Husbandry Procedures Research Articles

Friend or foe? Early life adversity to improve farmed animal welfare

Early life experiences can have lasting impacts on an animal’s development. Extensive research evidence aligns across both human and non-human rodent and primate laboratory animals showing negative impacts of early life adversity such as impairments in neurological and behavioural development. Farmed animals experience a range of adversities across their production lifetimes, often early in life, including species atypical social groupings, invasive husbandry procedures, and transport. Correspondingly, farmed animals also demonstrate a wide range of impairments such as stereotypic, injurious, and other abnormal behaviours. An individual, however, needs to experience adversity to be able to develop resilience and coping mechanisms that facilitate dealing with challenges later in life. Not all individuals will experience stress vulnerability following adversity, with some individuals instead developing stress resilience. This mini review collates evidence on the positive effects of early life adversity on improving adaptability in farmed species, both terrestrial and aquatic. While evidence across farmed animal species is currently much less than for humans, laboratory rodents or non-human primates, similar patterns emerge where mild adversity early in life, can improve the adaptability of the animal in the face of future stressors. Many views of optimised welfare posit that farmed animals should be housed in as natural environments as possible to limit many of the typical adversities they face. However, strategic mild exposure to early life adversity may facilitate improved animal welfare under intensive commercial farming conditions. Future research into this area could provide management tools to better predict and promote stress resilience over stress vulnerability.

PSVII-27 Nasal surface temperature variation before, during and after routine interventions

Abstract Routine practices such as teeth clipping (TEE), tail docking (TAI) and ear tagging (TAG) can be considered controversial due to the potential pain or stress they might cause. This study sought to evaluate how nasal surface temperature changes before, during and after each of these procedures (TEE, TAI, TAG) as performed routinely on a commercial farm. A total of 116 crossbred piglets (Landrace x Large white x Duroc Danish) from multiparous sows were used. As litters were processed, thermographic images were taken using a high-resolution handheld infrared camera FLIR T650sc (640 x 480 pixels; FLIR Systems, Wilsonville, OR) at a uniform distance of 1 m on the left side of the face. All thermal images were collected between 0900 and 1600 h. To assess procedures separately, a recovery period (12 ± 2.5 min) was allowed between procedures. Due to order differences in which procedures were implemented, the following study groups were created (procedures in brackets indicate the procedures performed prior to the procedure being assessed): TEE, (TEE+) TAI, (TEE+TAI+) TAG, TAI, (TAI+) TEE, (TAI+TEE+) TAG, TAG, (TAG+) TEE, (TAG+TEE+) TAI. Temperature values were recorded from images using FLIR Tools software 6.0 (FLIR Systems). GraphPad Prism 10.0.2 (San Diego, CA) statistical software was used to analyze the obtained data. All data were analyzed via a linear mixed model for repeated measures and Multiple comparisons were calculated using a post-hoc Tukey test (GraphPad Prism 10.0.2). There were no significant differences in Nasal surface temperature among groups at any time points (Table 1, P > 0.05). However, there was a significant reduction in temperature from before the procedure(s) to during and after the procedures in the TAG (P = 0.006) and the (TEE+) TAG (P < 0.001) groups. Changes in the surface temperature of piglets can be related to the sympathetic activity and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation during the perception of a stressor, which causes a sympathetically mediated acute vasomotor response that shifts cutaneous capillary blood flow due to transient peripheral vasoconstriction. Infrared thermography recognizes such blood flow changes as a reduction in the amount of heat radiated from the skin. Indeed, the nasal surface temperature was reduced in TAG and (TEE+) TAG piglets during and after the procedure(s) which suggests these procedure groups caused a greater degree of thermal change to the piglets. Furthermore, the results suggest that infrared thermography could be a useful tool to assess the impact of routine husbandry practices on piglet welfare. Nonetheless, further research should assess infrared thermography alongside behavioral and physiological assessments to establish the relationship between surface temperature and stress during husbandry procedures.

Behavioral Training in First-Generation Long-Tailed Macaques (Macaca fascicularis) for Improved Husbandry and Veterinary Procedures.

