Welfare Considerations Research Articles

Adapting classic paradigms to analyze alterations of shoal-wide behavior in early-life stages of zebrafish (Danio rerio) – A case study with fluoxetine

Given the strong increase in prescription of neuroactive pharmaceuticals, neurotoxicity has received growing concern in science and the public. Regulatory requirements stimulated the development of new methods to evaluate the risk of neurotoxic substances for humans and the environment, and, with respect to potential damage to aquatic ecosystems, a variety of behavior-based assays have been proposed for neurotoxicity testing, most of which, however, are restricted to changes in the behavior of individual fish. Since many fish species form shoals under natural conditions, this may cause important aspects of behavior to be overlooked and there is a need for behavior assays integrating individual behavior with behavior of the entire swarm. In order to combine more environmentally realistic sub-chronic exposure scenarios with undistorted social behavior and animal welfare considerations, two behavioral assays are proposed that might be integrated into early-life stage toxicity studies according to OECD TG 210, which are commonly run for a multitude of regulations: To this end, protocols for a novel tank test and a predator response assay were adapted to also record the behavior of free-swimming zebrafish (Danio rerio) juveniles within shoals. Comparisons of the diving response (novel tank) or the shoal's coherence and position relative to the stimulus (predator) with control groups allow conclusions about the anxiety state of the fish, which might well have an impact on survival chances in the wild. As a model substance, the antidepressant fluoxetine ((RS)-N-Methyl-3-phenyl-3-(4-trifluoromethylphenoxy)propylamine) produced adverse effects down to concentrations three orders of magnitude below the EC10 from acute fish embryo toxicity tests according to OECD TG 236. With the integration of such behavior tests into OECD TG 210, important population-relevant information on potential neurotoxicity can be collected without increasing the number of experimental animals.

Perspective: Opportunities for advancing aquatic invertebrate welfare.

Welfare considerations and regulations for invertebrates have lagged behind those for vertebrates, despite invertebrates comprising more than 95% of earth's species. Humans interact with and use aquatic invertebrates for exhibition in zoos and aquaria, as pets, research subjects, and important food sources. Recent research has indicated that aquatic invertebrates, in particular cephalopod mollusks and decapod crustaceans, experience stress and may be able to feel pain. With this article, we present results of a survey on attitudes of aquatic animal health professionals toward aquatic invertebrate welfare and provide practical recommendations for advancing aquatic invertebrate welfare across four areas of opportunity: use of anesthesia, analgesia, and euthanasia; development of less invasive diagnostic and research sampling methods based on 3R principles; use of humane slaughter methods for aquatic invertebrates; and reducing impacts of invasive procedures in aquaculture and fisheries. We encourage consideration of these opportunities to achieve far-reaching improvements in aquatic invertebrate welfare.

Internally Triggered Experiences of Hedonic Valence in Nonhuman Animals: Cognitive and Welfare Considerations

Do any nonhuman animals have hedonically valenced experiences not directly caused by stimuli in their current environment? Do they, like us humans, experience anticipated or previously experienced pains and pleasures as respectively painful and pleasurable? We review evidence from comparative neuroscience about hippocampus-dependent simulation in relation to this question. Hippocampal sharp-wave ripples and theta oscillations have been found to instantiate previous and anticipated experiences. These hippocampal activations coordinate with neural reward and fear centers as well as sensory and cortical areas in ways that are associated with conscious episodic mental imagery in humans. Moreover, such hippocampal “re- and preplay” has been found to contribute to instrumental decision making, the learning of value representations, and the delay of rewards in rats. The functional and structural features of hippocampal simulation are highly conserved across mammals. This evidence makes it reasonable to assume that internally triggered experiences of hedonic valence (IHVs) are pervasive across (at least) all mammals. This conclusion has important welfare implications. Most prominently, IHVs act as a kind of “welfare multiplier” through which the welfare impacts of any given experience of pain or pleasure are increased through each future retrieval. However, IHVs also have practical implications for welfare assessment and cause prioritization.

