Protection Of Farm Animals Research Articles

Exploring public support for farmed animal welfare policy and advocacy across 23 countries

Farmed animal policy and advocacy efforts both attempt to generate and depend upon public support. However, relatively little is known about the factors that predict support for animal protection legislation and advocacy across the globe. We analyse data from a large international survey (23 countries, n = 20,966) alongside other data sources on animal advocacy to investigate knowledge of factory farming, the connection between attitudes towards animals and the strength of animal protection legislation, attitudes towards animals based on their food status in different countries, and the connection between personal support for policy, animal advocacy, civic activism, and animal advocacy organisations. We found that higher support for animal welfare is associated with stronger farm animal protection legislation across countries and that concerns about specific animals can vary depending on cultural and religious factors. Contrary to study hypotheses, we did not find greater support for advocacy in countries with more advocacy organisations, suggesting important opportunities to pursue advocacy in relatively neglected regions. Results are interpreted in terms of how farmed animal advocates can take advantage of and potentially generate support for animal welfare throughout the world.

Legal Problems of Improving Legislation on the Protection of Farm Animals

The article discusses some problems of legal regulation of the protection of farm animals, argues for the need to finalize the current legislation in terms of fixing legal norms in terms of humane treatment of this category of animals, justifies the need to take into account the best international experience in the field of humane treatment of animals. There is currently no single legislative act in the Russian Federation that would protect and support the rights of all animal species, including agricultural ones, to live satisfying their needs and experiencing minimal suffering. Recently, the changes taking place in the legislative regulation of relations in the field of humane treatment of animals have become more noticeable, which is expressed in the reform of this sphere of relations and the desire to bring it closer to the best world experience. However, to date, in Russia, no regulatory legal act has established rules that ensure humane conditions for keeping and slaughtering farm animals. The Federal Law "On Responsible Treatment of Animals" adopted in 2018 excluded farm animals from its scope, therefore, gaps in the legislative regulation.

Legal Problems of Improving Legislation on the Protection of Farm Animals

The article discusses some problems of legal regulation of the protection of farm animals, argues for the need to finalize the current legislation in terms of fixing legal norms in terms of humane treatment of this category of animals, justifies the need to take into account the best international experience in the field of humane treatment of animals. There is currently no single legislative act in the Russian Federation that would protect and support the rights of all animal species, including agricultural ones, to live satisfying their needs and experiencing minimal suffering. Recently, the changes taking place in the legislative regulation of relations in the field of humane treatment of animals have become more noticeable, which is expressed in the reform of this sphere of relations and the desire to bring it closer to the best world experience. However, to date, in Russia, no regulatory legal act has established rules that ensure humane conditions for keeping and slaughtering farm animals. The Federal Law "On Responsible Treatment of Animals" adopted in 2018 excluded farm animals from its scope, therefore, gaps in the legislative regulation.

Development of an Innovative Method for Combating Blood-Sucking Diptera insects

This article describes an innovative method for regulating populations of blood-sucking Diptera that parasitize cows. This relates to the field of agriculture, namely to the means of protecting farm animals from insect bites, and can be used to protect farm animals from ectoparasites during the period of their grazing. To produce these products, the polymer was treated with an impregnating solution containing pyrethroid (2-26% by weight of the untreated polymer product), an inhibitor of arthropod detoxification enzyme systems (0.5-20.0%), a lubricant (0.1-3.0%) and an aliphatic ketone (5-90%). The method was simple in execution, and the insecticidal acaricidal polymer products obtained according to the method had a long shelf life of at least seven months. The products were resistant to environmental influences and did not lead to environmental pollution with excess active substances.
 Keywords: Ear tags, s-fenvalerate, piperonyl butoxide, Diptera

