxes on the manure pit. The wooden frame was alternately equipped with perches or grids. The elevated manure pit as well as the elevated structure was accessible via ramp. Productive performance parameters like mortality, total number of eggs and body weight were assessed periodically. In week 49, 132 hens (66 hens per strain) were randomly selected for radiography of the keel bone and assessment of plumage and foot pad state. Perching behavior was analyzed via scan sampling during rearing and laying period, respectively. Statistical analyzes were done with Linear Mixed Effect Model and General Linear Mixed Model. LD had a higher radiographic density than LT hens (P = 0.0016), other keel bone parameters (fracture score, P = 0.36; deformation, P = 0.83) showed no differences. The vast majority of fractures occurring in both strains were located in the caudal part of the keel bone. During the laying period, usage of elevated structures was higher with grids compared to perches (P < 0.001) and in LD compared to LT (P = 0.01). Some animal welfare problems were less frequent in LD compared to LT hens while other problems did not differ between the 2 strains or were even more frequent in LD hens. Grids may be more suitable as resting area than perches and may possibly help to decrease the prevalence of keel bone damage.