Soil ingestion, a key determinant of exposure to environmental contaminants. The case study of chlordecone exposure in free-range pigs in the French West Indies.

Ingested soil may expose free-range animals to environmental pollutants. In pigs, soil ingestion is few described whereas their burrowing behaviour suggests that it could be high. Although highly productive pigs are generally reared indoor, free-range farming is increasing in view of ethical considerations for animal welfare and is a common practice for subsistence agriculture systems. The experiment lasted 8 weeks (2 for adaptation, 6 for measurements) with 24 growing pigs of Guadeloupean Creole (CR) or Large White (LW) breeds. Pigs were assigned to 3 outdoor treatments: high pasture HP (>60 days of regrowth), low pasture LP (35 days of regrowth), and sweet potato SP (sweet potato field). Titanium (soil marker) and chromium (faecal output marker) contents of faeces, vegetation and soil samples were used to estimate individual daily soil ingestions. The average, 10th and 90th percentiles were 440, 200 and 726 g of dry soil per 100 kg body weight, respectively, without significant differences between the 3 outdoor treatments or the 2 breeds but with a significant period (i.e. week of measurements) × treatment interaction (P < 0.001). In the French West Indies, animals may be exposed to chlordecone (CLD), a very persistent organochlorine insecticide. Simulations of CLD tissue contamination due to ingestion of contaminated soil were carried out and compared to the maximum residue limit. These results show that grazing management needs to be adapted to effectively limit soil ingestion by pigs and the impact of a contaminated environment on the sustainability of pig systems.

Chicken antibodies are highly suitable for particle enhanced turbidimetric assays.

Antibody-based assays are commonly used in clinical laboratories for analyzing plasma, serum and other samples for particular protein markers. Although such assays have been traditionally based on antibodies raised in mammals (e.g., mice, rabbits, goats), there are several advantages of using avian antibodies (IgY) raised in chickens, including production volumes, costs, and ethical/animal welfare considerations. A further disadvantage of using mammalian IgG in such assays is the potential for agglutination when exposed to rheumatoid factor (RF) in serum. However, when used in the free form the immune complexes formed with avian antibodies have been reported to have less ability than those formed with mammalian antibodies to cause the light scatter which are used for instrument measurement. In addition, when the amount of antigen exceeds the maximum precipitating point in relation to the amount of antibody, there is a rapid decline in the absorbance values of the immune complexes (antigen excess) when IgY is used. However, when avian antibodies are conjugated to a substrate and used in particle enhanced turbidimetric assays (PETIA), these problems are avoided. Here we investigated three clinical assays using chicken antibodies, one using free (unbound) IgY and two with IgY-based PETIA. The IgY PETIA demonstrated a strong scatter response, even at high antigen concentrations in contrast to the steep decline seen with free IgY antibodies. IgY PETIA reagents can provide test results with low coefficient of variation (<1% for duplicate samples). We also investigated the effect of RF on agglutination of mammalian antibodies (IgG from mouse, rabbit, sheep, and human) and chicken antibodies. Whereas agglutination was observed with all the mammalian antibodies in the presence of RF, this was not observed at all with chicken IgY. Our results support the growing body of evidence that chicken egg yolks can thus be a valuable source of antibodies for use in PETIA in clinical laboratories.

