Ch 4. Animal Welfare

Question 1

What is Animal Welfare?

Answer 1

This refers to both the physical and mental well being of animals.

It can also mean human concern for animal health.

Question 2

What 3 things should domesticated animals be able to do?

Answer 2

1. Behave in natural ways
2. Live free from disease
3. Grow vigorously

Question 3

What is intensive farming / intensive animal production?

Answer 3

This is where large farms raise a great number of animals in small spaces compared to traditional farms.

Some of these practices are considered by some people to be inappropriate for the welfare of the animals involved.

Question 4

Why has intensive farming arisen in today’s world?

Answer 4

The farmers want to meet public demand for food supplies at a relatively low cost (profit maximisation), so the welfare of their animals is not prioritised.

Question 5

List the ‘5 Freedoms for Animal Welfare’ which were made legal in the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Answer 5

Freedom:

1. From hunger and thirst
2. From chronic discomfort
3. From pain, injury an disease
4. To express normal behaviour
5. From fear and the avoidance of stress whenever possible

Question 6

Describe the Freedom from hunger and thirst.

Answer 6

Animals should be able to drink fresh water whenever they need it an they should be fed on a diet which keeps them healthy and strong.

Question 7

Describe the Freedom from chronic discomfort.

Answer 7

Animals should be kept in a comfortable environment. e.g. They should not be too hot/too cold, there should be plenty of fresh air, they should have a comfortable and dry place to lie down.

Question 8

Describe the Freedom from pain, injury and disease.

Answer 8

The animal’s environment should be safe for them and not cause them injury. If the animals have any problems of injury or disease, a vet should be called immediately.

Question 9

Describe the Freedom to express normal behaviour.

Answer 9

The animals should be able to move around easily and mix with others in their group.

Question 10

Describe the Freedom from fear and the avoidance of stress whenever possible.

Answer 10

The animals should not be kept in conditions where they are afraid or where they might suffer unnecessary pain or distress. This also applies when they are in transport, at market or abattoirs.

Question 11

What are the costs of ensuring Animal Welfare?

Answer 11

Improvement of conditions if often expensive for the farmer and the cost may be passed to consumers.

Question 12

What are the 4 benefits of ensuring Animal Welfare?

Answer 12

Animals which experience good welfare are:

1. Healthy
2. Have a better growth rate
3. Have increased reproductive success
4. Produce better quality products e.g. milk, meat, eggs.

Question 13

Why are UK animal products much more expensive than those from other parts of the EU?

Answer 13

Because the UK maintains some of the highest animal welfare standards in Europe.

*This also means that UK animal products have the benefits previously mentioned.

Question 14

Give an example of an ethical consideration which must be taken into account when focusing on animal welfare.

Answer 14

Battery reared chickens (chickens kept in small cages with sloping mesh floors for the eggs to role down for collection).

Question 15

What are the ethical issues surrounding Battery reared chickens?

Answer 15

1. The chickens have limited movement.

2. They show unusual behaviours (e.g. feather pecking)

Question 16

Identify some arguments on the ethical side of animal welfare.

Answer 16

They need for food security should NOT compromise the ethical treatment of animals.

i.e. We cannot justify this treatment of chickens to ensure we have a plentiful and cheap supply of eggs?

Question 17

What are the 4 behavioural indicators of poor animal welfare?

Answer 17

1. Stereotype
2. Misdirected behaviour
3. Failure in sexual or parental behaviour
4. Altered activity levels.

Question 18

What is Stereotype?

Answer 18

Unusual repetitive movements in captive animals (animals kept in confined spaces) that have no obvious function.

Question 19

Give 4 examples of Stereotype.

Answer 19

1. Sham chewing movements in pigs
2. Pacing in zoo cages by big cats
3. Chewing and kicking in stabled horses
4. Obsessive object licking and tongue rolling in all grazing animals.

Question 20

Identify a view on Stereotype.

Answer 20

That it is a natural response to confinement in an unnatural environment.

Question 21

What is misdirected behaviour?

Answer 21

This involves a normal behaviour being displayed in a different/inappropriate situation. This behaviour may be misdirected towards the individual itself, towards other members of its species, or towards its surroundings.

Question 22

Give three different forms of misdirected behaviour an examples of each.

Answer 22

1. Self-mutilation e.g. excessive licking, plucking and chewing of hair and feathers.
2. Damage to others e.g. caged hes pecking feathers/skin.
3. Surroundings e.g. sucking of inanimate objects; chewing of cage bars.

Question 23

How can misdirected behaviour be reduced?

Answer 23

By providing animals with members of it’s own species to interact with in a large stimulating enclosure.

Question 24

How is failure in sexual or parental behaviour caused in animals?

Answer 24

The animal is often exposed to poor conditions of isolation.

Question 25

What is failure in sexual or parental behaviour in animal welfare?

Answer 25

Where an animal fails to breed successfully/ rejects its offspring.

Question 26

How can failure in sexual or parental behaviour in animals be overcome?

Answer 26

By ensuring that young mammals and birds have contact with their own kind in a good environment.

Question 27

What are altered activity levels in animals?

Answer 27

These are usually High or low level activity which indicates stress.

Question 28

Give an example of High level activity in animals.

Answer 28

Hyper-aggressive stamping and head-lowering in bulls.

Question 29

Give an example of Low level activity in animals.

Answer 29

Excessive sleeping.