Animal welfare official inspections: farmers and inspectors shared concerns

Official inspections to check the compliance of farms with European legislation to protect farm animals are often perceived negatively by farmers. In addition, the inspections have a limited effect on improving farm compliance. We looked at the perceptions of both farmers and their inspectors about animal welfare and the inspections in a case study of dairy production in France. The identification of gaps and commonalities between both parties should help us to propose improvements in the inspection method by which inspections could more likely encourage compliance with animal welfare legislation. To achieve this aim, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 22 dairy farmers and their 19 inspectors. Both farmers and inspectors described animal welfare in terms of the state of the animal and of the living conditions and care provided to them. The majority of farmers found that the official checklist used by the inspectors is inappropriate to assess the welfare of their animals; inspectors themselves reported that they often use their own criteria and indicators (often based on the observation of animals) in addition to the official checklist. Both groups disagreed with some requirements of the legislation. These findings suggest that the content and background of the legislation to protect animals should be made clearer to both farmers and inspectors and that these two groups of actors should be involved in the definition of key points to be checked on farms, with special attention to animal-based indicators. All this could improve farmers' engagement with the results of the inspections and, hopefully, could lead to better compliance with legislation and improvements in animal welfare on farms.

Protection of farm animals with an insecticidal trap for the extermination of horseflies

Protection of farm animals with an insecticidal trap for the extermination of horseflies

Analysis of methods of protection of farm animals against midges (review)

One of the urgent tasks for the successful development of animal husbandry in the country is the elimination of the harm caused by blood-sucking diptera insects - hematophages and carriers of pathogens of a number of diseases dangerous to humans and animals, and the development of comprehensive measures to protect animals from them. In summertime the negative impact renders midges which consist of 4 families of blood-sucking insects - gadflies (Tabanidae), mosquitoes (Culicidae), midges (Simuliidae) and wood lice (Ceratopogonidae), and their almost universal distribution is very closely connected with existence nearby of swamps, marshy lowlands, various reservoirs and the rivers. Animals lose about 120-150 ml of blood during the periods of mass attacks - significantly affects the healthy state of the organism, the general resistance decreases, there is a risk of development of diseases of various etiology. Animals lose average daily weight gain, in particular it is noticeable in young animals. Gnat bites has irritant effect on the skin, until the formation of allergic dermatitis caused by saliva toxicity (after massive bites of midges simulidotoxicosis can develop). The insects of the gnats complex are carriers of pathogens of dangerous infectious and invasive diseases: anthrax, tularemia, necrobacteriosis, encephalitis, Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus, infectious anemia of horses, bluetongue, West Nile fever, Schmallenberg virus, leptospirosis, malaria, onchocerciasis, dirofilariasis. These factors add up to the overall economic damage, when during the summer period livestock farms receive less than 20-45% of meat products and 25-40% of dairy products. Thus, the direction of the fight against the vulture has economic feasibility for most countries of the world with developed agriculture, the veterinary need for quality products and is an urgent topic for conducting cost-effective production that can fully satisfy the needs of the population.

The effectiveness of phytobiotic additives in the diet of sheep

The introduction of natural phytobiotic drugs in the diet of farm animals for the purpose of partial or complete replacement of feed antibiotics is relevant for domestic livestock. The workers of the agricultural sector have the following task: the transition to highly productive and environmentally friendly agro farm and water farm, development and introduction of systems of rational use of chemical and biological protection of farm animals. Therefore, the topic of this study on the use of environmentally friendly phytobiotic feed additives in the diet of sheep is of scientific and practical interest. The purpose of study is development and evaluation of the impact of a new environmentally safe herbal remedies based on the collection of extracts of leuzea carthamoides and Echinacea purpurea on the complex of economic traits of sheep. The collection of extracts of Leuzea carthamoides and Echinacea purpurea contains a significant amount of vitamins, phytoncides, chlorophyll, proteins, fats, inulin, glucose, essential and fatty oils, phenol carboxylic acids, betaine, resins, enzymes, macro - (potassium, calcium), trace elements (selenium, cobalt, silver, zinc, manganese, molybdenum) and other nutrients, and may serve as a valuable addition to the diet of sheep. The experiments on ewes and lambs of the edilbaevskaya breed show that phytobiotic additives included into the diet had a positive effect on the physiological status, productive qualities of ewes. Lambs’ bodies weight was increased as well as resistance to disease and the safety of livestock population.

