Welfare Assessment Tool Research Articles

Quality of Life within Horse Welfare Assessment Tools: Informing Decisions for Chronically Ill and Geriatric Horses.

Simple SummaryEquine Quality of Life is an important concern in decision making in veterinary medicine and is especially relevant for chronically ill or aged horses when euthanasia is considered. To our knowledge, there is no assessment tool for chronically ill or aged horses that assesses equine Quality of Life defined as the horse’s evaluation of their life. However, tools exist to assess equine welfare in different contexts. Therefore, this study aimed to analyse how equine welfare, Quality of Life, well-being and happiness assessment tools define and attempt to measure these concepts. We discuss the tools’ suitability to assess equine Quality of Life in the context of end-of-life decisions for chronically ill or aged horses. Fourteen publications were found via a systematic literature search, describing ten equine welfare assessment tools and one approach to assessing equine Quality of Life in veterinary practice. Some of these welfare assessment tools have the potential to inform the development of a Quality-of-Life assessment tool supporting well-considered decision making towards the end of horses’ lives if they are adjusted to focus on the horses’ experiences, to provide an overall grade of Quality of Life and are tailored to chronically ill or geriatric horses.Equine Quality of Life (QoL) is an important concern in decision making in veterinary medicine and is especially relevant for chronically ill or geriatric horses towards the end of their lives. To our knowledge, there is no currently available QoL assessment tool for chronically ill or geriatric horses that assesses equine QoL defined as the horse’s evaluation of their life. However, tools exist to assess equine welfare in different contexts. Hence, the aims of this study were to analyse how equine welfare, QoL, well-being and happiness assessment tools label, define and operationalise the concepts and to discuss the tools’ suitability to assess equine QoL in the context of end-of-life decisions for chronically ill or geriatric horses. Fourteen articles were found through a systematic literature search, describing ten equine welfare assessment tools and one approach to integrating equine QoL in veterinary practice that suggests QoL assessment parameters. We discuss that some welfare assessment tools have the potential to support the development of a QoL assessment tool informing decisions towards the end of horses’ lives if they are adjusted to focus on the horses’ experiences, to provide an integration into an overall QoL grade and are tailored to chronically ill or geriatric horses.

Canine-Assisted Interventions and the Relevance of Welfare Assessments for Human Health, and Transmission of Zoonosis: A Literature Review.

CAIs (canine-assisted interventions) include “canine-assisted therapy” in which a therapist sets client-oriented goals, 'canine-assisted activities' with recreational goals for clients, and 'canine-assisted education/learning' in which teachers or coaches create learning goals for students or clients. CAIs vary in nearly every way; their only common trait is the involvement of dogs to respond to human need. However, the benefits of involving dogs are highly dependent on the animal's health and behavior. A dog exhibiting negative behavior or an unwell dog might pose a risk, especially for CAI target groups, specifically individuals with immunosuppression, chronic illness, children, elderly, etc. Therefore, positive animal welfare as preventative medicine to avoid incidents or transmission of zoonosis is an attractive hypothesis, with implications for human and animal, health and well-being. This review aims to summarize the current published knowledge regarding different aspects of welfare in CAIs and to discuss their relevance in the light of health and safety in CAI participants. As method for this study, a literature search was conducted (2001–2022) using the Prisma method, describing issues of dog welfare as defined in the Welfare Quality® approach. This welfare assessment tool includes 4 categories related to behavior, health, management, and environment; it was, therefore, applicable to CAIs. Results indicate that dogs working in CAIs are required to cope with diverse variables that can jeopardize their welfare. In conclusion, we propose regular welfare assessments for dogs in CAIs, which would also protect the quality of the CAI sessions and the clients' safety and well-being.