Owing to their similarities to humans in various aspects, non-human primates (NHPs) serve as valuable translational models that has greatly contributed to scientific advancements. However, working with untrained NHPs can cause stress and increase the risk of injuries to both animals and care staff, compromising both animal welfare and occupational safety. Behavioral training, that benefits from animals' learning abilities to gain their cooperation during husbandry and veterinary procedures, is a well-established method to mitigate these risks. Cynomolgus monkeys, in particular, are known for being despotic, fearful, and challenging to train. Moreover, our first-generation breeders were wild-sourced from human-macaque conflict areas in Thailand. These macaque populations are accustomed with human contact; hence, their prior experience can either work for or against behavioral shaping plans. Establishing a training program with realistic expectations would benefit both the animals and trainers. In this study, six cynomolgus monkeys were selected based on temperament, then underwent a pilot training program that included basic husbandry and veterinary procedures. Over 256 training sessions with gradual shaping plans, all six monkeys went through all training steps, with progress varying considerably among individuals. Cortisol levels were measured to monitor stress responses, revealing a notable sex difference: female monkeys generally complied more easily with the trainer but exhibited a stronger cortisol increase compared to males. This study proposed a behavioral training program grounded in three essential components: temperament assessment, behavioral shaping plans, and the cortisol-based criteria for evaluating training success.

Pain Relief Interventions in Australian Livestock Husbandry: A Review of Animal Welfare and Pain Duration.

In veterinary medicine and livestock production, ensuring good animal husbandry is vital for the physical and emotional wellbeing of animals under our care. Pain poses challenges for assessment and mitigation, especially in species unable to express pain overtly. This review examines current pain mitigation interventions in routine husbandry, focuses on the duration of pain after procedures and implications for animal welfare. Pain behaviours have been observed for days or weeks after regular husbandry procedures, and many studies have noted pain-related behaviour persisting until study finalisation, suggesting potential undocumented pain beyond study completion. Current products registered in Australia for pain mitigation in livestock primarily target immediate pain associated with procedures. The future of pain relief in livestock demands longer-acting solutions to address post-procedural pain adequately. Providing pain relief for at least 72 h post surgery is recommended, but current products require retreatment intervals to achieve this, posing practical challenges, especially in livestock. Methods of pain relief provision, such as voluntary consumption of medicated feed, transdermal medication delivery and long-acting formulations offer potential solutions for prolonged pain relief, with research ongoing in these areas. There is a need for further research and development of longer-acting pain relief to ensure optimal welfare of livestock.

Choice-based severity scale (CSS): assessing the relative severity of procedures from a laboratory animal's perspective.

One primary goal of laboratory animal welfare science is to provide a comprehensive severity assessment of the experimental and husbandry procedures or conditions these animals experience. The severity, or degree of suffering, of these conditions experienced by animals are typically scored based on anthropocentric assumptions. We propose to (a) assess an animal's subjective experience of condition severity, and (b) not only rank but scale different conditions in relation to one another using choice-based preference testing. The Choice-based Severity Scale (CSS) utilizes animals' relative preferences for different conditions, which are compared by how much reward is needed to outweigh the perceived severity of a given condition. Thus, this animal-centric approach provides a common scale for condition severity based on the animal's perspective. To assess and test the CSS concept, we offered three opportunistically selected male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) choices between two conditions: performing a cognitive task in a typical neuroscience laboratory setup (laboratory condition) versus the monkey's home environment (cage condition). Our data show a shift in one individual's preference for the cage condition to the laboratory condition when we changed the type of reward provided in the task. Two additional monkeys strongly preferred the cage condition over the laboratory condition, irrespective of reward amount and type. We tested the CSS concept further by showing that monkeys' choices between tasks varying in trial duration can be influenced by the amount of reward provided. Altogether, the CSS concept is built upon laboratory animals' subjective experiences and has the potential to de-anthropomorphize severity assessments, refine experimental protocols, and provide a common framework to assess animal welfare across different domains.