The border between species with and without feelings

Animal protection makes only sense when animal suffering and welfare exist. Suffering and welfare require the existence of feelings in a species. The question “Which species possess feelings?” is, therefore, important. Scientists draw the line between species with and without feelings at different places in the animal kingdom. Reasons for laymen to assume or discard the existence of feelings in different species are considered. It is mentioned that science is fundamentally unable to draw this line. (A view often attacked under the influence of psychology that belongs to the humanities). It is also mentioned that science is able to make the presence of feelings in an animal species more, or less, convincing. The views of the different scientists are discussed. It is argued why, in my opinion, all animal species possess feelings. Although not all scientists share this view, many scientists are of opinion that at least farm animals possess feelings. Laypeople who are not influenced by economic or other interests mostly do not question this opinion. The protection of farm animals is justified to avoid suffering in case these farm animals possess feelings.

Hashtag hijacking and crowdsourcing transparency: social media affordances and the governance of farm animal protection

The post-war Western world has seen a gradual shift from government to governance, a process that also concerned the issues related to agro-food sustainability, such as food quality, environmental impact, social justice, and farm animal welfare. Scholars believe that social media are a new site that reconfigures relations between various actors involved in the governance of these problems. However, empirical research on this matter remains scarce. This paper fills this gap by examining the case of Februdairy, a Twitter hashtag campaign to promote the British dairy industry, hijacked by animal protection activists. For this case, I employ the relational perspective on technology affordances—as operationalised by Faraj and Azad (in: Leonard et al. (eds), Materiality and organizing. Social interaction in a technological world, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2012)—to highlight two distinct strategic modes of embracement of social media functionalities by the opposing groups: hashtag hijacking and crowdsourcing transparency. The analysis reveals also that a pre-existing social structure of the agro-food system conditions reconfiguration of social relations by technology in a way that actually strengthens the tendency to govern the issue of farm animal protection with market mechanisms.

Market-Based Governance in Farm Animal Welfare-A Comparative Analysis of Public and Private Policies in Germany and France.

Simple SummaryFarm animal welfare policies are in transition: whereas agricultural policy is traditionally characterised by strong state steering, market actors are getting involved in this field. This study aims to improve understanding of these dynamics in the field of farm animal welfare. By conducting a comparative case study of public and private farm animal welfare policies in Germany and France, the findings illustrate how retailers are assuming a leading role in the field. By introducing animal welfare labels and purchasing guidelines, retailers react to rising societal concerns for the welfare of farmed animals. Governmental actors, conversely, are exercising restraint and engage in voluntary rather than regulatory policies. Contrary to the traditionally strong role of the state in agricultural policy, the contribution indicates a shift towards market-based governance in the field of farm animal welfare.The intensification of livestock production and the focus on economic gains of agricultural policy have resulted in animal welfare related challenges. In many countries the societal concern for the welfare of farmed animals is increasing. Whereas policymakers on the European Union’s level and in EU member states have passed specific farm animal protection laws, the existing policies do not always guarantee the welfare of farmed animals. At the same time, the engagement of market actors in the field is increasing. This article explores the development of public and private policies in two countries with very different levels of regulation. By conducting a comparative analysis of public and private policies in Germany and France, the findings illustrate that, although they have different starting points, retailers in both countries are getting increasingly involved in farm animal welfare. In addition, there is evidence that governmental policies are shifting from regulatory to voluntary approaches in cooperation with the private sector. Given that in both countries these dynamics are a very recent development, it remains to be seen whether governmental actors will (re-)assume the lead in the field, whether they will engage in cooperation with private actors, or whether they will leave the task of agricultural restructuring to the market.