Development of a welfare assessment protocol for practical application in Argentine feedlots

The intensification of livestock farming has led to the expansion of feedlots in many countries and Argentina is not an exception. As in any other husbandry context, there is a need to objectively adopt an evidence-based approach to monitoring animal welfare in feedlots. This research aimed to describe the stages that took part in the development process of Bienest.AR, a beef cattle evaluation protocol adapted to the different conditions of the national feedlots, respecting validity, reliability, and feasibility criteria. The process to achieve this goal included the following seven stages: 1- Identification of welfare indicators considering animal- (ABM), resource- (RBM) and management-based measurements (MBM), by organising them according to the FAWC Five Freedoms, the Five Domains Model, and the welfare principles and criteria applied by Welfare Quality® and AWIN methods; 2- Validation of Gold Standards; 3- Evaluator’s training and first reliability testing by Spearman's Rank correlation coefficient; 4- Selection of indicators through focus groups; 5- Field application on 25 farms; 6- Feasibility and second reliability testing by Kendall Correlation Coefficient; and 7- Weighing of indicators and defining the classification method. Of the 150 candidate measurements initially obtained from the literature review, 57 were pre-selected and 28 were finally selected based on their validity, reliability and practicality to integrate the final protocol (18 ABM, 8 RBM and 2 MBM). In addition, the final protocol included information about: preliminary interview; sampling order; estimated evaluation time; sample size; equipment required; and steps to follow from arrival at the farm until completion of the evaluation. The protocol was applied in 25 feedlots and 54,238 animals, and required a minimum time of 290 min to a maximum of 495 min to be completed. Statistically significant (p < 0.05) concordance among the observers was found for all the selected ABM analysed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Given the simplicity for its evaluation, the reliability of RBM and MBM included in this protocol has not been evaluated. This research allowed the development of the first standard welfare assessment protocol for beef cattle feedlots in Argentina. Further applications of the described welfare assessment tool in many feedlots will reinforce the validation of the proposed measurements and allow the diagnosis of the global situation of animal welfare in feedlots in Argentina and other countries applying comparable fattening systems.

Animal Welfare Assessment in 16 Zoos in South Korea Using the Modified Animal Welfare Assessment Grid.

Various assessment tools that have been proposed thus far have disadvantages in that they are complex, time-consuming, non-objective, and not convenient for assessing multiple zoos. This study aimed to develop a simple, objective, and reliable welfare assessment tool, the modified Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG), that can be applied in South Korea, where there is no licensing system for zoos. The AWAG has four main sections: physical, psychological, environmental, and procedural. These four sections include 23 welfare factors like general conditions, behaviors, housing, and restraints, for which each individual or group of animals is given a score. The modified AWAG system was applied by converting the 10-point rating scale of the original AWAG to a 6-point Likert scale. Sixteen zoos in Korea were selected based on the zoos with the most animals. Three inspectors assessed the scores of each animal and then averaged the results. The total data surveyed included 16,065 items. Zoos were largely classified into four grades based on the size of the zoo, animal species, and operating organization. In a relatively short period of 14 days, all the zoos were successfully assessed. Despite the shortened and modified assessment tool, the inter-rater reliability among inspectors was 0.942 with high objectivity. The modified AWAG could identify welfare differences between grades of Korean zoos. There were large differences between zoos in most environmental sections and some zoos were evaluated as having inadequate welfare levels. The modified AWAG showed high usability and objectivity. In addition, it was possible to determine which environmental or procedural sections could potentially help improve physical and psychological scores. The modified AWAG is an objective method that could set the direction for the improvement of zoo welfare in the future.

A fast technique to induce and measure anticipatory behavior in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

ABSTRACT Anticipatory behavior describes the actions taken to prepare for an upcoming event. It is considered a promising tool for welfare assessment, but it is not fully applied in zoos and other facilities. This is probably due to the need to train animals, which can take a long time and make its use impractical. In this work, we tested, on a group of six dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), the effectiveness of a new technique to induce and measure anticipatory behavior without training animals. Our results show how this new methodology, which we called The Fast Technique (TFT), has been able to induce and measure anticipatory behavior toward the event studied, i.e., the play sessions with objects (PSO). Furthermore, it has produced the same result obtained with The Classical Technique (TCT), which requires a training phase. Therefore, our finding demonstrates the efficacy of a new technique that could facilitate the use of anticipatory behavior for both research and animal welfare assessment protocols.

Welfare Assessment Tools in Zoos: From Theory to Practice.