Description of electroencephalographic data gathered using water-based medium-expansion foam as a depopulation method for nursery pigs

The United States’ swine industry is under constant threat of foreign animal diseases, which may emerge without warning due to the globalized transportation networks moving people, animals, and products. Therefore, having disease control and elimination protocols in place prior to pathogen introduction is paramount for business continuity and economic recovery. During extraordinary circumstances, it may become necessary to depopulate large populations of animals, including swine, as a disease containment measure. Currently approved depopulation methods for swine present significant logistical challenges when scaled to large populations or performed in field conditions. In the United States, water-based foam is currently approved for poultry depopulation, and recent field studies demonstrate water-based foam is an effective depopulation alternative for swine. While effective, the speed at which water-based foam induces loss of consciousness prior to death, a major welfare consideration, has not been adequately investigated. In this study, 12 nursery pigs were terminated using water-based medium-expansion foam to quantify the time to induce loss of consciousness and ultimately brain death. Each pig was implanted with subdermal electrodes to capture electroencephalographic data, placed in a body sling, and suspended in a plastic bulk container that was subsequently filled with water-based foam. Electroencephalographic data was recorded for 15 min, during which the pigs remained immersed in the water-based foam. Conservatively, average (± SD) time to unconsciousness and brain death was 1 min, 53 s ± 36 s and 3 min, 3 s ± 56 s, respectively. The relatively rapid loss of consciousness compared to other methods limits the amount of distress and is overall a positive finding for the welfare of the pigs that might be depopulated with water-based foam. The findings of this study add additional evidence supporting the use of water-based medium-expansion foam for an emergency depopulation of swine.

Standardized and axially vascularized calcium phosphate-based implants for segmental mandibular defects: A promising proof of concept

The reconstruction of massive segmental mandibular bone defects (SMDs) remains challenging even today; the current gold standard in human clinics being vascularized bone transplantation (VBT). As alternative to this onerous approach, bone tissue engineering strategies have been widely investigated. However, they displayed limited clinical success, particularly in failing to address the essential problem of quick vascularization of the implant. Although routinely used in clinics, the insertion of intrinsic vascularization in bioengineered constructs for the rapid formation of a feeding angiosome remains uncommon.In a clinically relevant model (sheep), a custom calcium phosphate-based bioceramic soaked with autologous bone marrow and perfused by an arteriovenous loop was tested to regenerate a massive SMD and was compared to VBT (clinical standard). Animals did not support well the VBT treatment, and the study was aborted 2 weeks after surgery due to ethical and animal welfare considerations. SMD regeneration was successful with the custom vascularized bone construct. Implants were well osseointegrated and vascularized after only 3 months of implantation and totally entrapped in lamellar bone after 12 months; a healthy yellow bone marrow filled the remaining space. Statement of significanceRegenerative medicine struggles with the generation of large functional bone volume. Among them segmental mandibular defects are particularly challenging to restore. The standard of care, based on bone free flaps, still displays ethical and technical drawbacks (e.g., donor site morbidity).Modern engineering technologies (e.g., 3D printing, digital chain) were combined to relevant surgical techniques to provide a pre-clinical proof of concept, investigating for the benefits of such a strategy in bone-related regenerative field.Results proved that a synthetic-biologics-free approach is able to regenerate a critical size segmental mandibular defect of 15 cm3 in a relevant preclinical model, mimicking real life scenarii of segmental mandibular defect, with a full physiological regeneration of the defect after 12 months.

Examining the role of human perceptions during cetacean stranding response in New Zealand

Cetacean strandings often elicit significant media attention and public engagement. However, how human perceptions of such events may influence decision-making during strandings response is poorly understood. To address this, we undertook an online questionnaire targeting stranding relevant/interested parties in New Zealand, Aotearoa to understand perceptions around stranding events and response. Participants responded to questions and statements using the 5-point Likert scale to explore human perceptions and expectations of intervention, decision-making, animal welfare and survival prognosis during strandings. Responses were analysed based on level of experience and role at stranding events using descriptive and multivariate statistics. A total of 268 respondents completed the questionnaire; most stated that human intervention is necessary to assist animals during strandings. However, 43% of respondents indicated that they did not know what affect intervention may have on the animals. Notably, participants felt that human intervention was more likely to improve survival (26%) than welfare (19%). Importantly, experienced responders appeared more welfare complacent, prioritising survival for strandings response decision-making. Respondents from the legislative agency responsible for strandings in New Zealand, indicated that public sentiment may take precedence over welfare considerations when considering euthanasia. Our results highlight a disjunct between perceptions of welfare and survival, despite these variables being inextricably linked. This may be cause for concern in highly publicised strandings events where management decisions are more likely influenced by public sentiment. Comprehensive animal assessments that are informed both by animal welfare and survival prognoses are required to ensure the best outcomes for stranded cetaceans.