Consumer evaluation of intra-sustainable trade-offs in pig production – A mixed-method approach to analyze different consumer segments

ABSTRACT In the ongoing public debate about livestock production systems and especially for pig production, natural living conditions, including sufficient space for each individual animal, outdoor access and litter bedding are the most discussed public issues. In contrast, many consumers are very price sensitive and additionally demand products to have high food safety and high quality. Thus, trade-offs arise for farmers, policymakers and all actors in the supply chain. Up to now, it is widely unknown how people react and deal with intra-sustainable trade-offs in conventional pig farming systems. Typical trade-offs occur, for example, when using farrowing crates for sows, or outdoor access for slaughter pigs. Against a background of little knowledge, a mixed-method approach was used. First, ten qualitative in-depth interviews with German citizens were conducted. There followed an online survey with 1,298 German citizens. Realistic pictures and texts (formulated in cooperation with farmer associations and association for the protection of farm animals) were used to provide the participants with information about trade-offs (farrowing crate and outdoor access). Participants were confronted with trade-offs regarding farrowing crate and outdoor access and were asked to evaluate the systems. Using a cluster analysis, four clusters (“Unsure,” “Vague decision makers”, “Animal welfare supporters,” and “Animal and environmental protectionists”) were identified to characterize consumers´ evaluation of the trade-offs. The findings of this exploratory multi-method approach show that the given information about the farrowing crate did not lead to more acceptance. Furthermore, the presented negative aspects about outdoor access did not change its positive image. This could be useful for policymakers and all actors in the pig supply chain.

Nutritional impact of inclusion of garlic (Allium sativum) and/or onion (Allium cepa L.) powder in laying hens\u2019 diets on their performance, egg quality, and some blood constituents

BackgroundMany studies mentioned that using medicinal herbs and plants as feed additives to ruminants seems to be a recent trend depending on the availability and their cost but using them with monogastric animals and birds, as pharmaceutical tool, is available. As an example, the importance of garlic or onion in recent years, thanks to a wide range of useful properties, has been increasingly used as an additive in nutrition and protection of farm animals. Their action was manifested in a reduced expanding range of pathogenic microorganisms in the digestive tract, which resulted in the rapid growth of poultry, efficient digestion, and increased immunity and health of poultry.MethodsOne hundred and eight 30-week-old laying hens were randomly divided into six dietary treatment groups {G1 control, G2 contained 0.5% garlic powder (GP), G3 contained 1% GP, G4 contained 1% onion powder (OP), G5 contained 1% OP + 0.5% GP, and G6 contained 1% OP + 1% GP}. Each group included 18 hens in six replicates (3 birds/each). So, this work carried out to investigate the impact of incorporating garlic powder (GP) and/or onion powder (OP) in laying hens’ diets on their performance, egg quality, and some blood constituents.ResultsIncorporating GP, OP, and the mixture of them in laying hen diets had no significant effect on the average egg weight and consumption/hen/day throughout the three stages of egg collection, but had a significant improvement in the number of eggs/hen, percentage of egg production, egg mass/hen, and feed conversion. Inclusion of GP, OP, or the mixture of them in laying hen diets had no significant effect on the shape index, Haugh unit, albumin, and shell percentages; also, an insignificant increase for shell thickness was observed, but egg weight increases (P < 0.05). Incorporation of GP, OP, and the mixture of them significantly decreased (P < 0.05) total cholesterol concentration. Also, an inclusion of 0.5% GP, 1% GP, and 1% OP + 1% GP decreased (P < 0.05) high-density lipoprotein. Inclusion of only 1% OP + 1% GP (G6) decreased (P < 0.05) glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase; meanwhile, supplementation of 1% OP, 1% OP + 0.5% GP, or 1% OP + 1% GP increased (P < 0.05) creatinine.ConclusionFrom the results obtained and under conditions suitable for this study, it can be mentioned that the incorporation of garlic or onion powder or the mixture of them can be safely used with improvement in the general health of hens, egg weight, and feed conversion and decrease in the blood cholesterol.

Farm animal protection policymaking and the law: The impetus for change

This article explores problems underpinning standard-setting for the protection of farm animals in Australia which have provoked calls for change and considers the approach recently advocated by the Productivity Commission.