Zoos are increasingly implementing formalized animal welfare assessment programs to allow monitoring of welfare over time, as well as to aid in resource prioritization. These programs tend to rely on assessment tools that incorporate resource-based and observational animal-focused measures. A narrative review of the literature was conducted to bring together recent studies examining welfare assessment methods in zoo animals. A summary of these methods is provided, with advantages and limitations of the approaches presented. We then highlight practical considerations with respect to implementation of these tools into practice, for example scoring schemes, weighting of criteria, and innate animal factors for consideration. It is concluded that there would be value in standardizing guidelines for development of welfare assessment tools since zoo accreditation bodies rarely prescribe these. There is also a need to develop taxon or species-specific assessment tools to complement more generic processes and more directly inform welfare management.

Salivary Cortisol Reaction Norms in Zoo-Housed Great Apes: Diurnal Slopes and Intercepts as Indicators of Stress Response Quality.

Simple SummaryChanges in cortisol fluctuations are used for stress monitoring. Methodologically, this is straight forward, because sample collection is simple and analytical methods advanced, but since cortisol is primarily a hormone that facilitates energy allocation, the interpretation of these measures is often complex. Acute elevations in cortisol levels are not per se bad, but may constitute an adaptive coping mechanism. Likewise, low cortisol levels do not always indicate the absence of a stressor. To distinguish between stress response qualities, a more fine-grained analyses of cortisol fluctuations is warranted. Cortisol excretion follows a diurnal pattern with high levels in the morning, decreasing throughout the day. Two regression coefficients describe this curve: the intercept (the constant with which levels change throughout the day) and the slope (curve steepness and direction). We assessed salivary cortisol intercepts and slopes in zoo-housed apes on routine days, enrichment days, and in the new ape house. While cortisol excretion increased on enrichment days, the daily decline of cortisol levels was not affected. The move to the new house seemingly was a major stressor as cortisol levels increased slightly and the circadian cortisol decrease was impaired. The combination of intercept and slope measures can differentiate between stress responses, thereby constituting a useful tool for stress monitoring.Monitoring changes in cortisol levels is a widespread tool for measuring individuals’ stress responses. However, an acute increase in cortisol levels does not necessarily denote an individual in distress, as increases in cortisol can be elicited by all factors that signal the need to mobilize energy. Nor are low levels of cortisol indicative for a relaxed, healthy individual. Therefore, a more fine-grained description of cortisol patterns is warranted in order to distinguish between cortisol fluctuations associated with different stress response qualities. In most species, cortisol shows a distinct diurnal pattern. Using a reaction norm approach, cortisol levels across the day can be described by the two regression coefficients: the intercept and the slope of the curve. We measured immunoreactive salivary cortisol in three zoo-housed ape species under three conditions (routine days, enrichment days, and after the move to a new house). We examined salivary cortisol intercepts (SCI) and salivary cortisol slopes (SCS) of the diurnal curves. SCI and SCS were independent from each other. SCI was highest on enrichment days and lowest on routine days. SCS was steep on routine days and blunted after the move. Only SCI was species-specific. Our study provides evidence that combining SCI and SCS measures allows us to differentiate between types of stress responses, thereby constituting a useful tool for welfare assessment.

Investigating Welfare Metrics for Snakes at the Saint Louis Zoo.

Simple SummaryBehavioral and physiological measures can be used in tandem to evaluate the impacts of animal care on snake welfare in zoological institutions. Herein, we evaluated the impacts of disturbance in the form of changing the newspaper, or ground covering, in animal habitats on seven snakes. Increased paper changes resulted in increased glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations, but did not result in increased behaviors associated with arousal (tongue flick, exposure, locomotion). These results demonstrate the need to further investigate the behavioral and physiological responses of snakes to different aspects of animal care at a species level. Furthermore, baseline behavioral and physiological data are needed to make identifying deviations from normal levels useful in welfare assessments.Modern herpetoculture has seen a rise in welfare-related habitat modifications, although ethologically-informed enclosure design and evidence-based husbandry are lacking. The diversity that exists within snakes complicates standardizing snake welfare assessment tools and evaluation techniques. Utilizing behavioral indicators in conjunction with physiological measures, such as fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations, could aid in the validation of evidence-based metrics for evaluating snake welfare. We increased habitat cleaning, to identify behavioral or physiological indicators that might indicate heightened arousal in snakes as a response to the disturbance. While glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations increased significantly during a period of increased disturbance, this increase was not associated with a significant increase in tongue-flicking, a behavior previously associated with arousal in snakes. Locomotion behavior and the proportion of time spent exposed were also not affected by more frequent habitat cleaning. These results demonstrate the need to further investigate the behavioral and physiological responses of snakes to different aspects of animal care at a species and individual level. They also highlight the need to collect baseline behavioral and physiological data for animals, in order to make meaningful comparisons when evaluating changes in animal care.