Psychosocial Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Fertility Patients

COVID-19 is a challenge for fertility care. Our research shows that the key challenge for patients is managing the uncertainty that COVID-19 causes around the attainability of the parenthood goal (e.g., continued access to treatment, effects of delay on fertility, accentuated health worries about pregnancy). Patient coping strategies are often, but not always, optimised for managing uncertainty leading about 10% of patients to report extreme stress reactions in several health domains (e.g., psychological, physical, behavioural). While focus has been on patients, our research also shows that COVID-19 produces multi-causal uncertainties for staff due to unknown and unknowable futures (e.g., future threats to health, practice changes, clinic viability and finance, unstable knowledge states). Most international guidance for fertility staff focuses on mitigating risks in practice. However, staff could benefit too from learning more about uncertainty management for situations with irreducible risk such as COVID-19. Altogether COVID-19 studies in fertility care indicate that COVID-19 is distressing for patients and staff and as such welfare considerations (physical and psychological) will continue to be critical for clinics. Focusing support resources at threat and uncertainty management will help build sustainable personal and organisational resilience. Investing in uncertainty management for COVID-19 should also help manage other uncertainties in fertility care, for example per-cycle and cumulative chances of live birth.

Welfare considerations for farming black soldier flies, Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae): a model for the insects as food and feed industry

Over two hundred billion black soldier flies (BSF,Hermetia illucens(Diptera: Stratiomyidae)) are reared annually across the globe, with the industry projected to grow substantially in the coming decade. Black soldier flies are being actively explored across the globe for use as livestock feed; fishmeal replacements; biodiesel; human, animal, and food waste management; and even sustainable human protein. Despite the huge number of individual insects reared and interest in BSF welfare by numerous producers and academics, there is no paper that considers the species-specific welfare of BSF in farmed conditions. We review factors that relate to BSF welfare in commercial rearing facilities, including: diseases/parasites, abiotic conditions (temperature, humidity/moisture, substrate aeration, light, pupation substrates, and adult spatial needs), adult and larval nutritional considerations, injury and crowding, handling-associated stress, selective breeding and genetic modification, environmental contaminants, and slaughter methods. We conclude with a discussion of the most pressing welfare concerns for the industry, recommendations for altering the conditions that give rise to them, and suggestions for future research directions that would lend valuable insights to BSF welfare. While this summary is BSF-centric, the core topic of animal welfare applies to all insect models currently, or in the future, produced as food and feed.

Public concern for animal welfare and its correlation with ethical ideologies after coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in China

AbstractThe outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) represents a major public health challenge and a serious threat to sustainable social development. A consideration of animal welfare is clearly justified, given the potential contribution of animals to the spread of the disease. The present study, therefore, sought to investigate the concern the Chinese people have for animal welfare (PCAW) and how their ‘ethical ideology’ (idealism and relativism) determines PCAW after COVID-19, through comparison with the same study, carried out in China in 2015. Our results demonstrated a significant improvement in Chinese PCAW after COVID-19. The adverse impact of COVID-19 may have resulted in a lowered idealism score and this decreased score served to neutralise significant correlations between idealism and PCAW, compared to the 2015 results. The global pandemic did not increase people's relativism score and a significant correlation was found between relativism and PCAW. Gender, age, educational level, public perception of animals after COVID-19, zoo and aquarium visiting were all shown to be predictor variables for PCAW. This study is one of the first to investigate Chinese PCAW after COVID-19 and can therefore provide knowledge that will potentially increase Chinese PCAW.