Effectiveness of the garlic (Allium sativum) juice on removing the Pacific abalone postlarvae (Haliotis discus hannai) and subsequent growth evaluation

The Pacific abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) is widely cultivated in East Asian countries. Aquaculture of this species has become a thriving industry in China, with adequate seed production being a key contributing factor. However, maintaining sufficient diatom abundance during the nursery phase remains challenging. In this study, we assessed a transfer nursery culture method that involves prolonged cultivation with a sufficient diatom supply. This method involved treating postlarvae on diatom-depleted plates with a garlic juice (GJ) solution to facilitate detachment, followed by transfer to newly diatom-precoated plates for further growth in the nursery. We investigated the effects of garlic juice concentration (GJC) and animal size on detachment and mortality rates using a two-factor design. Our negative binomial regression analysis uncovered significant impacts of both factors and their interactions on the target traits. We noticed that the optimal GJC for smaller groups of abalone postlarvae (2.2 ± 1.0 mm) was 0.7 %, while for larger groups (3.8 ± 2.2 mm), it increased to 1.0 %. Notably, suitable GJC concentrations during post-treatment recovery resulted in no apparent mortality in Pacific abalone postlarvae. Our study demonstrated the effectiveness of the transfer nursery method, showing an improvement of over ∼1.1 mm in shell length and a 43.1 % increase in survival during a 30-day experiment. Our study presents a significant advancement, as it likely introduces the first reported method of large-scale postlarval removal of H. discus hannai for prolonged nursery periods with sufficient diatom provision. The integration of GJ treatment and the transfer nursery method exhibited promising results, highlighting the benefits of its application for enhancing husbandry procedures, nursery management, and the overall industrial productivity of Pacific abalone.

Pain Assessment in Cattle during Castration Using Facial Expressions as a Promising Tool

Abstract Pain is a significant welfare issue in farm animals including cattle, impacting their wellbeing and normal behaviors. The frequent occurrence of pain in cattle is due to husbandry procedures, injuries, and diseases. Cattle, as a prey species, avoid expressing pain which makes pain identification a challenging issue. Rapid pain recognition is crucial to its effective treatment. Several pain assessment tools have been developed, and some of them rely on observing alterations in animal behaviors such as activity, locomotion, feeding, play, and grooming. Moreover, changes in physiological parameters including blood biomarkers and heart rate have been used as indicators of pain. Furthermore, grimace scales, which rely on evaluating facial expressions of animals, have been developed and proven to be accurate pain assessment tool in multiple species. To reliably identify pain in cattle, it is preferred to employ a combination of diagnostic methods, as no single approach can stand alone in assessing pain accurately. Mitigation strategies become imperative when pain is anticipated during husbandry procedures such as castration. Prompt application of treatment strategies is paramount to avoid transition of acute to chronic pain which is hard to be treated. Information © The Author 2024

Training Laboratory Rabbits to Refine Routine Husbandry Procedures.

Non-aversive handling and training techniques for laboratory animals are required to facilitate experimental and routine husbandry procedures, improving both animal welfare and scientific quality. Clicker training was utilized to develop training protocols for rabbits to refine stressful routine husbandry procedures usually associated with lifting (i.e., being picked up from the floor)/restraining (i.e., being held in the arms of a human) them. Thirteen female New Zealand White rabbits were trained over three weeks. All rabbits learned the predefined goal behaviors: they followed the target stick, jumped onto the weighing scale, entered a transport box, and reared while placing their front paws onto the trainer's hand. In addition, ten animals jumped from the floor onto the sitting trainer's lap and allowed the trainer to lift their paws off the surface while sitting on the trainer's lap. For some individuals, the protocols had to be adapted by additional interim steps. At the end of the training, the rabbits reliably showed the expected goal behaviors, even after short and long training breaks. With few exceptions, a familiar person other than the trainer could elicit the goal behaviors from the rabbits (generalization), though further sessions were required for generalization. In the voluntary approach test, the rabbits preferred interacting with the trainer in the 1st trial but spent as much time with an unfamiliar person as with the trainer in the 2nd trial. The behavioral observations suggested that picking the rabbits up with the transport box, as described in the protocol, instead of restraining them with the scruff of their neck and lifting them on the arm, was less aversive. All in all, the training protocols were feasible and can serve as a refinement strategy in laboratory animal facilities. In the interest of animal welfare, the training protocols should be applied wherever possible.

Group structure and individual relationships of sanctuary-living Grauer's gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri).