Smart Farming: A Review of Animal-Based Measuring Technologies for Broiler Welfare Assessment

Abstract The growing world population has increased the demand for meat production and has led to a rapid growth in the scale of broiler enterprises globally. Poultry producers need to implement several changes in their production systems to supply the increasing demand for poultry products while considering farming sustainability and ensuring high standards of animal welfare. The recent advancement in technology and engineering tools and materials, such as advanced sensors and sensing devices, data processing, and machine learning methods, provides effective tools for the broiler industry to monitor broiler welfare indicators. This review paper will (a) explain smart broiler farming, (b) describe on-farm broiler welfare assessment, and (c) explore on-farm applications of smart technologies that can be used as animal-based welfare assessment tools.

New insights into ridden horse behaviour, horse welfare and horse-related safety

Ridden horse behaviour problems are common and likely contribute to the dangers of horse riding. Emerging evidence suggests ridden horse behaviour problems likely signal poor welfare, however the relationships between ridden horse behaviour, horse welfare and rider safety, are yet to be fully elucidated. This study seeks to address this gap. Modern conceptualisations of animal welfare integrate physical wellbeing and affective state while recognising the dynamic nature of welfare status. Reflecting the latest understanding of animal welfare, the recently updated Five Domains Model emphasises the welfare consequences of husbandry and training practices. However, horse welfare assessment tools generally do not directly measure the ridden aspects of a horse’s life. A survey was developed encompassing both husbandry and ridden behaviour to incorporate this expanded understanding of horse welfare. Underpinned by the Five Domains Model and existing welfare assessment tools, easily identified aspects of husbandry, health and horse behaviour were selected as animal-based welfare indicators. A relative horse welfare score was calculated based on riders’ responses to each indicator. Additionally, riders reported their riding accidents and injuries incidences. Relative horse welfare scores were compared to ridden horse behaviour and rider accidents and injuries. Of the 427 participants, 94.4% were female, mean age was 44.3 years (SD 13.9), 49% were intermediate riders, 81% belonged to an equestrian organisation. The median relative welfare score was 71.0 (IQR 10.0) and 59% of horses performed one or more ridden hyperreactive behaviour in the previous seven days. Relative welfare score and rider accidents and injuries were significantly negatively correlated (r = -0.37, p < 0.001). Rider accidents and injuries were significantly postively correlated with ridden hyperreactive behaviour occurrence (r = 0.34, p < 0.001). Limitations included convenience sample and retrospective, self-report methodology. Despite this, the results consistently supported the hypothesis that horses with better welfare perform fewer hyperreactive behaviours and their riders have fewer accidents and injuries. Furthermore, the self-report nature of this study demonstrates it is possible to develop tools for riders that are sensitive enough to detect changes in their horse’s welfare that may predict danger in the saddle. Equipping riders with such a tool could raise their awareness of the welfare impacts (positive and negative) of their horse care and training practices. Increased salience of horse welfare coupled with the recognition that horse welfare and human safety are connected, may encourage the adoption of practices that enhance the welfare of horses and likewise, their riders.

