ANIMAL WELFARE - Housing Flashcards
List six reasons for housing animals
Protection from predators
Biosecurity
Control of diet
Parasite control
Easier management
Allow pasture to regrow
List five requirements for a successful housing system
Ventilation
Suitable temperature
Adequate faecal/urinary separation
Appropriate feeding area
Provide a safe working environment
What are the four main problems associated with housing animals?
Pathogen build up
Temperature
Humidity
Noxious gas build up
What is the most critical component of successful housing?
Good management
What is the thermoneutral zone?
The thermoneutral zone refers to the temperature range in which an organism can maintain its body temperature without expending extra metabolic energy
What is the thermocomfort zone?
The thermocomfort zone refers to the temperature range within the thermoneutral zone where the organism feels most comfortable
What are the upper and lower critical temperatures?
Upper and lower critical temperatures refer to the temperature thresholds at which an organism’s thermoregulatory mechanisms kick in to maintain body temperature
How does a high energy diet allow animals to be more tolerant of the cold?
When animals consume a high energy diet, this increases their metabolic rate allowing them to have more efficient thermoregulatory methods
What is absolute humidity?
Absolute humidity is the measure of the actual amount of water vapour present in a given quantity of air (g/m³)
What is relative humidity?
Relative humidity is the measure of how much water vapour is present in the air relative to the maximum amount of water vapour that could be present in the air at a given temperature. This value would be expressed as a percentage (%)
What happens to the absolute humidity when temperature increases by 10°C?
Absolute humidity will double
What are the four main sources of moisture in livestock housing?
Urine
Faeces
Respiration
Rain
Why is it important to control the humidity in livestock housing?
Prevent condensation and deterioration of materials
Reduce pathogens and disease
Prevents animals getting wet and increasing heat loss
List three methods that can be used to remove faeces and urine from housing to reduce humidity?
Slats
Scrapers
Slopes
(T/F) Slurry gas actively kills at high concentrations
TRUE.
How many air changes per hour should a well-ventilated building have?
10-15 air changes per hour
What is the difference between climatic and climate-controlled housing?
Climatic housing aims to replicate the natural climate whereas climate-controlled housing allows for precise control over the environment
What are six features of climatic housing?
Low stocking density
Not insulated
Naturally ventilated
Large cubic air space per animal
Natural lighting
Cheaper than climate-controlled housing
Which animals would climatic housing be suitable for?
Climatic housing is suitable for animals with higher critical temperatures such as ruminants, horses and adult pigs
What are six features of climate-controlled housing?
High stocking density
Well insulated
Controlled ventilation
Low cubic air space per animal
Artificial lighting
Expensive to construct
Which animals would climate-controlled housing be suitable for?
Climate-controlled housing is suitable for animals with lower critical temperatures such as poultry and piglets
List three methods of passive ventilation
Stack effect
Cross-wind
Inlets
What is the stack effect?
The stack effect occurs when warm air rises and creates a pressure difference, drawing cool air from the lower openings and expelling warm air from the higher openings in the building
What is cross-wind ventilation?
Cross-wind ventilation occurs when wind blows across a building, creating a pressure difference driving air movement through the openings on both sides of the building