The study of individual social relationships and group structure provides insights into a species' natural history and can inform management decisions for animals living in human care. The Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education (GRACE) center provides permanent sanctuary for a group of 14 Grauer's gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri), a critically endangered and poorly studied subspecies of the genus gorilla, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We monitored the association patterns of the gorillas at GRACE over eight months and here describe their individual relationships and group structure via multiple social network statistics. The group was highly connected but associations between individuals were weak on average. Social network metrics describe that an adult female was the most gregarious and socially central individual within the group. In fact, adult females were the most gregarious and socially central on average. Group level association patterns were significantly correlated over the study period and across observation types, suggesting the group was socially stable during the eight month study period. The data collected in this study were done so by GRACE caregivers as part of their daily husbandry routine and provided important insights into this group's behavior, ultimately informing on their care, welfare and future release considerations. The methodological approaches implemented here are easily scalable to any primate sanctuary or care facility seeking to use data to inform husbandry and management procedures. Lastly, our study is the first social network analysis to be conducted on Grauer's gorillas and provides tentative insights into the behavior of this poorly studied subspecies. Though more research is needed to evaluate if the findings here are reflective of this subspecies' natural history or the idiosyncrasies of the group.

Comparison of Tricaine Methanesulfonate (MS-222) and Alfaxalone Anesthesia in Zebrafish (Danio rerio).

The research use of zebrafish has risen exponentially over the past decade while anesthetic options have remained largely unchanged.6 ricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222) is widely accepted as an anesthetic for routine husbandry procedures, however it has limitations and safety concerns. 11 A greater variety of effective anesthetic options for surgical procedures would be advantageous for the research community. Adult zebrafish were randomly assigned to one of the following groups (n = 10, 5 males and 5 females): 200 mg/L MS-222; 6-, 10-, 13-, and 16-mg/L alfaxalone, and control. All zebrafish in the MS-222 group reached a surgical plane of anesthesia within 95 ± 32 s. By contrast, only 2 of 10, 1 of 10, 0 of 10, and 0 of 4 of the 6, 10, 13, and 16 mg/L alfaxalone groups, respectively, reached a surgical plane of anesthesia within the allotted 10-min period. Recovery time was also significantly slower in the alfaxalone groups as compared with MS-222, with some fish taking greater than 10 min to recover. In addition, 33 of 34 zebrafish (the 16 mg/L group was not completed due to safety concerns) in the alfaxalone groups lost opercular movements for greater than one minute during their anesthetic event and had to be removed to the recovery tank. The results demonstrated that alfaxalone was unable to provide a reliable and safe surgical plane of anesthesia at any of the drug doses tested. Therefore, we recommend alfaxalone not be used as an anesthetic for painful procedures on zebrafish and conclude that MS-222 remains a more viable anesthetic for immersion anesthesia in zebrafish.

Pain Assessment in Goat Kids: Focus on Disbudding.

Farm animals are routinely subjected to painful husbandry procedures for various purposes. Goat kids are disbudded to improve goat welfare and to ensure safety of other livestock, farm personnel, attending veterinarians and for various other production and managemental procedures. Disbudding is commonly performed on dairy goat farms, in kids under 3 weeks of age. Many scientific studies reported physiological and behavioural changes indicating pain and distress following disbudding, and this can be a significant cause of welfare compromise in goat kids. Recognition and measurement of pain is important to treat and/or manage pain and distress following painful procedures. This review focuses on pain assessment in goat kids following disbudding, using both physiological and behavioural measures. As only a limited information is available on the topic of interest, relevant studies in other young farm animals have also been discussed to compare the status quo in goat kids.

Survey of current UK alpaca husbandry practices: Vaccination, treatment and supplementation.

The popularity of alpacas in the UK is increasing, with the British Alpaca Society (BAS) estimating that there are currently 45,000 registered alpacas and a further 15,000 unregistered alpacas. This research set about to investigate what husbandry procedures are currently undertaken on alpacas in the UK. An online survey of 47 questions was created using Jisc and was available for 4.5 months. All 116 holdings implemented shearing and foot trimming (100.0%), and most vaccinated against clostridial disease (95.7%) and supplemented with vitamin D (91.4%). There was no obvious pattern in vitamin D dosing. A significant positive association was found between the size of the holding and whether injectable or oral vitamin D was used (p = 0.034), with smaller holdings preferring oral vitamin D products. The survey was distributed online, including via theBAS e-Newsletter. The percentage of BAS-registered alpacas was not clarified, so it is unknown if the data are skewed by this. Although owners are ensuring that routine interventions are implemented, variation in responses implies there is no current standard protocol. This highlights that these differences may be due to logistical choices, training or varied advice, which may be due to the lack of published literature.