Assessing North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis) Welfare

Welfare assessments have been largely successful in improving management and quality of life for animals in human care. This has prompted an increased interest in their use for free-ranging wild animals to assess health, environment, and human-induced impacts that influence policy decisions. The North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW, Eubalaena glacialis) is one of the most endangered whale species. NARWs constantly face serious injuries and mortalities due to human activities, which poses both a species conservation and an individual welfare concern. Establishing a standardized welfare assessment for the NARW is a holistic way to understand the cumulative effects of anthropogenic activities at both the individual and population levels. To investigate the potential use of welfare assessments in NARWs, we performed a brief literature review to explore the history and utility of animal welfare assessments. Following the review, we developed a welfare assessment tool specific to the NARW. The goal is for biologists to apply this tool to understand NARW welfare in conjunction with research in the field. Ultimately, the information gained from this review can aid in public dissemination of the results of human impacts on NARW welfare and may help influence future conservation policies.

Addressing the overrepresentation of Black children in Ontario's child welfare system: insights from child welfare workers and community service providers

BackgroundThe overrepresentation Black children experience in the child welfare system is well documented in the United States, but such studies are now emerging in Canada. In Ontario, there are few studies that address this issue concerning Black families. ObjectiveThis study is to explore the insights of child welfare workers and community service providers on how to potentially address Black children's overrepresentation in Ontario's child welfare system. Participants and settingTwenty-one child welfare workers from two child welfare organizations in Ontario that serves many Black families and thirteen community service providers in Toronto participated in the study. MethodsSix focus groups were conducted with thirty-four participants. Audio recording from each of the focus groups was manually transcribed verbatim. We utilized constant comparison analysis to analyse the transcribed data. ResultsPotential solutions to overrepresentation that emerged from the focus group discussions included viewing Black families as experts of their own lives; increasing workforce diversity; educating referral sources and Black families on child welfare practices; subjecting referral sources to detailed questioning; stopping harmful record keeping on families; providing cultural sensitivity training and education; partnering with community organizations; and providing mentorship opportunities. ConclusionsThe findings from this study emphasize the need for changes related to child welfare assessment tools, workforce development, and shifts in system orientation to address systemic racism and Black children's overrepresentation in the child welfare system.

Can a facial action coding system (CatFACS) be used to determine the welfare state of cats with cerebellar hypoplasia?

The impaired motor skills of cats living with cerebellar hypoplasia (CH) suggests they would be unable to practice normal behaviour, one of the five welfare needs. This study aimed to explore the use of facial action coding system (CatFACS) as a welfare assessment tool for cats with CH. Facial expressions (action units [AUs]) were defined as neutral/positive or negative by recording healthy cats (n=89) during presumed aversive or relaxed scenarios. CH cats (n=33) were then filmed and their facial expressions compared to those of the presumed positively- and negatively-valenced healthy cats. Sixteen negative AUs were defined. CH cats performed more of these than healthy cats (p=0.023) in the relaxed scenario. There was no difference in AU expression between three levels of CH severity (mild, moderate or severe) (p=0.461). Cats perform distinct AUs when experiencing negatively-valenced arousal, the presence or absence of these AUs could be used to infer the welfare of healthy and CH cats. As there was no difference in AU expression between the three levels of CH severity, the behavioural restrictions CH imposes on cats does not necessarily indicate lower welfare and the reasons why CH cats perform more negatively associated AUs warrant further research.

A Pilot Study to Develop an Assessment Tool for Dogs Undergoing Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) in Italy. An Overview on the National Implementation of TNR Programmes.

Simple SummaryThis paper describes the development of a tool to assess the welfare of dogs recruited in trap-neuter-release (TNR) programmes and the Italian situation involving the implementation of these programmes. The TNR approach has been proposed as an alternative to long-term sheltering to control the rising population of free-roaming dogs. The protocol was developed on the basis of a shelter quality protocol (SQP). The measures included in the protocol were integrated with other welfare indicators proposed in the scientific literature. Nine Italian regions out of 20 (all from central and southern Italy) prescribe by law the implementation of TNR programmes. A varied scenario and some critical issues related to the TNR approach for the management of the dog population emerged. The findings, although preliminary, suggest that the protocol could be a useful tool for the assessment of dog welfare.A descriptive analysis, inter-observer and test–retest reliability of the animal-based measures (ABMs) included in the protocol were performed. This study aimed at the development of a welfare assessment protocol for dogs recruited in the trap-neuter-release (TNR) programmes and the description of the implantation of these programmes in Italy. Nine Italian regions carried out TNR programmes. A varied scenario, along with some critical issues, emerged. Fifty dogs were recruited and assessed simultaneously by two assessors to determine the reliability of ABMs included in the protocol. A subsample of ten dogs were assessed three times to assess test–retest reliability. All females were neutered against 36% of males. Most dogs were adults (58%) and of a large size (68%). Vaccine prophylaxis and parasitic prevention were regular in 13% and 76% of dogs, respectively. Few dogs showed lameness, evidence of pain, other clinical problems, or thermal discomfort. Overall, 82% of dogs did not show fear or aggression to unfamiliar people. The level of agreement between the two assessors was quite high, ranging from substantial (0.61–0.80) to perfect (1) for the majority of measures. This study highlighted some critical issues in TNR implementation and the suitability of the protocol as a tool for animal welfare assessment.

