Module 6-animal welfare in livestock production

Question 1

what is the goal with the five freedoms

Answer 1

To address animal welfare in terms of both the animal’s physical condition and its mental state

Question 2

what basic things must the caretaker of an animal be able to do to satisfy the 5 freedoms

Answer 2

To satisfy the Five Freedoms, the animal caretakers must be knowledgeable and vigilant; able to assess the animals’ status; and understand how to modify conditions that impinge on the animals’ welfare

Question 3

is it always easy for the five freedoms to be met

Answer 3

Looking at the Five Freedoms, we can see that provision of some of the freedoms is more easily attained than the provision of others; moreover, it may not be possible to fill all of the requirements as meeting some needs will violate others. It may be necessary to make trade-offs to provide the best possible quality of life for the animals in an economically feasible manner.

Question 4

what are the 5 freedoms of animal welfare

Answer 4

1) freedom from hunger and thirst-by access to fresh water and diet to help maintain health
2) freedom from discomfort- by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting are
3) freedom from pain, injury, or disease - by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment
4) freedom to express normal behavior - by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animals own kind
5) freedom from fear and distress - by ensuring conditions that avoid mental suffering

Question 5

does meeting the 5 freedoms lead to better quality animals

Answer 5

meeting the Five Freedoms gives us healthy, content animals that are likely to produce better than animals that are not healthy or are stressed

Question 6

how can economics interfere with the five freedoms

Answer 6

It may be necessary to make trade-offs to provide the best possible quality of life for the animals in an economically feasible manner.

Question 7

what is the challenge to meeting the 5 freedoms

Answer 7

The challenge is to meet all Five Freedoms to benefit the animals when meeting one may impinge on another.

Question 8

give an example of how the five freedoms can be counterproductive and also how some freedoms can violate other freedoms

Answer 8

For example, striving to meet nutritional needs and allowing animals to interact with other animals of their own kind may be counterproductive. Nutritionally, livestock diets are carefully formulated to maximize productivity; therefore, nutritional requirements should be met and animals should not be going hungry. However, when we are group housing animals to meet the freedom to express normal behaviours, submissive animals may be out-competed by dominant animals resulting in some animals receiving insufficient food while others, overfed, become fat. Aggressive interactions between group-housed animals can also cause physical injury and mental suffering and, while these effects are not in play when animals are housed individually, different types of mental suffering may occur when animals feel isolated from others of their own kind.

Question 9

how do we find the best possible management ways

Answer 9

Animal welfare researchers use scientific methods to evaluate stress levels and health status of the animals involved to balance the effects of different management conditions so that the best possible management can be provided

Question 10

what happens if you break the five freedoms

Answer 10

The Five Freedoms are defined by law and failure to provide them is considered an offence and may be punishable with a fine or jail sentence

Question 11

how is law enforcement of the 5 freedoms enforced

Answer 11

All places where animals are kept, including private homes, are subject to inspection by warrant. All research involving animals must be approved by an Animal Care Committee to conform to national guidelines and all research institutions using animals are inspected annually. However, since 98 percent of all animals that humans interact with are animals farmed for meat, eggs and milk; addressing the plight of farmed animals should be the major focus for animal welfare.

Question 12

how many precent of animals humans interact with are farmed

Answer 12

98%

Question 13

where is the main focus of animal welfare

Answer 13

farmed animals

Question 14

what kind of farms, specifically, are a major cause of concern for developed countries

Answer 14

Animal welfare within intensive livestock operations also called concentrated animal feeding operations or factory farms is a major area of concern for the consuming public in developed countries

Question 15

in “factory farms” what is insured when it comes to animals feed and nutrition

Answer 15

Livestock diets are carefully formulated to meet the nutritional needs of the animals and obtain optimum growth rates. When animals must be limit fed to avoid their becoming overly fat or growing too quickly, the diets provided have lower energy density to provide sufficient gut fill to ensure that animals do not experience hunger

Question 16

in “factory farms” what is insured when it comes to animals environment and air quality

Answer 16

The environment the animals are kept in is adjusted so the temperature and humidity are appropriate to the species and stage of life. Strict biosecurity measures limit exposure to pathogens and toxins in the environment

