ANIMAL WELFARE (Assessment of Animal Welfare)

Question 1

animal welfare can be measured but

Answer 1

-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)

Question 2

2 types of indicators

Answer 2

1. Animal based
2. Resource based
   *try use a combination of both
   >especially if looking at individualization of animal welfare vs. whole herd

Question 3

characteristics of good indicators of animal welfare

Answer 3

1. Reliable
2. Practical
3. Scientifically sound
   *often be species to species and to the problem in question

Question 4

reliable

Answer 4

-inter- and intra- observer variability should be low and constant throughout different populations

Question 5

practical

Answer 5

-function of time and money

Question 6

scientifically sound

Answer 6

-be aware of limitations that an indicator could have
Ex. stress in males: sexual and social behaviours show high stress

Question 7

resource based indicators of animal welfare

Answer 7

-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

Question 8

positives (resource based)

Answer 8

-quick
-objective
-no specific formation required

Question 9

negatives (resourced based)

Answer 9

-not always directly correlated with animal welfare
-individual variability: temperature, dominance, status, size
-interaction between multiple indicators: optimal temperature depends on space allows

Question 10

examples of animal-based measuremetns

Answer 10

-performance
-morbidity and mortality rates
-thermal comfort
-behaviour
-hormonal activity
-brain function
-handling response
-blood titers

Question 11

distance exam

Answer 11

-assessment of patient’s environment and the possible relationship of that environment to the patients problems

Question 12

what to look for (distance exam)

Answer 12

1. Evaluate when cow is undisturbed (is it active, performing normal activities?)
2. Response to approach
3. Head bearing
4. Ear position
5. Facial expressin
6. Other

Question 13

Response to approach

Answer 13

-response elicited when approaching the cow
-flight distance
-withdrawal movements

Question 14

head bearing

Answer 14

-below or above withers when standing or walking

Question 15

ear position

Answer 15

-relaxed=forward or frequently moving
-something is going on=low ears, or both ears consistently backwards

Question 16

facial expression

Answer 16

-dropped eye lids
-dull eyes
-eye white (lots of white=stressed)
-nostril cleanliness
-chewing/tooth grinding

Question 17

other (distance exam)

Answer 17

-vocalizing
-piloerection
-back position
-bloated rumen
-weight shifting
-shivering
-tail flicks

Question 18

lameness

Answer 18

-abnormalitiy of movement evident when the animal is in motion

Question 19

indicators in moving animals (lameness)

Answer 19

-reluctance to bear weight on foot
-uneven temporal rhythm between hoof beats, weight not borne for equal time on each foot

Question 20

indicators standing animals (lameness)

Answer 20

-resting a foot
-frequent weight shifting between feet or repeated movements of the same foot
-standing on the edge of a step

Question 21

clinical signs of bovine respiratory disease (BRD)

Answer 21

-coughing
-nasal or ocular discharge
-hampered respiration (laboured breathing, etc.)
-varying degrees of depression
-no appetite

Question 22

cleanliness

Answer 22

-presence of liquid dirt or plaques (can be measured)
-signs of diarrhea

Question 23

hairless patch

Answer 23

-area with hair loss
-skin not damaged
-extensive thinning of coat due to parasites
-possible hyperkeratosis

Question 24

lesion/swelling

Answer 24

-damaged skin either form of scab or wound
-dermatitis due to ectoparasites
-ear lesions due to torn off ear tags

Question 25

body condition

Answer 25

-fat desposition on tail head, hip bones, spine and ribs
-different scales
-different conformation of fat: muscle between beef and dairy cattle

Question 26

practicalities of body condition

Answer 26

-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

Question 27

purpose of assessing animal welfare

Answer 27

1. Identification of problems and possible solutions
2. Certification labels (satisfy consumers and third parties)

Question 28

objectives of animal welfare audits

Answer 28

-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

Question 29

scope of animal welfare audits

Answer 29

-from animal arrival to slaughter
-recommended that farms conduct self-assessments at leaset once annually

Question 30

things assessed during an audit

Answer 30

-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)

Question 31

protocols to monitor animal welfare

Answer 31

-description of the methodology to measure a combination of validated indicators that cover all aspects of animal welfare
Ex. Welfare Quality

Question 32

limitations of audits

Answer 32

-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

Question 33

canadian feedlot animal care assessment programs

Answer 33

-various core criteria with sub criteria
-get different points

Question 34

welfare quality

Answer 34

-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

Question 35

Welfare quality nubmers

Answer 35

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