Developing a Reliable Welfare Assessment Tool for Captive Hibernatory Bear Species.

Simple SummaryThere are few welfare assessments that have been designed for captive zoo-housed species, including bears. Ideally, welfare assessment tools should be tested for reliability, feasibility and validity. This study assessed the reliability of a composite bear welfare assessment tool using keeper ratings. Two species of hibernating bears were assessed (brown and American black bears) across multiple zoos by multiple keepers. Keepers were asked to perform three assessments on the same bear. The welfare assessment tool was found to be reliable among multiple keepers assessing the same bears as well as each individual keeper performing multiple assessments over time. Further analysis showed good reliability, or unanimous ratings for each item within the assessment. This composite bear welfare assessment tool is a reliable and practical way for keepers to monitor the welfare of captive bears.Animal welfare assessments are essential for the identification of welfare hazards and benchmarking of welfare improvements, though welfare assessments for zoo species are lacking. Bears are commonly housed in zoos but currently no composite welfare assessment tool exists for captive bears. This study describes the development of such a tool for use across hibernating bear species. A draft tool was developed using indicators derived from the literature and a modified Delphi analysis with an international group of bear keepers. A total of 18 bear keepers from 12 zoos were recruited to trial the tool on 24 brown bears and American black bears. The participating keepers assessed their bears three times across a period of nine days. Intraclass correlation coefficients analysis was used to analyse inter-, intra-rater and item reliability. The inter- and intra-rater reliability showed good to excellent levels of agreement (>0.7, p < 0.05). Item reliability was also assessed and showed good to excellent levels of agreement (>0.75, p < 0.05). The resulting bear welfare assessment is an important step in identifying and understanding challenges to bear welfare in captivity.

Developing a novel welfare assessment tool for loose-housed laying hens – the Aviary Transect method

This study compared welfare assessment results in aviary flocks using 3 approaches: 1) A novel Aviary Transect method, 2) AssureWel, and 3) the Norwegian farm advisors’ NorWel method. The Aviary Transect time requirement, interobserver reliability, and within- and across-house sensitivity to detect welfare indicators were also evaluated. The study was conducted on 6 randomly chosen commercial white-strain layer flocks of similar age and flock size, kept in multitiered aviaries. The Aviary Transect method comprised standardized walks along each aisle while screening the whole flock for 12 welfare indicators: feather loss (FL) on head, back, breast, and tail, wounds on head, back, tail, and feet, dirty birds, enlarged crop, sick birds, and dead birds. AssureWel involved scoring FL on head and back, and dirtiness of 50 random birds, and flock-level evaluation of beak trimming, antagonistic behavior, flightiness, birds needing further care, and mortality. NorWel involved scoring 8 welfare indicators on 50 random birds: FL on head, back, breast, and tail, dirtiness, and wounds on head, back, and tail. The AssureWel detected flock differences in both minor and major FL on the back (P < 0.01) as well as somewhat dirty birds (P < 0.01). The NorWel method detected flock differences in both minor and major FL on the head (P < 0.01), back (P < 0.001), breast (P < 0.001), and tail (P < 0.001) and somewhat (score 1) dirty birds (P < 0.05). The Aviary Transect method detected flock differences in FL on head, back, breast, and tail (all P < 0.001), dirty birds (P < 0.05) and enlarged crop (P < 0.001). More birds with FL on breast, and more dirty birds, were found in wall vs. central transects (P < 0.05). There was good interobserver agreement, except for dirty birds (P < 0.01), and positive correlations (P < 0.05) were identified between the Aviary Transect method and the other sampling methods for FL on head and back, and dirtiness. The three methods took similar time to complete (about 20 min/flock). In conclusion, all 3 methods detected significant differences in welfare indicator prevalence between flocks. The new Aviary Transect method provides egg producers with an efficient and sensitive whole-flock assessment of hen welfare status in multitiered aviaries.