Question 17

why is air quality so important for animals in a high stocking density

Answer 17

Air quality for animals housed at high stocking densities typical of confinement production systems is a critical issue for the comfort and health of the animals as well as for the health of the workers

Question 18

what makes up quality, properly designed ventilation. what is it based on

Answer 18

Proper design and operation of ventilation systems is based on air exchange rate, airflow pattern, temperature control and insulation

Question 19

what does the ventilation system have to take into account

Answer 19

The ventilation system design must take into account the type of diet the animals are fed (amount of dust), stocking density, bedding (amount of dust) and the manure management system

Question 20

what defined the air quality

Answer 20

The air quality is defined by humidity and the presence of contaminants such as dust and ammonia

Question 21

why is it in the producer’s best interest to maintain good physical conditions that optimize the animal’s welfare

Answer 21

Poor welfare reduces the animals’ fitness, which reduces life expectancy, reduces the number of offspring produced per animal, increases the time interval between successful breedings, and compromises weight gain thereby reducing overall productivity

Question 22

if the animal has difficulty coping with its environment, welfare is ____; if coping is easy, welfare is ____.

Answer 22

bad, good

Question 23

for animals in confined spaces what are some things that can help them mentally

Answer 23

it has been suggested that the act of having to cope with stressors and coping successfully provides pleasurable sensations. Therefore, the provision of challenges or stressors that the animal is capable of alleviating through its behavior improves animal welfare. Environmental enrichment can greatly improve the animals’ welfare by giving them some degree of control over their environment.

Question 24

what can lead to metabolic exhaustion

Answer 24

Maximizing performance by pushing animals beyond their optimum level of performance may result in metabolic exhaustion

Question 25

how are most “factory farmed” animals contained

Answer 25

Most of the animals raised in ILOs are kept indoors their entire lives

Question 26

what is the reason for confining animals

Answer 26

Essentially, the reason for confinement is to manage the environment of the animal

Question 27

what are the five purposes for animal confinement

Answer 27

1) ownership
2) protection from wildlife
3) climate control
4) maximize production efficiency and minimize costs
5) disease control

Question 28

While the public image of ILOs is not ideal, how does the consumer reaps the benefits

Answer 28

benefits of easily accessible, affordable animal products that contribute to food security and may not be attainable with other production methods

Question 29

how does the carbon footprint of a grass-fed and finished cow compare to a feedlot cow

Answer 29

The carbon footprint of grass-finished beef is 74% higher than that of beef finished in the feedlot because grass-finished beef takes longer to reach slaughter weight and weighs less at slaughter; consequently, more animals are required by a grass-finishing system to produce the same amount of beef as is produced in a feedlot-finishing system

Question 30

as an urban consumer is it more eco friendly to buy animal feed from a local out of town farmer or from the grocery store

Answer 30

Urban consumers who drive out to farms proximate to the city to purchase local goods create a greater carbon footprint than consumers who drive to a local grocery store to purchase their goods even when the local grocery store is selling products that have been transported long distances. This occurs because the GHG emissions associated with the transportation of meat and dairy products is a relatively small proportion of the total GHG emissions for beef and dairy cattle production whereas GHG emissions associated with single-family travel for purchasing small quantities of produce dramatically increases the carbon footprint of the product’s arrival in the home.

Question 31

when do sows use gestation crates

Answer 31

to house dry sows (sows that are neither lactating nor farrowing)

Question 32

when do chickens use battery cages

Answer 32

housing egg-producing chickens in battery cages

Question 33

what are the advantages of gestation stalls

Answer 33

The advantages of gestation stalls are that they provide a means of tailoring feed to meet the needs of individual animals, they protect the sows from pain and injury due to aggression from other sows, sows can receive individual care and attention and it is less labor-intensive than group housing. Sows maintained in gestation crates may incur some injuries from interactions with the stall itself or the flooring, but these should be minimal

Question 34

why isn’t it ideal for sows to spend their lifetime in gestation crates

Answer 34

Lifetime housing in gestation crates creates stresses for the sows as evinced by an increase in the incidence of behaviors considered to be indicative of high-stress levels, such as bar-biting, sham chewing, and excessive drinking; these behaviors, termed stereotypies, occur when an animal is unable to engage in natural activities and/or has no control over its environment

Question 35

what is a major consideration when examining other options for housing dry sows

Answer 35

Nutritional management of dry sows is a major consideration and a way to do this is gestation crates or electric tags that can read and monitor the food of the sow

Question 36

what are some new practices farmers are using to ensure that sows are getting the proper nutrition requirements in group housing

Answer 36

New group housing systems typically incorporate the use of electronic tags on the sows that can be read by sensors at the feeding troughs which allows individual customization of the sows’ diets.

