Midterm - Assessing Welfare in Groups

Question 1

inputs in animal welfare

Answer 1

management/animal caretaker
environment/housing, food
animal/genetic, early life experience

Question 2

practicability

Answer 2

time constraints, expenses, handling of animals, observation periods

Question 3

reliability

Answer 3

repeatability and validity

Question 4

repeatability

Answer 4

agreement between observers and between different observations of the same observer

Question 5

validity

Answer 5

meaningfulness of the paramter

Question 6

issues assessing input/output parameters

Answer 6

can they be summarized into one overall score?
are some parameters more important than others?
what is a normal level for particular parameters?

Question 7

applications of group assessment

Answer 7

1. research
2. voluntary certification schemes
3. legislation, codes of practice
4. advisory - preventive medicine

Question 8

examples of voluntary/certification

Answer 8

farm assurance schemes
organic certification systems

Question 9

research interpretations

Answer 9

health and welfare monitoring
impact assessment of interventions

Question 10

examples of inputs

Answer 10

availability of adequate food
appropriate nesting sites

Question 11

examples of outputs

Answer 11

body condition score
number of young animals
physiological parameters