lecture 1 Flashcards
concepts and introduction
five freedoms
hunger/thirst, thermal/physical discomfort,
five needs
suitable environment, suitable diet, normal behaviour patterns, housed with/or apart from other animals, protected from pain, injury, suffering or disease
seven key factors
feed, water, light, air, rest, space, health
what sits underneath the paralumbar fossa?
rumen, on the left
how can you assess water supply
skin tenting test, position of eye (sunken= fat pad behind eye is dehydrated)
how can you assess light
should be able to go anywhere and read a newspaper
how can you assess quality of air
if animals stick head out of the windows
what happens if animals stand up in cubicles?
lameness
where do pigs dung
in the area that is cooler
why do we have slats to separate dung from animals
reduce enteric disease spread
thermal comfort
‘optimum’ temperatures for animal comfort,
basal metabolic rate
amount of energy for a fasted animal
thermoneutral zone cool vs warm
basal rate still the same but animal may have to change behaviour
problem of temperature regulation for pigs and poultry
can’t sweat
ruminants and horses: what do they vary
heat loss via evaporation –> relative humidity of environment is most important
problem with outdoor poultry production
often no tree cover –> more fearful
what is sustainability?
an activity that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability to meet the needs of the future
three main areas of sustainability
environmental, ethical, economic
three main areas of sustainability
environmental, ethical, economic = planet/profit = viable/ planet+people = bearable,
life cycle assessment
looks at the impact of an activity from start to finish, often summarised as the carbon footprint
main source of nitrous oxide
fossil fuels + fertilisers in agriculture