Animal-Assisted Counseling for Young Children: Evidence Base, Best Practices, and Future Prospects.

Increasing numbers of young children are experiencing mild to moderate mental health issues that require support in addition to that typically provided by family members and teachers. The services of professional counselors can be particularly useful when children need help adjusting to and coping with various stressors and situations. Many school counselors and other mental health professionals have found that carefully planned interactions between young children and animals (e.g., guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs, horses) represent an effective alternative/complementary therapeutic modality. Animals may provide an accepting, nonjudgmental presence that focuses young children’s attention, motivates them to learn, and encourages participation in planned intervention activities. This article begins by describing the general purposes for counseling with young children and the role that early childhood educators can play in increasing families’ awareness of and access to these services in their communities. Next, it defines animal-assisted counseling and reviews the relevant research to build a rationale for including carefully selected animals in mental health support services for children. The third section discusses caveats about involving animals in individual and small group counseling sessions, in classrooms, and in other facilities/programs that work with young children. The article then summarizes best practices in animal-assisted counseling and how they are influenced by variables within the child, animal welfare considerations, different contexts, availability of resources, and interagency collaborations. The conclusion is a statement on the future of animal-assisted counseling for young children and how it supports the goals of humane education.

Comparing conservation and animal welfare professionals' perspectives on domestic cat management

Debates about managing roaming and hunting behaviours in domestic cats often appear to fracture along lines of biodiversity conservation and animal welfare. In practice, however, there may be no inherent opposition between these interests. We carried out a series of Q methodological studies with people in the UK who were professionally engaged either with wildlife conservation or with animal welfare, and who had key individual stakeholder roles as cat owners. Participants arranged a set of statements according to their perspectives on roaming and hunting behaviours and on cat husbandry practices. Analysing the two professional groups together, we found three distinct perspectives: ‘Conservationist’, concerned about cat impacts on wildlife populations; ‘Welfarist’, focused on ensuring cat safety and wellbeing, and ‘Liberationist’, prioritising cat behavioural freedom. Analysing responses within the professional groups, however, we found that cat owners from both conservation and welfare organisations held perspectives that had much in common, and either (a) supported active management of roaming and hunting behaviour, (b) tolerated hunting behaviour as either desirable or unavoidable, or (c) were conflicted, supporting outdoor access for cats but expressing concern about hunting behaviour and cat safety. While their priorities may differ, cat owners working as conservation professionals were cognisant of cat welfare considerations, and animal welfare professionals were often also concerned about wildlife, particularly wild animal welfare. We also identified important areas of agreement on night-time confinement and regulation of cat breeding. This research highlights valuable opportunities for constructive dialogue and greater collaborative working among conservation and animal welfare organisations.

Why uterine transplantation requires us to rethink the role of the pre-conception welfare principle.

Uterine transplantation (UTx) is a programme of treatment aimed at providing a unique solution to absolute uterine factor infertility, enabling patients to have children as a result of their own pregnancies. As a transplant procedure performed for fertility purposes it may be thought obvious that the welfare of any children created should be assessed prior to treatment provision. However, major concerns about the breadth and scope of such requirements, and the potential threat they pose to patients' reproductive autonomy, have been raised. In this paper, I analyse novel questions regarding the role of the pre-conception welfare principle in UTx. After outlining traditional critiques of the principle, I focus on the unique issues raised by its application in the two areas of medicine occupied by UTx. As a treatment for a particular form of infertility, I explore whether law and policy regulating traditional assisted reproductive technologies applies equally to the case of UTx, and whether a distinction (in welfare terms) does and should exist between fertility treatment involving gametes and embryos and gynaecological surgery for fertility purposes. As a quality-of-life-enhancing transplant, I consider and reject proposals in favour of using pre-conception welfare considerations to inform patient listing and the allocation of deceased donor uteri on the grounds that such assessments may both compromise patient autonomy and lead to unjust discrimination against particular patients or groups of patients.