Implementation of the European legislation to protect farm animals: a case study on French inspections to find solutions to improve compliance

AbstractIn the European Union, at least 1% of farms are inspected every year and sanctions are applied to those that do not comply with the legislation on animal welfare. These on-farm inspections can result in measures to correct welfare problems detected. They can also highlight major risks that will require a focus of efforts and help prevent further non-compliances. Here, we analysed the reports from inspections of French cattle farms between 2010 and 2013 to check whether inspection stimulates improvement and to propose ways to improve how animal welfare legislation is implemented through the cross-compliance system. French inspectors use 32 items to assess overall compliance of farms inspected. We found that compliance improves on farms that are re-inspected but not in other farms (8% of severely non-compliant farms). Nine items do not influence the overall assessment whereas eight have a huge impact. The importance attributed to items varies from the first to the second visit to a farm. The major risks are absence of farm records, lack of basic care (practices or enclosures likely to harm animals, insufficient feeding) and inadequate skills (no veterinarian consulted, insufficient qualified staff). To improve compliance with EU animal welfare legislation and the efficiency of the inspection system, we suggest organising consultation between inspectors, ministry central services and welfare experts to: (i) refine the checklist and harmonise interpretations of item compliance; (ii) make sure all farmers are aware of the legislative requirements and the major risks of non-compliance; and (iii) define plans for a step-wise improvement of non-compliant farms.

A Decade of Progress toward Ending the Intensive Confinement of Farm Animals in the United States.

Simple SummaryOver the past ten years, unprecedented changes in the way farm animals are kept on intensive production facilities have begun to take hold in the U.S. veal, egg and pork industries. Propelled by growing public support for animal welfare, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has successfully led the effort to transition farms from using restrictive cages and crates to more open aviary and group housing systems that offer the animals far more freedom to express natural behavior. This paper describes the background history of the movement, the strategy and approach of the campaign and the challenges that were overcome to enable this major shift in farming practices. The events chronicled are set within the context of the larger societal concern for animals and the important contributions of other animal protection organizations.In this paper, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) farm animal protection work over the preceding decade is described from the perspective of the organization. Prior to 2002, there were few legal protections for animals on the farm, and in 2005, a new campaign at the HSUS began to advance state ballot initiatives throughout the country, with a decisive advancement in California (Proposition 2) that paved the way for further progress. Combining legislative work with undercover farm and slaughterhouse investigations, litigation and corporate engagement, the HSUS and fellow animal protection organizations have made substantial progress in transitioning the veal, pork and egg industries away from intensive confinement systems that keep the animals in cages and crates. Investigations have become an important tool for demonstrating widespread inhumane practices, building public support and convincing the retail sector to publish meaningful animal welfare policies. While federal legislation protecting animals on the farm stalled, there has been steady state-by-state progress, and this is complemented by major brands such as McDonald’s and Walmart pledging to purchase only from suppliers using cage-free and crate-free animal housing systems. The evolution of societal expectations regarding animals has helped propel the recent wave of progress and may also be driven, in part, by the work of animal protection organizations.

A multi-population survey on swine feeding behavior with electronic feeding devices

Abstract. In this study, we used electronic feeding station observations of pigs to investigate their growth performance and feeding behavior. These pigs were raised in Xinda Livestock Company Ltd. in Henan, China, and followed the Chinese directive for the protection of farm animals. Electronic feeding stations are often used in pig breeding and for identifying loci associated with feed consumption. Moreover, they can also provide much valuable information on pig behavior that could be directly used to improve production efficiency. This study involves three different pig population feeding-intake data from 383 Yorkshire, 243 Landrace and 197 Duroc breeds to investigate their growth performance and feeding behavior. Similar patterns of growth performance (slow–fast–slow) were observed in the three breeds, while the Duroc have a slightly faster average growth rate throughout the whole test period. Study of the number of visits to the feeding station over 24 h detected two peaks of feeding intake activity at 08:00–09:00 and 14:00–15:00. During these two peak feeding times, lower feed intake and less occupation time were observed, implicating fiercer competition at these time periods. The effective intake time for Duroc, Landrace and Yorkshire populations was 19, 16 and 19 min, respectively, suggesting that the ultimate feed intake time for each individual can be set up to 20 min for each visit. Studies on the ADFI (average daily feed intake) showed a significant difference (P value = 0.000009) between seasons and consistent patterns for these three breeds. The present study provides a detailed survey on pig feed intake behaviors across different populations and feeding seasons.