Relationship between wool cortisol, wool quality indices of Australian Merino rams and climatic variables in Tasmania

IntroductionAustralia is the world’s largest producer and exporter of fine wool. External factors (i.e., non-genetic) that affect wool phenotype need to be identified and managed to minimize any negative effects on wool quality. Climatic stress is one external event that can affect wool phenotype, other stressors include shearing, nutrition, disease, pregnancy, and lambing. This study focuses on the relationship between Saxon Merino ram wool phenotype and wool cortisol. The hypotheses had two parts (i) wool cortisol levels would vary seasonally and variations would correlate with wool phenotype (ii) that these seasonal variations would also correlate with thermal indices.MethodsCortisol levels in Saxon Merino ram wool samples were determined using a cortisol enzyme-immunoassay (EIA) using polyclonal cortisol antibody. The wool cortisol results were correlated for significance with thermal indices including Temperature Humidity Index [THI] and Chill Index [CI] obtained from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.ResultsPart 1 of hypothesis one was supported with wool cortisol showing significant seasonal variation. Part 2 of hypothesis 1 was not supported, with no statistically significant causality present between total wool cortisol levels and the price index of Saxon Merino ram wool. However, there was significant causality between wool cortisol and coarse edge measurement (CEM) of wool. Hypothesis 2, the proposal that thermal indices would impact on wool cortisol was also not supported.DiscussionIt can be concluded that although conclusive causality between total wool cortisol and wool phenotype quality could not be ascertained, there were indirect effects of cortisol levels on wool phenotypes with significant effects on the CEM. The CEM of Merino Saxon ram wool can be manipulated by assessing and managing cortisol levels during the growth cycles of Merino wool, through appropriate nutrition and husbandry procedures stress could be managed.

Pharmacokinetics of meloxicam in pre-ruminant calves after intravenous, oral, and subcutaneous administration.

Meloxicam is routinely used for pain alleviation in pre-ruminant calves during husbandry procedures. The pharmacokinetics of a single dose (0.5 mg/kg) of meloxicam was investigated after intravenous (IV), subcutaneous (SC), and oral (PO) administration in 30 pre-ruminant calves. Each group included 10 calves. Oral meloxicam was administered at least 1 h after feeding. Plasma samples were collected for up to 168 h, and the meloxicam concentration was analysed with liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, followed by a noncompartmental pharmacokinetic analysis. The maximum meloxicam concentrations in plasma were 1.91 ± 0.27 μg/mL and 1.77 ± 0.16 μg/mL after SC and PO routes, respectively. The time of maximum concentration was 7.6 ± 2.8 h after SC and 10.0 ± 5.7 h after PO administration. The approximate bioavailability of meloxicam was 97% for SC and PO routes. The elimination half-lives were 79.2 ± 12.4, 84.6 ± 24.8, and 84.8 ± 22.3 h after IV, SC, and PO routes, respectively. The results suggest that the therapeutic meloxicam concentrations in plasma that are required for pain relief in other species, such as horses, may be maintained for several days following a single dose (0.5 mg/kg) administered IV, SC, or PO in calves.

Determination of the bone tissue mechanical properties by a numerical-digital method using CT data

Modeling of elements of inhomogeneous media is an actual direction in the study of composite materials and biomechanics objects. The need for research is determined by the insufficient development of methods for describing mechanical parameters, taking into account the anisotropy of materials. In this case, one of the directions is the use of digital prototyping and numerical modeling methods. In the field of biomechanics, the applicability of approaches to numerical modeling based on image data correlates with cases of clinical practice, which is due to the peculiarities of non-destructive testing methods and allows obtaining results that affect the quality of treatment. The paper considers a method for restoring effective mechanical properties of a material based on computational and field experiments. The simulation was based on the finite element method and assumed the use of data from a digital prototype obtained by computed tomography. The restoration of the calculated area was performed by filtering the initial grid relative to the proportion of the content of the material. The presented method makes it possible to restore the effective values of the elastic modulus and tangential modules based on the relationship established within the framework of the approach between the mechanical properties of the material and the loading parameters of the model sample. In the course of the work, the bone organs of pigs were modeled. Animal husbandry and experimental procedures were carried out in compliance with bioethical norms. Physical tests and numerical modeling were carried out under the conditions of bending action. Validation of the obtained distribution of values of the stress-strain state was performed according to the data of full-scale experiments. The presented solution showed a weak dependence of the results (less than 1 %) relative to the degree of discretization of the computational domain, which made it possible to perform calculations using fewer finite elements, avoiding the use of resource-intensive methods to restore the geometry of the sample. The results obtained in the framework of the work correspond to the literature data and determine the true values, the use of which in calculations makes it possible to assess the strength of the elements of an inhomogeneous structure under the action of external loads, taking into account the spatial distribution of the material.