The individual welfare concerns for small cetaceans from two bycatch mitigation techniques

The prevalence of small cetacean (including dolphins, porpoises and small odontocete whales) bycatch in fisheries worldwide remains an ongoing conservation and welfare challenge. Various mitigation methods have been implemented in attempts to reduce bycatch. Two such methods involve gear modification: placement of Bycatch Reduction Devices (BRDs) within trawl nets, usually involving a physical barrier and an escape hatch; and, deployment of Acoustic Deterrent Devices (ADDs, ‘pingers’), typically placed on static nets and some trawl nets, to alert cetaceans to their presence and deter them from interacting with the gear. Despite their efficacy in reducing bycatch under certain circumstances, negative welfare impacts remain for individuals interacting with both BRDs and ADDs. Post-mortem analyses of small cetaceans caught in trawl gear, for example, illustrate the potential long-term effects of capture myopathies and cardiac damage sustained during the acute stress of entanglement, prior to and during escape through the BRD. Further, animals may become entangled in the bars, ropes or mesh of the BRD or escape hatch itself, and little is known of their post-release survival. ADD efficacy is typically fishery- and cetacean species-specific and, even where deemed a success at reducing bycatch, displacing animals from their optimal foraging habitat could negatively impact individual survival. Some species display equivocal responses to ADDs, while others may habituate to or be attracted to the sounds produced as they learn to associate it with food rewards, as they do in trawl fisheries, thereby reducing ADD efficacy and increasing the likelihood of entanglement. Here, we provide a synthesis of existing studies of these mitigation methods and discuss the associated welfare issues, where poor welfare negatively impacts an individual’s physical or mental state. We conclude that cetacean welfare considerations should become an integral part of decision-making in relation to bycatch globally.

Use of cellular‐linked cameras to monitor live‐trapping of wildlife

AbstractMaintaining a restrained animal's safety is imperative when live‐trapping wildlife for research or management purposes. Trap monitor systems, which allow remote checking of traps, can reduce the amount of time animals are restrained and lower the risk of negative health effects. Although a number of trap monitor systems have been developed, no prior study has evaluated the use of commercially‐available, cellular network‐linked cameras (hereafter, cellular cameras) for remote trap monitoring. We used cellular cameras to monitor Columbian black‐tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) capture efforts in southern Oregon, USA, to determine whether they acted as an effective trap monitor system. Using cellular cameras, we monitored 40 live‐traps in 12 locations for 523 camera‐days in 2020. We estimated a &gt;7 hr reduction in response time to captured deer when monitoring live‐traps via cellular cameras as compared to daily, visual trap checks. Additionally, we noted occasional camera failures caused by drained batteries, inconsistent cellular signal, and photo‐processing issues and provide recommendations for avoiding or remediating these problems. Data gathered from cellular cameras also helped inform other animal welfare considerations and guide refinement of trapping efforts. We provide discussion of the benefits and limitations of cellular cameras as a trap monitor system. Overall, we suggest that cellular cameras are a promising tool for monitoring live‐trapping efforts and improving trapping programs but require a robust failsafe mechanism be in place to guarantee animal safety.

Physical Obstruction of Nasal Cavities With Subsequent Asphyxia, Causes Lethality of Rats in an Acute Inhalation Study With Hydrophobic HMDZ Surface-Treated Synthetic Amorphous Silica (SAS).

