ANIMAL WELFARE (Assessment of Animal Welfare) Flashcards
animal welfare can be measured but
-must be based on QUANTIFABLE indicators and that provide info about animal well-being
Ex. body weight, ambient temperature, leg kicks vs. comfort, pain, happiness
*more than one indicator must be used (ANIMAL WELFARE IS MULTIFACTORIAL)
2 types of indicators
- Animal based
- Resource based
*try use a combination of both
>especially if looking at individualization of animal welfare vs. whole herd
characteristics of good indicators of animal welfare
- Reliable
- Practical
- Scientifically sound
*often be species to species and to the problem in question
reliable
-inter- and intra- observer variability should be low and constant throughout different populations
practical
-function of time and money
scientifically sound
-be aware of limitations that an indicator could have
Ex. stress in males: sexual and social behaviours show high stress
resource based indicators of animal welfare
-traditionally has been the focus
-valid when animal-based ones are unknown or hard to obtain
>some cases where a direct relationship with animal welfare is demonstrated
positives (resource based)
-quick
-objective
-no specific formation required
negatives (resourced based)
-not always directly correlated with animal welfare
-individual variability: temperature, dominance, status, size
-interaction between multiple indicators: optimal temperature depends on space allows
examples of animal-based measuremetns
-performance
-morbidity and mortality rates
-thermal comfort
-behaviour
-hormonal activity
-brain function
-handling response
-blood titers
distance exam
-assessment of patient’s environment and the possible relationship of that environment to the patients problems
what to look for (distance exam)
- Evaluate when cow is undisturbed (is it active, performing normal activities?)
- Response to approach
- Head bearing
- Ear position
- Facial expressin
- Other
Response to approach
-response elicited when approaching the cow
-flight distance
-withdrawal movements
head bearing
-below or above withers when standing or walking
ear position
-relaxed=forward or frequently moving
-something is going on=low ears, or both ears consistently backwards
facial expression
-dropped eye lids
-dull eyes
-eye white (lots of white=stressed)
-nostril cleanliness
-chewing/tooth grinding
other (distance exam)
-vocalizing
-piloerection
-back position
-bloated rumen
-weight shifting
-shivering
-tail flicks
lameness
-abnormalitiy of movement evident when the animal is in motion
indicators in moving animals (lameness)
-reluctance to bear weight on foot
-uneven temporal rhythm between hoof beats, weight not borne for equal time on each foot
indicators standing animals (lameness)
-resting a foot
-frequent weight shifting between feet or repeated movements of the same foot
-standing on the edge of a step
clinical signs of bovine respiratory disease (BRD)
-coughing
-nasal or ocular discharge
-hampered respiration (laboured breathing, etc.)
-varying degrees of depression
-no appetite
cleanliness
-presence of liquid dirt or plaques (can be measured)
-signs of diarrhea
hairless patch
-area with hair loss
-skin not damaged
-extensive thinning of coat due to parasites
-possible hyperkeratosis
lesion/swelling
-damaged skin either form of scab or wound
-dermatitis due to ectoparasites
-ear lesions due to torn off ear tags
body condition
-fat desposition on tail head, hip bones, spine and ribs
-different scales
-different conformation of fat: muscle between beef and dairy cattle
practicalities of body condition
-during preg check
-seperate groups and manage feeding programs accordingly
-to decide when to wean based on available pastures
-BCS before winter shouldn’t be less than 2.5
purpose of assessing animal welfare
- Identification of problems and possible solutions
- Certification labels (satisfy consumers and third parties)
objectives of animal welfare audits
-represent a documented view in a ‘snapshot of time’ of a farm management system
-criteria based on requirements established by Canadian Codes of Practice or additional basic management principles deemed important by the industry
scope of animal welfare audits
-from animal arrival to slaughter
-recommended that farms conduct self-assessments at leaset once annually
things assessed during an audit
-document procedures and records
-animals
-facilities
-farm staff will be observed and interviewed doing their daily tasks (determine their knowledge and understanding of farm animal care)
protocols to monitor animal welfare
-description of the methodology to measure a combination of validated indicators that cover all aspects of animal welfare
Ex. Welfare Quality
limitations of audits
-requires time
-must be flexible to different production systems (ex. heat vs. cold stress)
-punctuation and weight for each parameter measured and what is deemed acceptable will always be arbitrary
-biased towards farm animals (less science on companion animals and zoos)
Ex. 5% vs. 30% lame cows.
-15% lame cows vs. 15% having mastitis
canadian feedlot animal care assessment programs
-various core criteria with sub criteria
-get different points
welfare quality
-more comprehensie
-based on 5 freedoms and domains
-have pictures to help with scoring
-calculates scores for absence of hunger accounding to % of very lean animals
*final classification reflects what can realistically be acheived in practice
Welfare quality nubmers
Excellent: over 55 on all principles, over 80 in two of them
Enhanced: over 20 on all principles, over 55 in two of them
Acceptable: over 10 on all principles, over 20 in three of them