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) distinguish between two human caretakers and their associated roles within a captive environment

Zebrafish have become a popular biomedical model in recent decades, and are now maintained in laboratories worldwide. However, living within a captive environment can introduce novel environmental stressors and experiencing stress chronically can negatively affect animal welfare and, if applicable, how study results are interpreted. One method to potentially alleviate stress within captive environments is to introduce signaled predictability, i.e., conditioning captive populations to anticipate a future event by associating a visual or audio cue with the impending stimulus. A low-cost and easily accessible cue could be the caretakers themselves. Previous research has shown that archerfish can associate and distinguish between pictures of human faces, not human beings themselves. Therefore, it remains to be seen if fish, such as zebrafish can distinguish between two human caretakers, associated with different husbandry tasks. For this study, zebrafish were exposed to a caretaker who fed the fish only and a caretaker who chased the fish with a net, i.e., associated with an acute stressor. Caretaker duties were counterbalanced across two isolated laboratory shelving racks. Before performing tasks, the caretaker presented their face to all 10 fish tanks and then recorded the number of fish in the feeding area immediately. It was found that presentation of the stressor-caretaker did not significantly affect the number of fish within the feeding area, however, presentation of the caretaker associated with feeding led to a significant increase in the number of fish in the feeding area. By the end of the experiment, fish were more likely to be found in this area following the feeding-associated caretaker presentation, compared to the stressor-associated caretaker. These results suggest that zebrafish are capable of distinguishing between two human caretakers by learning to associate specific humans with husbandry procedures, particularly feeding. However, it is unclear exactly what visual cues, e.g., caretaker mannerisms, were utilized as caretaker faces were not isolated for presentation. Further research is needed to assess the repeatability of these results, as this research is novel, especially with respect to captive fish welfare.

Cooperative Care Does Not Scare – Use of Cooperative Care Training in Routine Husbandry in Dogs

Abstract Empowering animals with choice, which increases predictability and control during husbandry procedures, has the potential to increase their well-being and the safety of the handler. This case study will consider differences in dogs’ clinical signs indicating stress during nail clipping when done with or without choice and control. Dogs were in two independent groups based on owner’s current husbandry routine – group 1, where the dogs had been trained with choice and were not restrained during nail clipping and group 2, where the dogs were restrained during nail clipping. Group 2 showed more stress signals. These findings suggest that offering choice and control to a dog during husbandry procedures will most likely lower the clinical sign of stress, possibly having a beneficial impact on their own and their handler’s welfare. Information © The Authors 2023

Limited holding space reduces growth and behavioural performance in juvenile European lobsters

Conservation aquaculture offers important tools to secure sustainable animal supplies for human use. However, intensive aquaculture practices are increasingly raising concerns about the welfare conditions of farmed animals, which typically face high mortality rates due to diseases, cannibalism, and aggression. Here we focus on the European lobster (Homarus gammarus), an economically and ecologically important decapod species that has been subjected to conservation programs for decades. While standard husbandry procedures typically result into large numbers of juvenile lobsters produced and released, it remains poorly known whether such standard settings alter the development of behavioural and life-history traits of ecological importance for the animals to survive in the wild. Here, we investigate whether the size of the individual holding spaces affects the behavioural traits (exploration, space use, and sheltering) and growth (carapace length, intermoult period, and percentage moult increment) of juvenile lobsters during their early benthic stages. Our results offer solid evidence that rearing lobsters into small holding spaces not only limits and slows down their overall growth, but also compromises the development of ecologically-relevant behaviours that are essentials for these animals to survive in a complex and risky environment. We point the attention toward the benefits of adopting better rearing procedures to improve the welfare conditions of hatchery-cultured lobsters that can, in turn, result into faster growth rates and the development of competent behavioural repertoires of these valuable organisms—likely to improve the effectiveness of conservation programs.