The aim of the present study was to understand the mechanism of lethality associated with high dose inhalation of a low-density hydrophobic surface-treated SAS observed in some acute inhalation studies. It was demonstrated that physical obstruction of the upper respiratory tract (nasal cavities) caused the effects observed. Hydrophobic surface-treated SAS was inhaled (flow-past, nose-only) by six Wistar rats (three males and three females) in an acute toxicity study at a concentration of ~500 mg/m3 for an intended 4-hr exposure. Under the conditions of the test set-up, the concentration applied was found to be the highest that can be delivered to the test animal port without significant alteration of the aerosol size distribution over time. None of the test- material-exposed animals survived the planned observation time of 4 h; three animals died between 2 h after starting exposure and cessation of exposure at 3 h, two died after transfer to their cages and the remaining animal was sacrificed due to its poor condition and welfare considerations. Histology accomplished by energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis demonstrated that test material particles agglomerated and formed a gel-like substrate that ultimately blocked the upper respiratory airways, which proved fatal for the rat as an obligatory nose breather. This observation is in line with the findings reported by Hofmann et al. showing a correlation between lethality and hydrophobicity determined by contact angle measurement. The aerosol characterizations associated with this study are provided in detail by Wessely et al.

Outsourcing decision-making in global remanufacturing supply chains: The impact of tax and tariff regulations

In contemporary international remanufacturing supply chains, whether an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) engages in remanufacturing operations or outsources to a third-party remanufacturer (TPR) is influenced by tax and tariff regulations. This study develops a two-stage game model for the decision-making of an OEM from an exporting country showing that the optimal remanufacturing model is significantly affected by the tax and tariff regulations of the importing country and more particularly, the difference between sales tax on remanufactured products and the unit product import tariffs on new products. The model selections for the OEM and the importing country align when this difference is close to zero. This paper is one of the few examining the impact of tax and tariff regulations on outsourcing decisions in remanufacturing contexts, which is largely neglected in the extant literature but has become increasingly important, especially with recent development trends of deglobalization (e.g., Brexit, the US–China trade war, and various sanctions). The significance of this study is threefold: the work makes novel theoretical contributions to the decision-making game model with tax and tariff constructs taken into consideration, has practical implementations for optimizing the strategic business deployment of OEMs, and has implications for consideration of policy and social welfare by policy makers of the destination country.

Judgment Bias During Gestation in Domestic Pigs.

In humans and rats, changes in affect are known to occur during pregnancy, however it is unknown how gestation may influence mood in other non-human mammals. This study assessed changes in pigs' judgment bias as a measure of affective state throughout gestation. Pigs were trained to complete a spatial judgment bias task with reference to positive and negative locations. We tested gilts before mating, and during early and late gestation, by assessing their responses to ambiguous probe locations. Pigs responded increasingly negatively to ambiguous probes as gestation progressed and there were consistent inter-individual differences in baseline optimism. This suggests that the pigs' affective state may be altered during gestation, although as a non-pregnant control group was not tested, an effect of learning cannot be ruled out. These results suggest that judgment bias is altered during gestation in domestic pigs, consequently raising novel welfare considerations for captive multiparous species.

A Novel Oral Endoscopic Biopsy Procedure to Obtain Rumen Epithelial Samples.

Most in vivo studies related to ruminal development in calves use invasive techniques involving rumen-fistulated or euthanized animals. In consideration of animal welfare, we developed an oral endoscopic biopsy procedure to allow the obtaining of rumen epithelial samples, thus serving as an alternative for measuring the height and width of rumen papillae in calves in a safe, quick, and efficient manner that allows the slaughtering of calves to be avoided. This procedure was tested on 12 Brangus crossbred calves randomly distributed in two groups, with one fed a meal starter and the other an extruded starter feed. Calves underwent a 12-h fasting period, were restrained in a squeeze chute, administered a dose of atropine, and sedated with xylazine before the oral endoscopic biopsy procedure. A 120 cm long Olympus® oral flexible video endoscope and forceps were used to collect cranial–dorsal sac rumen epithelial tissue samples of approximately 0.5 mm. Endoscopy was successful in all 12 calves and the collected tissue samples were placed in formalin (10%) for further processing for obtaining rumen papillae measurements. Consumption of the extruded starter feed resulted in the increased (p = 0.035) width of rumen papillae. The oral endoscopic biopsy procedure implemented in this study was demonstrated to be successful and is thus an alternative technique for studying rumen epithelial development and morphometric alterations in calf rumen tissue.