Qualitative Behavioral Assessment in Juvenile Farmed Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar): Potential for On-Farm Welfare Assessment.

There is a growing scientific and legislative consensus that fish are sentient, and therefore have the capacity to experience pain and suffering. The assessment of the welfare of farmed fish is challenging due to the aquatic environment and the number of animals housed together. However, with increasing global production and intensification of aquaculture comes greater impetus for developing effective tools which are suitable for the aquatic environment to assess the emotional experience and welfare of farmed fish. This study therefore aimed to investigate the use of Qualitative Behavioral Assessment (QBA), originally developed for terrestrial farmed animals, in farmed salmon and evaluate its potential for use as a welfare monitoring tool. QBA is a “whole animal” approach based on the description and quantification of the expressive qualities of an animal's dynamic style of behaving, using descriptors such as relaxed, agitated, lethargic, or confident. A list of 20 qualitative descriptors was generated by fish farmers after viewing video-footage showing behavior expressions representative of the full repertoire of salmon in this context. A separate, non-experienced group of 10 observers subsequently watched 25 video clips of farmed salmon, and scored the 20 descriptors for each clip using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). To assess intra-observer reliability each observer viewed the same 25 video clips twice, in two sessions 10 days apart, with the second clip set presented in a different order. The observers were unaware that the two sets of video clips were identical. Data were analyzed using Principal Component (PC) Analysis (correlation matrix, no rotation), revealing four dimensions that together explained 79% of the variation between video clips, with PC1 (Tense/anxious/skittish—Calm/mellow/relaxed) explaining the greatest percentage of variation (56%). PC1 was the only dimension to show acceptable inter- and intra-observer reliability, and mean PC1 scores correlated significantly to durations of slow and erratic physical movements measured for the same 25 video clips. Further refinements to the methodology may be necessary, but this study is the first to provide evidence for the potential of Qualitative Behavioral Assessment to serve as a time-efficient welfare assessment tool for juvenile salmon under farmed conditions.

A Citizen Science Trial to Assess Perception of Wild Penguin Welfare.

Wild penguins are facing increased threats to their populations and their welfare as a consequence of human activities. Understanding the perception of animal welfare is essential to identify ethical concerns related to the negative impact of anthropogenic factors on wild species and to guide conservation efforts that reflect societal values. Since penguin conservation is of general interest, we examined the human dimension of welfare assessment across a range of interest groups concerned with penguins, seabird biology and wildlife conservation. We provided participants with a Penguin Welfare Assessment Tool (PWAT) based on the five domains model. The PWAT supports consideration of the impact of four physical aspects on welfare-relevant mental states. Bibliometric analysis of keywords from 347 scientific articles indicated that penguins around the world face five main types (themes) of anthropogenic factors and we then developed five hypothetical scenarios, each related to one theme. Seventy-five participants scored the overall impact of the events described in the scenarios on penguin welfare as negative using the PWAT. Participants rated short-duration, high-intensity events (i.e., being trapped in a ghost fishing net) as having a significantly more severe impact on penguin welfare than low-intensity, long-duration events (P < 0.0001). Scores provided by participants for each domain for each scenario were largely as expected and we found good correlation (all P < 0.0001) between the physical domains and “mental state” for all scenarios, indicating that the tool was facilitating the participants' assessment of welfare. No evidence was found that experience of working or studying penguins, or indeed any other demographic factor investigated, influenced the assessments of welfare. We found little agreement between participants in the scores provided (unalike scores mostly between 0.7 and 0.8), and agreement between participants with experience of working with penguins was no better than between participants without such experience. We discuss the possibility that low agreement within different interest groups may be improved by providing more scientific information to support the evaluation of penguin welfare. We conclude that scientific knowledge of penguin biological responses to anthropogenic factors is vital to support the evaluation of wild penguin welfare by the public and other stakeholders.