Arterial oxygenation and acid-base status before and during oxygen supplementation in captive European bison (Bison bonasus) immobilized with etorphine-acepromazine-xylazine.

Chemical immobilization of captive European bison (Bison bonasus) is often required for veterinary care, transportation, or husbandry practices playing an important role in conservation breeding and reintroduction of the species. We evaluated the efficiency and physiological effects of an etorphine-acepromazine-xylazine combination with supplemental oxygen in 39 captive European bison. Animals were darted with a combination of 1.4 mg of etorphine, 4.5 mg of acepromazine, and 20 mg of xylazine per 100 kg based on estimated body mass. Arterial blood was sampled on average 20 min after recumbency and again 19 min later and analyzed immediately with a portable i-STAT analyzer. Simultaneously, heart rate, respiratory rate, and rectal temperature were recorded. Intranasal oxygen was started after the first sampling at a flow rate of 10 mL.kg-1.min-1 of estimated body mass until the end of the procedure. The initial mean partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) was 49.7 mmHg with 32 out of 35 sampled bison presenting with hypoxemia. We observed decreased respiratory rates and pH and mild hypercapnia consistent with a mild respiratory acidosis. After oxygen supplementation hypoxemia was resolved in 21 out of 32 bison, but respiratory acidosis was accentuated. Bison immobilized with a lower initial drug dose required supplementary injections during the procedure. We observed that lower mean rectal temperatures during the immobilization event were significantly associated with longer recovery times. For three bison, minor regurgitation was documented. No mortality or morbidity related to the immobilizations were reported for at least 2 months following the procedure. Based on our findings, we recommend a dose of 0.015 mg.kg-1 etorphine, 0.049 mg.kg-1 acepromazine, and 0.22 mg.kg-1 xylazine. This dose reduced the need for supplemental injections to obtain a sufficient level of immobilization for routine management and husbandry procedures in captive European bison. Nevertheless, this drug combination is associated with development of marked hypoxemia, mild respiratory acidosis, and a small risk of regurgitation. Oxygen supplementation is strongly recommended when using this protocol.

Application of the Five Domains model to food chain management of animal welfare: opportunities and constraints

For businesses involved in animal production, ensuring high animal welfare standards has become the cornerstone of corporate social responsibility practices. Since animal welfare cannot be verified by consumers at the point of purchase, industry-led audits provide important assurance that animals used to produce food lived an acceptable quality of life and experienced a humane death. The Five Freedoms offer a simple tool to conceptualize the complex, multi-dimensional concept of animal welfare, and they have been widely adopted as a basic operational framework for compliance. However, the Five Freedoms are problematic in that they focus on the absence of negative welfare states, underemphasize the importance of positive experiences, are absolute, and represent a (mostly unattainable) ideal. The Five Domains model represents inter-related aspects of an animal’s welfare state, with four physical/functional domains used to infer likely mental experiences in the fifth domain. This model allows for consideration of both positive and negative affective experiences, recognizes degrees of welfare compromise, acknowledges that animals cannot be free from all negative experiences (and that indeed, some are essential for survival). Thus, the model better reflects current scientific understanding of animal welfare and – that ultimately, we are interested in how animals experience their lives. Nevertheless, caution is needed when inferring mental states, which can never be directly observed or measured, and hence the ultimate outcomes of the model’s application should be qualitative. Operationalization of the Five Domains offers several opportunities to improve the breadth and quality of welfare audits for production animals. The model can incorporate both resource/management- based and animal-based measures of welfare; the former reflect risks to animals’ welfare while the latter often provide direct information on the animal’s welfare state at the time of assessment. Existing welfare indicators may be linked to relevant mental states and evaluated accordingly, and new metrics may be scientifically identified. Importantly, the Five Domains structure demands scrutiny of the affective state consequences to animals of housing, handling, and husbandry procedures, and could improve the effectiveness of animal welfare training for auditors and stockpersons. Adoption of the Five Domains framework could facilitate improved communication about animal welfare in the food chain with customers and consumers.