Question 37

what feeding practices are used for dry sows and why is it done

Answer 37

Typically, limited feeding of dry sows is practiced because over-feeding adds weight as fat and does not improve litter size. Limit-feeding may reduce embryonic mortality and increase litter size. Heavy sows have more difficulty farrowing and are more likely to crush piglets. Sows over-fed during gestation have lower feed intake after farrowing when energy requirements to support lactation are higher. Therefore, options for housing dry sows must make it possible to still nutritionally manage the individual sows.

Question 38

how are gestation crates viewed from a welfare point of view

Answer 38

unacceptable. they have been phased out in many countries including European countries and some US states and are still used in Canada if you are an established place but any renovations are required to incorporate group housing

Question 39

what is an alternative to gestation crates

Answer 39

group housing with more or less capability for tailoring nutritional management of the sows. All of the group housing systems provide good freedom of movement and comfort for the sows and they all have the potential for environmental enrichment.

Question 40

in group housing of sows how can they be fed

Answer 40

1) pen with floor feeding
2) pen with feeding stalls
3) pen with trickle feeding
4) pen with electronic sow feeders

Question 41

what natural habits can chickens not do in battery cages

Answer 41

nesting, perching, foraging, and dust bathing

Question 42

what negative impacts do battery cages have on chickens physical wellbeing

Answer 42

restricted movement of the birds means that their bones are weak and, consequently, they are susceptible to fracturing during depopulation of the facility causing the birds to be in a state of pain

Question 43

what are the advantages of battery cages

Answer 43

The advantages of battery cages are the control of social interactions between chickens limiting aggressive attacks between them and automated clean egg collection systems

Question 44

what is the rule of using battery cages in canada

Answer 44

As of 2017, newly constructed egg barns are prohibited from using barren battery cages in Canada and barren battery cages are expected to be completely phased out by 2032

Question 45

what are some alternatives to battery cages

Answer 45

aviary or furnished cage, colony cages and group housing systems

Question 46

what is the plus side of using the alternative to battery cages

Answer 46

aviary provides nests, purchases for perching, litter for dust bathing and claw shortening devices

Question 47

what is the downside to removing battery cages

Answer 47

is expected to incur an increase in bacteriological, health, and welfare problems. In particular, feather-pecking and cannibalism will increase with large groups of chickens, and chickens housed with outdoor runs are likely to suffer from a greater number of insect-borne infections. The eggs produced in the alternative systems also increase the risk of transferring zoonotic infections to humans as the eggshells will be exposed to higher levels of fecal contamination. The alternatives to battery cages increase the cost of egg production by at least 20%.

Question 48

what is a practice that can reduce chickens pecking at each other? how does welfare see this practice

Answer 48

beak trimming. to limit feather pecking and cannibalism. Beak trimming is considered to be a welfare issue because of the pain associated with the procedure although studies have shown that if the process is carried out during the first ten days of life the pain is short-term and minimal. Beak trimming has the added advantage of improving feed efficiency by reducing wastage. Increasing opposition to the practice of beak trimming may promote more interest in genetically selecting birds that are less likely to engage in feather pecking or cannibalism.

Question 49

what things have a huge impact on the way animals are being raised

Answer 49

Livestock production practices are subject to increasing scrutiny from an urban population that is removed from the actual production system. Public sentiment can be swayed by media presenting practices out of context and the resulting public outcry can have a profound effect on the acceptance of those practices. Our livestock production systems must be able to withstand this scrutiny and be able to demonstrate that animal welfare needs are being met. Research has made it possible to more efficiently produce meat from large-scale operations that more effectively address the welfare of the animals they are housing.