Feasibility of a Sheep Welfare Assessment Tool in the Pre-export Phase of Australian Live Export Industry

Sheep are exposed to numerous stressors and environments during the pre-export phase of the live export industry. Establishing how animal behavior, health and demeanor reflect their experiences prior to sea transport is the first step toward testing the suitability and practicality of animal welfare measures. A total of 240 merino wethers originating from four farms were assessed at four locations in the live export chain: on farm, upon arrival to the registered export feedlot (Fe1), prior to departing the feedlot (Fe2) and 30 min post loading onto a live export vessel. Each of these locations and time points represent relevant assessment points as part of the commercial live export process. Pen-side behavioral and health measures were collected. Video footage was collected and edited to provide 48 30–45 s duration clips that were then scored by 12 assessors against 10 demeanor terms using a Qualitative Behavioral Assessment (QBA) methodology; data were analyzed using Principal Components (PC) analysis. Repeated Measures ANOVAs tested for variation in each dependent measure across each location and time point. There were low levels of health issues recorded overall; however, seven health and behavior measures significantly varied across the locations and time points. Most vocalizing was recorded on farm; most drinking, eating and resting behaviors were recorded at Fe1 and ruminating at Fe2; while the highest percentage of wethers with ocular discharge and lameness was on the vessel. For QBA, PC1 explained 30.5% of the variability, with agitated and nervous loaded to one end of the axis and calm and relaxed loaded to the opposing end. PC2 explained 24.5% of the variability, with interested, alert and sociable loaded to one end of the axis and lethargic loaded to the opposing end. Spearman's rank correlations between behavior, health and PC scores indicated that wethers eating, ruminating and resting were scored as more calm/relaxed, while those scored as more agitated/nervous or/ lethargic were also likely to vocalize. Determining how wethers respond to the different environments in the immediate pre-export phase of the journey informs on their welfare and the practicality of using a behavior tool to assess animal welfare.

Developing Recommendations for Cumulative Endpoints and Lifetime Use for Research Animals.

Simple SummaryThe welfare of research animals should be a top priority in any research program, and that includes their long-term welfare. Animals may be used in multiple experiments or used for training purposes, which may lead to cumulative suffering. To prevent this, humane endpoints need to be defined specifying limits on experiments, procedures, and time that animals are used for research. There are few resources available for deciding which criteria to use when making endpoint decisions. The purpose of this paper is to present results of a survey identifying laboratory animal professionals’ attitudes and institutional strategies regarding cumulative endpoints, review regulations and tools addressing cumulative welfare in research animals and provide recommendations for how to move forward addressing this issue. While institutions may have endpoint guidelines in place, many of them only cover certain species or may be informal. There is a need for more specific guidelines that allow for the diversity of experiments using animals. Welfare assessment tools could help provide objective guidance on humane endpoints for research animals. Further research on which tools are the most efficient and comprehensive would be beneficial in improving animal welfare as well as the quality of the science using research animals.Research animals are important for scientific advancement, and therefore, their long-term welfare needs to be monitored to not only minimize suffering, but to provide positive affective states and experiences. Currently, there is limited guidance in countries around the world on cumulative and experimental endpoints. This paper aims to explore current opinions and institutional strategies regarding cumulative use and endpoints through a scoping survey and review of current regulations and welfare assessment tools, and ultimately to provide recommendations for assessment of cumulative and lifetime use of research animals. The survey found that only 36% of respondents indicated that their institution had cumulative use endpoint policies in place, but these policies may be informal and/or vary by species. Most respondents supported more specific guidelines but expressed concerns about formal policies that may limit their ability to make case-by-case decisions. The wide diversity in how research animals are used makes it difficult for specific policies to be implemented. Endpoint decisions should be made in an objective manner using standardized welfare assessment tools. Future research should focus on robust, efficient welfare assessment tools that can be used to support planning and recommendations for cumulative endpoints and lifetime use of research and teaching animals.