Policing Farm Animal Welfare in Federated Nations: The Problem of Dual Federalism in Canada and the USA.

Simple SummaryIn any federation of states, societal oversight of farm animal welfare (agriculture policy arena, prevention) is more difficult to achieve than providing punishment of individuals abusing of companion animals (post injury). The constitutional division of powers and historical policy related to animal agriculture and non-government organization policing cruelty of companion animals may be entrenched. With changing societal expectations of agriculture production, each level of government may hesitate to take the lead, due to financial or ideological beliefs and simultaneously, obstruct the other government level from taking the lead, based on constitutional grounds. The tradition of private policing of companion animal abuse offences may be unworkable in the provision of protection for animals used in industrial production.In recent European animal welfare statutes, human actions injurious to animals are new “offences” articulated as an injury to societal norms in addition to property damage. A crime is foremost a violation of a community moral standard. Violating a societal norm puts society out of balance and justice is served when that balance is returned. Criminal law normally requires the presence of mens rea, or evil intent, a particular state of mind; however, dereliction of duties towards animals (or children) is usually described as being of varying levels of negligence but, rarely can be so egregious that it constitutes criminal societal injury. In instrumental justice, the “public goods” delivered by criminal law are commonly classified as retribution, incapacitation and general deterrence. Prevention is a small, if present, outcome of criminal justice. Quazi-criminal law intends to establish certain expected (moral) standards of human behavior where by statute, the obligations of one party to another are clearly articulated as strict liability. Although largely moral in nature, this class of laws focuses on achieving compliance, thereby resulting in prevention. For example, protecting the environment from degradation is a benefit to society; punishing non-compliance, as is the application of criminal law, will not prevent the injury. This paper will provide evidence that the integrated meat complex of Canada and the USA is not in a good position to make changes to implement a credible farm animal protection system.

State Legislators’ Roll-Call Votes on Farm Animal Protection Bills: The Agricultural Connection

AbstractNonhuman animal studies scholars have extensively investigated attitudes on animal welfare in general and farm animal welfare in particular. Thus far, this research has focused mainly on public opinion, but there has been minimal research seeking to explain the influences on actual policymakers when they vote on farm animal welfare legislation. This paper contributes to this literature by quantitatively analyzing 216 state legislators’ votes on two farm animal welfare bills. It hypothesizes that the representatives’ personal and representational connections with agriculture best explain their votes on these farm animal protection bills. This research also includes three control variables: each legislator’s gender, race/ethnicity, and political party. Logistic regression revealed that the legislators’ personal and representational connections with agriculture are significant, but political party is the strongest independent variable explaining state legislators’ farm animal welfare votes. An interaction model revealed mixed evidence that political party moderates the influence of agriculture.

Animal welfare in reared rabbits: a review with emphasis on housing systems.

Research on rabbit welfare has been fragmentary and to date has been performed by only a few European teams who have often neglected the productive and commercial aims of rabbit rearing. With European Project COST Action 848 (Multi-facetted research in rabbits: a model to develop healthy and safe production in respect with animal welfare), rabbit welfare began to be considered in European research projects with the focus mainly on ethology, welfare evaluation methods, doe-litter relationships, man-animal relationships, and reproducing and fattening housing systems. As regards legislation, since 1996 the Standing Committee for the protection of animals kept for farming purposes established in the European Council by the Convention on the Protection of farm animals (ETS 87/1976) has been preparing specific recommendations to ensure improved welfare of domestic rabbits kept for commercial purposes, which should provide the basis for future European and national regulations. European Commission asked the European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA) for its opinion on The impact of the current housing and husbandry systems on the health and welfare of farmed domestic rabbits. present paper provides a critical review of the existing literature on rabbit welfare with special emphasis on housing conditions.